Tuesday 30th March 2010

PAWS London Capital 67 (16,33,48) (Janusauskas 19, Jordan 18, Offiah 15)

Sheffield Sharks 88 (21,38,56) (Cook 26, Lawson 19, Tuck 15)

The Sheffield Sharks beat the PAWS London Capital by 67-88 on the road in the crucial game-in-hand that they held over the Newcastle Eagles, drawing level with their title rivals at the top of the BBL Championship table.

Mike Cook led their scoring once more with 26 points, while Perry Lawson added 19 and Mike Tuck scored 15. The Capital were led by Janusauskas's 19 points.

The game was closer throughout than the title-chasing Sharks might have anticipated, against the side who remain rooted to the foot of the table. The early exchanges were tight, although the Sharks managed to edge the first period by 16-21, maintaining that margin at 33-38 going into the half time break.

But it wasn't until the fourth quarter that they really managed to break free of their hosts. They outscored the Londoners by 32-19 down the stretch to seal the all-important win. The Sharks now head into Friday night's clash with the Everton Tiger knowing that they can hold top spot over the weekend with a win, as the Eagles don't play until Monday.

 

Marshall MK Lions 86 (19,40,63) (Williams 30, Harrison 20, Spinks 11)

Guildford Heat 77 (18,36,55) (Joseph 24, Ogedengbe 17, Drakeford 16)

The Marshall MK Lions overcame the Guildford Heat by 86-77 to score just their second win in eleven league games. It sees the Lions bounce back from last night's overtime loss at the hands of the Cheshire Jets, and strengthens their grip on a playoff place, damaging the Heat's pursuit of the playoffs in the process.

Yoirck Williams continued his recent scoring form with a 30-point haul for the hosts, while former Heat guard EJ Harrison had 20 points. The visitors were led by 24 points in vain from Julius Joseph, as they crashed to their fourth defeat in a row and eighth in their last nine league games.

The game was tight throughout the first quarter as the teams traded baskets to a 19-18 edge in favour of the Lions after the opening ten minutes. A 10-2 start to the second stanza saw the Lions attempt to break away and their first half lead peaked at 40-28 as Williams made his way to 15 first half points, despite hitting just one three-pointer. But the Heat came storming back just before the break, scoring the last 8 points to get it back to 40-36 heading into the locker rooms.

Williams was hot early in the third quarter as he scored 5 in an 8-2 opening that put the lead back in double-figures at 48-38, and they maintained an edge throughout the quarter, leading 63-55 heading into the decisive period. They made an early move in the fourth with two three-pointers from Williams and another for Dru Spinks making the score 74-62, and when Spinks connected from long-range once more it was 81-69, and the hosts saw the game out from that strong position.

Monday 29th March 2010

Marshall MK Lions 91 (22,48,72,83) (Harrison 38, Morris 18, Williams 17)

Cheshire Jets 92 (31,51,65,83) (Myers 25, Young 24, Davis 19)

(After overtime.  Tied at 83-83 at end of regulation)

Cheshire Jets picked up their fifth successive victory in the BBL Championship thanks to a thrilling 91-92 overtime victory over the Marshall MK Lions at the Centre MK on Monday evening to maintain their quest for a top four finish.  

The Lions had led 79-75 midway through the final period but a Colin O'Reilly three-pointer sparked an 8-2 Jets run to give them an 81-83 lead with 90 seconds remaining.  EJ Harrison tied the scores at 83-83 and then both sides had opportunities to win the game in regulation but three-pointers from Yorrick Williams for the Lions and Calvin Davis for the Jets came up short as the game was sent into overtime.  

In the extra period another Jets three-pointer, this time from Paul Peterson sent the visitors on 6-1 tear to lead 87-91 with 1:27 remaining.  A Justin Naughton basket and a pair of Harrison free-throws

tied the game up at 91-91 with 38 seconds left, but Jerrah Young held his nerve from the foul-line to make one of his free-throws with 26 seconds left to give the Jets a 91-92 lead.  

The Lions had an opportunity to snatch the victory, but another Williams long-range effort missed and the Lions were forced to foul with six seconds left in the game to send Davis to the line.  Davis missed both of his free-throws and Naughton pulled down the defensive rebound for the home side but he was unable to secure the shot as Young stole the ball for the Jets to give them the victory.  

Earlier in the game the Jets started much the stronger as they raced out to an early 13-5 lead but the Lions got themselves going thanks to some solid outside shooting from Williams as they trimmed the deficit to just three points at 21-18.  The Jets kicked up another gear as the opening quarter came to a close however and lead 22-31 at the end of the first period.  

In the second quarter a Robert Youngblood sparked the home side into life and send them into a slender one-point lead at 37-36 off the back of a 15-5 tear.  The Jets immediately responded with a 13-3 burst of their own to retake the lead at 40-49 and they were able to hold onto their lead as the sides headed into the locker rooms with the visitors leading 48-51 at the half.  

In the second half the home side came out strong and a Max Simon three-pointer instigated a 13-4 tear to take the score out to 64-61.  The Lions maintained their strength for the remainder of the third period and an 8-2 finish to the quarter for the home side helped them into a 72-65 lead heading into the final stanza.  

The beginning of the final period saw the Jets closing the gap to just a single point at 76-75 before Harrison's three-pointer to make the score 79-75 sparked the fireworks in the closing stages of the game.

Harrison led all scorers in the game with a highly impressive 38 point haul for the Lions while Shawn Myers led the scoring for the Jets with 25 points personal.

Sunday 27th March 2010

PAWS London Capital 64 (20, 38, 49) (Adu 21, George 16, Mumuni 14)

Essex Pirates 73 (10, 27, 52) (Janusauskas 27, Jordan 15, Jivens 9)

In the basement battle in the BBL tonight, it was Essex Pirates who came out on top, as they overcame PAWS London Capital 64-73. Top scoring for the Pirates was Tanner Adu (21 points) whilst Randy George had 16 points and Walid Mumuni had 14 points. For the Capital, it was Tomas Janusauskas who stood out, as he was the game's leading scorer with 27 points, whilst Russell Jordan added 15 points and player-coach Milek Jivens scored 9 points.

It was the Capital who dominated the early exchanges, as they had an 18-7 start, and led 20-10 at the end of the first period. The Pirates however, showed their resilience in the second stanza, as they went on a 14-0 run of their own in the opening minutes, but the Capital still led at the half 38-27.

The third quarter was where Jivens' side slipped up, for Tim Lewis' Pirates to take a 49-52 lead with ten minutes left in the game, and they managed to stretch this out to a 73-64 final scoreline thanks to a confident final quarter.

