QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Bristol have had a flying start this season.

They are really well coached and have great players. I know they will look to do the same damage to us they have been doing to everybody else.

We just have to have the correct approach to the game and do our part of things. Picking up a ‘W’ in Bristol will give us a real confidence boost and especially at Bristol, a tough place to play.”

ELVISI DUSHA

SURREY UNITED GUARD

Chavis Holmes’s late tip-in pushed Worcester Wolves past Sheffield Sharks 78-76 and level on points with Newcastle Eagles at the top of the BBL Championship on Friday.

The second-chance finish off the Jamal Williams miss with just five seconds remaining was the only score of the final 1:43 after BJ Holmes had tied things up at 76.

Nick Lewis attempted a triple at the buzzer to snatch the win for the hosts but Wolves hung on for a sixth straight league win while Sharks have just three wins from their first eight.

Kirk Crecco’s 32 points inspired Surrey United to a first away win of the season as they overcame Bristol Flyers 91-74 at WISE Basketball Arena.

The visitors were in control for much of the contest, but Bristol looked like they could snatch it when a Mathias Seilund three-pointer put them in front early in the final period.

Crecco responded, however, scoring Surrey’s next 11 points, to Flyers’ three, to give his team the impetus to get over the line and record an important victory.

And Leeds Force led from start to finish before eventually holding off Durham Wildcats 70-62 at Carnegie Sports Centre to claim a second BBL Championship win of the season.

Matt Newby’s men were once again brilliantly directed by point guard James McCann, who had 13 points and 10 assists while Branimir Mikulic tallied 19 points and Will Hall added 17 to go with nine boards.

A late salvo from Charles Smith restored Esh Group Eagles Newcastle as the outright leaders of the BBL Championship on Saturday night – having been joined at the summit after Worcester Wolves’ win on Friday – with an 82-88 victory on the road at Plymouth University Raiders.

Charles Smith scored two clutch three-pointers on his way to leading all scorers with 24 points, supported by 21 from Andre Jones and a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds for Andy Thomson.

The Eagles trailed for much of the first half and were down 44-38 at the break. But a 10-1 run early in the third period saw them snatch the lead at 47-48 on Rahmon Fletcher’s basket and, despite falling behind again, Fab Flournoy’s buzzer-beater set up a grandstand fourth quarter with the teams tied at 64.

An 8-0 burst midway through the decisive period seemed to put the Eagles in control at 70-79 with Smith scoring three of those points. But Pierre Hampton – who led the Raiders on the night with 20 points and 10 rebounds – wasn’t done, as he scored six points when the hosts mirrored that 8-0 run and got back to 80-81 with two minutes to play.

At that point, veteran Charles Smith came to the fore. He netted a dramatic three-pointer with a minute left to play, and then another just thirty seconds later after Hampton had missed one of his own, to seal the win for the visitors.

The Eagles have now won nine consecutive league games, and are unbeaten on the road all season. Raiders have lost three in a row, and five of their last six.

Leicester Riders’ BBL Cup defence came to a dramatic halt as Kieron Achara beat the buzzer with an incredible three-pointer to give Glasgow Rocks an 85-84 victory in the highlight of a bumper BBL Sunday.

It was a fitting finale to a sensational contest as Riders fought back from 12 points down in the fourth quarter to lead by two with nine seconds to play, only for Achara to hurl up a deep three that went in off the backboard as the buzzer sounded.

Neil Watson had come up with three quick triples to somehow pull Riders back into the game having trailed all afternoon before Achara added the final three of his game-high 28 points in the most incredible fashion.

Sterling Davis’s side advance to face Bristol Flyers over two legs in the final four, but there was plenty of BBL Championship action too.

Durham Wildcats bounced back from Friday’s disappointing defeat to Leeds Force by beating London Lions 80-73 with a strong second-half performance at Newton Aycliffe.

Fran Urli scored 26 points, including some key buckets down the stretch as Zaire Taylor appeared primed to spark a comeback.

Elsewhere Cheshire Phoenix paid tribute to legendary fan and devoted volunteer Mickey Clifford, who passed away last week, by overpowering Manchester Giants 99-82 on the road to improve to a 7-5 league record.

This was thanks in no small part to an outstanding 29 points and 18 rebounds from Demond Watt.