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EVERTON TIGERS DEFEAT SHEFFIELD SHARKS

The short handed Everton Tigers defeated the high flying Sheffield Sharks by a scoreline of 73 points to 61 at the Echo Arena in the big game on Friday night.

The Tigers playing without the recovering James Jones and still awaiting the arrival of mega signing Trey Moore, controlled every aspect of the game and never trailed. Dzaflo Larkai (pictured above) was the star man for Garbelotto's team going for 26 points and pulling down 9 rebounds. Olu Babalola delivered 18 and 7 while Andrew Thompson went for a double double 10 and 10.

For the Sharks, Mike Cook had 22 points while Tafari Toney went for 16 and 16.

This defeat sends the Sharks to 'And 4' in the BBL Championship table, the same number of defeats as the second placed Newcastle Eagles.

TONIGHT'S RESULTS
Essex Pirates 46 - 97  Newcastle Eagles 
Everton Tigers 73 - 61 Sheffield Sharks
Marshall MK Lions 98 - 97 Guildford Heat 

SHEFFIELD SHARKS SIGN FORMER CARNEGIE STAR

The league leading Sheffield Sharks have added the former Leeds Carnegie star Akin Fagbohun to the roster as they look to win some silverware for the first time in over three years.

The Sharks who are in the BBL Cup Final on the 17th of January had invited Akin to train with them for the last few months. The good news for Fagbohun came when Sharks Head Coach Atiba Lyons called him up and said, "We've got a shirt here with your name on it".

Fagbohun was one of the Carnegie players who helped the team to consecutive promotions in the last two years. Leeds Carnegie now play in EBL Div 1 where they sit in joint top place with Manchester Magic with a record of 6 and 1.

SHEFFIELD SHARKS MAKE IT TO 2010 BBL CUP FINAL
TAFARI TONEY CELEBRATES SHARKS' 1st LEG WIN IN SHEFFIELD

Sheffield Sharks held off Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders 78-81 to clinch their place in the BBL Cup final with a 167-152 aggregate score over the two legs. It is the Sharks first final since winning the BBL Cup and play-offs in 2004. They will take on Cheshire Jets at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham on Sunday 17 January 2010.
 
Trailing by 12 after the first leg Leicester needed a quick start but it was Sheffield who controlled long stretches of the first quarter.
 
A Ryan Patton three put Sharks 8-12 up and they still led by four (11-15) until a 9-2 Riders run put the home side in front 20-17. Tafari Toney’s dunk for Sheffield trimmed the gap to 20-19 heading the second quarter.
 

A combination of Mike Cook (pictured above), Mike Tuck, Todd Cauthorn and Toney saw Sharks go on an eight minute 18-8 burst from the beginning of the second period. Eight points from Tack Minor and two from Jason Johnson ensured Riders were back in touch at 38-41 with 20 minutes to play.
 
Sharks continued to turn the screw early in the third quarter. Ryan Patton sank five quick points and Cook put away a lay up to make it 38-48.
 
With nothing to lose and a 22 point overall deficit to overcome Leicester began to play their best basketball of either match. A 13-0 run with scores from five different players brought them back into the tie.

A Bradd Wierzbicki three on the buzzer capped a 5-1 finish to the quarter, putting Riders 58-53 in front.

Wierzbicki scored the first two points for the final stanza to cut the overall margin to five, but that was as close as Leicester would get. Sharks levelled the match at 62-62 and once Mike Tuck had given them the lead they never were tied or trailed again.
 
Tuck scored 12 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter to see Sharks through to the final next year.


SHARKS DEFEAT RIDERS TO TAKE THE ADVANTAGE
ANOTHER 31 POINT HAUL FOR MIKE COOK

Sheffield Sharks take a 12 point lead into the second leg of their BBL Cup semi-final with Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders after an 86-74 win at the English Institute of Sport.

TACK MINOR AWESOME FOR THE RIDERS

In a match-up between two of the BBL's top scorers it was Sheffield's Mike Cook (pictured above) who just came through with 31 points to Tack Minor's (pictured left) 29.

However, Cook, who was outstanding once again, was called for a technical foul in the final three seconds of the match, which led to Riders trimming the gap through two Bradd Wierzbicki free throws.

