| Leicester Riders and Bristol Flyers overcame slow starts to pick up home wins in the BBL Championship, on Saturday.
The Riders were playing in their first game since last week’s BBL Trophy victory and they eventually eased past Surrey Scorchers 91-74 behind 20 points from Jamell Anderson. Meanwhile, Bristol recorded their seventh league win of the season, inflicting further misery on Sheffield this weekend with a 69-65 victory as Cardell McFarland top scored with 15 points. |
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BBL Championship
Leicester Riders 91 (22,46,71) (Anderson 20, Sullivan 16, Bernardini 13)
Surrey Scorchers 74 (18,38,59) (Ross-Miller 23, Ogedengbe 14, Williams/Schlitzer 11)
Leicester Riders returned to league action following last week’s BBL Trophy triumph and defeated Surrey Scorchers 91-74.
Jamell Anderson top scored with 20 points after going 7-of-9 from the field including making some timely scores from downtown.
BBL Trophy Final MVP Drew Sullivan added 16 points from the bench, while Neil Watson slotted back into the starting line-up with a double-double of 12 points and 10 assists.
It was Surrey who made the stronger starting, leading by as many as six points at 12-18 in the opening period, before the home side closed the quarter on a 10-0 run.
The visitors re-took the lead following eight unanswered points early in the second, but an 11-2 run to close the half including a late three from Anderson gave the Riders a lead they would not relinquish.
Tyler Bernardini extended Leicester’s advantage to double digits with a three to open the second half, only for their lead to be halved through the 3-point shooting of Scorchers’ debutante Mike Anderson.
Once again, Anderson had the final say in the period with the final five points to make it a 12-point differential heading into the fourth, and there was to be no way back for Surrey with the final winning margin a comfortable 17 points for the Riders.
KC Ross-Miller led the visitors with a game-high 23 points, and the Scorchers are back in action tomorrow (Sunday) as they travel to face Cheshire Phoenix.
Leicester now have a 17-2 record in the BBL Championship and move back into second, whilst closing the gap on leaders, Esh Group Eagles Newcastle.
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BBL Championship
Bristol Flyers 69 (10,29,57) (McFarland 15, Streete/Lee 14)
Sheffield Sharks 65 (14,32,54) (Tuck 16, Brooks 14, Robinson 10)
Bristol Flyers held on for a memorable 69-65 victory at home to Sheffield Sharks as they gave their Play-Off hopes a boost, on Saturday.
The Flyers’ seventh league victory sees them close to within six points of Cheshire Phoenix and Plymouth University Raiders as they avenged a 27-point loss to Sheffield from earlier this year.
Four players reached double figures, led by Cardell McFarland’s 15 points, while Tyrone Lee came off the bench to contribute 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the win.
There was little between the two sides, particularly in the early stages with Brandon Hogg’s five points towards the end of the opening quarter helping the visitors edge ahead by four.
Triples from Kyle Odister and Mike Tuck extended Sheffield’s advantage at the start of the second, and they would maintain their advantage throughout the period, although the Flyers kept in touch to go into the half-time break down by just three points.
Bristol were soon back on level terms and the lead changes hands throughout the third quarter, until McFarland’s late three gave his side a 47-44 lead to take into the crucial fourth stanza.
Mathias Seilund and Roy Owen followed suit from downtown to help Bristol establish a 10-point cushion, but the Sharks rallied with a 9-0 response to close within a single point and set up a tense finish.
The game was tied at 63-63 inside the final two minutes before Greg Streete stepped up with a dagger three to spark a 6-0 run, and the Flyers were able to hold on for the win.
Tuck top scored with 16 points for Sheffield as they drop to a 14-10 record and lose ground on catching the teams above them.
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