REVIEW - The finalists are set for the Senior Cup Finals in February!

NBL Division One

 Thames Valley Cavaliers 75 v 53 Barking Abbey Crusaders 

Saturday 26 January 2019 - 6.00pm

Live Stats

The cross-capital derby that tipped off the NBL Division One action this weekend saw both sides get off to good starts, trading leads, before the Crusaders edged ahead by two points to end the first stanza. The second quarter was a one-sided affair that all but decided the result early on, as the Cavaliers went on a tear in the closing stages of the period, building 13 point lead at the half. Doubling down on their good second quarter performance, Coach Robert Banks' side continued their hot streak to begin the third, pulling away to a 29 point advantage at one point, with the game effectively over. The young Crusaders continued to battle throughout the final period, but the damage was done as Thames Valley were able to hold on to a commanding 20+ point lead. The victory sees the Cavaliers vaulted into third place in the standings with a 10-4 record, an very impressive start to the season for the top-flight debutants. 

The Cavaliers three big names did the bulk of the damage as they combined for 57 points, as Abdoulaye Sylla led the way with 21 points, 10 rebounds and three steals. Sylla was assisted by 19 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals from Elliott Defreitas, while Martelle McLemore finished with 17 points, nine rebounds, two assists and three steals. Aiden Saunders added a near double-double of nine points and nine rebounds for the Cavs. Meanwhile, Jonathan Brown led the way for Barking with 13 points, eight rebounds and three assists, the only double figure scorer for Coach Lloyd Gardner's side. Nathaniel Powell was just shy of a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds, while Ade Adebayo added nine points and four rebounds. 

 

 Nottingham McDonalds Hoods 69 v 97 Team Solent Kestrels 

Saturday 26 January 2019 - 6.30pm

Live Stats

The Nottingham McDonalds Hoods led early in this one, but the game quickly turned in the visitor's favour as they pulled off a dominant victory on the road to bounce back from two recent losses in the league and cup. A solid first quarter gave the visiting Kestrels a five point advantage after the first quarter, before a sharp run midway saw the deficit grow to as many as 19 just before the half. Coach Matt Guymon's squad came out firing in the third quarter as they extended their lead to 30, not looking back en route to a commanding victory. The Kestrels continue to edge ahead of the pack at the top of the table, now 12-2 on the season, as those chasing hope for a slip-up or two to make things interesting. Nottingham drop to 7-8 with the loss, but maintain their playoff position as they hold on to seventh place.

Herm Senor II starred in the Solent triumph, pouring in 36 points, with six rebounds, five assists and three steals. Travis Charles chipped in an efficient 17 points on 7-9 shooting, adding eight rebounds, three assists and two steals, while captain Louie Kirkman contributed 12 points, four rebounds and two steals. David Watts came off the bench to pace Coach Ryan Westley's side with 14 points and six rebounds, while it was Kieran Wright who led the starters with 12 points, two rebounds and two assists. Euan James added 10 points in limited minutes, while there was a quiet night for Cole Welle who was held to single digits as he finished with nine points and eight rebounds. 

 

Derby Trailblazers 76 v 58 Team Newcastle 

Saturday 26 January 2019 - 7.15pm

Live Stats

Having fallen behind for much of the first half, the Derby Trailblazers' second half comeback saw they take a commanding victory that was in doubt for much of the contest. The visitors quickly jumped out to a 10 point lead as Coach Ian Hewitt's side started the brighter of the two sides. Derby trimmed the deficit in the second, but the North East squad remained on top by three points as the teams entered the locker rooms. Leading by five midway through the third, Newcastle were looking comfortable, before an explosive run of scores from the Blazers turned the game on its head. Leading by two points as the game headed into its final stanza, the hosts continued their run to pull away and end the game as a contest. 

Matt Ward-Hibbert came off the bench for Coach Matt Shaw to pace the hosts with 21 points, two rebounds and two assists, while Malcolm Smith had 18 points, six rebounds and two assists. Mid-season addition Isa Brandon added another scoring punch off the bench as he finished with 18 points of his own, to go along with five rebounds and two assists. The visitors were led by another good performance from Nikola Urli, who had 15 points, eight rebounds and three assists, while Eric Stafford was the only other double figure scorer with 11 points, four rebounds and two assists. A solid defensive performance, especially in the second half, saw the other Newcastle starters limited to just 11 points combined on 4-22 shooting.