 

 

Glasgow Rocks 106 (32, 49, 72) (Murray/Copeland 27, Davis 23, Sapp 19)

Airwaves Plymouth Raiders 82 (21, 43, 65) (Valencia/Horton 20, Lasker 13, Martin 11)

Glasgow Rocks won the battle of the BBL's two furthest apart sides, as they triumphed 106-82 over Airwaves Plymouth Raiders. The opening minutes were fairly evenly balanced, as the Rocks led by one (10-9) after three minutes of play. A put back from Anthony Rowe then put the Raiders up by just a single point, but Gareth Murray struck from down town, to make it 13-11 in the Rocks' favour. A 19-8 burst to finish the quarter then made it 32-21 after ten minutes of play.

The Raiders were able to close this gap to 49-43 at the end of the second period, and were in with a chance of causing an upset against the third placed Rocks, as they trailed by just seven points going into the final quarter, 72-65. However, 13 points from Gareth Murray and 10 points from American Mike Copeland, ensured that the Rocks came out the better of the two teams, with a 106-82 win.

Copeland and Murray jointly led the Rocks with 27 points a-piece, whilst player-coach Sterling Davis added 23 points, and Jessie Sapp had 19 points. For the Raiders, Florentino Valencia and Terry Horton jointly led the scoring with 20 points each, Andrew Lasker added 13 points, and Anthony Martin scored 11 points.

 

 

Cheshire Jets 92 (29, 50, 72) (Myers/Young 20, Marks 16, Davis 11)

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders 82 (23, 36, 52) (Johnson 21, Westbrooks/Wierzbicki 14, Williams 12)

The head-to-head between Cheshire Jets and Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders will come down to the game between the two clubs next Saturday now, as the Jets gained revenge on the Riders and bounced back from their Trophy Final defeat last weekend, with a 92-82 victory.

It all looked to be 'done and dusted' at the Northgate Arena, with the Jets holding a 20 point cushion lead going into the fourth quarter, but the Riders won the fourth quarter 30-20, as Jason Johnson almost single-handedly fired them back into the game with 13 points personal in that quarter alone.

The Jets victory was based on an 11-2 run at the start of the second quarter, with the Riders only managing 4 points in the first six minutes of that period, and a similar opening to the third saw the Jets go on a 14-6 burst, all after a fairly even first quarter which finished 29-23 to the Jets.

Cheshire spread the scoring around, as Jerrah Young and Shawn Myers led the way with 20 points each, Chez Marks scored 10 of his 16 points in the first quarter, and Calvin Davis scored 11 points. For the Riders, Jason Johnson continued his impressive form with 21 points, Bradd Wierzbicki and Isaac Westbrooks both chipped in 14 points and Lataryl Williams had 12 points.

 

 

Worcester Wolves 90 (29, 53, 73) (Gilbert 22, Disy 21, Middleton/Normantas 13)

Worthing Thunder 85 (17, 41, 63) (Bratton 20, Prezzie-Blue 18, Richard 12)

The fight for eighth spot intensified tonight, with Worcester Wolves brushing off last night's away defeat to Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders to beat Worthing Thunder 90-85. After dominating the first quarter to lead 29-17 at the end of it, the Wolves then maintained this distance between them and their opponents as they led 53-41 going into the locker rooms at half time.

After trimming the deficit to just ten points at 73-63 after another ten minutes of play, the Thunder came inches away from snatching the victory from Paul James' side, as they eventually went down by just five points, 90-85.

Leading all scorers was the Wolves' Daniel Gilbert, whilst Harry Disy had 21 points and Rod Middleton and Kastytis Normantas added 13 points. For the Thunder, it was their Atlantic contingent that did the damage, as Reggie Bratton led the way with 20 points, Sherrad Prezzie-Blue scored 18 points and Kadiri Richard chipped in 12 points.

The winning playcaller, Paul James said the following: ' Tonight was a very tense game, and we did concede too many errors at times. However, we displayed lots of character in a real 'pressure pot' sort of a game. Our team was desperate to win and showed real character in achieving the victory.'

Saturday 27th March 2010

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders 82 (23,41,64) (Wierzbicki 17, Johnson 14, Windless/Lamble 10)

Worcester Wolves                             76 (20,42,56) (Disy 25, Normantas 18, Gilbert 12)

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders landed the latest blow in their battle with Glasgow Rocks for third place with an 82-76 win over Worcester Wolves.

A 10-4 run over the last 3 minutes did the damage for a Riders team who were led by 17 points from Bradd Wierzbecki (pictured). Wolves had trailed by 11 in the third quarter but couldn't push on once they'd tied the match at 72-72.

Riders took a first quarter 23-20 after being behind by five (7-12) early in the game. A 6-0 start to the second period gave them a 29-20 lead but Worcester responded well and led 35-36 on Harry Disy's two.

The visitors led 41-42 at half time but Riders enjoyed the third quarter to build a 62-51 advantage. Daniel Gilbert nailed a three for Wolves to reduce the gap to 64-56 heading into the final stanza.

Kastytis Normantas was instrumental in dragging Worcester back on level terms. The Lithuanian scored eight points to make it 74-74 before Leicester hit the next seven points.

 

Essex Pirates 93 (24,54,70) (Toluwase 22 Adu 14, Knight 14)

Guildford Heat 84 (22,41,59) (Drakeford 24, Ogedengbe 18, Joseph 17)

Essex Pirates demonstrated their potential once again with a well-earned 93-94 victory over Guildford Heat.

The defeat puts a serious dent in Heat's hopes of making the play-offs but for Pirates it is another step towards keeping ahead of London Capital at the bottom of the table.

Pirates led at the end of the first quarter 24-22 and they built on this lead throughout the second period. A an excellent offensive effort saw Essex score 30 points while limiting the Heat to just 19 at Tim Lewis's team held a 54-41 advantage at half time.

The margin was still double-digits at the end of the third (70-59) and despite a short-handed Guildford roster working hard to cut the gap the Pirates held on for the win.

Samuel Toluwase led the scoring for Pirates on 22 while Aaron 'LA' Drakeford for Heat topped all-scorers with 24.

 

PAWS London Capital 77 (15,31,51) (Janusauskas 24, Gariba 12, Russell 12)

Everton Tigers 103 (28,49,78) (Moore 24, J Jones 19, M Jones 19)

Everton Tigers moved into fifth position in the BBL after a convincing 77-103 win on the road at London Capital.

It is the latest victory for an in-form Everton team and was built on the back of excellent three-point shooting.

Tony Garbelotto's team were 15 of 34 from beyond the arc with Trey Moore connecting on four of his eight attempts and James Jones (pictured) five of his nine. Moore ended the night with 24 points, tied by Capital's Tomas Janusauskas.

Everton set the tone for the match with an excellent first quarter. A 9-11 lead was quickly extended to 9-20 and then onto 12-28 at Tigers took the first quarter 15-28.

The visitors kept draining their shots from three point range when needed and went in at half time leading 31-49. Any hopes of a Capital fightback were extinguished in the third quarter with Everton moving the lead over 25 points to 51-78.