It was a small blemish on Cook's card as he scored 17 points in an excellent second half effort by Sharks.

Leicester just about shaded the first quarter with Tack Minor powering a 10-5 run to close the period 18-21 in the visitors favour.

Minor again was the difference in the second quarter as he sank back-to-back threes to put his team 41-44 up at half time.

Sheffield gradually stepped up their defensive intensity and a 10-0 over the second part of the stanza gave them a 63-55 advantage.

The home side continued to force the issue in the fourth quarter with their lead peaking at 13 on three occasions.

A late 5-0 run gave Sharks their biggest margin at 86- 72 and they had the final possession before Cook was called for a technical and Wierzbicki made no mistake from the line to set up an intriguing second leg in Leicester on Saturday night.

In Friday's BBL Championship action, an excellent second half display by Everton Tigers moved them into seventh place with a 99-87 home win over Marshall MK Lions.

Lions enjoyed the better of the first quarter action as an 8-0 run put them 15-25 on top. Tigers fought back with Kevin Bell and Jerome Gumbs sharing the points in a 6-0 end to the period.

An 8-1 burst to begin the second quarter soon had Everton ahead for good. The home side's lead peaked at 41-30 on James Jones's three-pointer before Lions battled back to trail by just three (43-40) at half time thanks to good work by Frank Holmes.

Lions, through Holmes, cut the gap to one (43-42) on the first bucket of the third quarter, but it was as close as the visitors would get as an 11-0 run, with six points from Gumbs, opened up a 67-54 lead. Heading into the final stanza Tigers led 70-62.

Everton controlled the fourth quarter with threes by Andrew Thomson and Bell keeping Lions at bay. A 9-2 finish to the match put the result beyond doubt.

ALL TIME BBL CUP WINNERS

2009 MIKE SHAFT'S BBL CUP BLOG

2009 BBL CUP REPORT WITH PICTURES

FIGHT NIGHT pt 1 - BBL CUP SEMI-FINAL - 1st LEG

This weekend is a crucial one in the BBL, as the opponent for the Cheshire Jets in the BBL Cup Final in January is decided. It will either be the Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders, or the Sheffield Sharks, as these two sides face off in an all-or- nothing battle over two legs. Game 1 takes place at the EISS Sheffield tonight with the second leg in Leicester tomorrow night.

The teams met in the Playoff Quarter Finals last year, on the Riders' home court, with Bradd Wierzbicki sinking the shot that ended the Sharks' season.

A key player in that game, and for the Riders in general is American Lataryl Williams. The 6'6'' Forward has played all over the globe, including four clubs in the BBL, and ended his first season in Riders red last year with a trip to the BBL Playoff Final Weekend, where they were knocked out by eventual runners-up, the Everton Tigers.

Williams has been out with injury now for a few weeks, and made his return last weekend with a double-header against the Essex Pirates and PAWS London Capital back-to-back. Both games were wins for Leicester, albeit by completely different margins, and Riders boss Rob Paternostro said that he has realised just how much his side missed Williams, since he was out injured.

Paternostro commented: 'At the moment I have a good feeling about our team. This past weekend we really came together as a Basketball team. Friday at Essex we had a lot going against us, but we stuck together and pulled out a gutsy win, then Saturday we distributed the basketball better than we had all year. When we play like that good things happen so we are looking to continue to play that way this weekend' he added: 'It was also nice to have Lataryl (Williams) back, he played in both games last weekend and is fine. While he was out we missed his defence an overall Basketball IQ.'

The Sharks' Matt Gorman will also be returning from injury. The American big man, known for the range on his shot for a player his size, will be back in action this weekend, and player-coach Atiba Lyons expects a tenacious fight right from the opening tip of the two games, the first being in Sheffield tomorrow evening. The Riders will have home court advantage on Saturday though, as the Sharks make the journey south. Lyons commented: 'I feel we match up very well with Leicester. It is vital we bring intensity to the game from the tip because I know Rob (Paternostro) will have them well prepared. Everyone is healthy and ready to go, it will be a physical and scrappy game and both teams love that style of play so I expect an intense game.'


