Basketball tour to Durban

Tom AustinSchool News, Sports Department, Sports Department Leave a Comment

[vc_row padding_top=”0px” padding_bottom=”0px”][vc_column fade_animation_offset=”45px”][vc_column_text]Our Basketball tour to Durban South Africa this year was a great success! A truly enjoyable tour one which brought great pride and joy to both players and coaches. Our boys were outstanding throughout the entire tournament. We are very proud of our teams that represented The Heritage this year and look forward to many more successful tours.

Match Reports

[/vc_column_text]
[vc_row_inner padding_top=”0px” padding_bottom=”0px”][vc_column_inner fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/2″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/2″]

Heritage Hornets

Vs King Edward College

Unfortunately the score line doesn’t depict the true reflection of the game Heritage put up a good fight and for some periods of the game dominated a team that had in the first half put up a 20 point lead. Heritage will be concerned with the many missed chances during the first half. The team can also look at the Many opportunities they had to convert from the good plays in reducing the deficit. Hats off to Mufudzi Chaza who was the man of the match. He defended brilliantly and was always a threat in attack. I should also mention the contrasting weather between Harare and the altitude here in Durban. The period of acclimatisation might take a bit more for the boys but still they soldiered on and fought to the very last second.

Result: Heritage Lost 29 – 59
[/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner]
[vc_row_inner padding_top=”0px” padding_bottom=”0px”][vc_column_inner fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/2″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/2″]

Heritage Hornets

Vs Port- Shepstone High School 

Mufudzi Chaza and Alce Melo started the game off with some spectacular attacking plays. This brought about a string of points within the first quarter. There was better fluidity in defence as well and the bench contributed each time they came on to play. 1st half Heritage dominated the rebounds as the teams went toe to toe. The tactical changes helped us at the death as the tired legs set in before we shut them out with 3mins remaining. Each team member had a major part to play in this victory. Well done to the boys for picking themselves up after their first match.

Result: Heritage Won 55 – 45
[/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner]
[vc_row_inner padding_top=”0px” padding_bottom=”0px”][vc_column_inner fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/2″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/2″]

Heritage Hornets

Vs Enjabuluweni from Swaziland

Heritage had their most enthralling fixture of the tournament vs Enjabuluweni from Swaziland. The match was tied at 4-4 after the first quarter. There was no room for error as the teams battled for possession. By the end of the 1st half Heritage were down 14-11. The Swazi outfit showed true grit as they dominated the third quarter and were up 25-18. The hornets did not give in and put up a defensive masterclass in the fourth quarter. The unsung hero of today’s encounter was young Nkosinathe Mate who came on when captain Roque Bata took a knock on his elbow and had to be taken off. The boys defended as if their lives depended on the game. The turnaround came as they reduced the deficit with 30sec on the clock. Heritage had clawed their way to 30-30 score line. As the team from Swazi fumbled their last possession due to the intense pressure from the hornets they capitalised and got the final basket. Well done to the boys for another well fought victory

Result: Heritage Won 32 – 30
[/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner]
[vc_row_inner padding_top=”0px” padding_bottom=”0px”][vc_column_inner fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/2″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/2″]

Heritage Hornets

Vs Maritzburg College

After a gruelling final pool game. We met Maritzburg College in the quarter finals. One of the top basketball schools in the region. They dominated the match right from the onset their physical presence and athletic ability was notable. Two of their boys with heights of close to 2m were towering above our captain Roque Bata. They dominated both offensive and defensive rebounds. At half time Maritzburg college had posted up a 10point lead. With all their dominance the hornets kept fighting and got some needed points to stay in the game. The third quarter Maritzburg turned up the pressure and restricted our team from making any baskets they extended their lead to 20points. After an inspired team talk the fourth quarter was a contrast of the third the Hornets managed to string some passes together and got into rhythm. Their movement and change in tactics got some points on the board. Unfortunately the margin was too big to cut down with the time remaining. Maritzburg with a much more experienced bench rotated their players well and kept the margins as points were traded between the two teams. There is no shame in losing to a better much more experienced team. There is however great fulfilment in knowing that the Hornets kept on competing and gained the respect of their opposition and the boys learnt from their defeat.

Result: Heritage Lost 35 – 55
[/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner]
[vc_row_inner padding_top=”0px” padding_bottom=”0px”][vc_column_inner fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/2″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/2″]

Heritage Hornets

Vs Durban High School Cubs

The 5th/6th play off game was against Durban High School cubs. The match started off at a slow pace as both sides were getting a feel of the game. The blue bloods took an early lead of 10 to 4 at the end of the first quarter with some brilliant work from Alce Melo and Mufudzi Chaza who has shone through the entire tournament. The score, however, does not reflect the manner in which the quarter went. The Blue bloods missed more than 12 clear cut scoring chances which would have secured the match by the end of the first quarter. The second quarter saw a comeback from the Cubs who took the lead on 4 different occasions. Again Heritage was guilty of failing to convert all the chances they had making it a 2 point ball game at half time with Heritage leading 20-18. The half time talk seemed to have kinspired the boys as they dominated the 3rd quarter 34-26. Complacency however creeped in again as Durban scored 4 unreplied baskets at the beginning of the 4th quarter. The boys somehow lost focus and concentration as Durban started to dominate the possession until a timeous time out was called out. With the boys calmer the game went back and forth as both teams exchanged leads . With 49 seconds left Durban High School had a 2 point lead but the boys did not panic. Alce Melo came up with a powerful base man move to tie the game.The boys put pressure on their inbound and we gained position. Roque Bata got fouled as he attempted to make a basket and from the free throws he made 1 which was enough to see The Blue bloods win it by 1 point to take the 5th position.

Result: Heritage Won 46 – 45
[/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner]
[/vc_column][/vc_row]

Leave a Reply