By Ryan Gillham
Durham Wildcats are looking at a tough weekend when they face second-top Worcester Wolves on Friday night in the BBL.
The Wildcats in the past couple of games have struggled to find their touch as they faced heavy defeats from Leicester Riders and Newcastle Eagles.
Durham have seen the fixture list lately as unkind to them, playing the top three BBL sides in a row but hopefully looking for a good outing this coming weekend.
In both previous outings the Wildcats have shown that they are no push-overs.
In the first meeting between the two sides Worcester came out on top in a very close game which ended up 65-64 and 86-72 in last month’s meeting.
Durham will be hoping they can defy the odds in this game and claim their third victory in their debut season in the BBL. Meanwhile at the other end of the table the Wolves continue to chase league leaders Newcastle Eagles with 14 wins from 19 games.
Head Coach Elderkin rates the Wolves highly. “They are one of the strongest teams and squads in the BBL,” he told the BBL website. “Well organised, good defensively and a serious threat from beyond the arc.
“We played well against them in the first encounter last October, but they gave us a hard time last month, particularly from three ball land and in offensive transition – in fact they are particularly dangerous ‘downtown’ in transition. All the starters are good scorers and there are plenty of potential points from the bench.
“We moved the ball well in the first meeting and showed a lot of patience on offence – something they worked hard to stop in the second meeting. Improving our ‘on ball’ and transition defence is vital.”
Even though both sides sit at opposite side of the table Head coach of the Wolves, Paul James, isn’t taking anything for granted.
He said: “We have played Durham two times this season and on each occasion they have made us work hard for our win. They have a number of players who can shoot the ball well and have the ability to cause teams match-up problems with their four out one in set.
“We have to be ready to play defence for the whole shot clock as they are very patient on offence. Despite their league position they have the potential to beat any team in the league.
“We moved and shot the ball very well against them the last time we played. This time we are away from home, but I hope we can do the same again.”
Worcester Wolves will be a big threat for the Wildcats as they boast one of the best offences in the league and if the Wildcats find themselves in foul trouble that could cause more problems with the Wolves having the highest free throw percentage in the league with 73.73% from the line.
No news as of yet whether Ralph Bucci will play this coming weekend after missing the previous game at Sports Central against the Newcastle Eagles.
Key player to look out for in this Friday’s game:
Durham Wildcats: Mario Flaherty, Dj Glavan and Mike Capocci.
Worcester Wolves: Tommy Freeman, Sherrad Prezzie-Blue and Richie Gordon.
For any information on the game or to buy tickets see the Durham Wildcats website CLICK HERE, or call the ticket hotline on 01325 300500.