Friday 26th March 2010

Everton Tigers       81 (9,34,68) (Babalola 18, Moore 15, Jones 13)

Worthing Thunder 75 (16,32,46) (Bratton 26, Cricelli 15, Prezzie-Blue 12)

The Everton Tigers beat the Worthing Thunder by 81-75 on Merseyside to maintain the pressure on their North West rivals, the Cheshire Jets, in fifth place in the BBL Championship, and, crucially, they keep up their chase of a top four spot.

The Tigers spread the scoring as Olu Babalola netted 18, Trey Moore 15 and James Jones 13. Reggie Bratton, for Worthing, led all scorers with 26 points.

The Thunder looked strong early on as they held their hosts to just 9 points in the first period, twice holding them scoreless for three minutes or more. After an early exchange of baskets, Bratton scored twice to spark a 9-0 burst that made the score 4-12. Consecutive scores from Jones halted the run, before the teams shared only 5 points in the last 4.10 of the first, making the score 9-16.

The Tigers found their scoring touch immediately in the second with 7 points, including 5 for Andrew Thomson, inside the first 1.18, before Moore scored 6 in a 9-0 push that saw them holding a 25-20 lead after four minutes. The lead reached a first half peak at 32-24 on Moore's three-pointer, before Sam Cricelli scored 4 late points in a 6-0 recovery as the Thunder got it back to 34-32 going into the locker rooms.

The Tigers really pushed ahead as they matched their first half score in the third quarter alone. It was still a one possession game when Thomson sparked a 10-0 surge and, after Bratton scored for Thunder, they followed that with another 10 unanswered, including 8 and two triples for James Jones, to lead 60-38. The Tigers led 68-46 heading into the final ten minutes.

But that nearly wasn't enough as the Thunder came charging back in the fourth quarter. The Tigers scored just 4 points in six minutes, all from Adam Williams, while the visitors scored a rapid 20 of their own, started by James Brame's triple and including 6 more for Bratton, to narrow the gap to 72-66. The Tigers found their feet with Jones's three-pointer and saw the game out as they held the Thunder to only 4 points in the crucial last 3 minutes.

 

Sheffield Sharks   105 (21,48,79) (Cook 29, Patton 22, Gorman 16)

Marshall MK Lions 98 (19,38,59) (Williams 25, Harrison 24, Youngblood 24)

The Sheffield Sharks beat the Marshall MK Lions 105-98 to keep up the pressure on the Newcastle Eagles at the summit of the BBL Championship table.

Mike Cook led the Sharks once more with 29 points and 11 assists, ably supported by 22 from Ryan Patton. Yorick Williams led the Lions with 25 points.

The second-placed Sharks started with a 6-0 burst, and the teams traded baskets in the first period until a late 9-1 run from the Lions, capped by a Williams three-pointer, made the score 16-19. But the tables were turned once more by Patton as he scored 5 points in the last 12 seconds of the period, including a triple on the buzzer, to see the Sharks up 21-19. Turnovers were costing the Lions early on, as the hosts scored 11 points off 5 turnovers in the first quarter.

In the second, the Sharks broke a tie at 32 with another 6-0 run, all scored by Cook. And, considering what had gone before, the second stanza finished in typical fashion as Patton hit another three-pointer, before a Lions' turnover led to a Cook basket that made it a double-digit lead at 48-38 at the break.

The Sharks maintained their lead through the early exchanges of the third until a 13-1 run, which included three triples - two for Tuck, one for Patton - to help the hosts into a 79-59 lead going into the decisive period. But the Lions narrowed the gap early in the fourth period and a Williams score made it 82-68, with the lead staying around there until the latter stages. A 12-2 run for the Lions within the last four minutes, capped by a Williams three-pointer, ensured a tight finish as the score became 94-89 with 1.37 left. But Cook halted the run before Patton was sent to the foul line twice, scoring all 4 free-throws, and he scored once more off a turnover to effectively settle the game at 103-94 with 28 seconds left.

Thursday 25th March 2010

Newcastle Eagles 91 (23,45,68) (Chapman 22, Sullivan 22, Stewart 14)

Glasgow Rocks     82 (19,40,61) (Copeland 22, Parillon 22, Murray 15)

Newcastle Eagles took another step to retaining the BBL Championship with a 91-82 home win over third place Glasgow Rocks.

The victory for Newcastle ensures it will be a two horse race for the title with Sheffield Sharks. Fab Flournoy's team now lead Sheffield by four points having played two matches more and with five games remaining.

Glasgow's feint hopes of catching the Eagles or Sharks are now over with the north-east club's latest triumph.

Joe Chapman (pictured) continued his impressive form with 22 points. He was joined on that number with team-mate Andrew Sullivan and Rocks' Steve Parillon and Mike Copeland.

Rocks were in touch with the Eagles throughout the match but were badly let down with their three-point shooting. Coming into the game with only Newcastle ahead of them from beyond the arc Sterling Davis's team could only muster 3 of 19.

After Glasgow held the lead at 7-8 they were never in front again. A 7-1 run midway through the first quarter helped Eagles to a 23-19 advantage after ten minutes.

Gareth Murray tied the match at 31-31 with a dunk for Rocks but Eagles responded with a 14-3 burst. Glasgow scored the last five points of the half to trail 45-40.

Newcastle stretched out to 64-42 late in the third quarter thanks to five points from Chapman in an 8-0 tear.

Leading 68-61 after three quarters Eagles consistently held off the Rocks throughout the final stanza. Jessie Sapp cut the gap to 74-71 only for Newcastle to reply with a match-clinching 13-3 run.

Tuesday 23rd March 2010

Marshall MK Lions 99 (26,50,70) (Youngblood 30, Williams 26, Spinks 15)

Essex Pirates 89 (18,43,63) (Adu 21, Mumuni 17, Knight 15)

Marshall MK Lions ended a four-game losing streak in all competitions on Tuesday night thanks to a 99-89 victory over the Essex Pirates at the Centre MK.  

The Lions started the game the stronger and seven points from Robert Youngblood helped the home side into an early 11-2 lead, but the Pirates were able to keep themselves in the game thanks in no small part to Taner Adu who bagged 10 points in the opening period to leave the visitors trailing by eight points at 26-18 at the end of the first quarter.  

In the second period both sides traded baskets throughout much of the stanza, and a three-pointer from Essex guard Marcus Knight at the end of the quarter meant that the Pirates closed the gap slightly to seven points at 50-43 heading into the locker rooms at the half.  

In the second half both sides continued to exchange baskets throughout the third quarter, but the Lions were able to maintain their advantage throughout the period thanks to some good outside shooting from Yorrick Williams as they lead 70-63 heading into the final stanza.

In the final period the visitors began the stronger and a 7-0 run midway through the period culminating in the Pirates taking the lead for the first time in the game at 78-79.  The lead however would be shortlived as buckets from the returning EJ Harrison and Youngblood helped the Lions retake the lead at 84-83 and despite a valiant effort from the visitors, the Lions would not

relinquish that lead for the remainder of the game and it was left to Williams and Dru Spinks to seal the victory for the home side from the foul-line.  

