SATURDAY
9 APRIL 2005
BRIGHTON BEARS 79
(13,30,55) (Alleyne 20, Baker 17, Lepore 11)
LONDON TOWERS 95
(22,51,73) (Williams 22, Phillips 17, Brown 17)
London Towers notched
up their second victory over the Brighton Bears within a week with a 95-79
win over the south coast outfit on the road on Saturday night.
The Towers notched
their 11th consecutive BBL Championship success after taking control of
the game with an 11-2 tear to close out the first quarter 22-13 to the
good. When the visitors posted a 12-2 burst midway through the second stanza
the result was safe at 45-25. Towers Jerry Williams led all scorers with
22 points.
LEICESTER RIDERS
87 (22,35,55) (Murray 21, New 19, Williams 14)
KULAROOS PLYMOUTH
RAIDERS 82 (13,35,55) (Love 27, Durham 19, Riley 12)
AFTER OVERTIME,
76-76 AT THE END OF REGULATION
Leicester Riders
ended their 2004/05 BBL Championship campaign with a thrilling 87-82 overtime
victory over the Kularoos Plymouth Raiders.
After the Riders
had opened up an early 20-9 lead the Raiders fought back to lead 25-24
early in the second stanza. Little separated the two teams for the remainder
of the game, three late free throws from Joel Burns levelling the game
at 76-76 at the end of regulation to force the extra period. Once in overtime
the Riders opened the extra period with a 9-2 burst to take a 85-78 lead
but the Raiders fought back to trail 85-82. Gavin Love missed a late three
point effort that would have forced a second extra period as the Riders
clung on for the victory, their 6th home win in the last 7 home games.
THAMES VALLEY TIGERS
117 (34,70,90) (Murray 43, James 24, Wellington 19)
BIRMINGHAM BULLETS
100 (18,52,79) (Harker 30, Marshall 20, Ataha 19)
Thames Valley Tigers
kept alive their chances of a 6th place finish in the BBL Championship
table with a 117-100 success over the Birmingham Bullets.
The Tigers broke
the game open early on with a 15-2 burst moving them 19-4 clear in the
opening quarter. The Bullets, led by centre Skouson Harker (30 points),
mounted a fight back in the third quarter, an 18-5 run moving the deficit
back to single digits at 87-79. The Tigers responded with 12 unanswered
points in the final quarter to take a 111-89 lead from which the Bullets
couldn't recover. Tigers Josh Murray led all scorers with 43 points and
12 rebounds.
SUNDAY 10 APRIL
2005
BIRMINGHAM BULLETS
78 (16,34,54) (Harker 26, Marshall 25, Marriott 11)
BRIGHTON BEARS 93
(22,36,67) (Lepore 17, Alleyne 16, Deng 15)
Brighton Bears recorded
a much needed 93-78 win over the Birmingham Bullets to give them a boost
heading in to the play offs.
There was little
between the teams in the first half but a 15-2 burst for the Bears in the
third pushed them 62-49 and when they started the final quarter the stronger
with the opening 6 points they led 73-54. Bullets closed back to 86-76
with just over a minute remaining but could not get any closer.
TCS CHESTER JETS
97 (22,47,74) (Davis 22, Myers 21, Moore 20)
LONDON TOWERS 74
(25,40,52) (Williams/Arinze 19, Brown 16)
TCS Chester Jets
lifted the BBL Championship title on Sunday evening with a convincing 97-74
success over the London Towers in front of a ram packed Northgate Arena.
After a tense opening
quarter the Jets posted a 8-0 burst on their way to a 47-40 half time lead
and when they started the third quarter with a 14-4 run they were in control
at 61-44. A 9-2 tear to close out the third quarter made the game safe
at 74-52, securing the title for the Jets and inflicting the Towers first
defeat in 12 outings. Jets Calvin Davis top scored in the game with 22
points.
KULAROOS PLYMOUTH
RAIDERS 75 (22,39,58) (Gall 30, Morris 18, Riley 12)
THAMES VALLEY TIGERS
80 (18,35,52) (Murray 24, Moore 17, Wellington 11)
Thames Valley Tigers
kept alive their hopes of a 6th placed finish after coming from behind
to beat the Kularoos Plymouth Raiders 80-75 on Sunday.
The Tigers move level
on points with the Scottish Phoenix Honda Record Rocks but can only take
6th spot if the Rocks lose to the Lions later on today. Raiders, missing
DeAntoine Beasley through injury, rattled off 9 without reply midway through
the third to take a 54-44 lead. The Tigers moved ahead in the final quarter
at 68-65 with four minutes remaining and held on for the win.
SCOTTISH PHOENIX
HONDA RECORD ROCKS 116 (40,63,84) (Cole 44, Henning 22, McIntosh 19)
MILTON KEYNES LIONS
90 (24,40,67) (Fontaine 23, Benjamin 21, Youngblood 19)
Scottish Phoenix
Honda Record Rocks secured a 6th place finish and a play off quarter final
against the London Towers with a 116-90 success over the Milton Keynes
Lions.
Rocks Donald Cole
poured in an impressive 44 points as his side flew out of the blocks to
lead 40-24 at the end of the first quarter. A 12-0 run leading up to the
half time interval helped the Rocks extend the lead to 63-40 and despite
the Lions clawing the lead back in the third they could not get close enough
to cause a threat.
WESTFIELD SHARKS
SHEFFIELD 62 (12,34,50) (Davis 20, Yanders 13, Windle 12)
SPRINGFIELD HONDA
NEWCASTLE EAGLES 95 (20,45,68) (Sullivan 23, Smith 21, Hyatt 19)
Springfield Honda
Newcastle Eagles rounded off their BBL Championship campaign with a convincing
95-62 win over the Westfield Sharks Sheffield.
The Eagles scored
13 of the opening 15 points of the game to take control of the tie and
kept their hosts at arms length throughout the remainder of the game. A
19-6 start to the final quarter made the game safe at 87-56. Eagles Andrew
Sullivan led all scorers with 23 points.