PAUL JAMES IS NEW HEAD COACH OF WORCESTER

One of the most successful coaches the British Basketball League has ever seen has been snapped up by the Worcester Wolves. In a dramatic turn of events the Wolves owner Roger Clarke has secured the services of coach James - known universally throughout British and European basketball as PJ.

As a player PJ made his league debut for his hometown club Leicester weeks after his 17th birthday and after a successful spell with them, he went on to play for nine years with the Bracknell / Thames Valley Tigers and while at both these clubs throughout the 1990s and the early 2000s he won numerous BBL Championships, BBL Trophies and runners up medals. He represented England as a player and indeed went on to coach his country at all levels. PJ was head coach for the Tigers for 8 years from 1997.

In summer 2005 the Guildford Heat were formed and James was appointed Head Coach. In just four years he led the franchise to every possible success in every domestic competition - the BBL play offs 2007/8; the BBL Trophy 2007/8 and runners up 2008/9; the BBL Cup Winners Wup 2007/8 and 2008/9 and the BBL Championship runners up in 2007/8.

In 2006/7 Paul James was voted the BBL Coach of the Year and has been a BBL coach for 12 years. It was this proven, successful, hard won experience at the very highest level that attracted Wolves boss Roger Clarke to PJ. "PJ is out of the very top drawer of British coaches and with him joining the Wolves it shows to our loyal fans, and all other interested parties, that we are over the unfortunate incidents of the last few days. I am really happy at the speed in which we were able to tie up the details with Paul and by inviting one of the best coaches in the UK to work with the Wolves it shows our intentions very clearly. The fight back has begun in earnest and we aim not just to free wheel and complete the remainder of this season but also to try hard and really achieve something.

Paul's first competitive game in charge in January will be in the same month as we launch our "10 years of the Worcester Wolves" programme and he is the most exciting signing we have ever made in our history."

Paul was delighted with his appointment. He said, " Having spoken with Roger Clarke it was an easy decision to make. There is a passion and tradition for basketball at all levels in Worcester and there is, in addition, ambition as well. We want the team to be challenging for BBL honours season after season and we hope to get better and better over the next few years. The potential here is huge and I sincerely hope to bring success to the club before too long. I can assure fans that the hard work of recruiting a team has started and I hope to start announcing players soon."

SHARKS EXPECTING ANOTHER FULL HOUSE ON FRIDAY

Sheffield Sharks are expecting a sell out crowd for this Friday's much anticipated BBL Cup Semi-Final against the Leicester Riders. The Game takes place at the EISS and tips off at 7:30pm.

Tickets can be purchased in advance through the Sheffield Arena Box Office by phone (tel: 0114 2565656) or online by clicking on the link from the Sharks website (www.sheffieldsharks.net). Prices £9 for adults and £7 concessions.

The prize for the winners of the two-legged semi finals is a place in the Final of the BBL Cup where they will meet the Cheshire Jets who defeated Milton Keynes Lions to advance to the Cup Final.

The BBL Cup Final takes place at the NIA Birmingham on Sunday the 17th January 2010, Tip off 3:30pm.

ALL TIME BBL CUP WINNERS

2009 MIKE SHAFT'S BBL CUP BLOG

2009 BBL CUP REPORT WITH PICTURES

JETS DEFEAT LIONS TO PROGRESS TO BBL CUP FINAL

LIBRARY PHOTO

The Cheshire Jets became the first team to make it through to the BBL Cup Final in January 2010 thanks to an 83-71 victory over the Marshall MK Lions at the Northgate Arena on Sunday evening.

LIBRARY PHOTO

The result gave the Jets a 167-159 aggregate victory over the Lions and the Jets will now face the winners of the other semi-final between the Sheffield Sharks and Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders who play their two-legged semi-final over the next weekend with the winners heading on to meet the Jets at the NIA, Birmingham on Sunday 17 January 2010.

The game was tight throughout the opening two periods with both teams being very cagey in the opening exchanges and there were only three points separating the sides at the half with the Jets on top 42- 39 at the half. The third period saw the Jets break the game open however thanks to a 22-10 burst to give the home side the lead at 64-49, but a 7-2 Lions burst to end the period trimmed the deficit back to ten points at 66-56.