Youngblood led all scorers in the game with an impressive double-double performance of 30 points and 17 rebounds for the Lions, while Taner Adu led the scoring for the Pirates with 21 points personal.

Saturday 20th March 2010

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders 88 (26,48,70) (Johnson 24, Durant 13, Wierzbicki 13)

Glasgow Rocks 80 (21,35,53) (Davis 20, Parillon 20, Copeland 16)

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders made it a club record seven wins in a row and heaped the pressure on Glasgow Rocks for third spot in the BBL with an 88-80 home win over the Scottish club.

Jason Johnson led all-scorers with 24 points for the Riders and also pulled down a game high 15 rebounds.

Rocks were enjoying the better of the first quarter when Gareth Murray put them 10-16 ahead. However, a 16-0 run by Riders capped off by Tony Windless's bucket gave the home side a double-digit lead.

A three by Glasgow player-coach Sterling Davis and a two from Mike Copeland reduced the arrears to 26-21.

Riders maintained control in the second quarter. Their lead was rarely threatened and a 10-2 run to close the first half gave Rob Paternostro's side a comfortable 48-35 lead at the interval.

A Shaun Durant two made it a 20 point game (59-39) midway through the third quarter. And it took a Davis three for Rocks to trail by 17 (70-53) at the end of the period.

Rocks slowly ate away at the Riders lead but never were close enough to mount a real challenge. Bradd Wierzbicki, who returned to the Leicester line up after illness, nailed a dagger three with three minutes remaining to make it 84-70.

Glasgow ended with a 6-0 run to get within eight, which was the closest they had been since late in the second quarter.

 

Worcester Wolves 111 (17,46,76) (Gilbert 32, Normantas 31, Disy 20)

Guildford Heat 77 (21,39,55) (Joseph 20, Ogedengbe 16, Langhorne 14)

Worcester Wolves kept alive their hopes of a play-off position by securing an emphatic 111-77 home win against post-season rivals Guildford Heat.

Harry Disy and Rod Middleton both returned from injury for Wolves with the victory seeing them leapfrog Heat into ninth position. They still trail eighth placed Worthing Thunder by six points with just eight matches remaining.

Heat began the match well with player-coach Chad McKnight's six points contributing to a 6-13 lead. Wolves battled back with Devin Smith's bucket reducing the deficit to 17-18 before a Julius Joseph three gave Heat a 17-21 advantage.

Joseph began the second quarter as he ended the previous one with a three and when the former England international drained a two Heat led 25-35.

It seemed to spark Wolves into life with Daniel Gilbert levelling the match at 35-35 and the Worcester run continuing for another nine points before Heat troubled the scorers again.

Kastytis Normantas was creating problems for Heat and he put his team 46-37 up before Daniel Sandell finished the first half action at 46-39.

Seven points early in the third quarter by Normantas kept Heat at bay before a Harry Disy three ignited a 19-6 run by Wolves. Gilbert contributed 10 points in the burst as Worcester led 76-55 heading into the final stanza.

A 20 point lead was always going to be a long way back for Guildford and that's how it proved to be. Wolves were soon 89-58 in front and never let their advantage fall below 25 (92-67) for the rest of the match.

Wolves coach Paul James said the victory against his former club was a great effort: "It was a fantastic performance. The team were a little down after last night's loss in Sheffield but we strapped up Harry Disy and Rod Middleton as they both wanted to play.

"In a way it is a shame it was against Guildford. Daniel Gilbert and I were both looking forward to the game and his seven threes were fantastic to watch.

"Already I am looking forward to next weekend and I'm very pleased with the performance and to move from tenth to ninth in the league table."

Friday 19th March 2010

Friday was an important night at the summit of the BBL Championship table, as the top two - Newcastle Eagles and Sheffield Sharks - both recovered from first quarter deficits to score home wins. The fourth-placed Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders also overturned a deficit to win.

 

Newcastle Eagles 113 (20,47,78) (Chapman 26, Smith 25, Sullivan 13)

Worthing Thunder 70 (24,44,63) (Bratton 25, Richard 16, Prezzie-Blue 14)

The Newcastle Eagles held onto top spot in the BBL Championship table as they beat the Worthing Thunder 113-70 in the North East, turning over an early deficit with a massive 66 points in the second half. Worthing were the last team to beat Newcastle two months, or sixteen games, ago and they are also the only side to have beaten Newcastle twice this season.

Joe Chapman led the Eagles with 26 points, including eight three-pointers, followed closely by Charles Smith's 25 and five triples. The Eagles scored 18 three-pointers, equating to 54 points. Reggie Bratton kept pace with those two, scoring 25 points in vain for the Thunder.

The Eagles had to come behind as the visitors held an early 9-18 lead after a 7-0 burst was capped by Sherrad Prezzie-Blue's three-pointer. The Eagles came back with triples from Andrew Bridge and Reggie Jackson, but still trailed 20-24 after the opening ten minutes. They took their first lead in the second stanza as they held the Thunder scoreless for nearly three minutes and a Smith three and Bridge score made it 32-31. Seven lead changes ensued before the Eagles established an edge that they would not relinquish as Chapman's triple broke a tie at 45-42, before it became 47-44 at the half.

The Eagles would go on to outscore Worthing by 66-26 in the second half of the game to avenge the defeats earlier in the season. The damage was done almost immediately out of the locker rooms as the Thunder scored just three points in five minutes and soon trailed 65-49 as Lynard Stewart scored 6 points and Smith added 5. The Eagles maintained that pace and led by twenty on Smith's three at 76-56. They really stretched the lead in the fourth quarter as the Thunder scored just seven points. There was an early 14-0 surge as the score became 92-65, and fittingly they went through the century mark on Chapman's three-pointer with 3.25 remaining.

 

Airwaves Plymouth Raiders              74 (32,48,61) (Lasker 21, Martin 21, Valencia 13)

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders 86 (18,44,66) (Williams 23, Johnson 18, James 17)

The Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders consolidated their top-four spot in the BBL Championship table as they beat the Airwaves Plymouth Raiders by 74-86 on the South Coast, winning their sixth game in a row.

LaTaryl Williams led the way with 23 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 10/15, while Jason Johnson had 18 and Duane James added 17. Drew Lasker and Anthony Martin led the Raiders with 21 points each.

The Raiders were fast out of the blocks and soon led 10-4 thanks in large part to 6 points from Lasker. The Riders got it back to a one-possession game at 12-9, but succumbed to a 15-5 burst 27-14. Duane James stopped the rot with back to back baskets, but the Raiders still led 32-18 after the opening ten minutes as Allister Gall hit a triple for the hosts in the dying seconds of the period.

The visitors opened the second stanza with hot hands as they put 12 points on the board within three minutes, including consecutive triples from Tony Windless, to make the score 39-30. The Riders remained within striking distance with the deficit in single figures as their big men, Johnson and Durant, shared 9 points in the closing minutes of the half, the latter scoring to make it 48-44.

