MILTON KEYNES LIONS - Friday 2nd October
Marshall MK Lions 78 (24,49,63) (Williams 17, Youngblood/Holmes 14)
Glasgow Rocks 96 (21,41,69) (Yanders 21, Parillon 19, Sapp 16)
Glasgow Rocks moved themselves up into joint third position in the BBL Championship table with a number of other clubs thanks to a 78-96 victory over the Marshall MK Lions at the Bletchley Leisure Centre on Friday evening. In a closely fought opening quarter, the Lions netted the opening four points of the game but the Rocks came back and lead 12-15 early on. Both teams traded baskets for the remainder of the quarter and it was the home side who lead 24-21 at the end of the first period. In the second quarter a succession of three three- pointers from Lions' Yorrick Williams helped the home side into a 49-41 lead at the half. In the second half, Williams netted the opening basket of the half before leaving the game with an ankle injury. The visitors got themselves back into the game following Williams' injury and eight points from Jessie Sapp helped the Rocks into a 63-65 lead going into the final stanza. In the final period the Rocks broke the game open with a 23- 2 tear to take the score out to 65-88 and the Rocks saw out the game for the comfortable victory. Williams top-scored for the Lions with 17 points, but it was Rob Yanders (pictured) who led all scorers in the game with 21 points for the Rocks.
WORTHING THUNDER - Saturday 3rd October
Worthing Thunder 93 (28,51,68) (Bratton 47, Cricelli 14, Makalainen 10)
Glasgow Rocks 91 (28,57,77) (Sapp 26, Yanders 25, Davis 15)
The Worthing Thunder moved up to second place in the BBL Championship table after Reggie Bratton hit a late three-pointer, on his way to 47 points, in a 93-91 defeat of the Glasgow Rocks on the South Coast. The Rocks had previously led for the most of the game.
The Rocks made a fast start to the game with the first two scores, and after four minutes they pushed their lead out to 9-16 on a Yanders three-pointer. Less than two minutes later that lead became 13-21 as Sapp connected from long range. The Thunder mounted a comeback from there, with an 8-0 tear that was capped by a pair of triples from Reggie Bratton and they were soon tied at 21, then again at 23 and 25. Sapp and Bratton exchanged three-pointers in the final 14 seconds to see the teams go in tied at 28 after the first ten minutes.
The visiting Rocks seized back the initiative in the second stanza, despite Bratton scoring all of the points in a quick 6-2 start that made the score 34-30 to the hosts. Murray and Yanders responded with back-to-back threes for the Rocks, before Yanders repeated the feat to give his team a 36-39 lead. Sterling Davis hit all of the Rocks' points, including two triples, in an 8-2 run before Yanders and Sapp added further three-pointers as the Rocks led 51-57 at the half. The Rocks had hit eleven three-pointers in the first half, while Bratton kept the Thunder in the game with an unbelievable 31 first half points.
The hosts could make no inroads in the third quarter as the Rocks started with a 7-2push. They flirted with a double-digit lead when a Yanders three made it 59- 68 midway through, before the Thunder fought back. Zafirov scored five of seven unanswered points, only to see the Rocks respond with the next seven. Despite that, the Rocks couldn't quite push the lead out of single figures, as they went into the decisive quarter 68-77 to the good.
Things all changed in the fourth quarter, despite the Rocks finally achieving a double-figure lead as Sapp scored the opening basket. But the Thunders stormed back immediately to take the lead at 82-81 with a 14-2 burst that included seven points for Bratton. There were five lead changes in the next couple of minutes and the Rocks led 90-91 with 15 seconds left after Sapp made 2/2 from the line. Bratton stepped up with eight seconds left to hit the game-winning three, as the Rocks failed to score with the final possession. Bratton was supported by 14 points from Samuel Cricelli. Sapp led the Rocks with 26 points, but the threes dried up as they only hit two in the second half.
Posted on 05 October, 2009
