City of Birmingham Rockets shoot down Worthing Thunder – but skipper makes a promise

Abdul led his side in scoring with 14-points, but Tom Ward and Daniel Johnson-Thompson both got double-doubles in points and rebounds. Tola Okiki also added 10. Former Thunder player Orlan Jackman tied Rockets’ top scoring with Nathan Ramsdale-Owen on 15, but the 35-year-old also added 10 rebounds.

Abdul said, “It was a game that had fierce opponents. Their coaching staff made great adjustments… (they made) less turnovers and quicker adjustments on the fly.

“Dan’s (Johnson-Thompson) effort to keep morale high and relentlessness on both ends of the floor was something we never take for granted.”

After a season where 12 games were decided by single digit deficits, the mental toll it has taken was evident. Against a Rockets side bolstered by experience, they looked war weary.

Amid a slow start to the third, Birmingham’s top scorer, Samuel Toluwase, slammed home quickly to assert a 14-point lead. Together with Commonwealth games gold medallist, Jackman, they smelt blood in the south coast side.

Birmingham’s insatiable commitment to defence won the battle inside, forcing Daniel Johnson-Thompson three attempts to get his trademark dunk. He was caught twice mid-flight, once by Jayden Grewal, who made up for receiving a technical foul the play prior, and once by Martyn Gayle in the fourth.

Johnson-Thompson got his chance late in the fourth, and with the contest over, smashed it home releasing every ounce of frustration upon the metallic ring.

After Grewal’s technical foul, hope breathed its way into the Thunder camp. Tola Okiki, fifth in the division for free throw percentage, captivated once more with his unwavering aggression.

Gayle stole possession, finding Nathan Ramsdale-Owen to put them an irreversible 17-points ahead in front of a jubilant home crowd.

Though Thunder’s dreams of post-season basketball are mathematically over now with Nottingham beating Newcastle yesterday evening, there are still beacons of hope heading to the final weekend of the season. Ishmael Fontaine hit two perimeter shots in a row at the end and Luke Moore confidently finished tough shouts in the bowels of the Birmingham defence.

The first quarter saw Abdul and Jackman square off against each other. Worthing’s current incumbent of the summit of the scoring averages showed first, knocking down a fouled layup and a free throw before his predecessor connected on two perimeter shots in a row.

The battle spread to the teammates; Gayle hit a corner three as Jackman miraculously found him while surrounded by three Thunder players.

Next weekend is the last match on home court this season (vs Nottingham Hoods April 6, tip 19:30). Abdul added, “They (the fans) can expect us to do right by them and try to get a bounce back win.”

They travel for the curtain closer against Loughborough Riders on April 7.