International win set Bears up nicely for league trip to Cardiff Met Archers

In a busy week for Warwickshire Bears, they went a long way to securing their recently acquired First Division South status with a 66-39 win at Cardiff Met Archers.
Rick Powell in defensive action for Warwickshire Bears.Rick Powell in defensive action for Warwickshire Bears.
Rick Powell in defensive action for Warwickshire Bears.

However, first up was friendly against the United Arab Emirates international team, who were over in Great Britain at a training camp in preparation for the Gulf Championships.

From the tip-off, the game was a tough, physical battle, with Bears taking a narrow 27-22 lead which they extended to 15 points at the close of the third quarter.

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The final quarter saw the international visitors claw back the deficit but in the end the clock was against them as Bears held on for a memorable win.

“I’m so proud of the team today,” said Bears coach Tom Masterson. “To win a game against an international team is a major achievement for them and just shows how much potential there is in the club.

“Even our bench were awesome today and helped us to the final buzzer.”

Bears also took an early lead in their league encounter at Cardiff Met Archers, with forward Ben Haigh and new signings Jacob Robinson and Siobhan Fitzpatrick in impressive form to help the visitors stay in control.

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“I was pleased that I was able to give a much-needed run-out to our team today,” said Masterson after the buzzer.

“We have so many good players in the team, fighting for minutes on court and games like today gives me the opportunity to give them all a good run-out.”

Meanwhile, Bears’ 2nds extended their unbeaten run in the Third Division South & West with a 32-14 success at Hampshire Harriers 2nds.

With Bears in control at both ends, they were able to give an opportunity to their whole bench, which allowed new signing Stuart Lane to make his debut.

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