Basketball: Bears still perfect but Tigers go top
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Your support makes all the difference.Brighton Bears have the only perfect record in the BBL Championship after dominating previously unbeaten Sheffield Sharks to win 91-74 on Saturday night, but Thames Valley Tigers went back to the top of the table by beating Birmingham Bullets 93-88 in overtime. Newcastle Eagles' unbeaten start also ended as they lost 94-84 to London Towers at Crystal Palace.
The Bears led from the start in front of a capacity 2,000 crowd at the Brighton Centre and made the game safe at the start of the final quarter with a 9-0 run for a 72-50 lead. Randy Duck, 21 points, and Ralph Blalock, 19, led their scorers.
The Eagles started the third quarter with a 16-2 run to cut Towers' lead to 54-53 and it took a Kendrick Warren three-pointer to give London a 67-66 lead at the end of the period. Terrell Myers returned from injury to steer London through the final period.
The Birmingham coach Tony Garbelotto will step up his search for an experienced point guard this week after Bullets extended their losing start to the Championship to five games against the Tigers.
Thames Valley led by 13 points in the third as their guards Barry Bowman and Michael Nurse maintained control despite the defiance of 6ft 10in veteran Martin Henlan and Sullivan Phillips. They still led 71-60 until Bullets capped a spirited fightback with an 8-0 run to tie the scores on 82-82. Bullets had the last possession but Henlan and Phillips both missed, leaving Bowman and Greg Meldrum to take control of overtime.
Chester Jets began their defence of the BBL Trophy with a 116-89 group win at Leicester Riders, after opening the fourth with a 21-4 onslaught.
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