For a full Season Overview of the 2009 / 2010 campaign Click Here


Match Reports:


SEPTEMBER 2009

14th v Nomads

Taunton Revolution hosted their first game of the 2009 season at new venue Castle Sports Centre in Taunton on Monday 14th September against Exeter Nomads. Boosted by a good turn out of supporters including Director of ADK Ltd, their main sponsor, the Revolution club came out of the gates focused, however Nomads would strike first with a few tough baskets. Revolution guard Matt Acott was on fire in the first getting Taunton on the scoresheet with the first 7 points of the game, and 9 in the first quarter. Towards half time the game was close and neither team established a big lead. Strong inside play from Martyn Gladys would see him with 7 rebounds and 3 blocks in the first half helping secure a lead of 40-36 at the break. In the third session Nomads made their push to take the lead briefly, where a 3 pointer from Revolution Captain Marc Eggleton would tie the score.

Acott would leave the game after a collision with the end wall, helping Nomads keep Taunton within reach. In the last period Taunton would make good use of fresh players to keep their energy up and get out on the break consistently. In the last few minutes Cooper, Eggleton and Gladys would all secure the game from the free throw line. Revolution held Nomads to only 14 points in the quarter to take the win 78-69. A fantastic team effort and a great start to the season; Most Valuable Player of the game was Matt Acott finishing with 24 points

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28th v North Devon

Taunton Revolution played their second game of the season against an improving North Devon team, recently promoted after winning Division 2 last season. The game started slowly with both teams playing solid defence but unable to find scoring opportunities easily. Two three’s from Revolution Captain Marc Eggleton in the first quarter kept the game close, and three more consecutive three’s from versatile guard Brett Cooper would spur Taunton to a halftime lead of 24-21.

After a re-focus during the break the Revolution came out aggressive on defence determined to extend their lead. Forcing the visitors into constant turnovers and holding them to only 4 points in the first 7 minutes, they did just that. Taunton’s defence enabled them to get their running game going, giving the local supporters some fantastic teamwork to cheer about. Cooper chipped in 7 more points in the third, but North Devon responded well and made a run of their own, taking the lead by a point with 5 minutes remaining. Marc Eggleton then took over; hitting 4 unanswered three’s in a row to give Taunton a lead as the game came to a close. Revolutions’ defence down the stretch secured a tight victory 57-50. Scorers for the game; Eggleton 20 (Voted MVP), Cooper 17, Gray 11, Acott 4, Crawford 2, Gladys 2, Evans 1, Heath, Brown, Hinchliffe

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OCTOBER 2009

11th v Nomads

In the third game of the year Taunton would play their first away fixture against Exeter Nomads. Taunton had a poor start to the game and found baskets were hard to come by. An energetic Nomads team would outwork them by some good ball movement and passing, opening up a strong lead of 15 points  after one quarter. By half time the Revolution had started to click on offence a little but still had trouble slowing down the home team, so at the half the score was Nomads ahead 28-45. In the second half nothing improved for the Revolution side, and the Nomads continued to work hard for good shots. The Nomads would win the final two quarters as well, despite a strong scoring performance by Marcin Gladys and, as always, Brett Cooper. Final score was a very disappointing 57-90 for the Nomads who were the much better team on the day.

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15th v Torbay

Taunton Revolution travelled away to play Division One rivals Torbay Tiger on 15th October. At the start both sides came out shooting well. The Revolution, led by Brett Cooper and Matt Acott would establish a good pace early and finish the first period of play tied with Torbay on 25 points. Torbay’s persistence on defence paid off, as they rotated their players to slow the Revolutions’ scoring. By halftime Torbay had taken the lead 39-47. In the second half Taunton continued to move the ball well, but despite some good team play from the Revolution the Tigers remained consistent and answered any scoring runs with points of their own.

Taunton failed to close the gap, and with a flurry of points in the final minutes Torbay would seal the game 60-82. Scorers on the night for Taunton were Cooper 21, Eggleton 12, Acott 11, Crawford 5, Gladys 4, Heath 2, Rowe 2, Thompson 2, Evans 1.

