THE BASINGSTOKE Bobcats kept their Wessex Basketball League Division Two promotion hopes on track by winning their derby game at Farnborough 68-64.

The visitors fielded a strong side for this away game, with only Joe Snelgrove missing from the line-up.

Adam Paddon and Joey Haynes played down from the Blizzards to reinforce the troops and the game could not have started any worse as the home side hit a hat-trick of three-pointers in the first three minutes.

Bobcats’ captain Stuart Czarnecki hit two free throws to put his side on the scoreboard, but even with Gavin Frecklington scoring from behind the arc, they were still 18-5 down after seven minutes.

A time out and fresh players seemed to do the trick, with Harry Preston and Freckington scoring.

Ben Drury then made two jump shots in the last minute of the quarter to bring the Bobcats right back into the game at 18-16.

Frecklington and Preston both scored three pointers to give the visitors a 24-20 advantage at the first break.

The lead swapped hands in the second quarter, but the Bobcats stayed in touch as Haynes, Doug Awad and Drury all scored and Nathan Johnson got the last rebound on the half-time buzzer as the visitors led 35-34.

The intensity on defence paid dividends and turnovers and steals saw Rich Watson, Paddon, Czarnecki, Ben Drury, Joey Haynes and Harry Preston all score as the lead was extended to 52-42 by the third buzzer.

Farnborough scored first early in the final quarter and then hit back to lead 62-59.

With five minutes to go, a time out was called by the Bobcats and a re-energised Frecklington found his range with a three, followed by Awad, which tied things up.

They then stormed ahead to win the game 68-64 at the final buzzer.

Scoring: Frecklington 25, Preston 12, Drury 10, Czarnecki 6, Awad 5, Haynes 4, Watson, Paddon, Johnson 2.

The Basingstoke Blizzards suffered a 75-40 loss to Wessex League Division One leaders South Bucks Comets.

The Blizzards fielded a strong side and in the first six minutes matched the top side basket for basket, before the visitors took a 19-11 lead at the first buzzer.

South Bucks then took control of the game and despite Tom Mavronicholas hitting a three pointer, Basingstoke trailed 40-16.

In the third quarter, Joe Snelgrove and Aaron Taylorson got the scoreboard moving for the Blizzards as they went into the final quarter with the score at 58-29.

After the break, Haynes hit a couple of three pointers, but South Bucks marched to victory, winning 75-40.

Scoring: Paddon 13, Snelgrove, Haynes 5, Taylorson, Fulford 4, Mavronicholas 3.