BBL 2017/18 Season - Weekend's Twenty Four to Twenty Seven (9th - 28th March)

(Cheshire Phoenix producing a slam dunk during their home win over Plymouth Raiders, thanks to Adam Day Photography for the image)

It’s been a while since I have done a BBL blog, so here is a catch up on Rounds 24-26 which takes us up to the Easter fixtures and Round 27:-

Round 24

09/03/2018

Newcastle Eagles 104-79 Plymouth Raiders

Worcester Wolves 100-69 Leeds Force

Sheffield Sharks 88-81 Cheshire Phoenix

11/03/2018

Glasgow Rocks 89-85 Cheshire Phoenix

13/03/2018

London Lions 84-55 Bristol Flyers

Round 25

16/03/2018

London Lions 75-93 Glasgow Rocks

Cheshire Phoenix 91-84 Worcester Wolves

Newcastle Eagles 93-70 Bristol Flyers

Leeds Force 53-109 Surrey Scorchers

Plymouth Raiders 103-97 Manchester Giants

17/03/2018

Leicester Riders 97-84 Cheshire Phoenix

18/03/2018

Glasgow Rocks 72-81 Sheffield Sharks

Manchester Giants 68-97 Worcester Wolves

Round 26

23/03/2018

Glasgow Rocks 88-90 Leicester Riders

London Lions 94-71 Surrey Scorchers

Newcastle Eagles 120-68 Leeds Force

Worcester Wolves 92-96 Sheffield Sharks

24/03/2018

Bristol Flyers 91-82 Cheshire Phoenix

25/03/2018

Surrey Scorchers 93-79 Newcastle Eagles

Manchester Giants 66-82 London Lions

Cheshire Phoenix 91-80 Plymouth Raiders

Round 27

28/03/2018

Sheffield Sharks 80-91 Worcester Wolves

So after those results here are the latest BBL Championship standings ahead of the remaining Round 27 fixtures:-

1.       Leicester Riders (Q) Played 24 Won 22 Pct .917 Pts 44

2.       Newcastle Eagles (Q) Played 24 Won 18 Pct .750 Pts 36

3.       Glasgow Rocks Played 27 Won 17 Pct .630 Pts 34

4.       Sheffield Sharks Played 24 Won 15 Pct .625 Pts 30

5.       Worcester Wolves Played 26 Won 15 Pct .577 Pts 30

6.       Surrey Scorchers Played 27 Won 15 Pct .556 Pts 30

7.       London Lions Played 23 Won 14 Pct .609 Pts 28

8.       Bristol Flyers Played 25 Won 13 Pct .520 Pts 26

9.       Cheshire Phoenix Played 26 Won 11 Pct .423 Pts 22

10.   Plymouth Raiders Played 25 Won 6 Pct .240 Pts 12

11.   Manchester Giants Played 24 Won 3 Pct .120 Pts 6

12.   Leeds Force Played 25 Won 1 Pct .040 Pts 2

So with this and another four Rounds remaining it’s the Leicester Riders who are on course for the league championship, currently eight points clear of Newcastle Eagles.  As you can see there is now a line between 8^th and 9^th place, this is because the top eight qualify for the playoffs, and as you can also see the top two have already qualified for this.  You would have to probably say the top six are pretty much certain to qualify now, whilst London Lions in seventh should qualify if they have a good Easter period (they have three home games) whilst Bristol Flyers have a four point cushion over Cheshire Phoenix having played a game less.  With the bottom three out of the running, Cheshire are the only side who can make a late run for the post season now. 

Right here are the remaining fixtures for Round 27:-

29/03/2018

Leicester Riders vs Newcastle Eagles

London Lions vs Leeds Force

30/03/2018

Sheffield Sharks vs Bristol Flyers

Manchester Giants vs Surrey Scorchers

London Lions vs Newcastle Eagles

01/04/2018

Sheffield Sharks vs Leeds Force

London Lions vs Leicester Riders

Cheshire Phoenix vs Glasgow Rocks

03/04/2018

Newcastle Eagles vs Worcester Wolves

So that you all up to date with the BBL, I will bring you a roundup of the remainder of Round 27 in my next blog, so until then it’s byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

BBL 2017/18 Season - Weekend Twenty Three (3rd - 4th March)

