WEDNESDAY 23 APRIL 2008
BBL Championship Play-off Quarter Final
Marshall MK Lions 105 (27,53,75) (Williams
27, Youngblood 26, Windless 17)
SAMG Verve Scottish Rocks 93 (22,50,68) (Davis
24, Wohlers 21, Yanders 16)
Marshall MK Lions became the first team to secure a semi-final
berth in the BBL Championship Play-offs after a 105-93 victory
over the SAMG Verve Scottish Rocks at the Bletchley Leisure
Centre on Wednesday evening. Both sides traded baskets in
the early exchanges, but it was the Rocks who took the early
ascendency with an 8-0 burst to lead 10-17. A Dru Spinks three-pointer,
and four points from Michael New bought the Lions back immediately
to 17-17. The Lions scored five of the first seven points
at the start of the second period to take the score out to
32- 24. The home side continued to pull away and led 43- 34
midway through the quarter, but the Rocks bought the deficit
to two points at 45-43 off the back of a 9-2 burst. The Lions
held a slender three-point advantage at 53-50 going in at
the half. The second half saw both sides trading baskets in
the early going before the Lions went on a decisive 11-6 tear
to take the score out to 71-63. They held on to take a 75-68
lead into the final stanza. In the final quarter, the Lions
continued to take charge, and three-pointers from Tony Windless
and Yorrick Williams gave the home side an 89-76 lead. The
Rocks began to resort to fouling the Lions to send them to
the foul-line, but the Lions maintained their cool, and netted
12/14 free throws in the closing stages to secure the victory.
Williams was the leading scorer on the night with 27 points
for the Lions, while Sterling Davis led the Rocks scoring
with 24.
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
|