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19th v Broadclyst

Taunton Revolution Basketball hosted their first meeting of the year against Broadclyst on 19th Oct. In the first quarter Revolution stepped up to the challenge from the current league leaders. Brett Cooper came out firing on all cylinders, and Martyn Gladys contributed with early points. Paul Crawford played big inside and pulled down the rebounds helping Taunton to an early lead 19-16 at the end of the first quarter. By half time Taunton’s strong defence continued to surprise the bigger Broadclyst, but the visitors stayed tough to close the half with Taunton still slightly ahead 37-34. In the second half Taunton lost focus slightly, and some early points from Broadclyst including a three point barrage from ex-revolution player Ben Williams would enable them to take the lead.

Taunton played through the errors and found their stride once again, but mistakes and missed opportunities meant that the score was tied for most of the third quarter. In the last session, Broadclyst began to take advantage of the smaller Taunton team, earning points from good inside play and from the free throw line. Following some costly Taunton errors and poor shot selection in the final minutes Broadclyst took the game 70-76. Top scorers were Cooper with 24 points and Acott (MVP) with 21.

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26th v Uni 1

Taunton Revolution played the undefeated University side on 26th October. Taunton took the early lead by playing tough defence against the younger opposition. Good offensive starts for Cooper with 7 points and Gladys with 6 in the first quarter, would see Taunton lead at the end of quarter 1 18-14. University stepped up their defence forcing the Revolution into turnovers and few easy scoring opportunities. University kept edging closer, and would eventually snatch the lead 26-28 at halftime.

In the third this continued and Uni #24 (Hung) who had been consistent all game, continued to make shots and Taunton found it hard to stay in reach, but managed to fight back to be down 40-45 at the top of the fourth. Again the University team would take advantage of their consistent team play and shooting ability from mid range to increase their lead to as many as 12 points. In the final few minutes a Revolution press led to steals and scores putting the University team under pressure, but solid free throw shooting for Uni sealed the game with a final score of 59-67. Top scorers were Brett Cooper with 24 points & Tad Gray (MVP) with 13 points and 4 huge blocks on defence.

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NOVEMBER 2009

9th v North Devon (Cup)

The first quarter would see Taunton show great play at both ends of the floor. Straight from the opening tip Marc Eggleton opened the game with a lay-up from a Matt Acott assist. From here strong defence lead to fast break opportunities and good passing gave them high percentage shots. Eggleton would also connect with two threes in the first quarter leading Taunton to a comfortable lead. North Devon remained focussed and took advantage of a lull in Taunton’s scoring to bring the game close, and then poured on the points to lead at the half 26-31.

At the start of the third period North Devon made a small run extending their lead, but Taunton fought right back establishing their running game once more. Brett Cooper found himself in foul trouble but remained aggressive, and some fantastic defence from Acott would put North Devon under pressure leading to steals and scoring opportunities. As the game came to a close Tad Gray stepped up to score and hit key free throws, and Martyn Gladys helped with strong inside play. Eggleton continued to score from outside, but it was a pass inside to Tad which he swiftly converted into points that tied the game at 56 with around 30 seconds to play. North Devon stayed tough on the offensive glass to put home a second chance basket with 6 seconds left. Following their last time out Taunton had the shot they wanted but it failed to drop giving North Devon the 56-58 win. Revolution will now enter the plate competition. Top Scorer on the night was Marc Eggleton with 19.

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23rd v Bridport

Taunton Revolution played Bridport at Castle School on Nov 23rd. It was the first meet of the season for the teams. In the first quarter, a depleted Revolution squad took advantage of Bridport scoring early and often. Matt Acott scored from long range and inside with 12 in the first ten minutes. By halftime Marc Eggleton has 10 points and Brett Cooper 13 to lead the Revolution. At the break Taunton were up 49-30. In the third quarter an energised Bridport team surprised Taunton, narrowing the gap to ten.

Taunton responded well lead by big man Paul Crawford in the middle, to finish the quarter strong. In the last session Taunton displayed some excellent teamwork, passing the ball well and finishing on the break. The game would see great contributions from newer players Justin Burke and Rob Rowe who both performed well throughout. The final score of 93-69 was a good win for the Revolution. A great team effort with everyone scoring and 4 players in double figure points was a reflection of the great team play both on offence and defence, and a strong performance.

Scorers – Cooper 33, Acott 20, Crawford 14, Eggleton 12, Burke 7, Gladys 4, Rowe 5.