The final quarter saw the Lions trim the deficit still further back to six points at 77-71 thanks to a pair of free-throws from Frank Holmes with 45 seconds remaining. The Jets tried to run the clock down as much as possible and as time expired on the shot clock, Colin O'Reilly bagged a three-pointer to give the home side an 80-71 lead with 20 seconds left.

The Lions tried valiantly to get the score back once again, but a Chez Marks steal and basket for the Jets as time expired sent the home crowd into raptures as they qualified for their first BBL Cup Final since 2003.

In the BBL Championship, the Glasgow Rocks leapfrogged the Everton Tigers and Worthing Thunder into seventh position in the Championship table thanks to a comfortable 88-54 victory over the Essex Pirates at Kelvin Hall on Sunday evening.

After a tight opening quarter which ended in deadlock at 22-22, the Rocks broke the game open with a 15-0 burst to take the score out to 37-24. The home side continued to extend their lead throughout the remainder of the game and lead by as many 37 points at 86-49 heading into the closing stages and they held on for the comfortable victory.

IS THERE MOORE NEWS TO COME FROM EVERTON?

WATCH THIS SPACE

COOK TRIPLE DOUBLE PLUS 5 STEALS LEADS THE WAY

LIBRARY PHOTO - THE AWESOME MIKE COOK

MIKE COOK STAT LINE

NAME
PTS
ORB
DRB
TR
PF
AST
TO
BS
ST
MIKE COOK
29
2
9
11
3
10
3
0
5

Sheffield Sharks extended their lead at the top of the BBL to six points after an 86-97 win on the road at Guildford Heat.

That, coupled with Newcastle Eagles 104-90 defeat at Worthing Thunder, gives the Sharks a bit of breathing room having lost one game fewer than the Eagles, Marshall MK Lions, Cheshire Jets and Glasgow Rocks.

Sharks were made to work hard for their win, with a 19- 1 run over the end of the third quarter and into the fourth breaking the match open 65-83 in their favour. Backcourt duo Mike Cook and Ryan Patton were once again on form for Sheffield scoring 29 points and 22 points respectively.

Second placed Newcastle Eagles couldn't shake off a gritty Worthing Thunder side as the hosts pulled away to victory with an 11-0 run to end the match. Thunder's Reggie Bratton led all scorers with 32 as the south coast club moves into the final play-off spot.

History was made in the East Midlands as Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders equalled the highest ever winning margin in a BBL contest with a 110-38 win over PAWS London Capital.

The September 1987 match between Crystal Palace and Livingstone in which Palace were crushed 37-109 is the only other game with a 72 point differential. Riders had many runs in the match of which a 23-6 burst in the third quarter made the match absolutely safe at 72-22.

In Devon it was Everton Tigers who took home the points with a 69-84 win at Plymouth Raiders. The hosts never led as Tigers held them at bay with an excellent team effort.

GLASGOW ROCKS DEFEAT ESSEX AND MOVE TO 6 & 4

FULL DETAILS TO FOLLOW

LEICESTER RIDERS GET PAST ESSEX ... EVENTUALLY

BRADD WIERZBICKI WENT FOR 21 POINTS IN THIS ONE

BBL Championship
Essex Pirates 81 (24,37,59) (Adu 26, Rodrigo 19, Hundert 16)
Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders 84 (16,34,48) (Minor 31, Wierzbicki 21, Johnson 15)

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders were made to work hard for their 81-84 win at Essex Pirates in Southend on Friday night.

The Riders led only once early in the match before Barry Lamble (pictured) put them ahead for good with just 14 seconds remaining. Bradd Wierzbicki then sealed the win with two free throws to leave coach Rob Paternostro a relieved man.

"It was a great effort by the Pirates," he said. "They were very well coached and had the best tactics of any team we have played this season. They really slowed us down. All credit to my guys though. They made the big plays when it counted."

Pirates had threatened to shock the BBL Cup semi- finalists as they dominated the first three quarters of the match.

A 24-15 first period lead was relinquished to allow Riders to move in front 29-30 midway through the second quarter. By half time Essex were once again on top at 37-34. After the interval a 13-6 Pirates run stretched out their advantage to 59-48 heading into the final stanza.

