In a big Friday night in the BBL, Esh Group Eagles Newcastle reached the BBL Cup Final and Worcester Wolves reached the summit of the BBL Championship table.

The Eagles overpowered One Health Sharks Sheffield to emphatically reverse a first leg deficit with an 84-57 victory (163-139 on aggregate). It is Newcastle’s third consecutive Cup Final, and a repeat of last season’s showpiece as they seek to reclaim the title from Leicester Riders.

The win came courtesy of an unstoppable fourteen-minute spell midway through the game inspired by Darius Defoe, Scott Martin and Malik Cooke as they scored 26 points in a decisive 37-12 push. Paul Gause epitomised their intensity as he led all-scorers with 20 points, 6 steals and 6 assists.

In the league, the Wolves made it three wins in a row, and three centuries in a row, as they beat Surrey United 101-79. They go top, at least until Sheffield return to league action on Sunday.

Wolves clinched the game in the second stanza as they put an astonishing 30 points on the board in six and a half minutes, including a 15-2 surge as Kalil Irving scored seven points. Alex Owumi led their scoring on the night with 20 points.

Anthony Downing’s 21 points helped the Riders to a 91-78 victory, which moves the reigning champions into fourth place at the Lions expense.

London had led after the first quarter but once Leicester had seized control by half time there was no way back for the visitors.

Plymouth University Raiders used a big first quarter to beat Birmingham Knights in the West Midlands.

Shane Walker recorded 15 points, eight rebounds and eight steals along with four blocked shots and two assists as Plymouth maintained their grip on a top half position.

Birmingham had their moments, most notably in the second quarter, but remain winless this season.

One Health Sharks climbed to the top of the BBL standings following a big home victory against the winless Birmingham Knights on Sunday evening, while Leicester Riders, Glasgow Rocks and Cheshire Phoenix also celebrated victories.

Sharks, who improved to an 11-2 record after the 93-75 victory, solved all of the questions early, building a double-digit lead already in the first quarter after a 19-0 run.

Nick Lewis and Mike Tuck paced the Sheffield club with 17 and 16 points respectively, while Martyn Gayle and Brent Benson combined for 46 points in a losing effort for Knights .

The defending BBL champions Leicester Riders climbed up to the third spot in the standings, following an 85-56 win against Surrey United, who have lost all 15 games this season.

Jay Couisnard led the winners with 17 points, while Jorge Calvo and Rashad Hassan chipped in with 13 points apiece.

In Scotland, Glasgow Rocks saw a 15-point fourth-quarter lead disappear, but managed to stop their freefall just in time, as they squeezed out a 76-70 win against the persistent Durham Wildcats, with Gareth Murray leading the winners with a team-high 18 points.

Meanwhile, Manchester Giants wasted their 13-point second-half lead for good, as Cheshire Phoenix stormed from behind to take a 100-88 win after a near-perfect fourth quarter performance.

Phoenix’s trio of Dominique Coleman, Victor Moses and Reggie Middleton collected 79 of the team’s points, with Coleman leading the way with a magnificent 34-point outing.