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DECEMBER 2009

7th v Torbay

Torbay would visit the Taunton Revolution team on the 7th of December. Taunton were keen to maintain their momentum and came out strong on defence. holding Torbay scoreless for about five minutes during the first quarter, Taunton would go up 15-10. In the second, the low scoring continued as both teams were working so hard on defence. At the half Taunton had maintained their 5 point lead up 28-23. The concern for the team was a variety of missed opportunities though.

As the second half started, the game stayed fairly close. Eggleton would sink two three pointers near the end of the period, and with four points each from Crawford and Acott in the period, Revolution went into the fourth 48-41. Torbay showed why they are such a tough team in the final minutes, pulling together with outstanding defence and some clutch shooting. Taunton worked hard but found themselves chasing the ball desperately in the closing minutes and Torbay took the lead late. Taunton struggled to make baskets in the final two minutes and in the end Torbay remained on top 54-58, which was a huge disappointment following such a good Revolution performance for three quarters of play. Brett Cooper was top scorer and MVP with 18, Marc chipped in with 12 points.


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10th v North Devon

Taunton Revolution travelled to South Molten to play North Devon on 10th Dec. From the start, the energised North Devon team played well close to the basket making strong drives and grabbing rebounds. Taunton started slow, but pulled together their team defence as the game progressed. By half time good shooting from the outside provided by starting guards Brett Cooper and Marc Eggleton had helped tie the game. In the second half north Devon refused to go down without a fight, and some good 3 point touch kept the score close.

In the last quarter the Revolution would shut down North Devon scoring, and the whole Revolution team contributed. Rob Rowe and Ben Thompson came off the bench with energy, and Paul Crawford pulled down some big boards. Cooper continued his strong scoring in the final minutes and Acott had 8 in the last quarter to secure the game 77-69. Scorers were Cooper 36, Acott 16 (7 assists), Eggleton 14 (4 steals), Thompson 4, Burke 4, Crawford 3 (12 reb’s).

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13th v Bridport

Revolution travelled to Bridport to play the young team from Dorset for the first away fixture together on the 13th December. The first quarter was a good running game for both teams, and with Brett Cooper off to a good start for the Revolution the score was tied at the end of the first. In the second period Bridport played good team basketball and played well inside, and with the Taunton defence all over the place the home team edged ahead. Consistent scoring from Acott helped Taunton stay close, but some miscues on offence and energised play from Bridport would grow the lead. In the fourth Taunton would make it back to within single digits, but a final break down on defence and more points from Bridport MVP Michael Cox would help the younger Dorset squad take the game 70-88. Taunton MVP was Brett Cooper with 32 points and 6 assists, Acott ended on 18 points and 6 rebounds, both perfect from the free throw line.

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JANUARY 2010

16th v Uni 3 (Plate Competition Semi Final)

Taunton Revolution have propelled themselves into the Exeter League Plate Finals after a strong win over Exeter Uni 3 in the semi’s. From the start Taunton came out focussed with a 12 point run without missing a shot. With strong defence fuelling their running game, the Revolution dominated the first quarter to put themselves ahead 25-8 with five players on the scoresheet. Towards the half the young Uni team made a small run of their own which Taunton withstood, and at the half the score was 41-19. In the third both teams were aggressive on offence, with Taunton racking up the steals and converting to fast break baskets for guards Cooper and Acott.

Cooper was the recipient of many long passes from Revolution centre Crawford who pulled down 22 boards in the game. In the final quarter Taunton played strong again holding Exeter to only 11 and taking the game 93-52. Leading the way with the points was the guard trio of Eggleton, Cooper and Acott accounting for 80 of the teams points. A season team high of 11 assists for Eggleton and 23 as a team also showed great teamwork and ball movement. Scorers for the game – Cooper 36, Acott 29 (5 Assists, 6 Reb), Eggleton 15 (11 Assists, 5 Steals), Crawford 7 (22 Reb), Burke 2 (10 Reb), Evans 2 (4 Reb), Lockyer 2 (6 Reb).

