Tiring Warwickshire Bears hang on to preserve unbeaten start

With a weakened team due to injuries and unavailability it was always going to prove a tough game for the visitors against a side who had come down a division.

Bears played a tough defence in the first quarter, restricting Aces to only four points, while opening up a healthy 16-point lead.

The second quarter saw Aces play a full court press to take advantage of their superior strength in depth and they limited Bears to just two points while chipping away at their lead.

The third quarter was again a case of Aces playing a pressing game and it led to a stalemate which allowed the visitors to enter the final quarter with a 29-20 lead.

Aylesbury made one last push in the final quarter to try and get back into the game, but the tiring Bears were able to hang on, much to the relief of coach Tom Masterson.

“ I’d like to congratulate the Aces today who pushed us all the way,” said Masterson after the game.

“While it was a scrappy win, I’m still happy with the effort the Bears put in today and how they battled to keep the win to the last buzzer.”