Sunday 20 April 2008
The play-off first round is now set after the final
round of matches in the regular season.
SAMG Verve Scottish Rocks won their battle with Sheffield
Sharks for fifth spot after the Glasgow-based club beat Guildford
Heat and the Sharks lost in overtime at Newcastle Eagles.
At the foot of the table Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders
saw of BiG Storage Cheshire Jets in overtime in Chester to
take tenth and PAWS London Capital kept up their recent good
form to take down Birmingham Panthers at home.
Play-off first round:
Wednesday 23 April
Marshall MK Lions vs. SAMG Verve Scottish Rocks - 7.45pm
Friday 25 April
Newcastle Eagles vs. Worcester Wolves - 7.30pm
Saturday 26 April
Kularoos Plymouth Raiders vs. Sheffield Sharks - 7.30pm
Sunday 27 April
Guildford Heat vs. Everton Tigers - 3pm
BBL Championship
BiG Storage Cheshire Jets 97 (23,44,61,86) (Otten
32, Obazuaye 26, Hamilton 14)
Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders 104 (22,42,65,86)
(Vear 28, Janiska 22, Lamble 18)
After overtime
Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders won the battle for tenth
place after an overtime win at BiG Storage Cheshire Jets.
The victory gave them 10 wins for the season.
The victory was achieved in a frantic extra period, which
saw their hosts finish the match with just three players.
Earlier Jets had held the lead at the end of the first quarter
(23-22) and at half time (44-42). Riders edged ahead 61-65
at the end of three but couldn't hold on to a 74-80 lead in
the final stanza and were forced to make two free throws through
Mindaugas Janiska with 1.1 seconds on the clock to force overtime.
Once into added time the Riders broke open a 93-93 scoreline
with four free throws after the Jets bench had been called
for a technical foul. Once Janiska had sank all four there
was no way back for the Jets.
PAWS London Capital 85 (21,47,68) (Bradley
22, Perkins 13, Knight 11)
Team Birmingham Panthers 65 (19,38,52) (A
Williams 21, Popoola 18, Sandell 16)
PAWS London Capital completed their first season in the BBL
with a win over fellow new boys Team Birmingham Panthers.
Capital ended the season well to finish in ninth position,
while Panthers couldn't get any momentum going to end the
campaign in twelfth.
Runs of 10-3 each in the first quarter cancelled each other
out as Capital led 21-19 at the end of ten minutes. And they
stretched it out to 47-38 by half time.
An 8-2 opening to the third put Capital well in control despite
Panthers' 7-0 burst later in the period. A further 9-0 start
to the final stanza put the match beyond the visitors reach
as London cruised to the win.
Newcastle Eagles 95 (27,46,64,78) (Leven
23, Smith 17, Babalola 17)
Sheffield Sharks 84 (23,39,53,78) (Chaney
25, Lyons 19, Niesler 14)
After overtime
Sheffield Sharks missed out on fifth place in the BBL after
narrowly losing at league champions Newcastle Eagles in overtime.
After a tight first quarter, that the Eagles shaded 27-23,
the Sharks were pegged back in the second period. A 9-0 run
by Newcastle midway through the period overturned a slender
Sharks lead and gave the home side a 46-39 half time advantage.
Eagles pressed home their lead in the third quarter. A 12-4
burst to close it out saw them take a comfortable 64-53 margin
into the final ten minutes.
Sheffield wouldn't back down though. Trailing 75-67 they
chipped away at the Eagles through centre Shelby Chaney to
get back to 78-75 before Alto Virgil nailed a three with one
second left to complete the comeback.
Having played three consecutive overtime matches the Eagles
had plenty of experience of an extra period and it showed
as they scored the final nine points of the match to dash
Sharks hopes of a seventh win in a row to end the regular
season.
SAMG Verve Scottish Rocks 94 (24,45,69)
(Wohlers 24, Hampton 21, Murray 14)
Guildford Heat 76 (21,35,54) (Wardrope 17,
D Williams 10, Karlikanovas 10)
SAMG Verve Scottish Rocks took their opportunity against
a resting Guildford Heat side to clinch fifth spot in the
BBL and with it a visit to Marshall MK Lions on Wednesday
evening.
The Heat had already secured their second place berth and
so despite starting with his full strength team, coach Paul
James used his star players sparingly even when Rocks surged
ahead.
Rocks took the lead for good at 12-9 on the back of a Rob
Yanders three and controlled the match from there. A 24-21
first quarter lead was extended to 45-35 at half time and
on to 69-54 at the end of three quarters.
A Sterling Davis three gave the home side their biggest lead
of the night at 74-54 as they won the battle with Sheffield
Sharks for fifth.
BBL CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE
No Team P W L Pts
1 Newcastle Eagles 33 29 4 58
2 Guildford Heat 33 24 9 48
3 Kularoos Plymouth Raiders 33 24 9 48
4 Marshall MK Lions 33 19 14 38
5 SAMG Verve Scottish Rocks 33 18 15 36
6 Sheffield Sharks 33 17 15 34
7 Everton Tigers 33 16 17 32
8 Worcester Wolves 33 14 19 28
9 PAWS London Capital 33 12 20 24
10 Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders33 10 23 20
11 BiG Storage Cheshire Jets 33 9 24 18
12 Birmingham Panthers 33 6 27 12
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