Leeds Carnegie basketball coach Matthew Newby was filled with pride at his team?s remarkable comeback win in last Sunday?s National Cup final.
Newby?s side defied a 12-point deficit with just under three minutes left to play to defeat Bristol Academy Flyers 66-64.
It was the university basketball programme?s first national final and caps a meteoric rise.
Remarkably, Carnegie have climbed all the way from Division Four to Division One in just three years and have stayed in the top flight for the past four years.
Newby, team coach for the last six seasons, said: ?I am so happy and proud of the boys, it was a massive result for us.
?The win reflects the hard work ethic and heart of the team.?
The Leeds Met outfit faced an uphill task as Newby called his final time out.
?I thought it was going to be a huge ask but we all agreed that there would be no stopping until that final buzzer sounded,? he said.
The team did not stop until the end and when it came, Carnegie had edged over the line to complete a memorable win.
A huge factor was the heroics of the game?s most valuable player, Henry Wilkins.
The 22-year-old scored 21 points, including seven rebounds and also made two steals in his match-winning performance.
It was the last two minutes when Wilkins really shone with both steals coming in that time as well as 11 points.
Newby said: ?It was an incredible last few minutes from Henry.
?He is one of our marquee players and loves the big occasion.?
Wilkins tweeted after the match: ?Oh boy, that was a special one. S/O (shout outs to) all my team. Big thanks to all our supporters, you guys made the difference!?
Despite Wilkins?s brilliance, Newby was keen to stress that it was a team effort.
?After a tough year last season, the team has matured,? said Newby.
?The team?s cohesion was one of the key aspects of the success and every member deserves credit for that.
?I would also like to thank all the staff for their support as well as the supporters.?
attention now turns to the league for Carnegie. After finishing 10th last season, the Met team sit in third place.
In the women?s National Cup final there was more success for Yorkshire with the City of Sheffield Hatters securing an emphatic 67-55 victory over Team Northumbria.
The win was the team?s 16th National Cup and they won it pretty comfortably in the end with their lead never dropping below double figures in the final quarter.
Steph Gandy took the most valuable player award with 18 points, six rebounds and five steals in an impressive performance as the Sheffield team strolled to victory.
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