Rocks fall short in BBL Playoff Final, after inspirational comeback
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Glasgow Rocks 72 - Yanders 15, Sapp/Copeland 14
Everton Tigers 80 - Moore 22, Bell 18, Jones 15
Everton Tigers finished the season on a high by claiming the BBL Championship Play-off title with an 80-72 victory over Glasgow Rocks at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham on Saturday.
Tigers’ success came thanks in no small part to Kevin Bell, who scored 18 points and contributed 4 assists. That performance secured him the coveted Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
“It‘s a great way to end the season,“ Tigers Head Coach Tony Garbelotto enthused after the game. “I‘m proud of the guys and happy for the fans, who got their rewards for their efforts.”
For Everton, this success helps to make up for last year’s disappointment, when they finished as runners-up to Newcastle Eagles. Tigers secured their place in today’s Final courtesy of wins over Cheshire Jets and reigning Champions Newcastle Eagles.
Tigers were fastest out of the traps. They scored ten of the first 13 points and then enjoyed a 13-0 tear later in the first quarter to lead 23-7. In that second tear, Everton hit two three-pointers from Kevin Bell and James Jones and Bell almost got a third, but was judged to be inside the arc.
Trailing 23-9 after the opening stanza, Rocks kept pace in the early exchanges of the second period. However, Tigers were soon extending their advantage, taking it out to as many as 22 points at 45-23. Trey Moore bagged two three-pointers in that streak. Player/Coach Sterling Davis showed himself to be Rocks’ brightest scoring prospect in the first half, but still Glasgow trailed 45-28 at half-time.
The game turned on its head in the third quarter and the shots that had previously been going in failed to drop for Tigers. Everton cut the deficit down to single figures at 49-40 to Everton. Sapp hit back-to-back three pointers as that gap was cut still further to 54-49 with 1.45 to go in the quarter.
Rocks trailed by just three points at the end of the third quarter at 56-53, but Rob Yanders levelled the game at the start of the final period and a Mike Crowell three-pointer gave them their first lead of the game at 59-58 soon after. Suddenly long range shots were starting to fall for the Scots, having been 0 from 15 attempts in the first half.
It set up a gripping finale, but Everton were not ready to throw in the towel. They hit a string of threes of their own, notably from Kevin Bell, Trey Moore and Andrew Thomson. Six unanswered points saw Tigers re-take the lead and with less than one minute to go they had re-established a double digit lead at 77-66. Copeland and Yanders both fouled out for Rocks, as Tigers made the result sure from the foul line.
Trey Moore was the game’s top scorer, with 22 for Tigers; Rob Yanders topped the scoring for Rocks with 15.
Also at the NIA today was the BBL All Star Game, which was won by a Rest of the World Team, who beat Great Britain 110-94. BBL Player of the Year Mike Cook top scored with 31 personal points for the victors; Tafari Toney added 23 for GB.
Posted on 10 May, 2010