The Riders continued the push in the third quarter and soon tied the game at 52, before taking their first lead at 54-60 after an 8-2 run. They pushed home their advantage in the fourth and took a double-digit lead at 63-77 after an 11-2 opening to the decisive quarter. From that point, the Raiders could not get the score to within single figures as Williams scored 5 late points to push his personal tally through the twenty mark.

 

Sheffield Sharks 90 (18,43,63) (Patton 28, Cook 20, Gorman 18)

Worcester Wolves 62 (19,31,45) (Gilbert 32, Owen 8, Knysas 6)

The Sheffield Sharks kept pace with the Newcastle Eagles at the top of the BBL Championship as they scored a home win over the Worcester Wolves by 90-62.

The Sharks were led by Ryan Patton's 28 points, while Matt Gorman scored 18 points and snatched 12 rebounds. Danny Gilbert led all scorers with 32 points, but indicative of their night was the fact that no one else scored in double figures; they were missing Rod Middleton and Harry Disy.

There were six lead changes early on as neither side could establish a foothold in the first six minutes. From there, the Wolves posted an 8-2 tear, including four for Knysas, to lead 13-19 heading into the final minute of the first period. But, from having scored just two baskets in five minutes, the Sharks recovered with five points inside the last 38 seconds as Patton hit a three-pointer on the buzzer to see them just one point in arrears at 18-19.

That momentum was carried into the second period in a major way, most noticeably with Patton hit two more threes as the Sharks turned it round to lead 43-31. It started with an early 6-0 run as they took their first lead since the fourth minute of the game at 24-22. But the key spell came midway through when they held their visitors scoreless for almost five minutes, while scoring thirteen points of their own, including six for Cook and five for Patton. Gilbert hit a three-pointer on the buzzer, but the Wolves were too reliant on him in the first half - he had 17 points, their second highest scorer had 4.

The Sharks forced the issue with a 6-2 opening to the third quarter as Cook scored back-to-back baskets for a 49-33 lead. There was little scoring from either side until a rapid 8-0 burst from the visitors, including consecutive triples from Gilbert, narrowed the gap to 52-43. But, they would suffer another scoreless spell of three and a half minutes as another Patton triple highlighted a 9-0 run to help the hosts to a 63-45 lead entering the final period. The Sharks weren't troubled in the fourth as they saw the game out comfortably.

Tuesday 16th March 2010

Marshall MK Lions 90 (13, 38 59) (Williams 22, Morris 19, Simon/Youngblood 16)

Glasgow Rocks 119 (40, 69, 98) (Sapp 39, Crowell 20, Copeland 17)

Whilst the Marshall MK Lions poor form continued as they await the return of American duo EJ Harrison and Frank Holmes to full fitness, Glasgow Rocks picked up a handy win to put them on 38 points and consolidate their third spot in the BBL Championship table.

An 8-20 start for the visitors was then responded to by the Lions, as Craig Pringle's three pointer cut the gap to single digits at 11-20. However, two threes from Gareth Murray which led to an 11-26 Glasgow lead, formed the basis of a 13-40 first quarter scoreline, the springboard for an easy win, as the Rocks held the Lions scoreless for the rest of the period.

The Lions were subsequently down 38-69 at the half, despite only losing the period by three points, and by the time the third quarter had ended, the Rocks had romped to a 59-98 advantage, with the fourth quarter seeing them stretch this out to 90-119, a comfortable victory.

The winning side were led in scoring by a huge 39 points from Jessie Sapp, Michael Crowell scored 20 points and Mike Copeland chipped in 17 points as the Rocks recorded an emphatic victory without stalwart Rob Yanders. For the home team, Yorick Williams was the leading light with 22 points, Dawud Morris scored 19 points and both Maximillion Simon and Robert Youngblood added 16 points.

Monday 15th March 2010

Sheffield Sharks 110 (27,47,76,93) (Cook 36, Tuck 25, Gorman 18)

Everton Tigers 102 (24,41,60,93) (Moore 31, Babalola 25, Gumbs 21)

(After overtime.  Tied at 93-93 at end of regulation)

Sheffield Sharks moved themselves to within two points of the Newcastle Eagles at the top of the BBL Championship table, but needed an additional period to finally overcome the Everton Tigers by a score of 110-102 at the EIS, Sheffield on Monday evening.  

The Sharks led 93-86 heading into the closing stages of the fourth quarter, but a Trey Moore three-pointer sparked a 7-0 run to close out the final period, including two clutch free-throws from Jerome Gumbs with 40 seconds remaining, and tie the game at 93-93 and send it into overtime.  

In the extra period, the Sharks took an early lead at 97-95, but the Tigers responded with six points from Olu Babalola to give them a 97-101 lead midway through the additional period. The home side however sparked themselves into life and closed out the game with a 13-1 burst to take the final victory at 110-102.  

Earlier in the game, the first quarter saw both sides trading baskets throughout much of the opening period but it was the home side who ended the quarter ahead 27-24 after the first ten minutes of basketball.  

The second period saw the home side start with a 13-5 run to take the score out to 40-29 midway through the second quarter, but nine points from Trey Moore helped the Tigers trim the deficit to just three points at 44-41 with less than a minute remaining in the half however a three-pointer from Mike Cook sent the Sharks into the locker rooms leading 47-41 at the half.  

The second half saw the Tigers trim the deficit to just three points midway through the third period at 57-54 before a Cook three-pointer sparked a 12-0 burst for the Sharks to take the score out to 69-54.  The home side continued to apply the pressure as the third period closed and a further three-pointer from Mike Tuck extended their lead to 16 points at 76-60 heading into the final stanza.  

In the final period the visitors got themselves right back into the game thanks to a 18-4 start to the period to trim the deficit back to two points at 80-78 midway through the final period. The home side were not to be outdone just yet as seven unanswered points from Tuck (5) and Cook (2) for the Sharks extended their lead out to 91-83 before the fireworks of the closing stages and overtime occurred.

 Cook led all scorers in the game with an impressive 36-point haul for the Sharks, while Trey Moore led the scoring for the Tigers with 31 points personal.

Sunday 14th March 2010

Guildford Heat 96 (17,40,63,87) (McKnight 39, Ogedengbe 22, Joseph 14)

Worthing Thunder 102 (31,51,71,87) (Makalainen 23, Prezzie-Blue 20, Ivanovskis 17)

In an important battle where their Play-off ambitions are concerned, Worthing Thunder, who were without talisman Reggie Bratton due to illness, sneaked a tight 96-102 overtime victory over Guildford Heat tonight, at Guildford Spectrum. The Heat opened the scoring for the afternoon via a three pointer from Tayo Ogedengbe. Chad McKnight then scored, following a Sam Cricelli basket off a Ville Makalainen assist, and the teams exchanged scores from there, until Finish International Makalainen then knocked down a threeball to put the visitors ahead 5-7, and they went on a 20-4 run from there to lead 9-20 with 4:33 left in the first period. Although Julius Joseph, Aaron 'LA' Drakeford, Ogedengbe and McKnight all scored to take the Heat to 17 points, Kadiri Richard, Sherrad Prezzie Blue, Makalainen and Cricelli all stepped up to keep the Thunder ahead at 17-31.

