West Brom Basketball Club start pre-season with mixed results
West Brom Basketball Club kicked off their pre-season schedule with mixed results, suffering defeat on the road and success at home.
The Black Country side have entered the WMBL for the upcoming season, which is due to start next month - and in preparation for that, have returned for pre-season action.
The side found success during a summer mini-league, aimed at acclimating players back into competitive action following the coronavirus break - winning each of their games.
Following that, West Brom upped their preparations with a duo of pre-season friendlies, against National League Division 2 side Team Birmingham Elite and YBL Division 1 side LT Patriots.
Making the short trip to Birmingham, West Brom started their preparations with a tough defeat against their higher ranked opponents, losing 92-46.
With only eight players available for the fixture, West Brom went into the game short-handed against their Second City opponents, and were made to pay with the hosts putting in a punishing performance.
Luke Hatfield top-scored for West Brom with an 18-point performance, with Ezran Little and new signing Fredo Richardson each chipping in with nine points a piece.
However, the club's preparations took a winning turn just three days later as West Brom played host to LT Patriots.
With a near-full roster of players at their disposal, head coach Tim Rudge's side flipped the script on their previous outing, dishing out a dominant 87-58 beating against their opponents.
The physical encounter proved a solid test for West Brom, but the hosts outscored their opponents in every quarter to ensure they bounced back from their defeat in mid-week.
"We competed well with Team Birmingham." Rudge said, regarding his side's defeat.
"We just had one of those nights where we just couldn't score, we were even missing lay-ups."
"The final score looks like we were blown away, but I don't think that was the case at all, our defence was good and our transition was excellent too. It was a good test for us."
West Brom continue their pre-season on October 3, when they take on GB Maxi Basketball's 40+ side, in what promises to be a challenging fixture ahead of the start of the season.