 

Worthing Thunder 81 v 68 Leicester Warriors

Saturday 26 January 2019 - 7.30pm

Live Stats

Worthing Thunder continued their plight to keep pace with Solent at the top of the table with a solid victory in front of their home fans at the Thunderdome. A bright start to the game saw Coach Karl Brown's squad edge ahead, before a couple of key scores by Worthing to end the first period ensured things were all tied up heading into the second stanza. The Thunder then caught fire as they poured in 33 in the quarter, building a 17 point advantage at the half. The Warriors continued to fight as the game progressed, cutting the deficit to single digits numerous times, but never really able to challenge the Thunder lead. The win sees Worthing improve to 12-3 on the season, keeping up a run of wins in 2019 as they look to set up a league-deciding showdown with the Kestrels. 

Jorge Ebanks was on fire for the Thunder as he led all scorers with 30 points on 12-18 shooting. Going a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the arc, Ebanks also added five rebounds, two assists and three steals in an all-round effort. Alex Owumi finished with 15 points, despite struggling from the perimeter, while pulling down eight rebounds. Brendan Okoronwko was the only other double-digit scorer with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists, as a relatively quiet night for Zaire Taylor saw him chip in six points, five rebounds and five steals. Raphell Thomas-Edwards kept up his run of form as he led Leicester with 24 points, 16 rebounds and four assists, while new face Taylor Johnson added 15 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. 

 

 Manchester Magic 64 v 72 Barking Abbey Crusaders 

Sunday 27 January 2019 - 5.00pm

Live Stats

The NBL Division One weekend ended on a sour note for the Manchester Magic, who fell to their 10th straight loss at the hands of the Barking Abbey Crusaders. The Crusaders led by as many as 17 in this one, leading from tip to buzzer as they closed out their double-header on a high. A good first half for Coach Lloyd Gardner's side saw them lead by 13 as the teams headed for the locker rooms, before a good third quarter run saw Coach Simon Fisher's unit make things interesting. With the Barking lead trimmed to just three points entering the final stanza, a long scoreless stretch by the Magic was their undoing, as their offensive struggles allowed the Crusaders to pull away for a narrow victory. 

The visiting Crusaders were led by a game-high 21 points from Jonathan Brown, as he added three rebounds and two assists. Ade Adebayo chipped in 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and two blocks, while Tautvydas Mieliauskas knocked down three triples to add 11 points. Having gone scoreless against Thames Valley one day prior, former Myerscough College and Lancashire Spinners star Kyle Carey enjoyed a solid return to the North West with seven points, four rebounds and two steals, as the mid-season addition to the Barking lineup begins to find his feet. 

 

National Trophy

 Bradford Dragons 82 v 89 Worthing Thunder 

Sunday 27 January 2019 - 4:15pm

A Sunday afternoon game in West Yorkshire presented the first opportunity for a team to punch their ticket to UEL Sportsdock for the National Trophy final in February. With Bradford well-rested after a day off on Saturday, Worthing made the journey up North to complete a back-to-back weekend in search of a finals berth. The contest started out at a blistering pace, with both sides hitting their mark on the offensive end as Worthing took a 26-34 advantage after one. The scoring rate slowed down in the second stanza as both squads improved their defensive effort, with the Dragons edging their way back into the contest to trim the Thunder lead to five points at the half. Another scoring burst from the south coast squad in the third period saw them pour in 26 points, extending their lead to 12 entering the final ten minutes. A solid final stanza from the hosts saw them cut into the deficit, but it wasn't enough as Worthing became first side to book their place in the final. 

Zaire Taylor followed up his quiet night on his home floor to lead all scorers in the Dragons Den with 25 points. Alex Owumi supported well as he finished with 18 points, while Jorge Ebanks added 16. Andreas Lycoudis and Rihards Sulcs paced Bradford with 20 points apiece, while Ricky Fetske chipped in 18. 

