by Vlad Ionasc
Cheshire Phoenix dropped their second game of the season against the Glasgow Rocks.
The Nix were never in control of the contest as their opponents dominated the entire fixture. Dante Thorpe scored 22 points for the hosts, while Parker Jackson-Cartwright added a game-high 28 points for the guests.
It was a poor shooting night for Cheshire, as they only made 36% of their shots from the field and 21% from three-point land. The Rocks were much better in that department, as they shot 47% from the field and 40% from three-point range.
Glasgow opened the game with a 7-3 run, however, the Nix answered back with an immediate 5-0 stretch to take a one-point lead. The two sides traded baskets after their initial runs and found themselves level at 12 points apiece with 3:34 left in the quarter. The hosts closed out the quarter slightly better and went into the second period of play up 24-19.
Phoenix kept the Rocks at bay for the first two minutes of the second quarter but Glasgow recovered quickly and embarked on a 7-0 run which put the Scots up by seven. The Rocks jumped out to their first double-digit lead of the game at the 3:55 mark, following a crafty lay-up by Alasdair Fraser. The Nix trimmed the deficit to single digits after Jackson-Cartwright connected on a buzzer-beating lay-up, making the half-time score 43-35 in favor of the hosts.
Phoenix struggled to drain any shots at the start of the second half. This allowed the Rocks to extend their cushion to 12 points with five minutes remaining in the third quarter. Jackson-Cartwright carried the scoring load for the guests as he amassed eight points in the penultimate quarter. Glasgow increased the advantage they created at the end of the second quarter to nine points, going into the fourth quarter.
Cheshire couldn’t buy a basket for the first three minutes of the final quarter, the Rocks went on a 7-0 run during this period which increased their advantage to 16 points. Jalen Hayes scored Phoenix first bucket of the quarter at the 6:48 mark. The two teams traded baskets for the last six minutes of the game, with the Rocks emerging victorious at the final buzzer, 79-67.
KEY TEAM STAT: 10 OFF. The Nix grabbed 10 offensive boards to Glasgow’s six. They also scored more fast-break points than their opponents, however, their poor shooting let them down on the night.