7-12-22 Sheffield Sharks

LET’S GO PATRIOTS

Obedair are a Plymouth based regional building contractor delivering construction projects across the whole of Devon & Cornwall. Obedair have over 30 years experience of delivering projects across all sectors from £25,000 to £4m in Value. Our sectors include Education, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Defence, Commercial, Industrial, Heritage and Clinical. We work on a B2B basis ensuring delivery on time on our projects whilst saving money for our clients in the process.

LET’S BRING THE NOISE AT THE PAVILIONS

Words from the Chairman - Carl Heslop

It seems an age since we were back at the pavilions following a long stint of regular games at home on a Sunday. Having completed a really professional performance against a strong Manchester team I hope we can continue that level of performance against a strong Sheffield team who are really difficult to break down and a very defensive team.

I also hope we can share the points more tonight with our Captain Marvel Elvisi Dusha again delivering a strong performance against Caledonia but needs more points support from the rest of the roster.

It’s frustrating when this season we haven’t yet had a sustained fully fit roster at any point, but we have enough quality. As we showed in the first half against Caledonia, we have the talent to beat teams and game management is crucial at key moments to enable us to start collecting more points.

On a positive note, our home crowds have been immense this season and majorly up on this position last season. Having been around a number of venues this season and last, I still believe we have the greatest fans who really do give us an additional player at home. Albeit

tonight being a Wednesday night game at short notice I trust you will give our players as much support as possible.

Although the first team have had a break in fixtures, we have been immensely busy continuing to driving basketball in Plymouth. We will shortly be announcing Level 1 and Level 2 basketball coaching qualifications which will be delivered for the first time in Plymouth. It’s important that as the sport grows in the city, we do all we can to support the coaches of the future and taking a lead in delivering these accredited courses in the city.

We have also had a really busy period with our school’s ambassador programme which has been really well received and is delivered free to all schools in the city that wish to get involved. Inspiring kids is what this club is all about and I’m really proud of the work being done by Ben Fox and the patriot’s players to deliver that message. Should you wish to take advantage of this great initiative, then please get in touch!

As this is the first of our last three games before we close out 2022 let’s make this a real winning run through to the new year and give us a 2023 to remember!

LET’S GO PATRIOTS!

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Good evening, welcome to the Pavilions for today’s important BBL championship game against the Sheffield Sharks. The Sharks are coached by Atiba Lyons, and they sit 4th in the championship with a 7-6 record.

Meanwhile we dropped to 8th in the championship having lost to Caledonia Gladiators on Sunday leaving us with a 5-6 record. December is going to be a very busy month for the team, Sheffield twice home and away. Surrey and Bristol at home and then ending the year in London.

There are plenty of games to go in the championships, but the game can get away from you very quickly if you fail to make the most of winning opportunities that present themselves.

Caledonia on Sunday was a prime example of this. The game was certainly there for the taking, but we did not take advantage of the situation or the opportunity.

12 free throws missed in what was a close game throughout was way too many. This should not happen and especially in key moments of the game in the second half. We put ourselves under pressure by missing these shots and it spread throughout the team. This compounded with the not recognising personnel on the opposition and failing to defend the 3-point line effectively, we made life very difficult for ourselves.

The final 120 seconds was just not good enough and we have to have a winning effort for the whole

game and not get sloppy letting the opposition run in easy baskets to balloon the winning margin.

I hope this does not come back to hurt us at the end of the season and feel like we beat ourselves on this occasion.

Our situation wasn’t helped by Troy being ruled out from travelling to Scotland at the very last minute!! Players get injured but with that comes opportunity for other players to step up and show me I should be playing them more!

Our captain, Elvisi Dusha was outstanding again, and I want to congratulate him on receiving the player of the Month for November. I’ve known Elvisi for a long time now and he has always had this level of performance in him so it’s fantastic to finally see him believing what people have been telling him for years and putting in some great and consistent performances so far this season and showing his true potential. I’m very proud of what he is doing right now.

We face another tough challenge this evening against Sheffield. They have had some very good results this far and last week took down league leaders Bristol flyers on the flyer home court. This is not an easy thing to do at Bristol so you I know Sheffield are a talented and organised team.

I extend a warm welcome to the Sheffield’s coaching staff and players for this BBL championship match.

JUNIOR LEAGUE TIMETABLE

The Ocean Group is a local business run by business partners, Kevin & Karen Dawe. Based in Plymouth we have been providing skilled electricians for commercial projects on a continuous basis since 2014. We primarily focus on industrial installations but cover all aspects of the electrical industry including commercial and domestic, which gives our apprentices a wide range of skills.

Ocean Electrics South West Ltd prides itself on training apprentices

Since its establishment in 2010 we have trained 15 apprentices with a further 5 at various stages through their training.