 

 Reading Rockets 66 v 91 Loughborough Riders 

Sunday 27 January 2019 - 5.30pm

Live Stats

Loughborough Riders became the second team to book their place in the National Trophy final after a strong second half performance saw them pull away from Reading on the road. An evenly contested first half saw the two sides trading leads, before Loughborough pulled ahead for a narrow advantage at the interval. The Riders' continued to extend their lead as the third quarter progressed, before a sharp run midway through the fourth saw the deficit balloon to 20+ as the Rockets struggled on the offensive end. 

It was a tale of differing styles on the scoresheet in this one, as the Riders got things done by committee, with all five starters hitting double digits, while the Rockets struggled for contributors outside of their two US import stars. Pacing the balanced effort for Loughborough was recent National Cup final MVP Lucien Cristofis with 19 points and two rebounds, while Hosana Kitenge provided solid support on the inside with 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Alex Roberts finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and nine assists in a near triple-double effort, while Niall Harris had 15 points, eight rebounds, two assists and four steals. Captain Jonas Dieterich rounded out the double-digit scorers with 14 points, three rebounds and two steals. For the Rockets, AJ Carr led the charge with 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Trae Pemberton was the only player to hit double figures as he added 15 points, six rebounds, two assists and three steals. 

 

WNBL Division One

 Ipswich 74 v 55 Sevenoaks Suns II 

Saturday 26 January 2019 - 3.00pm

Live Stats

A cagey game early on in Suffolk on Saturday afternoon went the way of the hosts when a lop-sided third quarter gave Ipswich an insurmountable lead. The visiting Sevenoaks squad led the contest in the opening exchanges, before a solid end to the first quarter was followed by a good second period from the home side. However, it was a 25-8 third stanza that spelled the end of the game as a contest, despite the Suns battling hard down the stretch, the damage had been done. Ipswich improve to 6-5 on the season as they hold the fourth spot in the standings, while Sevenoaks' 3-9 record leaves them need results to grab a playoff spot.

Harriet Welham went 4-8 from down town en route to a game-high 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists to pace Ipswich, while Danielle Cazey added 13 points, two rebounds, four assists and five steals. Rebecca Harwood-Bellis came off the bench to chip in 12 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Cameron Taylor-Willis rounded out the double digit scorers with a double-double of 11 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. Charlotte Redhead contributed nine points, five rebounds and two assists as she faced off against her old club. The Suns were notably without Katie Bennett, as they were led by 10 points, six rebounds and two assists from Olivia Partridge. Tamara Fournillier-Onadeko and Molly Shaw chipped in eight points apiece, while Isabel Wood and Zulieka Franklin came off the bench to add seven points each. 

 

 Anglia Ruskin University 67 v 40 Barking Abbey 

Saturday 26 January 2019 - 4.00pm

Live Stats

It was another tough outing on the offensive end for Barking Abbey, as the East London side fell to 4-9 with a loss on the road in Cambridge. Anglia Ruskin started brightly in this one, pouring in 27 first quarter points to build a double-digit lead. Despite scoring well themselves in the first stanza, the wheels came off on the offensive end in the second period as the visitors put only two points on the board in the quarter via an Elizabeth Osilaja jump shot. With the Rhinos stretching away to lead by 23 at the half, it would have taken a massive effort from Barking to get back into the game in the second half; an effort they couldn't quite muster as the hosts maintained their advantage until the final buzzer. 

Leading the charge for the Rhinos was Jazmin Gyulai's 19 point, 10 rebound double-double, while Najha Treadwell stuffed the stat-sheet with 14 points, 17 rebounds, two steals and four blocks. Captain Katrin Hulme chipped in 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and three blocks. Meanwhile, a rough offensive performance saw no Barking Abbey players hit double figures, as the visiting squad were led by nine points, four rebounds and two steals from Jolicia Cadogan. Macy Spinks came off the bench to add eight points, two rebounds and four steals.

