Past Reports: October; November; December; January; February; BBL Cup; BBL Trophy;

Sheffield Sharks moved ahead of the Poujoulat Heat Guildford for at least the next 24 hours thanks to an 84-77 victory over London United on Saturday evening. This victory also meant the Springfield Honda Newcastle Eagles' can no longer retain the BBL Championship title.

In other Championship action, the Riders secured seventh spot in the table after an 87-78 victory over the Worcester Wolves.

London United 77 (23,41,61) (Johnson 29, Feggins 13, Knight 10)
Sheffield Sharks 84 (27,53,68) (Shelton 26, Bonds 22, Cage 11)

Sheffield Sharks moved above the Poujoulat Heat Guildford at the top of the BBL Championship table, despite having played two games more than the Heat, with an 84-77 victory over London United at the SPACE Centre on Saturday evening.

The victory also meant that the Springfield Honda Newcastle Eagles could no longer retain their League title.

The visitors started the game strongly opening up an early 14-23 advantage, but the home side responded with a 9-2 burst to get back to within two points at 23-25. The Sharks immediately responded with a 12-2 tear across the first quarter break to lead 25-37 midway through the second period, and they maintained a twelve-point lead at 41-53 at the half.

The second half saw the home side begin to chip away at the Sharks lead, and trailed by six points at 61-67 going into the final stanza.

The final quarter saw London get to within four points at 73-77 heading into the final two minutes of the game, but the Sharks held on and were able to secure the victory from the foul line.

Blake Shelton led the scoring for the Sharks with 26 points, but it was Tarik Johnson who led all scorers in the game bagging 29 points for London.

DMU Leicester Riders 87 (23,48,67) (Alleyne 21, McGee/Herriman 15)
Worcester Wolves 78 (17,35,61) (Noel/Sheard 19, Harper 11)

The DMU Leicester Riders secured seventh position in the BBL Championship table thanks to a 87-78 victory over the Worcester Wolves at the John Sanford Centre on Saturday evening.

The Riders opened up an early advantage off the back of a 12-4 burst in the opening minutes of the game.

They continued to press home their advantage, and a 7-0 tear in the second quarter was quickly followed by another 9-2 burst in the latter stages of the first half took the Riders out to a 41-25 lead.

The Wolves finished the half the stronger, and closed the gap slightly to go in at the half trailing 48-35.

The second half saw the Wolves came out firing on all cylinders, and a 13-2 run bought them to within four points at 52-48, but a 12-2 response from the Riders took the score out to 64-50.

A Matt Collins three-pointer at the beginning of the final period got the Wolves to within three points at 69-66, but they could get no closer, as Yorrick Williams bagged the next six points for the Riders to take the score out to 75-66. The visitors attempted to get back on terms with their hosts, but could get no closer than eight points in the final stages, as the Riders held on for the all-important victory.

Andrew Alleyne led all scorers netting 21 points for the Riders, while James Noel and Solomon Sheard led the Worcester scoring with 19 points each.

30-03-07

Sheffield Sharks maintained the pressure on Poujoulat Heat Guildford at the top of the BBL Championship with a 90-71 success over the Chester Jets moving them back level on points at the top.

Elsewhere, Marshall MK Lions kept alive their slim hopes of a top 4 finish with a convincing 107-77 win over London United.

Sheffield Sharks 90 (17,42,64) (Cauthorn 25, Cage 20, Bonds 14)
Chester Jets 71 (24,34,49) (Virgil 21, Singleton 15, Simpson 12)

Sheffield Sharks maintained the pressure on Poujoulat Heat Guildford at the summit of the BBL Championship with a 90-71 win over the Chester Jets moving them back level with the Heat at the top of the table.

After Jets had closed out the opening quarter to lead 24-17 it was Sharks veteran forward Todd Cauthorn who sparked the hosts in to action with 10 points in a 17-2 burst that turned the game on its head and gave Sharks a 34-26 lead. The Sharks maintained their 8 point advantage until the half time break and when they opened up the third stanza with an 8-2 run the game was safe at 50-36.

The Sharks held the visitors at arms length for the remainder of the game, Jets never cutting the gap to single figures.

Marshall MK Lions 107 (34,57,84) (Youngblood 25, Jamison/Griffin 22)
London United 77 (19,41,58) (Feggins 20, Johnson 19, Capers 12)
Marshall MK Lions kept alive their slim hopes of a top 4 finish with a convincing 107-77 win over London United on Friday evening.

The Lions broke the game open early on forcing an early 13-5 lead which quickly progressed out to 27-10 on the back of some fine permiter shooting by the Lions guard department. After Bryant Feggins had fought hard to keep the visitors within sniffing distance in the second quarter the Lions stepped up their outside shooting once again early in the third to the put the result beyond United.