PAUL JAMES Head Coach ISA BRANDON Guard

S2 Group Services Ltd was formed in 2015 by directors Mark Symes and Leigh Spencer who between them have over 30 years experience in the mechanical sector. S2 Group Services Ltd design, coordinate, supply and install all sizes of project with the minimum downtime and operates with maximum efficiency.

The team works closely with our specialist sub-contractors and clients to integrate all mechanical systems. Our project managers provide a bespoke programme to suite our clients requirements to ensure we deliver within budget and on time.

We work across the commercial, industrial, and public sectors and in heritage properties, providing bespoke solutions.

Too often clients of accountancy firms don’t feel valued. They’re just a number in the filing cabinet. In our line of business, building positive relationships matters. Our purpose is to understand our clients’ businesses, their problems and aspirations. Listening gives us the understanding to provide a better value service, which is advisory, attentive and tailored to the client’s needs.

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We work in partnership with Xero. Xero provide simple accounting software which enables small business owners manage their finances in real time. Our team are experts and can provide support wherever you are.

We are delighted to have been involved with the birth of Plymouth City Patriots and proud to be supporters. We look forward to getting together with friends and family to cheer on the team.

Martin Caruana - director

A break away from inflexible ways of working; a positive culture with better interaction with clients. This is Beverston.

Individual and Community Memberships

Marjon Sport & Health is based in the North of the City and is proud to be part of the community. We welcome everyone from outside of the University to enjoy our fantastic facilities.

Community Active Family Pass

Includes use of the gym, pool and classes for those over 16, for 2 adults and 2 children (Variations available on request to suit your family).

Includes use of the gym and pool with parking for a maximum of 3 hours when using the facility.

Community Active Pass

Includes use of the gym, pool and classes with parking for a maximum of 3 hours when using the facility. Over 16s only.

Come and visit us to see how we can support your health and fitness goals and what we have on offer for the whole family. 20%

Over 16s only in the gym but access to everything else with an accompanying adult. £64.99 per month via recurring credit/debit card payment, no contract.

£29.99 per month via recurring credit/debit card payment, no contract.

Annual Community Active Pass £310.00. 6 month Community Active Pass £165.00. 6 week Community Active Pass £50.00. 01752 636876 | sportsreception@marjon.ac.uk | www.marjon.ac.uk/marjon-sport

MATCH REPORT

CALEDONIA GLADIATORS 91 - 76

The Plymouth City Patriots were in action Sunday evening, away from home against the Caledonia Gladiators and despite a strong start, faltered late in the game and let one slip away.

The Patriots made the longest journey in the British Basketball League (BBL), to face the Gladiators in Glasgow on Sunday, for a game that had the potential to be a classic. Both teams were coming into the fixture on two game winning streaks, and both were full of confidence ahead of the clash.

The visiting Patriots took the lead in the first half, behind their captain and November’s Molten Player of the Month, Elvisi Dusha who had poured in 17 points by the interval. Indeed, Dusha, who has been a standout player in the BBL this season, once again had a great game, finishing with 24 points, five rebounds and 6 assists, although it would not be enough.

Leading at half time, 49-42 the Patriots seemed to be on the verge of pulling away from the home team Gladiators. However, having beaten reigning champions Leicester Riders and a top four team in the Sheffield Sharks in their previous fixtures, it was evident that the Gladiators were not done yet. The home side rallied in the third quarter, behind some exceptional team play to edge ahead of the visitors by a single point, before surging forward with great momentum and excitement from the crowd and pulling away from the Patriots, finishing comfortable winners, 91-76, again behind some outstanding team play.

Head Coach Paul James was disappointed in his team’s loss, saying “We put ourselves in a great position at half time and played some good basketball. Unfortunately we didn’t really compete in the second half. We got into foul trouble and let them get what they wanted in the fourth quarter, leaving us with too much to do. We missed free throws in key moments of the game and let them back in, at a time when we actually, we could have extended a lead”

Elvisi Dusha, game MVP was also downbeat after the game, saying “ Disappointing result. We played a decent first half, but really slowed down in the second half. We let them get too comfortable, and they took control down the stretch” Dusha was already looking forward to the upcoming fixtures, adding “We’ve got a quick turnaround, and a chance to make up for the loss on Wednesday… We will be looking to get our momentum and rhythm and get back to winning ways.”

The two teams are now tied in the series one apiece, with two games left against each other. The two teams are tied in the league as well, both on ten points with plenty of games left to play. Currently the Patriots occupy the all important eighth spot, which would secure a playoff spot, putting the Plymouth side in a strong position going into the Christmas fixtures.