 

Loughborough Riders 63 v 64 Team Solent Kestrels

Saturday 26 January 2019 - 4.30pm

Live Stats

Coming off an impressive National Cup victory last weekend, the Loughborough Riders fell at home to the side they knocked out of the cup as a last gasp comeback sealed the result for the visitors. A close game throughout saw the two sides never separated by more than eight points, as the lead changed hands numerous times. Loughborough had the best of the first half exchanges, but a sharp run by the Kestrels tied things up as the teams headed for the locker rooms. Another run by Coach CJ Lee's travelling side gave them the advantage in the third, before Coach Krumesh Patel's squad answered right back to hold the lead as the game entered the final stages. 

Earleesha Jackson knocked down a jump shot with three minutes to play to give Solent a 57-58 lead, before Loughborough went on an 6-0 that looked to have sealed the result. The game entered the final minute with the Riders holding a 63-58 advantage, but back-to-back-to-back scores from Geena Gomez, Krisztina Velkey and Andrea Kurkowski saw the Kestrels take the lead at 63-64. Recent National Cup final MVP Holly Winterburn got a good look at a game-winner, but her step-back jump shot wouldn't go down as the road squad picked up a crucial narrow win. Solent now sit in third place with their 8-3 record, breathing heavily down the necks of the leading two sides in Bristol and Anglia Ruskin.

Geena Gomez continues to star for her side, as she led all scorers with 24 points, eight rebounds and two steals, while Krisztina Velkey added 10 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Andrea Kurkowski and Earleesha Jackson finished with near double-doubles, as the former had nine points and 14 rebounds, while the latter chipped in eight points and nine rebounds. Holly Winterburn led the Riders with a near triple-double of 17 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, while adding four steals. Imogen Cook was the only other double figure scorer for Coach Patel's side as the Scottish guard chipped in 10 points and two assists. 

 

 Reading Rockets 62 v 65 Southwark Pride (OT) 

Saturday 26 January 2019 - 5.30pm

Live Stats

There was another close game over in Berkshire on Saturday evening, as the John Madejski Academy played host to a tight contest that was eventually won in overtime by the visiting Southwark Pride. Another game that was only ever separated by single digits, it was the Pride that had the edge throughout much of the first half, before the Rockets took some control of their own in the third stanza. When a Megan Haines lay-up gave Southwark a seven point lead with a minute to play, the spoils looked to be heading back to Central London within regulation, but the Rockets had other ideas. First Carmen Segura Moreno trimmed the lead to five, before Maike Delow Fasbender cut it to just three. An Esther Oluade turnover in the final seconds gave the Rockets a chance to send the game into an extra period, as Monica Herranz De Antonio stepped up to nail the triple with the final shot of regulation and secure bonus basketball for the fans at JMA.

Herrnanz De Antonio's hot hand didn't cool down as the game entered the extra period, as she knocked down another triple with the first shot of the overtime. Megan Haines responded from outside the arc to tie things up, before a Maya Hyacienth and-one gave Coach Jackson Gibbons' squad a three points advantage. A scoreless stretch saw the game get scrappy in the closing stages, before the Rockets had to foul to stop the clock. Haines had ice in her veins as she made both from the line, Southwark now up 59-64. Maria Angeles Valdeolmillos Gomez then hit a clutch three-pointer to cut the deficit to 62-64, before Haines stepped to the line again to split a pair, before time expired before the Rockets could launch a prayer to tie the contest once more. 

Megan Haines came off the bench to star for Southwark with 31 points, including 12-16 from the foul line, adding five rebounds, two assists and four steals. Maya Hyacienth paced the starters with 12 points, seven rebounds and two steals, while Amelia Sandie chipped in 10 points and four steals. Monica Herranz De Antonio's late game heroics to force the overtime were matched with her all-round performance as she led the Rockets with 25 points, nine rebounds, three assists and four steals in her 43 minutes on the floor. Carmen Segura Moreno chipped in 10 points, two rebounds and two assists, while Maria Angeles Valdeolmillos Gomez had 10 points and two rebounds off the bench. 

