DATELINE 31st OCTOBER 2007
The PAWS London Capital face a stern challenge as they play their first BBL Cup game on 'Knockout Sunday', looking to overcome the Kularoos Plymouth Raiders for a place in the quarter-finals.
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Head Coach Steve Bucknall knows what it takes to win in these types of games, he has two National Cup winner's medals from the 1990/91 and 1995/96 seasons.
Bucknall is in his first season as a Head Coach, having called time on an illustrious eighteen-year playing career. He is a former LA Laker and has scooped eight titles in the BBL and is a five time All- Star.
However, the Londoner has consigned all of that to the history books and is now fully focused on winning some silverware as a play-caller, hence the importance of the impending fixture in his eyes, "It's a cup game, and it's a good opportunity to win something. We need only three wins to reach the final," he said. "I may have won a lot of things as a player, but I want to win stuff as a coach as well.
"I'm enjoying being a coach, but I can see why their hair goes grey. It helps that I have some good guys to work with. They are working hard, listening and trying. That's a big boost."
Bucknall asked for more from his big men last week, and they responded well as Jaromir Fohler scored 10 and had 6 rebounds, whilst Ibrahim Gariba notched 17 points and 6 boards in a tight 96-91 defeat to the Poujoulat Heat Guildford. They had more success on Sunday as they comprehensively beat the Worcester Wolves 89-61, a victory that pleased the coach ahead of their most important game of the season so far,
"At the end of the day, we deserved it especially after I thought we could have won at Guildford on Friday. I was disappointed not to have won that game as well, but on Sunday we really came to play, and we played some good basketball.
"Wes Miller and Sam Bradley are making the difference. I'd seen Sam play before, and I knew he would bring a lot to the table. It's a good start and hopefully it will continue. The guys are putting in a lot of hard work, they played hard and they deserved the win."
Newcastle Eagles have decided to retire the number five vest in honour of TJ Walker and the seven years of dedication that he gave to the club.
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The current Cheshire Jets player-coach, nicknamed "The Daddy" by Eagles fans, enjoyed a rapturous reception from supporters and staff on his first visit back to Tyneside last week and the club are thrilled to be able to further highlight his service with this gesture.
Managing Director Paul Blake who presented TJ with a framed vest before the game believes that there is no better way of ensuring Walker's contribution is recognised indefinitely.
He said, "TJ was with us for seven great years and he became an icon for the club and our fans. Everywhere you went people associated TJ with the club and he was the first thing people knew about us, much as they do at present with Fab.
"TJ has been a true professional and helped us win six trophies.Crucially he was also present before the silverware arrived and he was one of a core of players who put in plenty of hard work to help the club get to where we are now.
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"We are absolutely delighted to retire the famous Eagles number five vest in his honour and while I am sure none of our fans will forget his efforts, this is certainly one way of ensuring his contribution to the league is highlighted.
"TJ has been, and continues to be, someone that the BBL can be proud of and we are lucky to still have him."He will always be guaranteed a warm welcome back to Newcastle, that's for sure."
TJ Walker, player/coach of the BiG Storage Cheshire Jets, returned to the MetroRadio Arena for the first time on Friday since departing the Newcastle Eagles in the Summer.
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Walker spent seven years as a player on Tyneside, winning six trophies, and was MVP of the 2006 BBL Cup Final with the Eagles; he was also a BBL All-Star on four occasions whilst playing with the club. The 32-year-old point guard played 229 games for Newcastle, scoring a total of 3,697 points, at an average of 16.14 per game, and adding 1,473 assists.
He left for the coaching opportunity that was offered to him at Cheshire, and was recognised for his efforts by the Newcastle Eagles club and fans prior to tip-off on Friday. He received a standing ovation during the team introductions and further rapturous applause as he was presented with a framed Newcastle jersey by former coach Fab Flournoy and Eagles' MD Paul Blake.
His Jets team subsequently ran the reigning playoff champions close, before the Eagles prevailed to notch their seventh consecutive win. Despite the pre-game presentation, Walker had mixed emotions after his team let a late lead slip to lose 81-78,
"Aside from not winning it was great to go back and see the guys," he said. "We should have won the game, we had a chance to go six up near the end, but we missed and they hit a three to cut the margin to one. We made a couple of errors, and they proved crucial. I'm still happy with the guys, and we're moving forward."
The Jets have won four of their last six games, after starting 0-3 and currently sit sixth in the BBL Championship table.
They take a break from league action as they feature in 'Knockout Sunday' this weekend with a massive North-West derby against the Everton Tigers which will see one team progress to the BBL Cup quarter-finals.
British forward Tom Sherlock has left Newcastle Eagles by mutual consent.
The Derby native had been on Tyneside for fifteen months and enjoyed a terrific first professional season after being handed a contract in the wake of successful open trials held by the club during the summer of 2006.
