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