Friendly: Giants 69-76 USA Select
4 Sep 2016
Friendly: Giants 69-76 USA Select
Yorick Williams ran the rule over a host of trialists and hopefuls against the touring USA Select side.
The Giants head coach used 17 players in the pre-season warm-up game which the visiting team won by seven points.
Fans got a first look at signings Harold Trobo, Rom Geffin and Dean Wanliss, while Williams gave playing time to a group of others.
Veteran guard Steve Gayle, who played for the Giants in their former incarnation as well as Manchester Magic and Lancashire Spinners more recently, showed he is still in good shape as he hit four points and dished out the same number of assists in 13 minutes.
Young former Magic guard Jordan Whelan had an impressive run-out. The Wigan-born ball handler has just returned from the US where he graduated from MNU (Mid-America Nazarene University) and scored a team-high 16 points in 27 minutes of action that showed composure and positivity.
Bulgarian Boris Matrakov took 12 rebounds and scored seven points.
The Giants led 30-22 after a quarter but were 47-39 down at the half. They closed the gap to 67-63 at the end of the third before the visitors finished the game 76-69 up as Williams rotated his players.