In the push for the BBL Championship Playoffs, the Marshall MK Lions scored a significant away win north of the border by beating the Scottish Rocks 87-99. The win means that the Lions become one of three teams on 14 wins and in the hunt for the seventh and eighth places; meanwhile, the Rocks have lost ten games in a row and are sitting precariously above the playoffs with the Lions, Jets and Sharks looking to displace them.
Three players dominated the game for the Lions as Jayson Obazuaye had 30 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals; Yorick Williams posted 24 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists; and Terell Brown added 15 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. It is the second highest points tally that the Lions have ever achieved in Scotland.
The hosts started the game the faster and put the first four points on the board before leading 10-6 just over four minutes in. However, from there the Lions asserted their authority with an 18-3 surge that included two three-pointers and 10 points for Terrell Brown. The Rocks recovered late in the quarter as Chi Lewis-Parry scored the last five points to make the score 20-26.
However, that momentum was stalled by Williams as he hit two three-pointers in the opening 22 seconds of the second quarter. Dru Spinks added to those for a 20-34 lead for the Lions. The Rocks responded with five straight points, but they were halted by a Williams triple once more to push the lead back into double- figures at 25-37. Wilbur Johnson and Williams then entered a personal battle, cancelling each other out as the former scored five straight points and the latter responded in kind, before the Lions finished the stanza with a 9-2 run. Obazuaye scored the last five points for a 34-51 lead for the Lions at the break. Obazuaye and Williams had shared 32 of those first half points.
The efforts of that pair were aided by Tommy Eddie in the third quarter as the trio scored the first 16 points for the Lions. Eddie scored 8 points, and Williams added another three-pointer, in a two minute spell as a 13-4 run made the score 47-69 after a brief rally from the Rocks. Brown added another three-pointer before the Rocks narrowed the gap in the last two minutes. Johnson scored five in a 9-2 finish that kept their hopes alive at 62-76 going into the fourth.
The Rocks made a go of it in the fourth quarter, but were held off by the Lions and never managed to get the lead back within single figures.
With two games to go in the championship, away at Sheffield and home to Everton, the Rocks will need one win in order to secure a playoff quarter final.
The Rocks play away this Friday 17th at Sheffield Sharks and are back home next Sunday 19th April in their last championship game of the season at Kelvin Hall when Everton Tigers will be the visitors(tip-off 5pm)
Posted on 13 April, 2009
