Glasgow Rocks moved into third place in the British Basketball League last night with a 97-78 victory over Surrey Scorchers that was both imperfect and emphatic in equal measure.
Frustrating, admitted Tony Garbelotto, in observing the lacklustre opening that had the hosts trailing by 12 early in the second period. Hopeful in seeing a second-half torrent that froze out the Scorchers and extended Glasgow’s winning streak to four games as they enter a perilous stretch in November.
With Jalen Billups shrugging off an ankle sprain to score a team-high 19 points, the fourth quarter became a procession but the Rocks coach will not confuse progress with precision at this still-early stage in the campaign.
“We were 12 down, they could have rolled us over,” he said. “But Kofi Josephs stabilised us and we have the maturity there to keep chipping away. Martez Harrison was a revelation on the ball as a defender. Kofi hit back-to-back threes which really broke the game open. Sometimes we look a little erratic in our balance but Jalen came in, after not practicing all week, and scored 19 in 22 minutes. It came together. But I’d like more.”
With Surrey captain Tayo Ogedengbe eventually notching a game-best 24 points, the visitors used a 15-1 burst to forge a 29-17 cushion. But pressure paid dividends and the momentum swung. Billups capped a 9-2 close that put the Rocks 46-44 ahead at half-time and then 21 points without reply during a five-minute blitz eventually extended the cushion to as much as 23 in the fourth.
Still, Garbelotto will ask for more, especially with a tough league trip to London Lions on Friday followed by a BBL Cup quarter-final 48 hours later against Worcester Wolves. “It will all mean nothing if we don’t get two wins then and that’s really where the season starts. Because we’re playing against a London team that will be there when the league is decided and has loads of talent.
“And then Worcester is in the Cup and if we want to win that, we need that game to start. We’re moving in the right direction but there’s more we need.”
Caledonia Pride reached the WBBL Cup quarter-finals for the first time as a fourth quarter saw the Scots overcome Cardiff Archers 64-55. Sarah Thomson hit a team-high 14 points while American centre Tricia Oakes sparked a decisive 12-2 run that saw off the Welsh outfit.
RESULTS
BBL. Glasgow Rocks 97 Surrey Scorchers 78, Manchester Giants 79 Plymouth Raiders 97. BBL Cup, 1st round. Leicester Riders 59 London Lions 67
WBBL Cup, 1st round. Cardiff Archers 55 Caledonia Pride 64. WBBL Sheffield Hatters 76 Nottingham Wildcats 73, Leicester Riders 64 Sevenoaks Suns 74
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