The second quarter saw the Heat get much closer, as the period finished 40-51 in the Thunder's favour, and Americans Kenny Langhorne and 'LA' Aaron Drakeford began to make their mark on the game for the home side. This momentum was carried over to the third stanza, as the Heat cut the deficit to single figures at 63-71. The final period was where the home side showed their scoring prowess though, as they outscored the Thunder 26-14 to tie the scores at 87-87 on an Ogedengbe score, and force overtime.

The Heat then failed to get off the mark until two minutes remained in the game in overtime, as the Thunder piled on the points to go 87-95 up, a run that proved to be crucial in the outcome of the game. However with Langhorne and McKnight combining for seven points, they cut the gap to just six points at 91-97. However, whilst Janis Ivanovskis scored two free throws in a 5-3 run for the Thunder, the Heat could only manage one more basket in the dying seconds, courtesy of McKnight, and the Thunder sealed the 96-102 result.

The victors were led by 23 points from Ville Makalainen, whilst Sherrad Prezzie-Blue stepped up in his fellow American's absence with 20 points, and Janis Ivanovskis added 17 points as he continues his recovery from injury. For the Heat, player-coach Chad McKnight had a career-high 39 points, whilst Tayo Ogedengbe notched 22 points and Julius Joseph had 14.

Saturday 13th March 2010

Essex Pirates 82 (21,46,56) (Metcalfe 23, Adu 22, George 11)

Airwaves Plymouth Raiders 80 (27,40,62) (Horton 20, Gall 15, Lasker 13)

The twelfth-placed Essex Pirates beat the eleventh-placed Airwaves Plymouth Raiders for the second time in little over a month in the BBL Championship. For the Pirates, it was just their second win in fourteen games in 2010.

Alan Metcalfe led all scorers with 23 points, while Taner Adu added 22. Terry Horton led the visiting Raiders with 20 points.

It was a roller-coaster game as the lead changed at the end of each period. The Raiders had established a 21-27 lead after the first ten minutes, before being held to just 13 points in the second stanza as the hosts turned it around to a 46-40 edge at the half-time break. But they would score only ten points themselves in the third period, leaving themselves with a 56-62 deficit entering the decisive period. Metcalfe and Adu led the Pirates to the win in an exciting fourth quarter, which they won 26-18, as they edged the game by just two points.

 

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders 93 (20,43,67) (Wierzbicki 25, Johnson 23, James 13)

PAWS London Capital 60 (13,28,51) (Jordan 16, Gariba 14, Jivens 14)

The Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders kept up their sparkling form - which has seen them win five league games in a row - as they beat the PAWS London Capital 93-60 in the East Midlands. The win consolidates their position in fourth in the BBL Championship table.

Bradd Wierzbicki led the scoring with 25 points and 6 assists, while Jason Johnson had another double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds. Former Rider Russell Jordan led the Capital with 16 points.

The Riders started well as Wierzbicki hit five points in a 7-0 start as the visitors failed to get off the mark in nearly three minutes. Consecutive baskets from Jivens and Janusauskas pegged back the hosts before Wierzbicki made his second triple in the opening five minutes. The teams traded baskets to 20-13 at the end of the first. The Riders started the second in the same way that they had the first as Duane James scored the first four in an 8-2 opening, and they soon led 34-17 after three more Wierzbicki points. The Riders carried that through to a 43-28 half-time lead, with their execution on offence proving crucial as they were shooting nearly 60% from the field.

There was a scare for the Riders in the third stanza as Jivens hit two three-pointers in an early 10-0 burst that narrowed the gap 48-44. But the Riders scored the next 7 points in what became a 17-3 run, in which Johnson scored 6 and they had fully regained the ascendancy at 67-51 going into the fourth. They were comfortable in the final ten minutes as they restricted their visitors to just 9 points and opened with the first 6 points themselves. Jivens scored a triple for the Capital with 7.19 remaining, but they would not score again for over six minutes as the Riders saw the game out.

 

Worthing Thunder 89 (14,42,66) (Cricelli 27, Makalainen 16, Prezzie-Blue 15)

Everton Tigers 107 (34,65,90) (Gumbs 24, Jones 20, Babalola 18)

The Everton Tigers moved up to sixth place and kept up the pressure on the top four in the BBL Championship as they overcame the Worthing Thunder 89-107 on the South Coast, snapping a four game losing run in the process.

Jerome Gumbs led the Tigers with 24 points, including 7/11 from the field and 10/11 from the free-throw line, while James Jones hit five three-pointers on his way to 20 points. Sam Cricelli, for the Thunder, led all scorers with 27 points, shooting 11/12 himself.

The visiting Tigers were insatiable from the early stages and never looked back. They raced into a 7-24 lead with Trey Moore and Olu Babalola scoring 7 points each during the spell. The Thunder were scoreless for three and a half minutes before Sherrad Prezzie-Blue hit a three-pointer - one of his five on the night - but James Jones did likewise on the first quarter buzzer to make it 14-34 after just ten minutes.

The hosts found their range in the second quarter, but they could only keep pace with the Tigers, who had put an unbelievable 65 points on the board by half time - scoring 16 of those off turnovers. Gumbs scored seven points early in the period to stretch the lead to 24-46, and he had 17 points by the half way point.

The Tigers continued the pace after the break as the lead peaked at 51-82 after Andrew Thompson's triple and an Adam Williams score. With three minutes left in the third they were shooting almost 70% from the floor and 55% from three-point range, and they headed into the fourth period with a 66-90 lead.

But as impressive as the Tigers were, the Thunder still had the scoreboard ticking over rapidly and narrowed the deficit to below 20 as Kadiri Richard scored 4 in a 6-2 start to the final quarter. They scored another 6 points in a row to make it 78-95, but that was as close as they would get. The Tigers weathered that as James Jones sent them through the century mark with a three-pointer with 7.30 remaining and they saw the game out. Strangely for this game, the pace slowed markedly towards the end as the teams shared just 15 points in the remaining time, averaging 2 points per minute compared to 5.6 in the rest of the game.

Friday 12th March 2010

Newcastle Eagles 99 (18,46,73) (Chapman 21, Defoe 17, Smith/Stewart 14)

Marshall MK Lions 68 (21,40,51) (Youngblood 19, Morris 17, New 9)

Newcastle Eagles overcame a shaky first quarter to strengthen their grip at the top of the BBL with a 99-68 win over sixth placed Marshall MK Lions in the north-east.

Joe Chapman (pictured) continued his excellent form with 21 points to lead all-scorers as Eagles used a 27-11 third quarter to break the match open. Lions had led 18-21 after the first quarter before Eagles began to dominate.