The Lions move in to joint 5th with the Kularoos Plymouth Raiders whilst this defeat leaves United battling it out for the final playoff berth with the Chester Jets.

28-03-07

Springfield Honda Newcastle Eagles 105 (24,52,77) (Dorsey 24, Hyatt 22, Babalola 20)
DMU Leicester Riders                              87 (20,43,63) (Williams 24, Alleyne 22, McGee 18)

Springfield Honda Newcastle Eagles kept up the pressure on the Sheffield Sharks and Poujoulat Heat Guildford at the top of the BBL Championship thanks to a comfortable 105-87 victory over the DMU Leicester Riders at the Metro Radio Arena on Wednesday evening.

The Riders took an early advantage with back-to-back three's from Terrence McGee and Yorrick Williams gave them an 8-6 advantage, but the Eagles bounced back with an 8-0 burst to give them a 18-16 lead towards the end of the opening period.

An 11-2 Eagles tear to open the second period took the score out to 33-24, and maintained their lead into the half-time break at 52- 43.

In the second half, the Riders valiantly attempted to get themselves back into the game, and got to within seven points at 70-63, but the Eagles closed out the third quarter with a 7-0 burst to lead 77-63 going into the final stanza.

In the final quarter, the Eagles broke the game open with a 10-0 burst to take the score out to 94-74, and they were able to secure the all-important victory.

Tony Dorsey led the Eagles scoring with 24 points, while Williams also netted 24 points for the Riders.

25-03-07

The Poujoulat Heat Guildford have maintained their slender lead at the top of the BBL Championship after an 80-102 win over the Marshall MK Lions on Sunday; that despite falling to a 93-90 defeat at the hands of the Springfield Honda Newcastle Eagles on Friday.

It was a strong second-half performance, as well as 26 points from Mike Martin, that saw the Heat seal a 4-0 sweep of the Lions on the season. The win puts them two points ahead of the Sheffield Sharks with both having four games to play.

Previously the Heat had seen their nine-game winning streak snapped by the Eagles at the MetroRadio Arena. The reigning champions relied on Jeremy Hyatt to hold his nerve from the charity stripe to seal the win, as he sank five free-throws late on.

Despite that victory, the Eagles are all but out of title race after they lost 86-84 on the road at the DMU Leicester Riders on Saturday. Meanwhile, for the Riders, that win represented the sixth in the last seven on their home floor and has strengthened their bid for the playoffs.

The Sheffield Sharks are still close on the tail of the Heat, having beaten the Riders 100-68 on Thursday. Jeff Bonds scored 23 points as the Sharks gained a strong lead across the first quarter break and were never threatened from thereon. The win was their third against the Riders this season and their twelfth win in the last thirteen outings.

The top four, who get home advantage in the playoffs, are also in position after a good week for the Scottish Phoenix Honda Rocks. They concluded it with a 59-90 defeat of the Worcester Wolves, their fifth victory in six games, that confirmed their spot in the top four.

The Rocks also defeated the fifth placed Kularoos Plymouth Raiders 74-78 on Friday night; thus capturing the series with the Raiders 3-1 and rendering it impossible for the South-Coast outfit to surpass them in the table.

That win avenged a reverse result in Glasgow in midweek, where the Raiders won 90-102 largely thanks to 25 points from Carlton Aaron. It was Plymouth’s first ever win at the Braehead Arena.

The Raiders recovered on Saturday to defeat London United 72-104. They finish the season a perfect 5-0 against United in all competitions as Aaron notched a further 28 points and Ali Gall scored a season-high 22 points.

The Chester Jets gave their playoff chances a huge boost as they defeated London United 110-98 on Sunday at the Northgate Arena. The Jets are just one win behind United, with two games in hand, and crucially they have the head-to-head on points difference after splitting the series 2-2.

Chester Jets   110 (28,62,84) (McCullough 33, Virgil 29, Simpson 19)
London United  98 (17,41,64) (Johnson 27, Capers 21, L.Williams 16)

The Chester Jets scored a crucial victory in the race for the BBL Championship Playoffs as they defeated London United 110-98 at the Northgate Arena.

The Jets are now just one win behind United, who occupy the all-important eighth place in the league, with two games in hand and they have the head-to-head over United after this encounter.

Louis McCullough (33) and Alto Virgil (29) both had big scores, whilst John Simpson, renowned for his defensive prowess, also netted 19. Tarick Johnson led the visitors with 27 points.

A tight start to the game saw the teams tied at 11 and still close at 19-17 before the Jets rattled off the last 9 points of the opening stanza, inspired by 7 from Virgil, to take a 28-17 lead after the first ten minutes.

