BBL qualifiers
London Lions 82–74 Cheshire Phoenix (19-24, 20-19, 28-18, 15-13)
(black – Zoopsyk 15, Ward-Hibbert 13, Accuracy 10; Phoenix – Archibald 24, Austin 22, Evans 13)
Leicester Raiders 75-79 Bristol Flyers (21-18, 19-24, 14-22, 21-15)
(Raiders – Loving 18, Love/Jackson 12, Whelan 9; Flyers – Delbicch 23, Olesson 19, Miller 15)
Leicester Raiders had to put up a fierce battle to reach the final of the British Basketball League, where they lost 75-79 to the Bristol Flyers at the Morningside Arena, but managed a 159-156 victory over both legs.
Going into the semi-finals with a seven-point lead, Bristol put in a valiant display away from home, in a fiercely competitive competition. Andreas Capoulas’ side could not do enough to qualify for next Sunday’s final.
Bristol led off a dominant display from Malcolm Delpiche. The big guy led the game in scoring with 23 points on 71% shooting, while also recording eight rebounds and two blocks. He was backed by teammates Tevin Oleson’s 19 points and Mike Miller, who impacted the game in many ways – he scored 15, grabbed seven rebounds and handed out fifteen cents.
Mark Loving shone with Leicester, recording 18 points, four rebounds and five assists, while shooting an average of 62% from the field. Zach Jackson also played a key role with 12 points and seven dishes.
Delpeche set the standards early on, scoring within the first 13 seconds and starting his impressive performance. But three straight Loving buckets at the end of the first quarter ensured the Raiders built on an early lead.
Bristol tied the game through Delpeche within minutes of the second quarter and both teams traded leads for the remainder of the period.
Remaining aggressive in the third, the Flyers opened their lead to double digits. Nerves are beginning to settle with Rob Paternostro’s team, as their overall supremacy has been hanging by a thread.
Then, a competitive fourth quarter was played, with the Flyers still leading, even extending their lead to 12 points and putting themselves ahead overall. The teams then shuffled the aggregate score during the final minutes.
The match was tight the whole time. Both teams recorded eight steals and eight assists, while Bristol edged Leicester on the board with just three rebounds. Attacking efforts from Loving and Jackson confirmed that Bristol’s performance on the night wasn’t enough, as Leicester punched their ticket to face London or Cheshire at the O2 Arena.
In the first leg of the other semi-final, the London Giants Lions came close to securing a domestic treble with an 82-74 victory over Cheshire Phoenix at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.
With key players absent, Ryan Schmidt’s team played offense by committee, with Tomislav Zubšić scoring 15 points and Josh Ward-Hibert scoring 13 with an efficiency of 71% from the field. Jordan Taylor moved the ball effectively for the league and cup champions, recording eight assists in the match.
The result was difficult for Phoenix guard Amory Archibald, who scored 24 points, three rebounds and four assists, while assisting captain Larry Austin with 22 points and seven rebounds.
Cheshire came out flying, as Austin and Maceo Jacques confidently attacked the basket. Ben Thomas’ team had cause for optimism, finishing the first half with a five-point lead. London was a slow start, with an uncharacteristically lackluster performance from outside the arc.
The next quarter was a contest, as Ward Hebert found his shot and began to slowly but surely reduce Phoenix’s lead. Cheshire stood strong and kept the lions at arm’s length. The game was on, going into halftime with Phoenix winning by 4 goals.
As the third quarter began, a frustrated London team decided enough was enough. Behind the dynamic efforts of Mo Soluade and Zubcic, they fought their way to the front, winning the frame by ten and gaining the advantage that they wouldn’t give up for the rest of the match.
The movement of the ball was a huge factor in the game, with London outpacing their opponents in assists by 13. Cheshire must improve their three-point shooting to reach the final, where they have used up just three of 17 attempts from Central.
The return leg takes place tomorrow at Cheshire Oaks Arena, and while the Lions have now won all six meetings between the two sides this season, Phoenix’s display in the backcourt will be a source of hope, as they aim to overcome an eight-point deficit.