EAGLES IN SLUMP AS REGULAR SEASON ENDS
- Updated: April 22, 2012
Newcastle Eagles ended the BBL regular season with the worst losing streak of Fab Flournoy’s reign. And the league champions declined to show their hand for the post-season as they lost 100-74 to Guildford Heat.
Not that it will count for anything when the two sides clash again next weekend in the play-off quarter-finals. But with Paul Gause, Andy Thomson, Charles Smith and Joe Chapman all rested, the Eagles limped to a fourth consecutive loss since securing the title.
Guildford also had one of their main threats absent with Drew Lasker missing a re-match with his former employers. While the Eagles’ inexperienced line-up managed to keep pace during an entertaining first quarter which the hosts only edged 24-20, the difference in depth began to show ahead of the interval.
Led by 22 points from Frank Holmes, the hosts secured a commanding 46-32 cushion by the end of the second period.
While the Eagles regained some offensive rhythm when they returned to the court after the restart, they couldn’t find the necessary defence to repel Heat and with Tayo Ogedengbe and Mike Martin looking on-song, there was no way back for the visitors.
Guildford went 75-53 in front early in the final quarter and despite the Eagles wagging their tail a little with Joel Madourie scoring 22, the home side cruised to victory.
Glasgow Rocks ended the BBL’s regular season with an 87-66 win over bottom side Durham Wildcats.
And the final standings handed the Kelvin Hall outfit a clash with Plymouth in the play-off quarter-finals with the first leg in Devon on Thursday.
But Sterling Davis’ men had to battle to see off the league’s whipping boys who cut Glasgow’s lead from 13 to 3 in the third quarter but a 15-0 run put the hosts in command.
Danny Huffor led Glasgow with 21 points.
Cheshire Jets beat 98-77 Sheffield Sharks to take sixth place, ensuring that the Jets meet Worcester in the play-offs while Sharks, in seventh, take on Leicester.
There was little daylight between the teams during an intense opening five minutes of the game but a three-pointer by Olu Babalola and an inside score seconds later by the Sharks man put his team 14-8 ahead.
It seemed to spark the home team into life who knew they couldn’t allow the game to get away from them and they scored eight points without reply to move ahead 16-14 although it was Sharks who quickly regained the initiative.
They posted a very impressive 19-8 run either side of the first quarter break with a triple by guard Jimmy Langhurst putting them 33-22 ahead although it was the tough defence of the Sharks which proved to be the foundation for their good work.
However Jets finally figured out how to breach the Sharks defence and found themselves in the middle of an explosive scoring streak by the time the teams headed off the court at the midway point of the game.
Having trailed by ten points, Cheshire found themselves with a 48-46 advantage after outscoring the visitors 26-13 in a blistering spell as Kai Williams found himself with the hot hand and with 17 first-half points.
Cheshire tore the Sharks to shred with a monumental second half display as they stepped it up at both ends of the floor, outscoring their shell-shocked opponents 26-13 during the third quarter and then dishing out more of the same in the last period as Colin O’Reilly scored 17 points to go with 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
Final Standings 2011-12
|
P |
W |
L |
Pts |
||
|
1 |
Newcastle Eagles |
30 |
23 |
7 |
46 |
|
2 |
Leicester Riders |
30 |
22 |
8 |
44 |
|
3 |
Worcester Wolves |
30 |
22 |
8 |
44 |
|
4 |
Plymouth Raiders |
30 |
21 |
9 |
42 |
|
5 |
Glasgow Rocks |
30 |
16 |
14 |
32 |
|
6 |
Cheshire Jets |
30 |
13 |
17 |
26 |
|
7 |
Sheffield Sharks |
30 |
13 |
17 |
26 |
|
8 |
Guildford Heat |
30 |
12 |
18 |
24 |
|
9 |
Milton Keynes Lions |
30 |
10 |
20 |
20 |
|
10 |
Mersey Tigers |
30 |
10 |
20 |
20 |
|
11 |
Durham Wildcats |
30 |
3 |
27 |
6 |
Riders claim second as two play-off duels set
The play-off picture has been cleared up. Leicester Riders secured the British Basketball League runners-up spot with a 90-72 win over Guildford Heat that fixed the positions of the top eight.
25 points from Bradd Wierzbicki was the standout performance from Leicester’s perspective, including a big three-pointer to help the home side into their biggest lead of the game at 29 points with the score at 79-50 at the start of the final period.
It means Guildford will end up eighth and take on Newcastle Eagles in the play-off quarter-finals while Plymouth are paired up with Glasgow Rocks.
Leicester will meet either Cheshire Jets or Sheffield Sharks, with Worcester Wolves facing the winner of Sunday’s clash to decide who finishes sixth and seventh.