The Lions recovered from a 16-10 deficit late in the first quarter to put together an 11-2 burst as they took the opening 10 minutes 18-21.

It didn't take long for Newcastle to get back on top. Charles Smith's three gave them the lead for good at 29-27 and they stretched out to 44-34 on Andrew Bridge's long range effort before Lions trimmed the gap to 46-40 by half time.

Eagles took control in the third quarter with the lead gradually increasing throughout the stanza. Another Bridge three made it double-digits and Chapman pushed the advantage through the 20 point barrier before Lions' punishment ended at 75-51.

Newcastle's lead peaked at 86-55 in the final quarter on Darius Defoe's free throw. The win gives the Eagles a four point cushion over Sheffield Sharks at the top of the table.

 

Glasgow Rocks 59 (16,31,45) (Marks 24, Myers 19, O'Reilly 15)

Cheshire Jets 88 (25,43,70) (Copeland 17, Murray 13, Davis/Parillon 10)

Cheshire Jets moved closer to fourth place and a home play off berth in the BBL with an excellent 59-88 win at Glasgow Rocks.

Chez Marks (pictured led all scorers with 24 points as Jets only trailed once. Marks's four three pointers led a good night from beyond the arc with Paul Smith's team shooting a combined 11 of 25.

A three pointer from Steve Parillon gave Rocks their only lead of the first quarter at 3-2 before Jets began to dominate. A 13-0 run including two threes from Chez Marks and one from Paul Peterson put the visitors firmly in command at 12-23.

Gareth Murray was the one bright spot for Rocks as his six points helped cut the gap to 16-25 after ten minutes.

Glasgow could only get within seven (20-27) during the early stages of the second quarter before Jets stretched out their lead into double figures again. A 7-3 burst to end the half gave Cheshire a 31-43 advantage at the interval.

The match was still tight at 43-50 midway through the third quarter before Jets put together a superb 18-2 run up to the end of the period.

Peterson kicked it off with a three and he added another with Calvin Davis and Shawn Myers also weighing in from long range as Cheshire moved clear at 45-70.

The final quarter was academic in terms of the direction of the result but Jets broke through the 30 point lead (56-88) before a late Michael Crowell three finished the scoring at 59-88.

Sunday 7th March 2010

Glasgow Rocks 85 (20,42,67) (Sapp 20, Parillon 19, Copeland 15)

PAWS London Capital 62 (18,28,44) (Gariba 18, Konare 17, Janusauskas 13)

The Glasgow Rocks survived an early scare to overcome the PAWS London Capital by 85-62 north of the border, consolidating their position in third place in the BBL Championship. They have now won five games in a row, and it's their eleventh win in fourteen games since the turn of the year. The Capital remain rooted to the foot of the table.

Jessie Sapp led all scorers with 20 points and 13 assists, stepping in ably for Rob Yanders; Steve Parillon added 19 for the Rocks. The Capital were led by Ibrahim Gariba's 18 points and 17 rebounds. Quick hands were decisive for the Rocks, as they had 26 steals in the game and scored 35 points off turnovers.

The Rocks raced into a 12-2 lead in the opening three minutes, with Davis scoring 6 and Parillon adding 5. But the Capital ground their way back into the game, behind 8 points from Konare, and when Gariba made consecutive scores to end the first period they were trailing by just 20-18.

In the second, Jivens and Crowell exchange triples as the Rocks maintained their edge. The teams remained close until midway through the period, at 29-26. But from there the Rocks went 13-2 in the run in to half time, keeping the Capital to one solitary score in over five minutes. Parillon scored the last 6 points of that spell.

The teams traded baskets until the closing minutes of the third, when the Rocks stretched it with an 11-2 run over the last three minutes. They saw the game out with few problems, as the lead peaked at 85-58 on Copeland's score with 2.10 remaining.

 

Marshall MK Lions                             101 (20,41,70,90) (Y. Williams 36, Morris 19, New 18)

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders 104 (25,52,73,90) (Johnson 27, Wierzbicki 25, L. Williams 23)

The Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders beat the Marshall MK Lions 101-104 after overtime in what was a typically close game between these two teams. They have been closely matched over the course of their history in the BBL, with the Riders now leading the overall head-to-head 37-39, stretching back to 1987.

Leicester have now won five of their last seven games to continue their assault on the top four, while the Lions have lost five league games in a row and continue a plummet that has seen them drop from third to sixth in recent weeks. The Riders were led by 27 points from Jason Johnson in what had provocatively been called the 'brawl in the mall', following the flare up which resulted in three ejections the last time that the teams met. But Yorick Williams stole the show, scoring an amazing ten three-pointers on his way to 36 points in vain for the Lions.

The Riders were on the verge of victory in regulation as they were 81-86 in the ascendancy with minutes remaining before Williams and Bradd Wierzbicki exchanged triples to make the score 84-89 entering the last minute of the game. After a Mike New free-throw, Williams hit another three and it was a one-point game at 88-89 with 48 seconds left. Wierzbicki could only make 1/2 at the line, allowing Dawud Morris to tie the teams at 90 with 12 seconds on the clock. The game went into the extra period after Isaac Westbrooks missed a buzzer-beater for the Riders.

The Lions took the lead on another Williams triple early in overtime, but LaTaryl Williams responded with 6 straight points for the Riders to help them into a 95-98 edge. Yorick tied the game once more from beyond the arc, before the Riders won the game from the free-throw line within the last minute. Wierzbicki was 2/2 and Johnson was 4/4 as they saw the game out, despite Youngblood's triple with 7 seconds remaining which made the score 101-104.

Typically, the game had started with both teams making trips to the free-throw line - both sides had committed three fouls within the opening three minutes as they exchanged baskets to an 8-8 tie, with former Rider Mike New netting 6 points for the Lions. Four quick lead changes ensued, and the Lions established a 20-18 edge on a Yorick Williams three-pointer, but it wouldn't last for long. The Riders posted an 11-0 burst across the first quarter break as Johnson scored 8 points to send them into a 20-29 lead a minute into the second. Williams made two three-pointers to help the Lions regain their feet and narrow the deficit to 29-33 as he reached 14 points, including 4/4 triples, in the first thirteen minutes. The Lions got back to within one at 36-37 before LaTaryl Williams scored 7 straight points for the visitors, who went on to take a 41-52 lead into the locker rooms at the half. The Lions pegged them back to 70-73 in the third quarter to set up the exciting finale.

 

Newcastle Eagles 99 (34,57,74) (Jackson 24, Sullivan 23, Chapman 18)

Sheffield Sharks 79 (23,39,56) (Toney 22, Cook 14, Gorman 13)

The Newcastle Eagles were emphatic in victory in the biggest game of the BBL Championship season so far on Sunday, beating the Sheffield Sharks 99-79 in the North East. The win sends the Eagles to the top of the league, ahead of the Sharks, and means that they have secured the head-to-head between the teams.

They were led to their thirteenth consecutive win in all competitions by 24 points from Reggie Jackson, while Andrew Sullivan added 23. But possibly the key factor was that they kept Sheffield's Mike Cook down to just 14 points, while former Eagle Tafari Toney led them with 22 points. For the Sharks - who were the last team to beat the Eagles at the MetroRadio Arena back in November - it is their first defeat in ten league outings.

The Eagles raced into an early lead and never looked back. 'Action' Jackson set the tone with a three-point play after little more than 10 seconds, and they went on to establish a 25-10 lead as he and Sullivan shared 6 straight points midway through the first. A massive first quarter saw the hosts leading 34-23, and, with the exception of one blip as Toney scored back-to-back baskets in the second stanza, they kept the lead in double-figures for the remainder of the game. Andrew Bridge's triple sparked an 11-2 push that made the score 49-32 and they went into the half-time break at 57-39 as Sullivan dunked on the buzzer.

With the first two scores of the third period Newcastle pushed the lead through the twenty mark, but the Sharks threatened a comeback as they scored the next nine points to make it 61-48. That run was halted by Charles Smith's trey and the Eagles went on to hold their visitors scoreless for three minutes, leaving it at 69-48 before they would score again with 3.14 left in the third. The lead stayed at around twenty points, until the Sharks made one final rally within the final five minutes of the game. Patton's three-pointer narrowed the deficit to 86-71, only for Jackson to respond in kind as the Eagles rattled off another 6 points before seeing the game out.

 

Worcester Wolves 107 (23,49,79) (Middleton 27, Normantas 19, Gilbert 18)

Everton Tigers 94 (17,32,51) (Moore 31, Gumbs 21, Babalola 15)

The Worcester Wolves maintained their pursuit of a playoff place as they beat the Everton Tigers by 107-94 in the Midlands.

Rod Middleton scored 27 points for the Wolves, while Kastytis Normantas had 19 and Danny Gilbert contributed 18. Trey Moore led all scorers with 31 for the visitors.

The hosts were fast out of the blocks courtesy of their long-range shooting and solid defence: they led 19-4 six minutes into the game as Middleton and Gilbert each hit two three-pointers. The Tigers composed themselves and hit back with the next 8 points and when Moore connected with a triple at the end of the period they had recovered the situation to trail just 23-17.

But the Wolves would extend their lead once more in the second period. It was a 15-6 opening, capped by a Normantas triple, that made the score 38-23 after five minutes. The Tigers struggled to make much headway and went into the half trailing 49-32 after Normantas added another four late points in a 6-0 burst.

The Wolves weren't overly threatened in the second half of the game as the lead reached its peak at 74-41 in the third period following a 16-2 surge in which Gilbert scored 5. The Tigers closed the gap towards the end of the third and made a valiant effort by scoring a massive 43 points in the fourth quarter. Trey Moore got 14 of those, but it was not enough as the closest they got was 105-94 as Olu Babalola made consecutive three-pointers in 13 seconds with under a minute remaining.

Saturday 6th March 2010

Tonight has been an eventful night in the BBL, as Guildford Heat broke their recent losing streak tonight with a hard earned, exciting victory over Worthing Thunder, Cheshire Jets bounced back from last night's Trophy Semi Final first leg defeat to gain revenge on Essex Pirates, and Airwaves Plymouth won a crucial and potentially Playoff deciding battle against Worcester Wolves.

 

Worthing Thunder 101 (25,53,78) (Makalainen 25, Zabas 21, Bratton 14)

Guildford Heat 104 (20,52,75) (McKnight 31, Joseph 27, Langhorne 23)

Guildford Heat broke their recent losing streak tonight with a hard earned, exciting victory over Worthing Thunder, as Chad McKnight's side triumphed 101-104 away from home.

After a fairly even first period, at the end of which the Thunder led 25-20, the Heat showed their resilience, as they were only down by one point going into the locker rooms at the half, 53-52.

The second half was dominated by the Thunder, who led 78-75 at the end of the third quarter, but with Worthing looking the likely winners as they called a time out with 18 seconds left, despite Evaldas Zabas' score with 4 seconds left, the Heat had overtaken their Southern rivals to be in a position to win.

Leading the Heat's charge, and all scorers in the game, was player-coach Chad McKnight, who had 31 points, whilst Julius Joseph scored 27 points and Kenny Langhorne added 23 for the visitors. The Thunder were led by 25 points from Finnish star Ville Makalainen, whilst Zabas added 21 points and Reggie Bratton scored 14.

 

Essex Pirates 72 (26,39,53) (Rodrigo 14, Toluwase 13, Adu/Knight 11)

Cheshire Jets 84 (24,49,68) (O'Reilly 27, Peterson 19, Marks 16)

Cheshire Jets' morale will have been boosted tonight, as 27 points from Irishman Colin O'Reilly helped them to a 72-84 win over Essex Pirates, which moves them up to fifth place in the BBL Championship table, on the same number of points as fourth placed Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders.

The eventual victors, who were without key pair James Hamilton and Steven Gayle, started the game better than their opponents, as they raced to a 17-8 lead within the first three minutes, but the Pirates chipped away to lead 26-24 at the end of the first period of play. The second quarter then saw the Jets make an 18-6 burst, having a huge impact on the game, as they led at the end of the first half 39-49. A 16-4 third quarter run by the Jets effectively sealed the result, as it pushed them out to 46-64, their biggest lead of the evening, with 2:10 left in the penultimate stanza.

The closest the hosts got in the final quarter was 70-78, as the Jets sealed the game from the free throw line in the dying minutes. Supporting O'Reilly for Cheshire was American point guard Paul Peterson (19 points) and Chez Marks (16 points). For the Pirates, Spaniard Pablo Rodrigo led the way with 14 points, Sam Toluwase had 13 and Tanner Adu and Marcus Knight scored 11 points each.

 

Airwaves Plymouth Raiders 93 (23,41,63) (Valencia 22, Lasker/Martin 19)

Worcester Wolves 84 (22,45,68) (Middleton 30, Disy 22, Gilbert 16)

Airwaves Plymouth Raiders beat the Worcester Wolves tonight at Plymouth Pavilions, in an eagerly anticipated game that could potentially decide who has that eighth spot in the Playoffs.

There was little to tell between the two teams in the opening stanza, as the Raiders led 23-22 after ten minutes, but some handy work from American Point Guard Rod Middleton and big man Harry Disy for the Wolves, meant that they led 41-45 at the half.

The third period saw the Wolves push on from this to lead 63-68 going into the final ten minutes, but the Raiders were determined to pick up a key win, and battled back to eventually take the game 93-84, the scoreline an unjust indication of how close the game was, from tip to buzzer.

The Raiders were led by 22 points from Tino Valencia, whilst guard duo Anthony Martin and Andrew Lasker had 19 points each. For the Wolves, Middleton shot the ball well for his 30 points, Harry Disy added 22, and defensive specialist Daniel Gilbert scored 16 points personal.