(Leicester Riders celebrate their third successive BBL Trophy win after edging Sheffield Sharks in Sunday's Final in Glasgow, thanks to BBL Official for the photo)

Saturday 3rd March
BBL Championship
Bristol Flyers 96-93 Cheshire Phoenix

Sunday 4th March
BBL Trophy Final (at Glasgow Emirates Arena)
Leicester Riders 90-85 Sheffield Sharks

Latest BBL Championship Standings
1. Leicester Riders Played 22 Won 20 Pts 40
2. Newcastle Eagles Played 20 Won 15 Pts 30
3. Glasgow Rocks Played 23 Won 15 Pts 30
4. Surrey Scorchers Played 24 Won 13 Pts 26
5. Sheffield Sharks Played 20 Won 12 Pts 24
6. Worcester Wolves Played 21 Won 12 Pts 24
7. Bristol Flyers Played 22 Won 12 Pts 24
8. London Lions Played 19 Won 11 Pts 22
9. Cheshire Phoenix Played 20 Won 9 Pts 18
10. Plymouth Raiders Played 22 Won 5 Pts 10
11. Manchester Giants Played 21 Won 3 Pts 6
12. Leeds Force Played 22 Won 1 Pts 2

Just the two games across the whole weekend after Friday evenings games were postponed due to the snowy conditions across the UK, one in the BBL Championship on Saturday evening, and the BBL Trophy final on Sunday.  Both were very well contested games though and on Saturday evening Bristol Flyers edged out Cheshire Phoenix by three points in the South West to climb a place to seventh.  Phoenix had a four point lead after the first quarter however the hosts managed to turn it around to lead by three going into the half.  A huge third quarter from the hosts, including 12 points from Brandon Boggs, had them well in control of the contest, and although the visitors fought back gamely in the final quarter, Flyers held on to record the win and strengthen their position in the play off places.

And so to Sunday's BBL Trophy Final in Glasgow.  Once the crowd had been warmed up by an exhibition match between Glasgow Rocks and the Scotland national team, which the latter won 88-68, it was time for the main event as Leicester Riders took on Sheffield Sharks.  Helped by eight points from Tyler Bernardini, Riders blasted out to a 29-15 lead at the end of quarter one, and the lead was eleven for the favourites at the half as Bernardini with 11 points saw them lead 52-41 at the half, with Sharks Dirk Williams also netting 11 points.  Sharks then managed to pull back the deficit to five points at one point in the third quarter, however the Riders held a 73-64 lead as the Third Quarter expired.  Incredibly the Sharks fought back and held an 85-84 lead with 0:34 remaining, that was until Eric Robertson drained a magnificant three for the Riders, and it was Leicester who ran out 90-85 in the end and settle one hell of a game in Glasgow.  It's Riders third straight BBL Trophy success too, and the tenth title for head coach Rob Paternostro, awesome stuff.

Anyway after all that excitement here comes next weekend's fixtures:-
Friday 9th March
BBL Championship
Newcastle Eagles vs Plymouth Raiders
Worcester Wolves vs Leeds Force
Sheffield Sharks vs Cheshire Phoenix

Sunday 11th March
BBL Championship
Glasgow Rocks vs Cheshire Phoenix

Tuesday 13th March
BBL Championship

London Lions vs Bristol Flyers

BBL 2017/18 Season - Weekend Twenty Two (23rd - 25th February)

(George Beamon returned from injury to lead a short-handed Worcester Wolves side to victory over Plymouth Raiders with 34 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists & 2 steals, thanks to BBL Official for the photo)


Friday 23rd February
BBL Championship
Bristol Flyers 90-100 Surrey Scorchers
Newcastle Eagles 114-73 Leeds Force
Worcester Wolves 95-84 Plymouth Raiders
Cheshire Phoenix 100-88 Manchester Giants
Leicester Riders 75-64 Sheffield Sharks

Sunday 25th February
BBL Championship
Surrey Scorchers 111-94 Cheshire Phoenix
Plymouth Raiders 76-88 Bristol Flyers