Riders gradually eroded the Essex lead to 71-70 with just over two minutes remaining. A 5-0 Pirates burst seemed to finally broken the visitor's resistance but it wasn't to be as a 12-5 burst saw Leicester go in front for good.

ANDREW LASKER IS BACK AT THE PLYMOUTH RAIDERS

The Airwaves Plymouth Raiders are delighted to announce the re-signing of American Guard Drew Lasker for the remainder of the 2009/10 season. This follows the unfortunate news that Eric Flato will be leaving the team after suffering a career threatening leg injury.

Lasker is expected back in the city today, and will join up with his team mates at training tonight. He will be registered in time to play this Saturday against the Everton Tigers (Plymouth Pavilions, event starts at 7.15pm).

"I'm really pleased to have him back in the Raiders fold," said Raiders' head coach Gary Stronach. "He's a proven BBL player and will slot right back into our system. He's been working out hard since the end of last season, and is eager to get back into game shape again."

"We've been in contact a number of times since Drew left at the end of last season, and when he heard that Eric was seriously injured, he spoke to me about coming back again. It means that our guard rotation from last year is back in place."

The move means that Raiders' top scorer for the last 4 years is back in place with the team. In 2008/09, Lasker averaged 17 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2 assists and nearly 2 steals per game. Together with Anthony Martin, they formed the quickest back court in the league.

"As Drew had not already been signed by another club, was available immediately and was keen to return to Raiders, it means that we were able to get the work permit and visa processed really quickly," said Raiders Chairman Bob Widdecombe. "We are delighted to welcome Drew back to the Raiders and hopefully this will be the catalyst to spark the form that the team is capable of for the rest of the season. However, our thoughts are still with Eric and following a meeting with his consultant at Derriford this week, we understand that he will hopefully be having his third operation before Christmas. We all wish him well, especially with his period of recuperation."

LEEDS CARNEGIE GET THREE WINS ON SATURDAY

READ THE MIKE SHAFT BLOG HERE

SHARKS CRUSH JETS 89 - 108 AND MOVE TO 12 & 3.

AWESOME RYAN PATTON DRAINS 44 inc 10 X 3s

LIBRARY PHOTO - RYAN PATON OF THE SHARKS...AWESOME

Sheffield Sharks' Ryan Patton turned in a shooting master-class to lead his team to an 89-108 victory at Cheshire Jets. Patton's 10 of 14 from beyond the three-point line helped him to a team high this season of 44 points and ensured the Sharks would remain four points clear at the top of the BBL at the end of the weekend's action.

Sharks had an excellent second quarter to give them a 43-57 lead and they never looked troubled thereafter.

The improving PAWS London Capital moved onto the fringes of the play-off positions with a convincing 70-48 win over south-east neighbours Essex Pirates.

After a tight first quarter, which the visitors shaded 14- 16, the Capital seized control in the second ten minutes of action. A 7-0 run gave them a 25-18 lead that they maintained to half time (29-22).

There was more to come in the third quarter with Capital taking a 38-26 advantage out to their biggest lead of the night at 55-31 before ending the stanza 55- 32 up.

Glasgow Rocks turned on the style with a handsome 111-59 home win over a depleted Worcester Wolves to move back into the play-off places.

Rocks new signing Michael Crowell was quickly into his stride as he sank three three-pointers and scored 12 of Glasgow's first 17 points as they opened up a 21-5 lead.

A 17-0 start to the third quarter, was bookended by Rob Yanders' threes, pushing the margin to beyond 50 (80-26) and confirmed Glasgow's dominance.

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ADVANTAGE MILTON KEYNES IN 1st LEG OF 1st SEMI

The Marshall MK Lions have the edge in their BBL Cup semi-final clash with the Cheshire Jets, after beating them 88-84 in the first leg. But the Jets will be encouraged by the fact that a dominant third quarter helped them to recover from a 21 point half-time deficit.

EJ HARRISON BACK IN THE DAY

The Lions led 59-38 at the halfway point after a 31-18 second quarter. However, the Jets opened the third quarter with an 18-1 burst to get back into the game, and on three occasions in the fourth period they were within two points. The Lions held out, and had five players scoring in double figures, led by 21 from Frank Holmes. Shawn Myers scored 17 of his 28 points in the second half to lead the Jets.

Despite that, Lions' coach Vince Macaulay remains optimistic, "We are delighted to be taking a lead to Chester, and it's game on a week on Sunday," he said.

FAB FLOURNOY BACK IN THE EAGLES' LINE-UP

In the absence of the Jets and Lions from BBL Championship action, the Newcastle Eagles leapfrogged the former and drew level with the latter in second place in the league table as they beat the Everton Tigers 88-82 at the MetroRadio Arena.

The Tigers had led for much of the first half until Andrew Bridge, who scored 19 points on the night, sparked a third quarter comeback for the Eagles that was complete when he hit consecutive three- pointers to put the Eagles into a 58-57 lead. They wouldn't relinquish that, although they had to hold their nerve at the free-throw line as the Tigers kept it close up to the final minute.

Elsewhere, in the race for the BBL Championship playoff places the Worthing Thunder scored a significant 77-88 win on the road at the Essex Pirates, resulting in them leapfrogging the Scottish Rocks into eighth place and avenging a previous defeat to the Pirates this season. Reggie Bratton scored 31 points for the visitors.

CHESHIRE AND MILTON KEYNES READY FOR THE SEMI
LIONS' HEAD COACH VINCE MACAULAY

Marshall MK Lions and Cheshire Jets will be looking to take a step towards the BBL Cup final when they meet in the first leg of the semi-final at Bletchley Leisure Centre on Friday night.

LIONS' FANS CELEBRATE THEIR 2008 VICTORY

Lions won the competition in 2008 with a victory against Newcastle Eagles, and coach Vince Macauley is keen for his team to return to the final: "The Cup is special to us and we want it back, we all enjoyed that run and those are the reasons you play the game, to win!"

However, Macauley admits that he isn't a great fan of two-leg basketball: "I don't think two legs work in basketball, but it's better than one. Will we coach the game differently? Yes it will be eight quarters and you can't win it in the first game, but you can certainly lose it."

The teams met at Northgate Arena in late September and Jets ran out 78-77 winners. Macauley is expecting another tough game: "It was another game we lost at the buzzer, I think Jets are one of those clubs who know how they want to play and recruit players to fit, they are having an exceptional season.'

Jets coach Paul Smith is ready for a difficult game at Bletchley Leisure Centre: "They are very good. We stole a win and they were without their point guard, so I know it will be a very tough game. Good veterans with some exciting young guys and an experienced coach will make them tough for everyone this year."

ALL TIME BBL CUP WINNERS

2009 MIKE SHAFT'S BBL CUP BLOG

2009 BBL CUP REPORT WITH PICTURES

Elsewhere on Friday, Essex Pirates will look to repeat one their two BBL Championship victories this season when they host Worthing Thunder.

THUNDER HEAD COACH DAVE TITMUSS

Tim Lewis' team travelled to the south coast in October, and ran out 88-82 winners - their only win on the road since joining the BBL in the summer. Although Thunder currently sit outside the play-off zone, and have played more games than any other team in the bottom half of the table, Lewis is expecting a difficult game when they visit Southend: "I think that Worthing are a good team - they have been unlucky with injuries. With Dave Titmuss coaching them they are going to competitive no matter who is or isn't playing for them."

EAGLES & TIGERS READY TO GO TO WAR AGAIN

TONY GARBELOTTO OF THE TIGERS

The two sides who dominated the BBL last season meet at Newcastle Arena on Friday evening when the home-town Eagles host Everton Tigers. Eagles came out on top when the teams met in October, winning 98-81, but coach Fabulous Flournoy is not taking anything for granted as his team prepare to face the Tigers:

"Tigers are even more of a work in progress than us" he said." They have a lot of talent and will be a tough team in the second half of the season. Without Larkai they are perimeter orientated but they have a number of multi skilled players. To beat them we need to defend the perimeter better than we have been doing."

Tigers coach Tony Garbelotto (Pictured right) is also expecting a tough game when his team travel to the north east: "They are still a championship calibre team, and don't let anyone else tell you different. Of course, take Fab (Flournoy) out and the emotional leader and best defender is gone, but when he gets back they will be fine.'