The Patriots now look ahead to a busy Christmas period, facing the Sheffield Sharks on Wednesday 7:30pm, Surrey Scorchers Sunday afternoon 3pm and the South West derby against the Bristol Flyers, Wednesday 28th December 7:30pm tip off. Get your tickets online and if you’re lucky enough to get one for the Scorchers game on the 11th December, make sure you find your loudest Christmas Jumper, as it is officially the Plymouth City Patriots Christmas Jumper Game, with a small prize going to the best/ loudest on display.

Match reports by Pablo Cheeks

BRINCEY LOMEKA

ELVISI DUSHA Assistant Coach

JOE HART Head Coach

What a way to bounce back from the international break with five epic games across the BBL Championship this past weekend, and some stellar performances seeing four different clubs represented in this week’s All-Star Five!

VJ King – Bristol Flyers

The Bristol Flyers were trailing going into the fourth quarter against a spirited Cheshire Phoenix side who looked destined to deny Andreas Kapoulas’ side a first-ever outright lead of the BBL Championship in the club’s history, but a 10-point splurge in the final stanza from VJ King to round off a 32-point, 11-rebound performance was enough to see the Flyers faithful head home happy as their team secured a vital dub and sit top of the table in the Championship for the first time.

Elvisi Dusha – Plymouth City Patriots

This man is in the form of his life at the moment for the Plymouth City Patriots, and Paul James’ side are reaping the rewards after a duo of delightful dubs on the weekend saw the Pavilions club vault up the Championship ladder into sixth place, tied on wins with the Manchester Giants. A near triple-double against the Manchester Giants with 16 points, eight rebounds and 17 assists followed a 22-point, nine-assists performance against Newcastle on Friday night by Dusha and the volume of those numbers just shows you how electrically Elvisi is playing basketball at the moment!

Antonio Williams – Plymouth City Patriots

After almost a month away from the court earlier in the season due to injury, it was always going to take the ‘Booman’ some time to get back into his rhythm upon returning to action and now, after five games away, we’re seeing the very best of Antonio Williams once again as he was instrumental in his side’s two-win weekend last time out. 21 points, nine rebounds and nine assists against the Newcastle Eagles were followed up by a further 19 points, six rebounds and four assists against the Manchester Giants on Sunday afternoon – with a monster throw-down being the highlight of the weekend’s action as well – and with every passing week, Williams is looking more and more like the MVP candidate many tipped him to be at the beginning of the year.

Bennett Koch – B. Braun Sheffield Sharks

A win and a loss was the way it fell for the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks this past weekend, but Koch was big in both games as he gave the Leicester Riders a number of problems live on Sky Sports – in a fixture that was closer than the score line suggested – before notching a double-double down in Surrey to get his side back to winning ways. With the BBL Cup taking centre stage this coming weekend and the Sharks welcoming the Caledonia Gladiators to Ponds Forge, Koch is in for a battle against Gareth Murray’s bigs, but if he performs as he has done this weekend then he’ll be well-placed to help Sheffield build towards a win.

Zach Jackson – Leicester Riders

Zach Jackson makes basketball look easy. He is shooting a ridiculous 60% from the field this season which, when you consider the difficulty of some of the shots he takes, is pretty incredible, and he showed out once again this weekend on Sky Sports as he poured in a cool 17 points to help the Riders take an important win over the Sharks. A busy week awaits against the Gladiators in midweek in the Championship before the Newcastle Eagles come to town to try and end the Riders’ defence of their BBL Cup title, so Jackson will need to continue his rich run of form to help Leicester see off those challenges.

Off the Bench:

Rahmon Fletcher (Manchester Giants), Maceo Jack (Cheshire Phoenix), Jermel Kennedy (Newcastle Eagles), Rashad Hassan (Plymouth City Patriots) , Anthony Roberson (Manchester Giants), Kyle Johnson (Newcastle Eagles), James Hawthorne (Plymouth City Patriots).

GRAPHIC DESIGN CREATIVE HERO

How do you choose the right people to create your brand, conceive your next ad campaign, or design packaging for your new product? There are numerous agencies and freelancers in the Plymouth area alone, many producing strong creative work. Clearly, you need to check their portfolios and fees. But, crucially, you also need to know how they work and why they design the way they do.

Great design is as much about function, as it is about being beautiful. My approach is to understand your plans, assess the challenges you may face, and find effective solutions to realise your goals. Whatever the job, I aim to produce design that increases recognition in your target audience, tells your story and prompts customers to choose you over your competition. Just speak to my clients and see what they have to say.

“THE GUY’S A GENIUS”

This is me! I can be found in the middle of the 2nd row on game days. Come and say hello. Or contact me on email if i’m not here.

Click the button to play my archive reel. And don’t forget to check out my latest work on my website.

~ Carl Heslop, Obedair Construction & Patriots Chairman

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