QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Both previous games were very competitive and I would expect the same thing this Friday, although Leicester are getting back to their best, they have had a blip with their injury troubles but they are pretty much at full strength. They will want to get back to winning ways, we just have to hang in there and give ourselves a chance at the end.

Yorick Williams has brought exactly what I thought he would bring; experience, a winning mentality and a toughness that we needed. Yorick has kept himself in really good shape and has done a really good job for us, helping us keep our focus and intensity.”

JEFF JONES

GIANTS’ HEAD COACH

All of the BBL Championship’s top six were in action on Friday night, with wins for the top four sides as they strengthened their respective grips on a home playoff berth. Esh Group Eagles Newcastle stay top after Darius Defoe powered them to their fifth straight win, 95-67 over London Lions with the big man scoring 20 and snatching 12 rebounds. The damage was done in the third quarter, during which Defoe scored 12 of his points to help his team into a decisive 70-55 lead.

Worcester Wolves, however, retain a slight advantage in the title race as their 96-86 defeat of Plymouth University Raiders means that they are one win behind the Eagles with two games in hand. Wolves bounced back from their first defeat in 13 games largely thanks to a huge haul of 37 points from Will Creekmore, who shot 70% from the field, alongside 25 points and 9 assists from Zaire Taylor. They scored 14 unanswered points midway through the second stanza to take a strong lead that they would not relinquish, despite a late scare.

One Health Sharks Sheffield are still third as they prevailed through a tough encounter between two of the league’s form sides to beat Cheshire Phoenix 87-77, BJ Holmes scoring 24 and Mike Tuck performing the dual role of netting 20 points and keeping MVP candidate Victor Moses quiet. The Sharks scored their fifth win in a row after scoring the first 12 points of the third quarter to break what had been a one possession game for much of the first half.

Finally, Leicester Riders stay in fourth place and bounced back from consecutive losses as they avenged last month’s defeat to Manchester Giants by beating their North West opponents 90-86. Jay Couisnard was their inspiration in a tight game, hitting six three-pointers on his way to 24.

One Health Sharks Sheffield picked up their second league success in the space of 24 hours after collecting a comfortable 75-61 victory at Glasgow Rocks in the only BBL Championship game to be played on Saturday night.

Mike Tuck starred at the Emirates Arena with a super contribution of 13 points, 11 rebounds and three steals.

Esh Group Eagles Newcastle didn’t miss a beat in the BBL Championship on Sunday evening, as the BBL Championship leaders extended their winning streak to six games with an 89-84 victory on the road against Glasgow Rocks at the Emirates Arena.

Meanwhile, Leicester Riders, Cheshire Phoenix and Manchester Giants also finished in style, notching up important wins in the scramble for a better position in the playoffs. Riders registered an easy 81-59 win against Plymouth University Raiders, as Rashad Hassan led all scorers with a game-high 23 points and 14 rebounds.

A 101-91 victory against Surrey United allowed Cheshire Phoenix to catch up with the fifth-placed London Lions in the standings, while Giants stayed in the playoff race after strolling past Durham Wildcats for an convincing 90-78 victory.