BBL Trophy Begins, Plymouth into Top 8 - BBL Week 17 Recap - Hoopsfix.com

BBL Trophy Begins, Plymouth into Top 8 – BBL Week 17 Recap

An action-packed weekend in the BBL saw 10 games take place including six in the first round of the BBL Trophy.

Plymouth Raiders moved into the playoff positions for the first time this season after beating Leeds Force 76-72 to leapfrogging their opponents into eighth. Josh Wilcher orchestrated the win with 24 points and seven assists, while Cory Dixon and Mike Vigor both recorded exact double-doubles of 14 points and 10 rebounds. The visitors were down by as many as 12 in the third, but rallied in the fourth and a late three from Kwan Waller – who ended up with 28 points – made it a two-point game before the Raiders held on.


Cheshire Phoenix claimed an important win in the league on Sunday after finishing strong to defeat Worcester Wolves 94-85. The home side had lost their last five in the league, but recovered from a five-point deficit in the fourth to take the win, thanks in large to a 12-3 run. Kinu Rochford had another monster game with 31 points, 14 rebounds and five assists, while Danny Huffor and Akeem Ellis also registered important points with 23 and 22 respectively. As for the Wolves, they suffered their sixth league loss despite 28 points and 10 boards from captain, Pavol Losonsky.


On Friday night, Newcastle Eagles continued their dominant start to the season by improving to 18-0 with a 99-67 victory at home to the struggling Surrey Scorchers. The league leaders were dominant in the first half to open up a commanding 54-27 advantage before the visitors battled away in the final two quarters to keep the scoreline respectable. Six players hit double figures for the Eagles with Scott Martin’s 19 points and 11 rebounds leading the way, while Rahmon Fletcher also contributed a double-double with 13 points and 10 assists along with eight rebounds.


Sheffield Sharks moved into the top four after beating Bristol Flyers 70-43 on Friday evening. TJ Robinson added a customary double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds as the Sharks raced out of the blocks and never looked back. They led 17-8 at the end of the first, and continued to pull away in the second half. Flyers were paced by Mathias Seilund’s 15 points from the bench.


In the BBL Trophy, five teams booked their places in the quarter-finals with the last eight draw made in the lead-up to the weekend.


Leicester Riders defeated London Lions in cup competition for the second time this season after recording a 50-71 victory at the Copper Box Arena in a game broadcast live on SkySports online. Tyler Bernardini made a bright start from downtown and finished with 15 points with Drew Sullivan chipping in with a valuable eight points and eight rebounds from the bench. Lions forward Demond Watt continued his strong form of late with 16 points and 12 boards, but was unable to propel his side to a monumental win.


The defending champions, Newcastle Eagles began their title defence with a 75-91 win on the road at Manchester Giants with Andy Thomson scoring all of his 21 points in the first half. Martin and Charles Smith weighed in with 18 and 16 points respectively, while the Giants had 25 points from Ingus Bankevics as they were outplayed following a bright start.


Cheshire will meet the Eagles in the last eight after they claimed a dramatic 67-70 win away at Leeds with Akeem Ellis – who had 23 points – and Sedale Hanson-Young both netting triples in the final minute to snatch the victory. Kwan Waller had put the hosts up 67-64 approaching the final minute as he took his personal tally to 23 points. Rochford pulled down 19 boards to go with 16 points for the Nix.


Another thrilling tie saw Worcester Wolves begin their weekend with a 76-83 overtime success away at Bristol Flyers. The visitors took over in the extra period to secure their passage into the next round after Bristol forced a tie at the end of regulation. Jay Couisnard stepped up with 22 points after playing the full 45 minutes for his side. For the Flyers, Tyrone Lee had a game-high 23 points along with 10 rebounds.


Glasgow Rocks crushed fellow Scottish side Falkirk Fury as they set up a showdown with Worcester after their resounding 42-91 triumph. Kieron Achara was not required for the Rocks as minutes were spread throughout the roster with Marcus Ware top scoring with a 20-point haul. The visitors kept their opponents to 10 points or less over the first three quarters, setting the tone for a dominant win.


On Sunday, Sheffield eased past NBL D1 opposition as they defeated Derby Trailblazers 84-67 behind 22 points and 11 rebounds from Robinson. After an even start, the BBL side began to pull clear and ran out comfortable winners in the end to reach the quarter-finals with another D1 side possibly lying in wait.


Updated BBL Trophy QF Draw:
Cheshire Phoenix v Newcastle Eagles; Essex Leopards/Plymouth Raiders v Sheffield Sharks;
Leicester Riders v Reading Rockets/Surrey Scorchers; Worcester Wolves v Glasgow Rocks

Results: Thursday- Cheshire Phoenix – Leeds Force (TRO); Friday- Newcastle Eagles 99-67 Surrey Scorchers, Sheffield Sharks 70-43 Bristol Flyers, London Lions 50-71 Leicester Riders (TRO); Saturday- Bristol Flyers 76-83 Worcester Wolves (OT, TRO), Falkirk Fury 42-91 Glasgow Rocks (TRO); Sunday- Manchester Giants 75-91 Newcastle Eagles (TRO), Derby Trailblazers 67-84 Sheffield Sharks (TRO), Cheshire Phoenix 94-85 Worcester Wolves, Plymouth Raiders 76-72 Leeds Force.

Standings: Eagles 18-0; Riders 12-1; Wolves 12-6; Sharks 8-6; Rocks 8-8; Lions 7-8; Phoenix 7-11; Raiders 6-12; Force 6-11; Scorchers/Flyers 5-11; Giants 5-14

Hoopsfix Star 5: Josh Wilcher, Akeem Ellis, Scott Martin, TJ Robinson, Kinu Rochford

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