Cheshire Jets: Gareth Murray takes the spotlight at key stage of the season

Feb 24 2011 by Alec Doyle, Chester Chronicle

GARETH Murray stepped firmly out of the shadows and into the spotlight for the Cheshire Jets last weekend and the big Scot may well have hit a purple patch at a key time for the club.

A handful of freak results saw main BBL Championship title contenders Newcastle Eagles lose twice, to Sheffield Sharks and Leicester Riders, opening up the title race just enough to make things interesting in the final run-in to the BBL play-offs.

But the Jets’ focus was not on the league table but on the task right in front of them.

Smith has repeatedly called upon his squad to produce someone to support in-form Quemont Greer and haul them out of their recent slump of four losses in five games.

Many in the stands expected that man to be the returning Matt Schneck but instead Murray emerged as the man of the moment 48 hours before Schneck’s triumphant return at Guildford, sinking 33 points at MK Lions on Friday night and earning a spot in the BBL’s Team of the Week.

Murray was characteristically modest when asked about his performance.

“They were two good wins,” he said. “Our first couple in a few weeks and we definitely needed them.

“As for myself, I have been shooting the ball well the last couple of games and I put some points up.

“I haven’t made any real changes, people were just finding me open and I was just knocking down shots so it was good.”

Those two victories and the return of Schneck, seemingly in just as good form as when he last played three months ago, has lifted the squad at just the right time and with Sheffield Sharks visiting the Northgate Arena on Sunday (5.30pm), Murray agrees the timing couldn’t be better.

“Confidence is running through us now,” he said. “Everyone is touching the ball, passing the ball, playing defence a little bit.

“Still, the defence needs to be a lot better though!

“We’ve had a couple of good games against Sheffield already this season that were hard but we can get the head-to-head on Sunday.

“It helps that everyone’s clicking right now. We’ve just got Matt back as well and he’s bringing a real energy, so it’s good.”