 

 Team Birmingham Elite 69 v 83 Bristol Academy Flyers

Saturday 26 January 2019 - 6.00pm

Live Stats

In a bottom versus top affair, it was always going to be an uphill battle for Team Birmingham Elite in this one; the West Midlands side fell to their ninth defeat on the season as Bristol kept rolling. The Flyers led from tip to buzzer in this one, gradually pulling away throughout the contest, as Elite stayed competitive but couldn't quite keep up the scoring rate of their talented visitors. Bristol remain atop the WNBL Division One standings, with a 10-2 record, while Anglia Ruskin maintain the pressure on Coach Gareth Till's squad to not slip up.

The Flyers had five players hit double digits in their winning effort, as Flo Ward paced her team with 25 points and five rebounds. Mai Zilbeti added 15 points, four rebounds, four assists and five steals, while Cristina Bigica came off the bench for 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Becky Cantin finished with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Hannah Wallace contributed 13 points of her own to go with six rebounds. Rebecca Brindley's 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists paced Birmingham, as Sandra Hewakowska chipped in 15 points and seven rebounds. Lucy Buxton rounded out the double digits scorers with her effort of 12 points, eight rebounds and two assists. 

 

NBL Division Two

 Myerscough College 72 v 64 London Greenhouse Pioneers 

Saturday 26 January 2019 - 2.00pm

Live Stats (incomplete webcast)

Myerscough College's first action of 2019 saw fall behind after a tough second quarter that gave London Greenhouse Pioneers a four point advantage at the half. A solid third stanza from Coach Neal Hopkins' side helped them grab the lead as they maintained their advantage to pick up an important win on their home floor against tough opposition.

Mate Okros led the Myerscough effort with 20 points, ably supported by 19 points from Bradley Kaboza. Great Britain junior internationals Callan Low and Amari Williams also chipped in to help the North West side's scoring effort with nine points apiece. Meanwhile, the visiting Pioneers were led by 15 points from Kyla Diaz, as Theo Deleligne and Max Hufschlag contribued 10 points apiece.

 

 Liverpool 76 v 72 Sussex Bears 

Saturday 26 January 2019 - 5.00pm

Live Stats

Liverpool's dominance of NBL Division Two continued on Saturday evening as they extended their unbeaten run to 11-0 on the season. However, Liverpool didn't have things all their own way in this one, as Coach Gary Smith's Sussex Bears led for the majority of the contest before falling behind late on. The Bears started strong, and got the best of the first 30 minutes through good first and third quarter efforts on both ends of the floor. However, the final stanza saw them outscored 22-7, including a a 16-4 run to start the period as Liverpool took their first lead of the game at 70-69 with just under four minutes remaining. Mark Rangeley put Liverpool ahead 72-71 with three minutes to play, before Cordaris Townes split a pair at the line to tie things up at 72-72. A David Ulph lay-up gave the Merseysiders the decisive lead at 74-72, before Kaphel Ulett-Waul hit two clutch free throws as Coach Delme Herriman's side stole the 76-72. 

Mark Rangeley had 17 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals as he paced Liverpool, while Tyme Regent-Bascombe and Jack Hudson added 14 points apiece. Kaphel Ulett-Waul chipped in 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals, while David Ulph finished with a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds. Leading the way for the Bears was Cordaris Townes who finished with a double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds, despite struggling with eight turnovers. Tomas Seduikis added 18 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, while Dominic Baker chipped in 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists. 

 

 Ipswich 77 v 80 East London All Stars 

Saturday 26 January 2019 - 5.30pm

Live Stats

A blistering scoring pace to start the game in Suffolk saw East London All Stars take a commanding advantage that they would not relinquish - despite the best efforts of the home side. East London poured in 28 first quarter points and had 53 on the board at the half as they had built an 11 point advantage heading into the locker rooms. However, the offense dried up a little in the third stanza, only able to put 10 points on the board, which allowed Ipswich a chance to get back into the game. Cutting the lead to a single point via a Jed Robinson jumper early in the fourth, then tying things up when Ethan Price knocked down a triple, the All Stars had a real game on their hands after leading early on.

