QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“They [Sheffield Sharks] are a consistently strong team that has kept a core together.
They play hard and at home are especially tough.

“We must continue to compete hard and play as a unit and the results will show.
A chance to advance in the Cup is always great incentive.”

JOHN COFFINO

PHOENIX HEAD COACH

Three of the four BBL Cup semi-finalists were confirmed on Friday with Bristol Flyers advancing to the final four just six weeks into their first top-flight campaign.

Flyers showed no signs of damage to their confidence following three straight defeats as they held off Worcester Wolves’ 8-0 fourth-quarter run to win on the road and advance.

Doug Herring was the star of the show as he scored a game-high 32 points including some key plays down the stretch to stifle the hosts’ momentum and complete a famous victory in front of the BBL TV cameras.

Sheffield Sharks reached their third straight BBL Cup semi-final after rallying late to beat Cheshire Phoenix 91-84 at EIS Sheffield.

Sharks trailed by a single point after David Aliu converted two free throws with 2:48 to play before Zachariah Gachette connected on a two-point jump shot that sparked a decisive 11-3 run to close the game.

Taylor King scored 27 points for Phoenix but it wasn’t enough.

Newcastle Eagles avoided a BBL Cup upset by improving in the second half to overcome Leeds Force 83-66 at Sport Central and book their spot in the semi-finals.

The league leaders led the BBL’s bottom club by just three points at half-time but found another gear after the break to open up a 15-point lead midway through the third quarter thanks to three of Charles Smith’s game-high 22 points.

Sunday was a day of second halves in the BBL Championship, with Glasgow Rocks overcoming a 21-point halftime deficit to snatch a win against Durham Wildcats in Newton Aycliffe and Cheshire Phoenix torching Bristol Flyers in the second part of the game at Northgate Arena.

Trailing 51-30 against Wildcats at the interval, Rocks raced back into the game late in the fourth quarter to upset the hosts 83-81 after Omotayo Ogendengbe’s baskets secured the comeback victory, as the Scottish side improved to a 3-3 record.

JaJuan Smith led Rocks with 26 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, while Christopher Jones and Ralp Bucci collected 20 points each for Durham.

Elsewhere, Phoenix, now 3-4, eased past Flyers 92-72, after closing out the third quarter with a 15-0 run to decide the outcome of the game. It was the fourth loss in a row for Bristol.

Taylor King was the top scorer of the game with 29 points and 11 boards, while Doug Herring had 25 points in a losing effort.

London Lions bounced back from their first loss in the BBL Championship last week with an 87-71 victory against Cheshire Phoenix in a midweek fixture on Tuesday evening.

It was the visitors from Cheshire who enjoyed a better start, taking a 22-13 lead with less than a minute to play in the fourth quarter. Led by Demond Watt, Phoenix had the upper hand for most of the first half, but saw their advantage evaporate just before the interval, as Zaire Taylor and Andrew Sullivan hit a three-pointer each to knot it up at 42-all.

Having closed out the second quarter in style, Lions carried over the momentum into the second half as well, opening the third period with a 5-0 run and taking the driver’s seat themselves this time round. Another triple by Taylor increased the home side’s advantage to 63-56 heading into the final frame.

The gap grew to double digits early in the fourth quarter, as Lions cruised on to take an easy win after a convincing second half performance. Lovell Cook led all scorers with 24 points, while Zaire Taylor added 21 for Lions. Demond Watt finished the game with 21 points for Phoenix.