That momentum continued early in the second as McCullough scored 7 early points and the Jets stretched the lead out to 47-27. Simpson then added a further 7 points of his own before the half and the Jets led 62-41 going into the locker rooms.

United responded immediately after the break as a 14-4 push narrowed the deficit to 75-60; the Jets kept their visitors at arms length with a trio of triples, including one on the buzzer from James Hamilton, that had them up 84-64 going into the final stanza.
However, United made a game of it down the stretch after opening the fourth quarter with the first 7 points. Marlin Capers scored 9 and Tarick Johnson added 6 as a 15-2 surge then got them as close as they had been since the first quarter at 99-94 with 2.25 remaining. Yet they could get no closer as the hosts closed the game out from the free-throw line

Marshall MK Lions                80 (24,46,65) (Brown 26, Youngblood 11, New/Windless 8)
Poujoulat Heat Guildford 102 (24,44,74) (Martin 26, Williams 19, Gilbert 19)

The Poujoulat Heat Guildford turned in a dominating second half performance to defeat the Marshall MK Lions 80-102 and maintain their slender lead at the head of the BBL Championship table.

British pair Mike Martin (26 points) and Dean Williams (19 points) were inspirational for the Heat as they completed a 4-0 sweep of the Lions in the league this season. For the home side, Terrell Brown matched the game-high 26 points.

The game was tight in the early going as an exchange of three-pointers saw the teams knotted at 12 and then again at 18. Robert Youngblood and Ronnie Baker hit further triples back-to-back to give the Lions a 24-18 advantage, but a strong finish to the quarter from the visiting Heat tied the teams once again at 24.

Mike Martin scored the first two baskets of the second quarter before Youngblood sparked a run of 13 unanswered points for the home side that saw them lead 37-28. They were still protecting a 42-34 lead two minutes before the break when another strong finish from the Heat made it a one-possession game at 46-44 at half-time.

The league-leaders made a move early in the third stanza as Brian Dux sank seven free-throws as part of a 17-1 surge that gave the Heat a comprehensive 50-65 lead. The Lions endeavoured to get back into the game and a pair of Terrell Brown three-pointers, accompanied by a Mike New score, helped them to narrow the gap to 65-74 going into the fourth quarter.

The Heat lead was still ten points at 74-84 when Dan Wardrope came off the bench to inspire the match-winning 15-2 run that pushed the lead out to 76-99, from where there was no way back for the Lions

24-03-07

There's been some movement in the fight for play-off places after a frantic night's basketball. Kularoos Plymouth Raiders are now fifth following a 104-72 win at London United.

United drop to eighth because DMU Leicester Riders beat Springfield Honda Newcastle Eagles 86-84 in the East Midlands. In the night's other match Scottish Phoenix Honda Rocks stay fourth after beating Worcester Wolves 90-59 on the road.

DMU Leicester Riders                            86 (18,44,65) (Alleyne 25, McGee 17, Lamble 16)
Springfield Honda Newcastle Eagles 84 (24,43,68) (Dorsey 21, Hyatt 19, Robinson 18)

Springfield Honda Newcastle Eagles hopes of retaining the league title are over after a thrilling 86-84 loss at DMU Leicester Riders.

The win for the Riders moves them into seventh place in the league and continues their good home form at the John Sandford Centre.

Tony Dorsey had Newcastle in a good position during the first quarter as his 11 points helped the Eagles to a 24-18 lead. However, Riders battled back in the second helped by a 12-4 run which saw them head into the interval 44-43 up. Eagles bounced back in the third to go into the final stanza 68-65 in front.

Inspired by Terrance McGee’s four assists during a 10-2 start to the fourth quarter the Riders went out to 83-73 with three minutes remaining. Newcastle refused to give in though and made it a one-point game (85-84) after a Jeremy Hyatt three with five seconds remaining.

Rob Paternostro slotted one out of two free throws in the closing seconds to make the match safe.

London United                           72 (18,30,52) (Knight 15, Johnson 14, Ogumjimi 9)
Kularoos Plymouth Raiders 104 (29,53,80) (Aaron 28, Gall 22, Moore 18)

Kularoos Plymouth Raiders moved back into fifth position in the table with a 104-72 win at London United – London slip to eighth.

After a level opening to the match a 10-3 close to the first quarter saw the visitors move 29-18 in front. It was an advantage that they would build on during the second quarter. A 7-2 burst at the end of the half saw them go 53-30 up.

Two Gaylon Moore threes at the start of the third put United even further back at 59-30 and the closest they could get was 82-63 early in the fourth quarter.

Carlton Aaron top scored for Raiders with 28 while United’s Bryant Feggins and Marcus Knight were both ejected.

Worcester Wolves                       59 (8,29,44) (Harper 16, Knowle 8, Rodriguez 8, Sheard 8)
Scottish Phoenix Honda Rocks 90 (24,44,68) (Joseph 27, Hampton 14, Wohlers 14)

Scottish Phoenix Honda Rocks strengthened their grip on fourth place with a comprehensive 90-59 win at Worcester Wolves.

The victory was built around a dominating first quarter which saw them limit the home team to just eight points while scoring 24 of their own. Runs of 13-4 and 9-0 did the damage.

Worcester closed to 24-32 after 3.30 of the second quarter but it was as near as they’d get. Rocks immediately went on an 8-0 burst on their way to a 44- 29 half time lead.

At the end of three quarter the Rocks, led by Julius Joseph’s game high 27-points, had gone out to 68-44 and there was no way back for Wolves.

23-03-07

The BBL Championship title race took an exciting twist on Friday night as the Springfield Honda Newcastle Eagles defeated the league-leading Poujoulat Heat Guildford 93-90 at the MetroRadio Arena.

Meanwhile the Scottish Phoenix Honda Rocks won their fourth game in their last five with a 74-78 road win at the Kularoos Plymouth Raiders.

Springfield Honda Newcastle Eagles 93 (26,51,73) (Dorsey 20, Hyatt 16, Bridge 14)
Poujoulat Heat Guildford                      90 (25,54,74) (Dux 35, Gilbert 14, Martin 14)

There was another twist in the BBL Championship title race as the Springfield Honda Newcastle Eagles kept their chances of defending their crown alive with a 93-90 win over the league-leading Poujoulat Heat Guildford.

Tony Dorsey led the way with 20 points, whilst Jeremy Hyatt had 16 including some crucial scores down the stretch. Brian Dux led all scorers with 35 points for the Heat.

The teams could barely be separated throughout the early exchanges as the Eagles edged a narrow first quarter 26-25. The visitors opened the game up in the second stanza as 8 unanswered points gave them a 35-39 lead before Hyatt responded with a triple that kept the game close. The Heat still held a narrow 51-54 lead going into the locker rooms at the break.

In the third the visitors stretched their lead and on a Brian Dux three-pointer they were up 67-61. The Eagles replied with back-to-back triples from Fab Flournoy and Andrew Bridge and remained just one point down at 73-74 going into the decisive stanza.

The hosts opened the fourth with the first 6 points, 4 from Bridge and a basket from Darius Defoe to go ahead for good at 79-74. Bridge and Hyatt shared a further 6 points to give Newcastle an 88-80 lead as they looked to have the game won.

However, late drama ensued as scores from Dux, Mike Martin and Dean Williams made the score 88-86 going into the final minute. Danny Gilbert made a pair of free-throws to make it a one-point game at 89-88 but Jeremy Hyatt held his nerve from the charity stripe late on to sink the 5 free-throws that would see the Eagles close out the game.

Kularoos Plymouth Raiders       74 (20,39,59) (Aaron 21, Beasley 18, Moore 15)
Scottish Phoenix Honda Rocks 78 (28,37,60) (Yanders 20, Hampton 15, Davis 13)

The Scottish Phoenix Honda Rocks avenged Tuesday's defeat to the Kularoos Plymouth Raiders as they beat the 2007 BBL Trophy Champions 74-78 at the Plymouth Pavilions. The Rocks strengthened their position in fourth place in the BBL Championship with their fourth win in five games.

Rob Yanders led the Rocks with 20 points and was supported by 15 points from Maurice Hampton and 13 from Sterling Davis.

The visitors established a strong early lead at 20-28 and this peaked early in the second stanza at 20-31 on a three-pointer from Yanders. The Raiders came back with a 10-2 run to narrow the gap to 30-33 and subsequently tied the game at 37 with 10 seconds left to the half-time break, before a late DeAntoine Beasley score gave them a 39-37 edge at the half.

The home side looked to establish a lead early in the third with the first 4 points and soon after posted a 13-6 push to lead 54-47. That was the largest lead they would have in the game as the Rocks netted 8 unanswered points to recapture the advantage at 54-55; which they still held at 59-60 going into the fourth frame.

The teams traded baskets with a couple of lead changes before they were knotted at 68. A Julius Joseph triple gave the Rocks a lead that they would maintain to the end and a Sterling Davis trey soon afterwards made it 68-74. A Rob Yanders three-pointer and late free-throws closed the game out for the visitors.

Carlton Aaron had 21 points for 'The Greens' and DeAntoine Beasley added 18.

22-03-07

Sheffield Sharks        100 (24,46,76) (Bonds 23, Cage/Cauthorn 21)
DMU Leicester Riders 68 (16,29,43) (Alleyne 22, Williams 18, Lamble 8)

Sheffield Sharks continued their push for the summit of the BBL Championship table thanks to a 100-68 victory over the DMU Leicester Riders at the EIS, Sheffield on Thursday evening.