A nip-and-tuck fourth quarter saw East London finally grab some breathing room at 73-78 with a Jonathan James layup, but four made free throws in a row from Ben Winter brought things back to a one point game at 77-78. Empty trips on Ipswich's next couple of possessions proved costly, when they had to foul Max Denham to stop the clock; who coolly knocked down the pair to give East London the eventual 77-80 result after Ben Winter's prayer triple wouldn't go down to force overtime. 

Kyle Gouveia shone the brightest for the All Stars, as he led all scorers with 28 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. Jonathan James added 12 points and three assists, while Brian Nguru had nine points, with Junior Natty and Max Denham chipping in eight points apiece. Ipswich had five double-digit scorers in their losing effort as they came up just short, with Ethan Price leading the way with 14 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, five steals and four blocks. Cameron Hawes also added 14 points, to go with his two assists and two steals. Jed Robinson finished with 13 points and three rebounds, while Ben Winter rounded out the double figure scorers with 11 points and seven rebounds.

 

 London United 90 v 69 London Westside 

Sunday 27 January 2019 - 4.00pm

Live Stats

A tough season for London Westside continued on Sunday afternoon with a loss at the hands of cross-capital rivals London United. Despite competing well early on, a good third quarter performance from United saw Westside trail as the visitors were never able to quite fight their way back into the game. Holding a nine point advantage at the half, Coach Jack Majewski's squad exploded for 28 points in the third stanza, pulling away for a commanding lead that ended the game as a contest. 

Leading the way for United was Daniel Szatkowski who finished with 24 points and four rebounds, while Modestas Krasauskas came off the bench to add 22 points and four rebounds. Dovydas Rudik chipped in 17 points, four rebounds and two assists, while Tomas Butrimas contribued 10 points on a perfect 5-for-5 game. R Wilson came off the bench to lead Westside with 25 points and two rebounds, while D Morris had 16 points to lead the starters. M Mbye added a near double-double of 13 points and nine rebounds, while Abiodun Adedo rounded out the double digit scorers with 11 points and nine rebounds. 

 

Derbyshire Arrows 94 v 84 Greenwich Titans 

Sunday 27 January 2019 - 4.15pm

Live Stats

Closing the curtain on the NBL Division Two action for this weekend was a closely contested bottom three match-up at Dronfield Sports Centre. In search of just their third win of the season, the Titans got off to a great start as they led by nine points in the early exchanges. Coach Jonny Kelly's Arrows side regathered themselves to lead by two as the first stanza came to a close - a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the contest. Despite their best efforts, and many runs to cut into the lead, Greenwich were unable to counter a strong run by Derbyshire in the second quarter that gave them breathing room to see out the victory and improve to 4-8 on the campaign.

Leading Derbyshire was Joseph Baugh who had 29 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals, while Callum McKenzie added 20 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Osemwegie Eboigbe chipped in a double-double of 16 points, 13 rebounds and two assists, while George Brownell finished with 16 points and six rebounds. Arturo Noha-Pascual continued his fine scoring performances for the Titans with 22 points, three rebounds and three assists, while Jake Murphy added 17 points and three rebounds. A quiet afternoon by his standards, Ray Akpofure finished with 10 points and seven rebounds for Greenwich in the loss.

 

Patrons Cup

 London Greenhouse Pioneers 94 v 99 Ipswich 

Sunday 27 January 2019 - 1.30pm

Live Stats

After their exciting matchup on Saturday evening on their home floor, Ipswich travelled into the capital looking to avenge their loss and book a place in the Patrons Cup final. An offensive showcase went the way of the hosts early on, as Coach Predrag Krneta's side poured in 32 points in the opening stanza to edge ahead. The second quarter saw Ipswich have their turn at a 30 point quarter, storming back to tie things up at the half. Strong words at half time saw Greenhouse come out firing to lead for much of the third, before a solid defensive effort down the stretch gave Ipswich the chance to book their spot in the final.

