Glasgow Rocks exited the BBL Cup last night at the quarter-final stage last with an 83-78 loss at Newcastle Eagles. On form shown over the opening month of the campaign by both teams, it should have been a predictable demise for Sterling Davis’ men with their hosts extending their winning start to the campaign to nine games. But the Scots, paced by 19 points and 12 rebounds from Warren Gillis, came so close to an unexpected upset.
It would be a shock if Fab Flournoy’s side are not left standing in Birmingham with this trophy on the line. For the Rocks, with the league title already a long shot, there is already some need to regroup and refocus with the BBL Trophy and Playoffs now their most realistic targets.
Yet the visitors can, at least, seek some succour from how they pushed Newcastle to the very brink. This was once a rivalry but the Eagles omnipotence in recent years has removed some of its edge. Yet, with Davis opting to bring the Great Britain captain Kieron Achara off the bench, Marcus Ware ignited an early 9-0 run that eventually propelled the Scots 26-15 in front in the second period.
Almost inevitably, the Eagles broke out of their shooting malaise to convert nine points in a row before a three-pointer from Charles Smith pushed the league leaders 40-39 ahead at half-time. Davis, so critical of his team’s meek effort in last weekend’s humbling loss to Sheffield, saw their challenge maintained even when a 7-0 burst run looked to have put the Geordie giants out of reach in the fourth.
In a ferocious rally, Gillis put his side up 78-77 with 87 seconds left but decisively, Rahmon Fletcher converted a three-point play and then Joe Chapman, with a game-high 23 points, sealed victory for the hosts from the foul line.
Elsewhere, unbeaten Leicester Riders kept up their pursuit of Newcastle in the league by hammering Plymouth Raiders 73-49.
Meanwhile the BBL’s reliance on foreign recruits has been again been thrust into the spotlight after a FIBA report revealed Britain has the second highest level of net imports in the sport.
The governing body’s annual player migration survey puts the difference between overseas players in the country’s men’s and women’s leagues (257) and those Britons heading overseas (122) as -135, second only worldwide to Germany at -230, based on figures from the 2014-15 season.
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