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18th v Broadclyst

Taunton would face Broadclyst a second time at home in their final match up of the year. Always a tough game, ex-Revolution player and league journeyman Ben Williams stepped up big last time they met, and this game started out with a similar flavour. The game was a tight defensive match up early, with both teams scoring few baskets in the opening minutes. Broadclyst had a small lead at the end of one, and had extended it to 8 points by half time. Taunton were not clicking on offence, and they knew that the shots they were getting were generally good, but they just wouldn't drop. Taunton tried to stick with their game plan in the second half, but their shooting woes continued.

The bigger Broadclyst team forced more outside shooting than normal, and despite their normally consistent percentage they just wouldn't drop for the Revolution. By the time they entered the fourth the gap was 13 points. Broadclyst used the clock to their advantage and scored well inside to take the game easily in the end 49-73. The 7 footer and MVP Tomas for Broadclyst had a good game, and Brett Cooper was MVP for Taunton with 24 points.

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FEBRUARY 2010

1st v North Devon

The team played North Devon for the final time this year on 1st Feb. With their new interim Coach Brian Wooley on board, and a slightly different approach, expectations were positive. At the start neither team found the basket. Taunton managed to kick start their scoring after a few minutes with guards Cooper and Eggleton hitting from long range, and centre Crawford working hard inside for early points. With some solid defence, Taunton held an 18-8 lead after one. North Devon would make a run in the second period to close the gap, but Taunton would be up 30-24 at the half.

The Revolution dominated the third quarter and tried to establish a more consistent running game. Crawford continued to play well inside, and on the fast break, and the whole rotation of players such as Rowe, Burke, Hinchliffe, Evans and Briggs all played an important part. With one last push from the visitors towards the end the Revolution stayed tough. At the point, Acott finished the game well with hard-nosed defence and taking advantage of scoring opportunities. Final score was 67-49. A true team effort reflected in the points distribution. Points and Stats – Cooper 17, Crawford 15 (12 reb), Eggleton 12 (5 assists, 6 reb), Acott 11 (11 reb), Hinchliffe 6, Briggs 3, Rowe 2, Burke 1.

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11th v Torbay

In the last meeting of the season the Revolution team took the journey to Torbay with less players than they were hoping for due to several injuries on the squad. The start of the game was a disaster, and Torbay would show no mercy to a flurry of mistakes by Taunton and open with a 19-1 run, the worst possible start. Taunton re-gained their composure to close the gap at the end of the first to 13 points. In the second quarter Taunton continued to chip away. At one point the game was down to a six point gap, helped by consistent shooting Marc Eggleton and Alistair Hinchliffe. At the half though, despite Taunton winning the second quarter the score was 29-40 to Torbay.

A push at the start of the second half from Torbay allowed them to grow the lead, but Taunton responded. Brett Cooper and Matt Acot came alive in the second half to take on the scoring load, and Paul Crawford worked hard on the boards, but in the end Taunton wouldn't recover from their appalling start to the game and eventually concede the game 63-78. Taunton MVP Matt Acott finished with 8 points but solid ball distribution and control from the point guard spot. However top scorer for Taunton was Brett Cooper with 24 points.

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21st v Bridport

In the last meeting between these teams for the year, Taunton had only 5 players available for the game. The Taunton team knew that this younger side had showed spirit and energy beating them in a previous game so it wasn't going to be easy. At the start Bridport struck first, and Taunton quickly responded. In the first quarter Matt Acott sank a three, Brett Cooper took the ball inside and Marc Eggleton hit three consecutive three pointers to give them a 22-13 lead. In the second quarter, Eggleton continued to be hot from outside, and at halftime he would be 6 out of 8 from long range. Bridport Guard Sorrell tried to keep his team in the game with his outside shooting, but at the half Taunton were up 46-27.

In the second half Taunton would have to withstand a push from Bridport which would bring them to within 9 points, surprising the Revolution. After re-grouping and stepping up the defence, Taunton remained on track. Excellent play from Steve Evans and Paul Crawford on the boards and on offence gave the Revolution a big boost. Brett Cooper and point guard took advantage of their scoring opportunities and contributed well inside and outside. Cooper hit 5 straight three's in the second half, and Acott had 10 points in the fourth to secure the victory. Final score 100-79. Scorers and stats - Brett Cooper 37 (5 assists, 4 steals), Marc Eggleton 23 (10 reb's, 6 assists), Matt Acott 21 (11 assists, 8 reb's), Paul Crawford 12 (16 reb's), Steve Evans 7 (11 reb's).


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