QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“It is easy to sit around and feel sorry for yourself and dwell on ‘what ifs’. For myself, and most guys,
the court is my sanctuary. Getting back on the court gives you the jumpstart to move on.

“Win or lose we would have to move on and get our minds ready for Cheshire
because they could care less about our Cup Finals result.”

Drew LASKER

Newcastle Eagles’ Guard

There was an eventful start to the 2014 BBL Trophy as EBL side Bristol Academy Flyers burst the bubble of Surrey United by claiming the first BBL scalp of the competition.

Whilst perhaps not a huge giant-killing with United struggling and having only just won their first BBL Championship game last weekend, it was still a shock of sorts and a huge positive for Flyers who are scheduled to join the BBL for the 2014-15 season.

Glasgow Rocks proved to be too much for Leeds Carnegie to handle in a preview of a BBL match up for next season. The visiting Rocks came out on top 84-48 in the first round of the BBL Trophy after dominating from early in the first quarter.

Player-coach Sterling Davis led the Glasgow scoring with 16 points while Branimir Mikulic’s 12 points and Russell Permenter’s double-double of 11 points and 10 boards were high points for the National League hosts.

In the Championship Charles Smith ensured Esh Group Eagles Newcastle bounced back from their BBL Cup final defeat last weekend with a 103-100 victory over Cheshire Phoenix.

Smith scored 37 points, pulled down 10 rebounds and dished out six assists as Eagles let slip a big third quarter lead to eventually hold off their visitors. Reggie Middleton had a game-high 39 points for Cheshire in their losing effort.

Leicester Riders suffered their third loss of the season in the BBL Championship, as the visiting London Lions snapped the six-game winning streak of the defending BBL champions, with a 78-73 victory.

Following the win, Lions improved to a 12-6 record, while the Leicester club dropped to 13-3, but remained in second place.

Rod Brown paced the winners with 23 points and eight assists, Adrien Sturt scored 18 points, as Kramer Knutson added 12 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.

Riders big man Andrew Sullivan finished with a team-high 19 points, but was responsible for six turnovers.

Elsewhere, Plymouth University Raiders registered a 90-81 victory against Durham Wildcats in the first round of the BBL Trophy.

Nick George had a lights-out game, making all five three-pointers on his way to a game-high 35 points for the Plymouth side, while Danny Huffor collected 20 points for the Wildcats.

Leicester Riders received their second upset in two nights, being knocked out from the BBL Trophy in the first round, after slumping to a 78-86 defeat on the road against Cheshire Phoenix.

Riders could not hold on to a 47-36 halftime lead, as Phoenix raced back from behind to eliminate one of the top BBL teams. Reggie Middleton paced the winners with 32 points and 10 assists, while Victor Moses also chipped in with a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds.

EBL Division One side Reading Rockets made One Health Sharks Sheffield work hard for a spot in the BBL Trophy Quarter Final, as the Sheffield club pulled away only in the second half to take an 85-73 win.

Nick Lewis was the top scorer of the game with 33 points, Mike Tuck scored 13 points, while Zachariah Gachette contributed 11.

Meanwhile in Essex, Esh Group Eagles Newcastle had a relatively easy game against Leopards, taking a convincing 101-73 win to progress to the next round of the competition, as Malik Cooke and Darius Defoe combined for 54 points.

Elsewhere, Manchester Giants bounced back after a slow start of the game to defeat Birmingham Knights 91-74 behind 26 points from David Watts, while Brent Benson collected 25 points for the losing side.

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