Kyle Diaz knocked down a triple to extend the Pioneer lead to 94-90 with two minutes remaining, but that would be the final points that the hosts would put on the board. An Ethan Price and-one cut the lead to just one at 94-93, before Rabi Rai gave Ipswich the 94-95 lead with a layup. Four more points from Price in the final 20 seconds spelled the end for the Pioneers, as the Suffolk-based visitors snatched the win and punched their ticket to UEL Sportsdock for the February finals.

Ethan Price led Ipswich with an impressive 32 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and four steals, while Cameron Hawes had 22 points, three rebounds, four assists and five steals. Rabi Rai chipped in 15 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Veron Eze contributed 13 points, three rebounds and two assists. Kyle Diaz put in another good performance for the Pioneers to pace the hosts with 28 points, two rebounds and two assists, while Francesco Rinaldi supported with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists. Theo Deleligne followed up a good performance against Myerscough with 14 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Timi Tinubu came off the bench for 13 points, four rebounds and two assists. 

 

 Liverpool 85 v 95 Westminster Warriors 

Sunday 27 January 2019 - 3.00pm

Live Stats

Having picked up an impressive comeback victory on their home floor on Saturday night to extend their unbeaten league run, the Liverpool fans were hoping for another important result as their quest for silverware continued. A very even first half saw the two sides separated by no more than five points up until the closing stages of the half, when Liverpool went on a run to lead by eight, but Westminster answered as the hosts eventual held a single point advantage at the half. A sharp run to start the third gave the Warriors the lead once more, and this time they never looked back as they grew the gap to double figures for the first time, an advantage they would not relinquish as they stole the result on the road. In punching their ticket to face Ipswich in the final at UEL Sportsdock, Westminster now have a chance at retaining the title that they snatched from Thames Valley in Worcester almost a year ago.

The upset victory for Westminster was led by a massive 30 point effort from Juan Manning, as he added five rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks. Justin Hitchman chipped in 16 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Florian Damptey finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and two assists. Player-coach Jon Johnson contributed 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the winning effort, while Guy Rundle came off the bench to match his play-caller with 11 points of his own. Jack Hudson knocked down three triples on his way to leading Liverpool with 20 points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals, while David Ulph had 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Mark Rangeley chipped in 13 points, eight rebounds and two assists, with Kaphel Ulett-Waul contributing 12 points and seven assists. Tyme Regent-Bascombe provided a scoring punch off the bench as he added 10 points and four rebounds.

 

National Shield

Image result for essex blades logo Essex Blades 98 v 121 University of Chester

Sunday 27 January 2019 - 2.00pm

An outstanding offensive effort from the University of Chester saw them book their place in the National Shield final with a victory over Essex Blades, as they poured in an eye-catching 121 points in the process. Fans at the Montwick Sports Centre knew this was a special day on the offensive end from the start as Chester dropped 37 points in the opening stanza, to build a double-digit lead very early on. The offensive onslaught didn't stop there however, as the squad from the North West continued to pile on the points in a fast-paced contest.

Phil Brandreth led the special day on the offensive end with 35 points for Chester, while Max Jones had 29 and Reiss Faure-Daley chipped in 18. Meanwhile, Jordan Gray had 29 points to pace Essex, as Wes Flaherty added 25 and Dan Morton finished with 24. 

 

 London BC Medelynas 89 v 74 Team Derby Spartans

Sunday 27 January 2019 - 5.30pm

The repeat of the NBL Division Four playoff final from a season ago had a new victor as London BC Medelynas booked their place to face the University of Chester in the National Shield final at UEL Sportsdock in February. Medelynas edged ahead in this one to lead by five after the first period, maintaining their narrow advantage to hold a six point cushion at the half. The third quarter was when the hosts did their damage, pulling away to lead by 17 as the game headed into its final stanza. A spirited fightback by Team Derby narrowed the deficit, but they couldn't get back on even terms as they bowed out of the Shield competition.

Algirdas Jaras led Medelynas with 26 points, while Mantas Guzys had 21 and Edvinas Vaupsas finished with 10. Mical-Ryan Boyd had a game-high 36 points to pace Team Derby, supported by 15 points from Ronald Oberia and 11 points from Lukasz Siczek. 

 

For full Scores & Schedules for this weekend's action, click the link below: