The Kent Crusaders put in a sub-par performance away at Birmingham A’s as they lost the first game of Division 2 play after winning out in the Patrons Cup.

“I have to put this defeat on myself”, said Crusaders head coach Mads Olesen after the game, “I haven’t done enough to make it clear to the players that five wins in a row in the Patrons Cup means absolutely nothing once the real season gets going. We haven’t practiced well enough for a couple of weeks now. Maybe we just thought we didn’t need to after winning those games so easily. Luckily that can and will be corrected this upcoming week!”

The Crusaders started the game well, and when they ran out to a 23-12 lead it looked like they would be continuing their winning ways, but the home team had other plans. In the second quarter the A’s tightened their inside defence and as the Crusaders had an off night shooting from the outside the hosts were able to tie the game at 32 seven minutes in. At the break the Crusaders were up 5 as they went on a 10-5 run to close out the first half.

In the first four minutes of the third quarter the home team only managed gain one points on the Crusaders, but then the A’s went on a 22-6 run lasting three minutes into the fourth quarter.

“I kept expecting us to come back”, said Olesen of the run, “Even as we were down by ten I just thought that at some point we’d make a run as we have done in all our other games, but it just never materialized. We were just out of sync and at the end we didn’t have the luck needed to come back”.

The guests did manage to score six straight to bring it as close as 64-70 with three minutes left, but a couple of turnovers undid the comeback. Eight points in the last minute for Crusaders brought them within five with 15 seconds left but it was too little, too late for the Kent side.

The Kent Crusaders have been nominated for the Canterbury & District Sports Awards 2008 in the Senior Sports Club of the Year category. The awards ceremony will be held Friday 24th October 2008 in Eliott College at the University of Kent, Canterbury.

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The Division 2 season starts with a trip to Birmingham for the Kent Crusaders. The Crusaders enter Division 2 play with lots of confidence after six straight cup wins to start the season, but head coach Mads Olesen believes the team might be in for some tough games to start out the season:

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The Kent Crusaders finished the Patrons Cup with am unbeaten record as they beat Plymouth Raiders II in a game that was close until the fourth quarter when Crusaders closed out the game well and won by 14, 87-73

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Congratulations to a team that put their hearts and souls into the game against Westminster Warriors.

The Kent Crusaders under 16’s National League South II Conference team beat the Westminister Warriors on Saturday. The game started well for Crusaders under 16’s as they showed they really wanted a win under their belts.

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Captain Pete Aylings’s comments from game program from canceled game v. Southampton:

Another weekend, another double header and another two Crusaders wins!

It has been tough playing so many games this early in the season, the team is finding its feet and there are a couple of players still overcoming injuries. Despite the challenges we put together another two professional performances.

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Matt Fenton’s comments from game program from canceled game v. Southampton:

Kent Crusaders secured a home semi final draw in the Patrons cup with two excellent performances this weekend.

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The Cup tie with Southampton Sunday has been canceled due to Southampton being unable to field a team. Crusaders have been given the match and face either London Towers (Div. 3) or Brixton Topcats (Div.3) in the next round on November 9.