BBL Championship Standings
1. Leicester Riders Played 22 Won 20 Pct .909 Pts 40
2. Newcastle Eagles Played 20 Won 15 Pct .750 Pts 30
3. Glasgow Rocks Played 23 Won 15 Pct .652 Pts 30
4. Surrey Scorchers Played 24 Won 13 Pct .542 Pts 26
5. Sheffield Sharks Played 20 Won 12 Pct .600 Pts 24
6. Worcester Wolves Played 21 Won 12 Pct .571 Pts 24
7. London Lions Played 19 Won 11 Pct .579 Pts 22
8. Bristol Flyers Played 21 Won 11 Pct .524 Pts 22
9. Cheshire Phoenix Played 19 Won 9 Pct .474 Pts 18
10. Plymouth Raiders Played 22 Won 5 Pct .227 Pts 10
11. Manchester Giants Played 21 Won 3 Pct .143 Pts 6
12. Leeds Force Played 22 Won 1 Pct .045 Pts 2

It was business as usual at the top of the BBL Championship standings as Leicester Riders saw off a tough Sheffield Sharks to end up winning by nine points to go ten points clear at the top, whilst Newcastle Eagles went back into second place after thumping bottom side Leeds Force by 41 points.  Biggest movers of the weekend were Surrey Scorchers, who moved into fourth spot after picking up two wins at the weekend, netting 100 points on the road at Bristol Flyers before netting another 111 points in a home win over Cheshire Phoenix.  Both Flyers and Phoenix did record wins in their other games this weekend though, Flyers downing local rivals Plymouth Raiders whilst Phoenix got the better of strugglers Manchester Giants in their local derby.  Raiders, who are also struggling, lost both their weekend games after they had lost at Worcester Wolves on Friday night.

Here are your fixtures for next weekend
Friday 2nd March
BBL Championship
Leeds Force vs Surrey Scorchers
Newcastle Eagles vs Worcester Wolves

Saturday 3rd March
BBL Championship
Bristol Flyers vs Cheshire Phoenix

Sunday 4th March
BBL Trophy Final (at Glasgow Emirates Arena)
Leicester Riders vs Sheffield Sharks


This weekend sees the second trophy of the season up for grabs as Riders and Sharks go head to head in the BBL Trophy Final in Glasgow.  The teams played only last weekend and it was the Riders who came out on top 75-64 so can the Sharks gain revenge and defeat the best team in the BBL currently.  Should be a cracking final no doubt.

BBL 2017/18 Season - Weekend Twentyone (14th - 18th February)

(Cheshire Phoenix and Sheffield Sharks do battle, thanks to BBL Official for the photo)

Wednesday 14^th February

BBL Trophy Semi Final First Leg

London Lions 81-90 Leicester Riders

Friday 16^th February

BBL Championship

Leeds Force 79-107 Sheffield Sharks

Surrey Scorchers 109-88 Manchester Giants

Worcester Wolves 83-86 Glasgow Rocks

BBL Trophy Semi Final Second Leg

Leicester Riders 92-65 London Lions (Riders won 182-146 on aggregate)