The visitors got off to a strong start and lead 10-11 early on, but the Sharks came back strong, and took a 24-16 lead into the second quarter off the back of a 14-5 burst to close out the opening period.

The Sharks continued their dominance with a 10-2 start to the second quarter taking the score out to 34-18, and they maintained their lead at 46-29 going into the locker rooms at the half.

The Sharks started the second half in much the same way as the first, and an 11-0 start to the half took the score out to 57-29, and then a 15-2 tear to close out the third period took the score out to 76-43 going into the final stanza.

The Sharks stretched out their lead further, and enjoyed their biggest lead of the game at 85-47 midway through the final quarter, and despite an attempted comeback from the Riders, the home side held on for the comfortable victory.

Jeff Bonds led all scorers with 23 points for the Sharks, while Andrew Alleyne led the Riders scoring with 22.

Kularoos Plymouth Raiders kept up their bid for a top four finish and with it a home draw in the first round of the play offs with a 102-90 win at Scottish Phoenix Honda Rocks on Tuesday evening.

The Raiders led at the end of every quarter and built up a 12-point lead in the third quarter only to be pegged back to 74-71 heading into the final stanza.

Rocks couldn’t complete the comeback despite the inspirational Carlton Aaron, who led all scorers with 25 (pictured), picking up an injury. In the end the margin of victory was fairly comfortable for the visitors and sends them into the weekend’s rematch full of confidence.

Springfield Honda Newcastle Eagles maintained their hopes of keeping hold of the league title after they closed to within four points of leaders Poujoulat Heat Guildford. Eagles saw off bottom placed Worcester Wolves 102- 92 thanks to 36-points from veteran Tony Dorsey.

Marshall MK Lions are now fifth after a narrow 80-78 win at Kularoos Plymouth Raiders and DMU Leicester Riders consolidated their play-off berth with 94-77 home win over Chester Jets.

The Eagles managed to hold off a spirited Wolves team – who had a full strength squad for the first time this season.

An entertaining first quarter saw eight Worcester players score as the home side opened up a 37-25 lead after 10 minutes. The advantage wasn’t to last long though as a 7-0 run to close the half put Newcastle 52-49 up.

The sides continued to trade baskets during the third quarter. However, from 59-59 with five minutes left in the stanza the Eagles went on a 19-9 burst to open up a 10 point lead (78-68) with just the final period to play.

Worcester struggled to get close to Newcastle throughout the fourth as the visitors closed the game out from the foul line.

Tony Dorsey led all scorers with 36 backed up by Shawan Robinson's 17 for Newcastle and Tom Perkes hit 30 for Worcester.

DMU Leicester Riders 94 (21,43,77) (Y Williams 22, Alleyne 20, McGee 17)
Chester Jets                  77 (16,38,57) (McCullough 33, Singleton 15, Virgil 12)

DMU Leicester Riders clinched a crucial 94-77 win over play-off chasing rivals Chester Jets at the John Sandford Centre.

Riders are now four points clear in seventh of ninth placed Chester with the Jets having only five more matches to play before the post season begins.

Chester started brightly, though, and scored the game’s first eight points but still trailed 21-16 at the end of the first quarter thanks to some long range bombs from Leicester’s Yorick Williams and Terrence McGee (pictured).

After an even second quarter which ended 43-38 in the home team’s favour the match was blown open with an 18-3 close to the third by the Riders. It pushed the score to 77-57 and there was no way back for the Jets after that.

Kularoos Plymouth Raiders 78 (29,44,57) (Beasley 21, Moore 20, Lasker 15)
Marshall MK Lions                  80 (21,37,65) (Windless 23, Brown 17, Youngblood 16)

Marshall MK Lions leapfrogged over host Kularoos Plymouth Raiders into fifth place after a nail-biting 80- 78 win in Devon.

The Lions broke a four game losing streak to keep the pressure on Scottish Phoenix Honda Rocks for the final home court berth in the play offs. Meanwhile Plymouth remain winless following their BBL Trophy triumph.

Despite leading 29-21 and 44-37 at the end of the first two quarters the Raiders found themselves 65-57 behind heading into the final quarter thanks to a 10-0 close to the third period by the Lions.

It was a lead that Plymouth would eat into though and a Drew Lasker three-pointer with 18 seconds remaining brought them back within one at 78-77.

However, it was the closest the home team would get as veteran Tony Windless (pictured) kept his cool from the line to seal a valuable win for the Lions.

16-03-07 

Sheffield Sharks moved level on points with Poujoulat Heat Guildford at the top of the BBL Championship table thanks to a convincing 107-81 victory over London United at the EIS, Sheffield on Friday night. Jeff Bonds was the star man for the Sharks netting an impressive 35 points and picking up 16 rebounds for the home side.

