Rebels Battle Hard but Fall Against High-Scoring Rockets
The Essex Rebels Men faced a challenging night on Saturday, 25 October, falling to the Reading Rockets 87–103 in a fast-paced and hard-fought matchup at the Essex Sport Arena. Despite strong performances from Remy Udeh and Kyron Martin, the Rebels were unable to overcome a red-hot Reading offense led by former Rebel Victor Olarerin.
The Rockets came out firing, jumping to a quick 6–0 lead in the opening minutes. The Rebels responded through Remy Udeh, who found his rhythm early with back-to-back three-pointers to ignite the offense. The rest of the first quarter saw both teams trade baskets in an evenly matched contest, with Reading edging ahead 18–16 after ten minutes.
The second quarter proved decisive, as the Rockets’ Victor Olarerin took over the game, scoring 15 consecutive points in just over two minutes. The Rebels continued to battle, with Udeh connecting on his fourth three of the half to keep the game within reach. However, Reading maintained their momentum and took a 55–42 lead into halftime.
The Rebels fought to cut the deficit in the second half but struggled to slow down Reading’s offensive flow. Kyron Martin led the team with 22 points and 5 rebounds, while Udeh added 21 points, shooting an impressive 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. Despite their efforts, the Rockets’ firepower proved too much to contain.
Former Rebel Olarerin delivered a historic performance for Reading, finishing with 51 points on 21-of-29 shooting, setting a new British Basketball Championship scoring record. His exceptional display propelled the Rockets to a 103–87 victory.
The Essex Rebels will look to bounce back at home when they return to the Essex Sport Arena on 9 November, where they will take on the Loughborough Riders in their next British Basketball Championship matchup.
