Essex Rebels Men Fall Short by a Point on the Road

Essex Rebels Men once again fall short in a narrow 78-77 contest against Derby Trailblazers.  

The narrow final score reflected the tightly contested battle that unfolded throughout.  The first quarter was filled with a close back and forth between both teams, but it was the hosts who struck first following a lay-up from Robert Marsden and free throws from Kendrick Gilbert who put the Trailblazers 4-0 ahead.  

However, the Rebels responded quickly with stand-out performances from Tre Baumgardner and Melchi Egbeyemi who found their rhythm offensively to keep them within touching distance of the hosts. 

After an evenly contest first quarter, it was the Rebels who edged in front heading into the second quarter. Captain Kyron Martin provided the final spark of the quarter, knocking back-to-back three-pointers to hand Essex a four-point lead at 22-18.  

The second quarter initially followed a similar pattern with a close battle at either end of the court.  After the 3-minute mark, the hosts began to swing momentum their way hitting a streak of 8 points before the Rebels could gain one back. Ultimately, this surge of momentum from the Trailblazers gave them the advantage heading into half-time with a 47-38 lead.  

Despite the hosts retaining a narrow advantage throughout the third quarter, the Rebels utilised the quarter to battle their way back into the contest and significantly close the deficit. Tre Baumgardner once again provided to be the catalyst for the Rebels, firing four consecutive 3-pointers to end the penultimate quarter leaving the score at 64-62, making everything to play for in a thrilling final quarter.  

The contest stayed finely poised throughout the fourth quarter, with the Rebels reclaiming the lead on several occasions. Despite continued efforts from Martin, Hudson and Baumgardner, the Rebels fall short by a single point.  

This narrow defeat marks the Rebels their third consecutive defeat. Perkins’ side will look to turn this around next weekend as they travel to London to face the Cavaliers.