In the other game on Saturday night, Milton Keynes Lions had to work hard to eventually overcome a highly resilient Durham and secure a 96-91 victory at the Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre.
A combination of Demarius Bolds and Daniel Northern led the Lions with 26 points a-piece in a game where the home side lead for the majority of the first half, but a strong third quarter performance helped the visitors into a 12 point advantage at 76-64 with five minutes remaining in the game.
An 11-2 burst from the Wildcats got them back to within three-points but that was as close as the home side would get as the Lions held on.
Friday: Tigers bow out with a whimper
What a difference a year makes.
EJ Harrison hit two free throws with 11 seconds left as Glasgow Rocks snatched an 81-79 win at Mersey Tigers.
With the hosts missing two late attempts for force overtime, it ensured a miserable end to the campaign for the dethroned British Basketball League champions who have suffered ongoing financial problems.
Harrison, who grabbed a game-high 20 points, delivered the decisive blow after a tight encounter that saw Mersey led 44-33 in the second period before the visitors rallied to trail 45-41 at half-time. And despite a game-high 23 from David Aliu, the Tigers – with just six players – could not on.
The Rocks will host bottom side Durham in tomorrow’s regular season finale with the identity of their play-off quarter-final opponent now narrowed to either Leicester or Plymouth after the Raiders 102-99 loss to Sheffield. The Wildcats, ending their debut top flight campaign, have won just three times but Rocks coach Sterling Davis expects them to battle to the finish.
“Durham have made a great first impression this season,†he said. “They are so disciplined and well coached. I see a big plus for them in the future.â€
For Sheffield, who had trailed by as much as 19 in the third quarter, it means that a sixth-place finish in the BBL Championship is in their own hands as they face the Cheshire Jets in a decider on Sunday. For the Raiders, who have lost three straight away games at the end of the season, it has left the door open for the Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders as Plymouth will finish no higher than fourth if Leicester win on Saturday night.
The Sharks were led by 29 points from Jimmy Langhurst, with backcourt partner Nate Reinking on 23 and Olu Babalola posting a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds. The Raiders were led by 32 points and 14 rebounds from Paul Williams, himself a former Shark.
Almost from the outset the visiting Raiders seemed to have this game tied up as they opened with the first 8 points and led 5-17 midway through the quarter. The lead reached as much as 10-28 as Williams, on the inside, did most of the early damage with a dominant 16 first quarter points. Nate Reinking’s four three-pointers were the only glimmer of hope for the Sharks after a first half in which they trailed 43-58.
The pattern looked set to continue in the third quarter as Jeremy Bell opened the scoring and the Raiders saw their lead peak at 70-51. But it was from there that the Sharks hit back: they posted an 11-2 run, trailing 81-73 going into the fourth quarter. The hosts scored the first two baskets of the fourth quarter, in what had become a 20-6 spell, and the home fans started to believe. But the comeback wasn’t completed until the final 17 seconds when Mike Tuck scored the crucial basket to make it 100-99 and they saw the game out from the free-throw line in what was a 14-4 finish over the last 4.30.
Elsewhere, champions Newcastle rested several players and lost 96-81 to Cheshire.
Kai Williams led all scorers with 29 points, including 5/6 three-pointers, and 8 rebounds; both Colin O’Reilly (19 points and 10 rebounds) and Matt Schneck (15 & 16) had double-doubles for the Jets who pulled away late in the second quarter and never trailed again.
A youthful looking Eagles were led by Paul Gause’s 26 points.
Wednesday: Riders push for two
Leicester Riders took a big step towards claiming second position in the BBL Championship table thanks to victory over the Newcastle Eagles on Wednesday night.
The Riders picked up an 81-68 victory over the Eagles at the John Sanford Centre and put themselves in pole position in the race for second place and a victory over the Guildford Heat would significantly boost their hopes of over-hauling Leicester.
22 points from Ayron Hardy helped the home side secure the victory over the recently crowned British Basketball League champions, and despite valiant efforts from the Eagles to keep themselves in the game, it was a 21-5 start to the second half from the Riders that broke the game open and helped the home side ultimately pick the victory.
In the other game on Wednesday night, a high scoring affair saw Milton Keynes Lions picked up a shock 128-113 victory over Plymouth Raiders.
A 40 point haul from Demarius Bolds helped the Lions to the victory in a game where they lead pretty much from tip-to-buzzer and enjoyed their biggest lead of the game at 75-50 midway through the third quarter.
The defeat for the Raiders means that they need to defeat Sheffield on Friday evening to have any chance of pipping the Riders to third place.
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