MANCHESTER UNITED DEFEATED BY BESIKTAS

CONGRATULATIONS TO BESIKTAS WHO DEFEATED
MANCHESTER UNITED 0 - 1 AT OLD TRAFFORD

LET THE PARTY BEGIN

GOOD TIMES ARE BACK AT THE SHEFFIELD SHARKS

READ THE MIKE SHAFT WEEKEND BLOG HERE

HALL AWESOME AS CARNEGIE DEFEAT BARKING

LOUI HALL GOES FOR 32 AS LEEDS CARNEGIE DEFEAT BARKING ABBEY 87-71

CARNEGIE MEN GRIND OUT 87 - 73 VICTORY OVER TAUNTON TIGERS

MIKE SHAFT WEEKEND BLOG HERE

READ THE ENGLAND BASKETBALL REPORT HERE

JOANNA LEEDHAM BREAKING RECORDS IN NCAA

Great Britain Women star Joanna Leedham is again causing a stir in the NCAA as she broke another 2 records playing for Franklin Pierce University.

READ THE FRANKLIN PIERCE STORY HERE

READ THE GREAT BRITAIN BASKETBALL STORY HERE


LIBRARY PHOTO - SHARKS TRAIN KEEPS ROLLING ON

The Sheffield Sharks consolidated their position at the top of the BBL Championship table as they beat the Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders by 99-104, after a frantic final minute, avenging their defeat in the East Midlands on the opening weekend of the season.

LIBRARY PHOTO - MIKE COOK OF THE SHEFFIELD SHARKS

Guards Mike Cook (Sheffield) and Tack Minor (Leicester) went blow for blow and each scored 32 points. Another guard, Sheffield's Ryan Patton, also scored 28 points while Tafari Toney had a double- double of 18 points and 15 rebounds.

The Sharks had much the better of the first half as an early 10-2 run included six points for Patton, from two three-pointers, as they led 8-18. The Riders narrowed the gap but five more points from Patton stretched the lead to 15-27 and they led 21-32 after the opening period. It was much the same in the second as Patton's three saw the lead peak at 26-44 midway through. The Riders responded with the next 10 points, including four each for Minor and Bradd Wierzbicki, but they still trailed 46-56 at the half.

The Riders came storming back, in typical fashion, after the break as Wierzbicki's three-pointer made the score 57-62 before their comeback was complete when Minor's basket tied the game at 66. With 9 seconds left in the third they led for the first time since the opening minute as Lataryl Williams's score made it 76-74, but the teams were tied at 76 heading into the dramatic fourth period.

The Riders were in the ascendancy briefly in the fourth quarter as Wierzbicki and Aaron Westbrooks hit back- to-back triples for an 87-81 lead. But Patton scored five more points as the Sharks tied the game at 90. Six lead changes ensued before the Sharks entered the last two minutes leading 96-97. Patton's triple made the score 96-100 with 1.26 remaining and then neither side scored until a flurry within the final 24 seconds.

After Toney and Lyons each made 1/2 from the line, Minor's three-pointer with 10 seconds left set up an exciting finish. With 9.7 seconds left Cook was fouled and missed both free-throws, Barry Lamble rebounding the second for Leicester and sending the Riders charging down court; however, Minor missed a three-pointer with 2 seconds remaining before Toney saw the game out with 2/2 at the line.

The MK Lions moved clear of the Newcastle Eagles in second place as they won comfortably by 70-99 at the Essex Pirates. EJ Harrison led their scoring with 28 points as they established a ten point lead in the first period and never looked back.

The Cheshire Jets complete the top four after their 80- 96 win at the Worcester Wolves. The Jets had seven players who scored in double figures, led by 16 each for Shawn Myers and Paul Peterson. The teams were tied at 50 halfway through before the Jets held their hosts to just 12 points in the third quarter. They had runs of 6-0 and 8-0 and kept the Wolves at arm's length down the stretch.

Elsewhere, the Worthing Thunder are on the verge of the playoff places after a 92-69 defeat of the PAWS London Capital, in which Reggie Bratton scored 28 points.

 

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