In other BBL Championship action, the Scottish Phoenix Honda Rocks kept up their push for the play- offs thanks to a thrilling 81-79 victory over the Chester Jets at the Northgate Arena. Sterling Davis secured the victory for the Rocks with a basket 4 seconds from time.

Sheffield Sharks 107 (30,52,75) (Bonds 35, Lyons 27, Cage 16)
London United       81 (12.35,53) (Johnson 26, Capers 17, Williams 13)

Sheffield Sharks moved level on points with the Poujoulat Heat Guildford at the top of the BBL Championship table thanks to a comfortable 107-81 victory over London United at the EIS, Sheffield on Friday night.

The Sharks led from start to finish, and a 13-4 to open the game set the tone for the rest of the game.

The home side continued their dominance in the second period, and led 48-24 late in the quarter, but the visitors closed the quarter with an 11-4 burst to trail 52-35 at the half.

In the second half, the visitors got the deficit back to thirteen points at 56-43, but a 10-2 took the score out to 66-45.

The Sharks cemented their hold on the game in the final quarter, and enjoyed their biggest lead of the game at 100-73 with 3:09 remaining.

Jeff Bonds had a huge game for the Sharks, leading all scorers with 35 points, and pulling down 16 rebounds. Tarik Johnson led the London scoring with 26 points personal.

Chester Jets                                  79 (14,42,62) (Virgil 27, Simpson 18, McCullough 15)
Scottish Phoenix Honda Rocks 81 (17,39,63) (Davis 18, Hampton 16, Yanders 14)

Scottish Phoenix Honda Rocks picked up an important road victory as they continue their push for the play-offs defeating the Chester Jets 81-79 at the Northgate Arena on Friday evening.

In a close game throughout, the Jets enjoyed runs of 12-2 and 10-2 in the second quarter to lead 40-33, but the Rocks stayed in touch with two big three-pointers to close out the half trailing 42-39.

In the second half, the lead changed hands on numerous occasions, but it was the Rocks who came out on top leading 62-63 going into the final stanza.

In the final period, the Rocks led 66-73, but five points from Jets' John Simpson bought them back into the game at 71-73 with 5:46 remaining. Both teams continued to trade baskets, and with 10 seconds remaining, the scores were level at 79-79. The Rocks secured the victory thanks to a Sterling Davis basket with 4 seconds left. The Jets got the ball, but were unable to get a shot off before time expired, giving the Rocks the all- important victory.

Alto Virgil led all scorers with 27 points for the Jets, while Davis led the Rocks scoring with 18.

10-03-07

There were some exciting twists and turns in the BBL Championship title race on Saturday night, before both the Poujoulat Heat Guildford and Sheffield Sharks emerged with commendable road wins.

The Heat came from behind in the fourth quarter to score an 81-89 success over the Kularoos Plymouth Raiders, recently crowned BBL Trophy champions.

Meanwhile, the Sharks also had to overturn a fourth quarter deficit as a Blake Shelton triple on the buzzer forced overtime at the DMU Leicester Riders, they subsequently won 94-101 in the extra period.

DMU Leicester Riders 94 (21,49,63,88) (Alleyne 21, Herriman 20, Mcgee 20)
Sheffield Sharks        101 (25,39,63,88) (Shelton 28, Bonds 23, Cage 21)
After Overtime
The Sheffield Sharks notched their tenth consecutive win in the BBL Championship to stay level on points at the top of the table after winning 94-101 in overtime on the road at the DMU Leicester Riders, the defeat was the first in five for the Riders on their home floor.

Blake Shelton was the star man as he led the scoring with 28 points, 8 assists, and 8 rebounds. It was he who forced the extra period as he made a running three-pointer on the buzzer to tie the teams at 88.

Once in overtime the Sharks took control as a Joel Burns triple, against his former club, concluded five straight points that made the score 90-94. The Riders narrowed the deficit to 94-97, but a failed ‘alley-oop’ attempt followed by Andrew Alleyne fouling out led to their demise. After Alleyne was called for a technical foul for his protestations, Eddie Cage sealed the win with four free-throws with 21 seconds remaining.

Earlier in the tie, Jeff Bonds scored 6 points to help the Sharks out to an early 11-20 lead before the hosts scored the last 6 points of the opening stanza to keep it close at 21-25. They proceeded to take the lead early in the second as a 9-4 opening made it 30-29, which became 36-31 on a Terrence McGee triple. He added another from beyond the arc as the Riders scored the last 7 points of the half within a minute to lead 49-39 at the break.

