By Jamie King
Playing host to a lively Essex Rebels side on Sunday night, the Rockets came from behind to win an epic shootout in front of the Rivermead faithful. Meshack Lufile was out for the contest, but a statement game from Tyler Cartaino on his return to the court and a strong offensive showing from Danny Carter at the center position delivered a hard-fought victory even in Lufile’s absence.
Both teams started well offensively, and the Rockets jumped out to a 6-2 lead after Carter, Cartaino and Pinnock each scored early. The Rebels took the lead after a three-minute scoring drought for Reading, but Cartaino’s jumper soon leveled the tie at eight apiece. Halfway through the quarter, the Rebels were ahead once again through Jake Eynon’s jumper and their guard-heavy lineup got hot as the first wore on, with Tom Child and Ben Winter both scoring either side of a Cartaino jumpshot to keep the gap at 15-10. Jaz Bains took the offensive load off Cartaino with a three late in the quarter, but the Rebels’ took off as the first quarter came to a close. They worked the ball inside for three quick scores in the paint and at the line before Eynon and Winter combined for a quick nine points off of consecutive three-pointers from the left wing in the final minute.
Down 30-15 after the late-quarter flurry enjoyed by Essex, the Rockets set about steadying the ship in the second quarter. Essex started well regardless, with patient offense offering them avenue inside for a layup. Danny Carter responded with a drive and finish through contact at the other end but the Rebels continued to generate strong offense. Cartaino was locked in on his return and kept producing for the Rockets’ offense, first with a layup and then with a dunk-of-the-year contender soon after. Driving down the right baseline, Cartaino got high above the rim and threw it down hard, powering through the help defense in a brilliant athletic play. Turnovers prevented the Rockets from mounting a strong comeback, but their offense was clearly finding consistency by the midpoint of the second period. Jaz Bains scored again on a shifty drive down the left lane and Cartaino tacked on a fastbreak layup and three-pointer to close the gap to 40-31. Essex’s Hudson scored twice inside to restore a double-digit lead, and free throws were exchanged either side of a Jake Eynon jumper, leaving the score at 48-36. Danny Carter, having contributed free throws on the two plays prior, knocked down a three for good measure and shaved the lead down to nine once again. Eynon finished off a strong passing play inside before Sam Toluwase got two of his own inside, and the quarter closed on a buzzer-beating putback for the Rebels which left the score at 52-41 going into halftime.
The Rockets had shown flashes of their strong offense and defense in the first half but were unable to put together consistent runs to close the gap. But the third quarter saw their offense click and the game began to turn, spurred on by Pinnock’s three to open the period. Danny Carter got back to the line for two more before Jaz scored a jumper to close the gap to four. Eynon continued to generate most of Essex’s offense, but the Rockets had began to find scores from across their roster as Pinnock and Dixon each scored early to complement Bains, Cartaino, and Carter. The Rockets got back to the line after a small run by Essex, and a Sam Toluwase hook shot after a clever Carter skip pass ensured the score didn’t rise above ten. Cartaino continued to score with his trademark blend of interior buckets and trips to the line, providing the Rockets with a brilliant source of efficient offense to keep the team ticking over in the third. He scored a deft tip-in on the offensive glass before Pinnock attacked a gap down the lane for two more. Two late Essex layups established an eight point lead as the quarter ended, but Cartaino’s pace down the court allowed him to beat the buzzer with a quick layup to go into the final period down just six with the scoreline reading 74-68.
With Essex’s early advantage all but eliminated, the two sides were poised for a great finish at Rivermead – and they certainly delivered. Essex’s Josh Moore span into the lane for a layup to kick off the fourth before Ben Dixon produced a sharp crossover to beat his man for a layup. Essex were not going to give up their lead lightly, and fought on the offensive boards – an area where they had considerable success in the absence of Lufile – and earned a three-pointer as a result. Sam Toluwase quickly showed his own rebounding prowess with a putback score at the other end and the Rockets defended well while earning trips to the line to close the lead to 80-76. Tom Child hit from outside as the Rebels fought to retain their lead, but the Rockets continued to score through Pinnock and Cartaino before a clutch Lewis Champion three – his only field goal of the night – tied the game up at 83-83. Eynon got to the line and restored Essex’s lead before Cartaino went one better, driving left for an and-one which he converted for the lead. Jaz Bains found himself switched onto the powerful frame of Lee Hodges on the next play, but stood his ground well in the post to take a charge in a momentum-shifting play which gave the Rockets an opportunity to build on their slim lead. Danny Carter obliged at the line, adding on another point which was soon countered when Essex split their own pair of free throws.
The Rockets led by just one with 90 seconds remaining, and both teams clamped up defensively in crunch time. Unable to make a breakthrough at either end, both sides watched the clock tick down until there were only 15 seconds left. Jaz took the ball on the wing and went to work on his defender, taking the ball inside with dynamic dribbling and making a smart inside pass to a cutting Danny Carter, who went up-and-under for a tough finish to take a three-point lead with ten seconds on the clock. Essex took a timeout and inbounded the ball, getting off a tough three which was rebounded by the Rockets with time expiring. In a late twist, though, the Rockets spilled the ball out of bounds with half a second left, giving Essex one last chance to score. With so little time left, they got the ball to the corner for a chuck at the rim but Reading covered the shot well, forcing a bad miss and securing the victory in dramatic fashion. In one of the Rockets’ most entertaining games of the season, the Rivermead crowd was treated to a fantastic comeback victory and a Tyler Cartaino clinic as he went 13/15 from the field and scored a game-high 32 points. His rim pressure and pace on the break gave the Rockets a lifeline during the first quarter and provided an offensive outlet throughout the game as other players found their grooves.
The Rockets interior defense struggled initially without Meshack Lufile, but Danny Carter warmed into his role as the starting center well and produced offense in the paint and at the line, scoring seven free throws on his way to 16 points and slowing the game down well when the Rockets were in danger of falling further behind. The Rockets operated well inside throughout and were less dependent on the three than in recent fixtures, resulting in a great night from the field as they connected on 60% of their field goals. Essex put up a great fight, buoyed by the shifty play of Jake Eynon and the inside presence of Hodges, but the Rockets turned up their defensive intensity as the game tightened up and held the Rebels to just 12 fourth-quarter points. This victory puts the Rockets at 10-9 for the season and continues the upward trajectory of the team over recent weeks as they strive to climb the standings. With tonight’s comeback completed, the Rockets will look for another victory next week as they take on the Thames Valley Caveliers in Uxbridge.