Saturday 17^th February

BBL Championship

Bristol Flyers 82-74 Worcester Wolves

Sunday 18^th February

BBL Championship

Cheshire Phoenix 77-82 Sheffield Sharks

Latest BBL Championship Standings

1.       Leicester Riders Played 21 Won 19 Pct .905 Pts 38

2.       Glasgow Rocks Played 23 Won 15 Pct .652 Pts 30

3.       Newcastle Eagles Played 19 Won 14 Pct .737 Pts 28

4.       Sheffield Sharks Played 19 Won 12 Pct .632 Pts 24

5.       London Lions Played 19 Won 11 Pct .579 Pts 22

6.       Worcester Wolves Played 20 Won 11 Pct .550 Pts 22

7.       Surrey Scorchers Played 22 Won 11 Pct .500 Pts 22

8.       Bristol Flyers Played 19 Won 10 Pct .526 Pts 20

9.       Cheshire Phoenix Played 17 Won 8 Pct .471 Pts 16

10.   Plymouth Raiders Played 20 Won 5 Pct .250 Pts 10

11.   Manchester Giants Played 20 Won 3 Pct .150 Pts 6

12.   Leeds Force Played 21 Won 1 Pct .048 Pts 2

Riders were not in league action at the weekend as they had the small matter of a BBL Trophy Semi Final two legged tie against London Lions, and after a close battle in the capital on Wednesday which saw the midland side take a nine point lead into the second leg, they thrashed the Lions by 27 points in the second leg to set up a final against Sheffield Sharks on March 4^th in Glasgow.  That leads us nicely onto the Glasgow Rocks, who overtook Newcastle Eagles, who were not in action this weekend, into second spot and go eight behind Riders, after they won a nail biter in Worcester against the Wolves.  However they were dealt a blow today when Rocks head coach Tony Garbelotto resigned from his post.  A statement from the club said the following “Glasgow Rocks Head Coach, Tony Garbelotto, has resigned from his role with immediate effect for personal reasons. The Glasgow Rocks would like to thank Tony for all his efforts while in Glasgow and wish him all the very best for the future. Assistant coach, Darryl Wood, will be stepping into the Head Coach role for the remainder of the 2017/18 season with the assistance and support of the Rocks senior players. The Rocks will not be making any further comment and ask everyone to respect that this resignation was made for personal reasons.”  Sheffield Sharks are into fourth after two wins on the road, whilst Wolves drop to sixth after loosing both games this weekend. 

Here are next weekend’s fixtures

Friday 23^rd February

BBL Championship

Bristol Flyers vs Surrey Scorchers

Leicester Riders vs Sheffield Sharks

Newcastle Eagles vs Leeds Force

Worcester Wolves vs Plymouth Raiders

Cheshire Phoenix vs Manchester Giants

Sunday 25^th February

BBL Championship

Surrey Scorchers vs Cheshire Phoenix

Plymouth Raiders vs Bristol Flyers 

BBL 2017/18 Season - Weekend Twenty (7th - 11th February)

(action from Bristol Flyers stunning win over Glasgow Rocks on Saturday evening, thanks to BBL Official for the photo)

Wednesday 7th February

BBL Trophy Semi Final First Leg

Worcester Wolves 86-86 Sheffield Sharks 

Friday 9th February

BBL Championship

London Lions 85-97 Worcester Wolves

Newcastle Eagles 83-100 Cheshire Phoenix

Sheffield Sharks 92-98 Leicester Riders

Manchester Giants 94-62 Leeds Force

Saturday 10th February

BBL Championship

Bristol Flyers 80-76 Glasgow Rocks

Sunday 11th February

BBL Championship

Plymouth Raiders 63-86 Glasgow Rocks

Cheshire Phoenix 73-86 Leicester Riders 

BBL Trophy Semi Final Second Leg

Sheffield Sharks 75-66 Worcester Wolves (Sharks won 161-152 on aggregate)

BBL Championship Standings

1. Leicester Riders Played 21 Won 19 Pct .905 Pts 38

2. Newcastle Eagles Played 19 Won 14 Pct .737 Pts 28

3. Glasgow Rocks Played 22 Won 14 Pct .636 Pts 28

4. Worcester Wolves Played 18 Won 11 Pct .611 Pts 22

5. London Lions Played 19 Won 11 Pct .579 Pts 22

6. Sheffield Sharks Played 17 Won 10 Pct .588 Pts 20

7. Surrey Scorchers Played 21 Won 10 Pct .476 Pts 20

8. Bristol Flyers Played 18 Won 9 Pct .500 Pts 18

9. Cheshire Phoenix Played 16 Won 8 Pct .500 Pts 16

10. Plymouth Raiders Played 20 Won 5 Pct .250 Pts 10

11. Manchester Giants Played 19 Won 3 Pct .158 Pts 6

12. Leeds Force Played 20 Won 1 Pct .050 Pts 2

Leicester Riders have now built up a ten point cushion to second placed Newcastle Eagles in the Championship after the Midlands outfit took two wins this weekend.  They had to come from behind in a Friday night thriller at Sheffield Sharks, eventually winning that one by six, and then they had to come from behind again to defeat Cheshire Phoenix by an eventual 13 points to record another two points on the road.  This was after Phoenix had netted 100 points on the road against the Eagles on Friday night to stun them with a 17 point win.  Worcester Wives had a mixed few days, losing to The Sharks over two legs in the BBL Trophy Semi Finals, but they did sandwich a magnificent 12 point win over London Lions at the Copperbox in London, lifting themselves into fourth spot in the Championship.  Glasgow Rocks are now level on points with second placed Eagles after they recorded a comfortable 23 point win at Plymouth Raiders, this after they had lost at Bristol Flyers the night before so it was a good bounce back from that.  And finally the bottom two went head to head in the North West on Friday Night and Manchester Giants thrashed Leeds Force by a massive 32 points, it was the Giants third win of the season and Force's 19th loss in twenty games.   It was a woeful result for the Yorkshire side it has to be said.

Here are next weekends fixtures

Wednesday 14th February

BBL Trophy Semi Final First Leg

London Lions vs Leicester Riders

Friday 16th February

BBL Championship

Leeds Force vs Sheffield Sharks

Surrey Scorchers vs Manchester Giants

Worcester Wolves vs Glasgow Rocks

BBL Trophy Semi Final Second Leg

Leicester Riders vs London Lions 

Saturday 17th February

BBL Championship

Bristol Flyers vs Worcester Wolves 

Sunday 18th February

BBL Championship

Cheshire Phoenix vs Sheffield Sharks 

This week this the second two legged semi final take place in the BBL Trophy as London Lions and Leicester Riders go head to head to try and set up a final against Sheffield Sharks in Glasgow on Sunday March 4th.  Also two mouthwatering championship fixtures sees fourth against third on Friday evening in Worcester as Wolves hosts Sharks, and also on Sunday its BBL Cup winners Phoenix at home to Sharks.  Looks like another superb weekend of basketball coming up once again! 

BBL 2017/18 Season - Weekend Nineteen (2nd-4th February)

(action between Newcastle Eagles and London Lions in the BBL Championship on Friday evening, thanks to Newcastle for the photo)

Friday 2nd February
BBL Championship
Newcastle Eagles 82-85 London Lions
Sheffield Sharks 83-79 Cheshire Phoenix
Worcester Wolves 76-81 Leicester Riders
Glasgow Rocks 84-79 Bristol Flyers

Saturday 3rd February
BBL Championship
Leicester Riders 92-58 Manchester Giants

Sunday 4th February
BBL Championship
Leeds Force 76-101 Worcester Wolves
Plymouth Raiders 85-80 Sheffield Sharks
Manchester Giants 60-97 Newcastle Eagles

Latest BBL Championship Standings
1. Leicester Riders Played 19 Won 17 Pct .895 Pts 34
2. Newcastle Eagles Played 18 Won 14 Pct .778 Pts 28
3. Glasgow Rocks Played 20 Won 13 Pct .650 Pts 26
4. London Lions Played 18 Won 11 Pct .611 Pts 22
5. Sheffield Sharks Played 16 Won 10 Pct .625 Pts 20
6. Worcester Wolves Played 17 Won 10 Pct .588 Pts 20
7. Surrey Scorchers Played 21 Won 10 Pct .476 Pts 20
8. Bristol Flyers Played 17 Won 8 Pct .471 Pts 16
9. Cheshire Phoenix Played 14 Won 7 Pct .500 Pts 14
10. Plymouth Raiders Played 19 Won 5 Pct .263 Pts 10
11. Manchester Giants Played 18 Won 2 Pct .111 Pts 4
12. Leeds Force Played 19 Won 1 Pct .053 Pts 2

Leicester Riders have opened up a six point lead at the top now after they recorded a weekend double whilst Newcastle Eagles lost and won this weekend.  Riders sneaked past Worcester Wolves by just five points on Friday night but then thrashed the struggling Manchester Giants by 34 points 24 hours later, whilst the Eagles were stunned at home by three points by the fourth placed London Lions, but bounced back to beat the woeful Giants by 37 points on the road.  Third placed Glasgow Rocks are now just two points behind the Eagles after they won by just five points at home to Bristol Flyers, whilst Sheffield Sharks are into fifth now after defeating BBL Cup winners Cheshire Phoenix on Friday night, however they then lost to Plymouth Raiders, who hadn't won in the league since November.   And bottom side Leeds Force lost for the 18th time in 19 league games after they were thrashed by The Wolves in Yorkshire by 25 points, who put up 101 in the process.

Here are the upcoming fixtures
Wednesday 7th February
BBL Trophy Semi Final First Leg
Worcester Wolves vs Sheffield Sharks

Friday 9th February
BBL Championship
London Lions vs Worcester Wolves
Newcastle Eagles vs Cheshire Phoenix
Sheffield Sharks vs Leicester Riders
Manchester Giants vs Leeds Force

Saturday 10th February
BBL Championship
Bristol Flyers vs Glasgow Rocks

Sunday 11th February
BBL Championship
Plymouth Raiders vs Glasgow Rocks
Cheshire Phoenix vs Leicester Riders

BBL Trophy Semi Final Second Leg
Sheffield Sharks vs Worcester Wolves


This week sees the first semi final of the BBL Trophy take place, and ironically it brings together Worcester Wolves and Sheffield Sharks, who also met in the BBL Cup semis, with Wolves winning both legs in that one.  Sharks therefore will want revenge and stop their opponents from reaching both finals this season.  The First Leg in Worcester takes place on Wednesday with the return leg in Sheffield on Sunday.  Their are also seven BBL Championship games taking place over the course of the weekend two, with the bottom two meeting in Manchester on Friday evening.  Catch next weeks blog to see what happens in those games.

BBL 2017/18 Season - Weekend Eighteen (26th-28th January)

(Cheshire Phoenix hold aloft the BBL Cup for the first time in their history after defeating Worcester Wolves in Sunday's final, thanks to Cheshire Phoenix for the photo)

Friday 26th January
BBL Championship
Sheffield Sharks 77-72 Manchester Giants
Glasgow Rocks 106-86 Plymouth Raiders

Saturday 27th January
BBL Championship
Bristol Flyers 81-64 London Lions
Leicester Riders 104-82 Surrey Scorchers

Sunday 28th January
BBL Cup Final (at Arena Birmingham)
Worcester Wolves 88-99 Cheshire Phoenix

BBL Championship Standings
1. Leicester Riders Played 16 Won 14 Pct .875 Pts 28
2. Newcastle Eagles Played 16 Won 13 Pct .813 Pts 26
3. Glasgow Rocks Played 19 Won 12 Pct .632 Pts 22
4. London Lions Played 16 Won 10 Pct .625 Pts 20
5. Surrey Scorchers Played 20 Won 10 Pct .500 Pts 20
6. Sheffield Sharks Played 14 Won 9 Pct .643 Pts 18
7. Worcester Wolves Played 15 Won 9 Pct .600 Pts 18
8. Cheshire Phoenix Played 13 Won 7 Pct .538 Pts 14
9. Bristol Flyers Played 15 Won 7 Pct .467 Pts 14
10. Plymouth Raiders Played 18 Won 4 Pct .222 Pts 8
11. Manchester Giants Played 16 Won 2 Pct .125 Pts 4
12. Leeds Force Played 18 Won 1 Pct .055 Pts 2

Friday night saw two BBL Championship encounters, and Manchester Giants almost pulled off a surprise at Sheffield Sharks, however the hosts managed to limp home by five points to take that one.  In the other Friday evening matchup, Glasgow Rocks moved to four points behind second placed Newcastle Eagles after a twenty point win over struggling Plymouth Raiders who remain third bottom.  Their was a surprise scoreline in the Championship on Saturday evening when the London Lions fell to a seventeen point loss at Bristol Flyers whilst in the other Championship game that evening the leaders Leicester Riders saw off fifth placed Surrey Scorchers by 22 points at home to take a two point lead over Newcastle.  And then to Sunday afternoon and the first Cup Final of the season, and it pitted Worcester Wolves against the Cheshire Phoenix at a packed out Arena Birmingham.  Wolves lead 25-21 at the end of the first quarter but at the half Phoenix had battled back to lead 41-40 at the half in what was a terrific final.  Phoenix then started to take control in the third quarter and held a 73-62 lead after three quarters, and they never looked back, eventually running out 99-88 winners and therefore held aloft the first trophy of the campaign.  It was their first ever BBL Cup success and also their first trophy in over a decade so well done to them!!!

Here are next weekends fixtures
Friday 2nd February
BBL Championship
Newcastle Eagles vs London Lions
Sheffield Sharks vs Cheshire Phoenix
Worcester Wolves vs Leicester Riders
Glasgow Rocks vs Bristol Flyers

Saturday 3rd February
BBL Championship
Leicester Riders vs Manchester Giants

Sunday 4th February
BBL Championship
Leeds Force vs Worcester Wolves
Plymouth Raiders vs Sheffield Sharks
Manchester Giants vs Newcastle Eagles