Sheffield opened with the first 9 points of the third, including 5 from Atiba Lyons and then tied the game at 56 soon afterwards. A Yorick Williams triple and a pair of free-throws from Darren Mills gave Leicester the edge before the Sharks went 7-2 to send the teams into the decisive stanza tied at 63.

The home side looked to have the game won after a 12-1 surge, including 4 each from Delme Herriman and McGee, made the score 83-71. With 1:16 remaining Rob Paternostro fouled out and Cage made his two free-throws, followed by a further deuce, to narrow the gap to 87-85. Adam Williams scored a free-throw before the last-second heroics from Shelton.

Jeff Bonds also had 23 points and 12 boards for the Sharks. Meanwhile, Leicester were led by 21 points and 12 rebounds from Alleyne, whilst McGee had 20 points and 10 assists and Herriman added 20 points and 13 rebounds.

Kularoos Plymouth Raiders 81 (18,42,63) (Aaron 31, Beasley 17, Lasker/Love 10)
Poujoulat Heat Guildford     89 (23,37,58) (Dux 27, Martin 16, Gilbert 14)

The Poujoulat Heat Guildford maintained/extended their lead at the head of the BBL Championship as a fourth quarter fight back enabled them to win 81-89 at the Kularoos Plymouth Raiders, avenging two previous defeats at the Pavilions this season.

Brian Dux led the scoring for the Heat with 27 points, supported by 16 from Mike Martin and some crucial late scores that contributed to Danny Gilbert's 14 points. Carlton Aaron, MVP of last Sunday's famous BBL Trophy success, led the Raiders with 31 as they were brought back down to earth following that historical victory.

The visitors were fastest out of the blocks and held an 18-23 lead after the first ten minutes; however it wouldn't last long as a storming 17-2 opening to the second frame gave the Raiders a 35-25 lead. The Raiders showed the kind of tough play that won them the BBL Trophy as Drew Lasker and DeAntoine Beasley made scores off steals, with Lasker again and Gaylon Moore concluding the scoring in that run. The Heat narrowed the gap with a 12-7 finish to the quarter that sent the teams in at 42-37 at the halfway point.

Plymouth pulled away again at the start of the third to make the score 51-42 before it became a one-possession game on the back of 6 unanswered Guildford points at 51-48. Towards the end of the period the Raiders stretched it out again as a Gavin Love triple contributed to 5 without reply for a score of 63-54, before the visitors made the last 4 points to set up the tense fourth quarter.

The Heat took the lead just three minutes in after a 13-6 opening to the decisive stanza made it 69-71, and the teams traded baskets until a Beasley three-pointer enabled the Raiders to snatch it back at 76-75. There were two more lead changes before Danny Gilbert made the critical play: his three-pointer with 1:13 remaining sparked a 9-0 finish to the game from the Heat. Dan Wardrope and Dean Williams held their nerve from the line before Brian Dux concluded the scoring.

09-03-07

Springfield Honda Newcastle Eagles kept up their pursuit of top spot in the BBL Championship race after a comfortable 113-96 victory over London United at the Metro Radio Arena on Friday evening. A 27-4 tear in the second quarter broke the game open taking the score out to 55-29 in the Eagles' favour.

Chester Jets also kept up their play-off aspirations thanks to a 99-75 victory over the Marshall MK Lions at the Bletchley Leisure Centre on Friday evening. The Jets secured victory with a 13-0 burst in the final period to take the score out to 91-69.

Marshall MK Lions 75 (27,45,65) (New 21, Heizer 14, Windless 11)
Chester Jets           99 (28,44,68) (Virgil 29, McCullough 26, Cowan 24)

Chester Jets picked up their ninth victory of the BBL Championship campaign thanks to a 99-75 victory over the Marshall MK Lions at the Bletchley Leisure Centre on Friday evening.

Both sides traded baskets in the early going, and a 9-4 Jets burst was quickly followed by a 13-5 Lions reply to give the home side a slender 27-26 towards the end of the opening period. The second quarter again saw the sides trading baskets with the Lions ending on top at 45-44 going into the interval.

The second half saw the Lions open up a four-point gap at 65-61 off the back of three successive three-pointers, before a 7-0 close to the quarter for the Jets saw them lead 68-65 going into the final stanza.

A 10-0 start to the final period for the visitors saw them open up an early 65- 78 lead, before Michael New trimmed the deficit back to single digits at 69-78. The Jets then broke the game open with a 13-0 run to take the score out to 69- 91, and they were able to see off the Lions in the closing stages for the all-important victory.

Alto Virgil led all scorers in the game with 29 points for the visitors, while New led the Lions scoring with 21.