Sherlock won a BBL Championship play-off medal and was voted the Most Improved Player last season by the club's supporters after establishing himself in the Eagles starting line-up just a couple of months into his rookie professional season.
Eagles Managing Director Paul Blake is disappointed that things have not worked out between the club and the player who is now considering pursuing other interests.
He explained "Tom is definitely a talented player and he is a great lad who has given this club a lot in a very short space of time."
"He won the BBL championship in his first professional season and not many players can say that. "The club would like to thank him for his efforts and we wish him success and luck in whatever he chooses to do."
DATELINE SATURDAY 27th OCTOBER 2007
Kularoos Plymouth Raiders kept up their solid start to the season to move into joint third position after beating SAMG Verve Scottish Rocks 74-69 at the Pavilions.
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Despite turning a 25-20 first quarter deficit into a 32-40 half time advantage the Rocks couldn’t maintain their performance and a 17-9 burst to end the third period ensured Raiders were leading (56-53) heading into the final stanza.
Rocks levelled at 63-63 thanks to five points from Rob Yanders but from there the home team scored the crucial baskets to claim the win.
Drew Lasker scored a game high 16-points for Plymouth with Maurice Hamilton’s 15 pacing the Rocks reply.
An excellent second half performance by Marshall MK Lions at Worcester Wolves ensured they climbed into the top half of the table and their opponents remain at the bottom.
Worcester had actually started the better of the teams as a 7-0 opening to the match proved to be the difference at the end of the first quarter (27-20). More was to come from the hosts before half time with a 39-25 advantage midway through the second quarter forming the backbone of a 50-37 interval lead.
Lions needed something special and they found it at the 7.22 mark in the third. Trailing by a game high 57-42 they went on a 21-2 run to turn the match around. Key to the Lions success was Michael New, who scored 14 of his 16 points during the second half. By the end of the third quarter Lions were in front 67-61.
Wolves refused to give in though and after falling behind 68-77 they got back within two (82-84) with 40 second left thanks to two three-points shots from player/coach Skouson Harker. However, the home side couldn’t score the vital bucket and Terrell Brown sealed the match from the free throw line.
Wolves’ Anthony Paez led all scorers with 32-points.
In Friday's BBL Cup action, Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders booked their place in the last eight of the BBL Cup with a 79-73 home win against Team Birmingham Panthers.
It was a hard fought victory for Riders over a Panthers team that had three new signings making their debut – Hank Rivers, LaTyrl Williams and Craig Walls.
Helped by Panthers missing 10 free throws in the first quarter the Riders opened up a 16-13 lead after 10 minutes. The home side stretched out to 25-17 early in the second before an Adam Williams inspired 14-3 burst by Panthers handed the visitors the lead at 28-31. However, by half time the teams were level 31-31.
Leicester got on top during the third quarter and were 48-39 in front before a 9-0 run by Birmingham, capped by a Rob Paternostro three on the buzzer, tied the match again at 48-48.
During the final stanza it looked once again as though Riders had shaken off the Panthers. But, despite leading 70-62 with just 1.23 left on the clock Birmingham closed to within two (75-73) thanks to a LaTyrl Williams lay-up with 36 second remaining.
It looked as though Panthers may at least force overtime before Rob Wellington banked in a three-pointer to finally see Leicester home.
Riders reward for beating Panthers is an away trip to Cup holders Poujoulat Heat Guildford.
TJ WALKER GETS THE LOVE BUT LOSES A CRACKER |
DATELINE FRIDAY 26th OCTOBER 2007
Newcastle Eagles remained two points ahead of their nearest challengers at the summit of the BBL Championship table thanks to a hard-fought 81-78 victory over the BiG Storage Cheshire Jets at the Metro Radio Arena on Friday night.
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And so to the game, the Eagles started the stronger, and opened up an commanding early lead at 28-14 off the back of a 9-0 run to close out the first quarter. The Jets managed to trim the deficit slightly in the second quarter, but still trailed by ten points at 46-36 going in at the half.
The second half saw the Jets take the lead early on at 50-48 off the back of a 14-2 run to open the third period.
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The Eagles bounced back immediately, and an 11-2 burst saw them retake the lead at 59-52, but the Jets were not going to lie down, as an 8-1 tear to close the quarter saw the teams tied at 60-60 going into the final stanza.
In the final period, the Jets held a slender two-point advantage at 74-72 with less than three minutes remaining, but a 6-0 burst from the Eagles took the home side into a 78-74 lead with less than two minutes left.
The sides traded baskets in the final moments, before the Jets fouled Andrew Bridge to send him to the foul line with 4.6 seconds remaining. Bridge made 1 of his 2 free-throws to make the score 81-78.
The Jets had a chance to take the game into overtime, but Jason Obazuaye's three-pointer attempt as time expired rimmed out handing the Eagles the all-important victory.
Bridge and Charles Smith were joint top-scorers for the Eagles with 17 points each, but it was vetern Shawn Myers who led all scorers netting 24 points for the Jets.
In Fridays' other BBL action Poujoulat Heat Guildford kept up the pressure on the Newcastle Eagles at the top of the BBL Championship table thanks to a 96-91 victory over PAWS London Capital at the Spectrum on Friday evening.
A close opening to the game saw the lead change hands many times throughout the first half with neither side able to take control. Eight consecutive points from Daniel Gilbert midway through the second period saw the home side take the score out to 41-35, but the visitors responded to trim the deficit to just two points at 45-43 going into half time.
The second half saw the Heat begin to assert themselves on the game, and a 19-8 tear towards the end of the third period took the score out to 70-56 with 2.46 left in the period. The Heat held a twelve-point advantage at 76-64 going into the final stanza.
The final quarter saw the visitors fight back, and tie the game at 79-79 with 5.26 left in the game off the back of a 15-3 burst. The Heat responded instantly, and five points from Michael Martin helped the home side enjoy a 7-0 tear to lead 86-79 with 3.59 left. The Capital got to within three points at 91-88 with 1.21 remaining, but could get no closer as the Heat saw out the game from the free-throw line.
Gilbert led all scorers in the game netting 26 points for the Heat, while Sam Bradley led the Capital scorers with 24 points personal.
TJ WALKER READY TO RETURN HOME |
DATELINE WEDNESDAY 24th OCTOBER 2007
Former Newcastle Eagles’ legend TJ Walker returns to his old club on Friday evening as the rookie player/coach takes his BiG Storage Cheshire Jets side to the MetroRadio Arena in the BBL Championship.
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Walker spent seven years as a player on Tyneside, winning six trophies, and was MVP of the 2006 BBL Cup Final with the Eagles; he was also a BBL All-Star on four occasions whilst playing with the club. The 32-year-old point guard played 229 games for Newcastle, scoring a total of 3,697 points, at an average of 16.14 per game, and dishing up a total of 1,473 assists.
The Long Beach native left the Eagles in the Summer for the lure of a player/coach role with the Jets, and has led his side to four wins in their last five games after a rocky start.
Walker admits that it will be an emotional return to his old stomping ground, but is trying to approach the game as any other and looks forward to testing his side against the league-leaders, “It will be strange going back there with another team after seven years, but at the same time, it’s just another game and we’re looking for two points,” he said.
“I hope I don’t sit on the wrong bench, but I know I’ll get a great reception from the fans, they were always good to me. It’s always exciting to play against a top team, it gives us a good chance to measure ourselves, and see how we are doing against the best team in the country at the moment.”
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“I know TJ missed Sunday’s win against London, so I’m not sure if he’ll be playing but he will get a warm welcome from everyone at Eagles. His contribution was huge for our franchise, and he’ll always be welcome here.”
Walker missed last Sunday’s comfortable victory against London Capital with an injury, but expects to return for Friday’s clash which will see one side’s good run come to an end.
DATELINE TUESDAY 23rd OCTOBER 2007
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Martin Ford, Head Coach of the Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders, has thrown down the gauntlet to his players ahead of their BBL Cup first-round clash with the Team Birmingham Panthers on Saturday.
"I've challenged the players to get the four victories to win the competition," said Ford. "We need to attack the BBL Cup with a different attitude to league games. This is a real chance to win something, and I've said all along that if we can steal the Cup or the Trophy, then league success could follow in three or four years time."
The Riders, under then Head Coach Billy Mims, won the National Cup, the predecessor of the BBL Cup, back in 2000/01 and perhaps one tenuous omen is that they defeated the Birmingham franchise en route to that triumph. Saturday's game will do well to live up to that one, which was a 109-118 overtime thriller at the quarter-final stage.
The Riders have overcome their Midlands rivals twice already in what has been an inconsistent start to the season. They sit in sixth place in the league, with three wins, but are yet to record back-to-back victories. The Riders opened the campaign with a 101-79 success over the Panthers at the John Sandford, before also beating them 70-84 in the West Midlands. Coach Ford believes that there is more to come from his side,
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"At the moment we've beaten an okay Rocks side who are still adjusting to Sterling Davis taking up the dual role of player and coach, and the only other games we have won have been against Birmingham. It's difficult to evaluate where we are.
We should have won against Sheffield, and I want the players to start stamping their authority on the games. We need to get more consistent if we are going to be in the mix at the end. It's a building year, but things are going really well behind the scenes and we are moving towards where we want to be."
The game at the John Sandford tips-off at 7.30pm on Saturday and sees the start of the BBL Cup, with subsequent first-round games to be played next week.