Springfield Honda Newcastle Eagles 113 (27,58,88) (Robinson 23, Hyatt 22, McCutter/Defoe 12)
London United                                            96 (18,32,61) (Johnson 22, William 17, Feggins/Capers 13)

Springfield Honda Newcastle Eagles bounced back from defeat in last Sunday's BBL Trophy Final in emphatic fashion thanks to a 113- 96 victory over London United at the Metro Radio Arena on Friday evening.

In a game that the Eagles led from tip to buzzer, they opened up an early 20-8 lead off the back of a 10-2 tear in the opening period.

The second quarter saw the visitors get to within four points at 29-25, but the Eagles broke the game open with a 27-4 burst to take the score out to 55-29 towards the end of the period.

The home side continued their dominance of the game, and enjoyed their biggest lead of the game at 64-34 early in the second half. London valiantly attempted to get themselves back into the game, but the deficit was too much for them as the Eagles ran out comfortable winners.

Shawan Robinson led the Eagles scoring with 22 points, while London's scoring was led by Tarik Johnson also netting 22 points for the visitors.

03-03-07

Poujoulat Heat Guildford and Sheffield Sharks kept up the pressure on each other at the top of the BBL Championship after both sides picked up important victories on Saturday evening. The Heat defeated London United 88-81 at the SPACE Centre, while 42 points from Jeff Bonds helped the Sharks to a comfortable 98-74 victory over the Worcester Wolves at Worcester University.

In other action, the DMU Leicester Riders moved ahead of London into seventh place thanks to a 104- 90 victory over Marshall MK Lions at the John Sanford Centre.

London United                    81 (22,46,57) (Johnson 27, Capers 22, Knight 10)
Poujoulat Heat Guildford 88 (26,44,63) (Gilbert 25, Dux 16. Williams 15)

Poujoulat Heat Guildford remained at the summit of the BBL Championship table thanks to a 88-81 victory over London United at the SPACE Centre on Saturday night.

After a close opening half, in which the home side led 46-44 at the half, the Heat enjoyed a 12-2 burst at the start of the third quarter to take the score out to 50-56, and maintained that lead at 57-63 going into the final stanza.

In the final period, the Heat once again extended their lead at the start of the quarter thanks to a 11-4 tear, which gave them a 75-62 lead. London valiantly attempted to get themselves back into the game, and an 8-0 burst midway through the period trimmed the deficit to eight points at 76-68. The home side got even closer in the final minute at 84-79, before the visitors were able to secure the victory from the foul-line.

Tarik Johnson led all scorers with 27 points for London, while Daniel Gilbert led the Heat scoring with 25 points personal.

DMU Leicester Riders 104 (27,50,77) (McGee 39, Alleyne 16, Paternostro/Herriman 14)
Marshall MK Lions          90 (16,34,61) (Youngblood 24, New 14, Heizer 13)

DMU Leicester Riders moved above London United into seventh place in the BBL Championship table thanks to a comfortable 104-90 victory over the Marshall MK Lions at the John Sanford Centre on Saturday evening.

Leicester led from start to finish, and a 12-1 burst in the opening period gave them an early 22-8 lead. A further 12-3 tear in the second took the score out to 39-21, before the Lions responded with an 7-0 tear of their own to get back to 39-28.

The third period saw the Riders enjoy their biggest lead of the game at 57-36 off the back of a 7-0 tear. The Lions got themselves to within nine points at 96-87 with two minutes left, but the Riders secured the victory from the foul-line.

Terrence McGee  led all scorers with 39 points, including 6/11 from three-point range, for the Riders while Robert Youngblood led the Lions scoring with 24 points personal.

Worcester Wolves 74 (15,41,55) (Harper 22, Rodriguez 20, Sheard 10)
Sheffield Sharks    98 (19.33,63) (Bonds 42, Shelton 22, Cage 11)

Sheffield Sharks kept up the pressure on the Poujoulat Heat Guildford at the top of the BBL Championship table thanks to a 98-74 victory over the Worcester Wolves at Worcester University on Saturday evening.

After a close opening quarter, the Wolves came out strong in the second and a 9-0 burst gave them a 38-28 lead, which they continued to hold going into the locker room leading 41-33 at the half.

The second half saw the Sharks retake the lead with two separate 6-0 tears to lead 44-45. The Wolves retook the lead at 53-50 with three minutes remaining in the quarter, but the Sharks broke the game open with a 16-2 close to the period to lead 55- 66 going into the final stanza.

The fourth quarter saw the home side open with a 6-0 tear to trim the deficit back to 60-66, but that was as close as they could get as the Sharks continued to execute offensively. Wolves' Head Coach Josh Cooprider was ejected with two minutes remaining, and the Sharks closed out the game with a 13-0 burst to pick up the victory.

Jeff Bonds led all scorers with a massive 42 points, including 16/19 from the foul line, for the Sharks, while Andy Harper led the Wolves scoring with 22.