Paternostro & Smith Delighted With Wins - Jan 5, 2009 (by Andy Webb)
Rob Paternostro and Gary Smith were both happy men after their teams recorded away victories over the weekend.
Paternostro's Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders side took the BBL Championship points with a 90-83 victory at Guildford Heat, while Smith's Worthing Thunder club opened their BBL Trophy campaign with a 103-92 win at Airwaves Plymouth Raiders. [read more]
Rob Paternostro and Gary Smith were both happy men after their teams recorded away victories over the weekend.
Paternostro's Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders side took the BBL Championship points with a 90-83 victory at Guildford Heat, while Smith's Worthing Thunder club opened their BBL Trophy campaign with a 103-92 win at Airwaves Plymouth Raiders.
A depleted Riders team used only six players in their win at Heat, leaving Paternostro delighted with the victory: 'They was great for our guys, we'd lost three in the two and were without players who were injured, suspended or had left the club. But they came together as a team, and carried out our game-plan. If you have six guys who all played 25 minutes plus and finished in double figures - that's what you strive for. It was great to see them come together so well, but if I had to single out one player it would be Isaac Westerbook. He played all 40 minutes, had 14 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and only one turnover. What I liked about him is that he only attempted around seven shots. As a former point guard, I know there's nothing better than being able to have a major impact on game without taking a lot of shots.'
Riders return to action on Friday evening with a trip to BBL Championship leaders Everton Tigers in the BBL Trophy before Marshall MK Lions visit the John Sandford Sports Centre on Saturday in the BBL Championship. Paternostro is hopeful of signing a replacement for departed point guard Matt Martin by the time his side travel to Merseyside.
Janis Ivanovskis had 31 points and Ryan Patton 25 points and 10 assists as Thunder returned from Plymouth Pavilions with the Trophy points, but Smith refused to singe the pair out: 'People will look at the scorers in this game and think that it was a two man show, but it was anything but. Their points came as a result of the whole team playing effectively on the offensive end and making smart decisions until we got the best shot that Plymouth allowed us. It just happened that in most cases that was Janis and Ryan.
They couldn't have done it though without the help of everyone else, in particular my two player assistants Daniel Hildreth and Ciaran Burns, who came in and did great jobs at both ends of the floor. Daniel Midgley has also been playing well since he came into the starting line-up and he battled hard with the bigger Plymouth forwards on the rebounds as well as making some key baskets. I'm really proud of the way this team has come together and the way that they are prepared to play for each other.'
It wasn't all good news for Thunder, however, as they went down at home against Worcester Wolves on Sunday, but they will look to repeat their victory against Plymouth when the Raiders visit on Saturday evening.
Away Victories Mark Opening Weekend of 2009 - Jan 5, 2009 (by Andy Webb)
The opening weekend of BBL action in 2009 favoured the visitors with only the Worcester Wolves notching up a home victory from the six games taking place.
On Sunday Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders won on the road in the Championship at Guildford Heat and Worcester Wolves and Everton Tigers did the same in the Trophy at Worthing Thunder and BiG Storage Cheshire Jets respectively. [read more]
The opening weekend of BBL action in 2009 favoured the visitors with only the Worcester Wolves notching up a home victory from the six games taking place.
On Sunday Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders won on the road in the Championship at Guildford Heat and Worcester Wolves and Everton Tigers did the same in the Trophy at Worthing Thunder and BiG Storage Cheshire Jets respectively.
Despite only having six available players the Riders shocked Guildford 83-90 thanks to an excellent team performance. Brad Wierzbicki stood out with 24 points but every Leicester player scored double- figures.
In the Trophy the Wolves broke open a high scoring match with a 22-5 beginning to the second quarter, which saw them take command of the match. Thunder rallied after the interval and closed a 24-point gap to just eight (76-84) heading into the final quarter. Anthony Paez (198-F-84, agency: Rasmussen Services, college: Stephen F. Austin) stepped up for Wolves to score nine points in an 11-2 run which took the score to 95-78 and a further 11-0 burst by the visitors late in the match sealed the win 89-110.
The Jets were on the receiving end of a powerful fourth quarter performance by Everton Tigers as the visitors won 91-101. Great Britain point guard Richard Midgley was the Tigers hero. He knocked down two three pointers during a 10-2 beginning to the final period, which saw Everton take the lead for the first time on Marcus Bailey's bucket at 80-82. From there the Tigers pulled smoothly away from the Jets. Thirteen of Everton's last 20 points were from the line as they missed only one of 14 foul shots to clinch the win.
On Saturday in the BBL Championship the Jets faired no better as the Wolves produced the only home victory of the weekend 107-93, surpassing their opponents into tenth place in the league table. Anthony Paez led the scoring with 30 points as the Wolves protected an unbeaten home record against the Jets that goes back two years. Vidmantis Uzkuraitis hit five three-pointers on his way to seventeen points as six Wolves scored in double- figures, and Will Funn had a double-double of ten points and 13 assists.
Elsewhere the Airwaves Plymouth Raiders, who were BBL Trophy winners in 2007, got this year's competition off to a bad start after falling to a 92-103 home defeat to the Thunder. Janis Ivanovskis inspired the Thunder with 31 points whilst Ryan Patton (25) and Dan Wardrope (12) hit ten three-pointers between them as the Thunder won their fourth game in their last five outings.
Friday night saw the Newcastle Eagles open their BBL Trophy account with a comfortable 88-98 road win at Sheffield Sharks. It is the second defeat for the Sharks in Group One and leaves them with an uphill task to qualify for the knock-out stages.
Eagles Start With Win - Jan 3, 2009 (by Andy Webb)
Sheffield Sharks 88 (24,49,68) (Rivers 19, Brown 15, Sanders 14)
Newcastle Eagles 98 (32,64,81) (Moore 19, Smith 18, Toney 17)
Newcastle Eagles opened their BBL Trophy account with a comfortable 88-98 road win at Sheffield Sharks. It is the second defeat for the Sharks in Group One and leaves them with an uphill task to qualify for the knock-out stages.
Trey Moore (192-G-75, college: Mississippi St. [read more]
Sheffield Sharks 88 (24,49,68) (Rivers 19, Brown 15, Sanders 14) Newcastle Eagles 98 (32,64,81) (Moore 19, Smith 18, Toney 17)
Newcastle Eagles opened their BBL Trophy account with a comfortable 88-98 road win at Sheffield Sharks. It is the second defeat for the Sharks in Group One and leaves them with an uphill task to qualify for the knock-out stages.
Trey Moore (192-G-75, college: Mississippi St.) led the Eagles offence with 19 points, but they were also boosted by 17 points and 15 boards from rookie Tafari Toney. Toney went seven from seven from the field and missed only one of four free throws for his only blemish in another wise excellent performance.
Sharks point-guard Sherman Rivers paced the hosts with 19 points, while new signing Marshall Brown showed he could be a canny pick-up by Atiba Lyons scoring 15 points.
Eagles led from the tip-off as Toney's opening basket began an 11-2 run to put the Sharks on the back foot.
A free throw by former Shark Andrew Bridge handed Newcastle their first 10 point lead of the match (12-22) but it was the catalyst for a 6-0 Sheffield run which trimmed the score to 18-22.
Charles Smith scored the final five points of the first quarter for Newcastle as the Eagles led 24- 32.
Sharks again got back within four (32-36) as an 8-4 run began the second period. Eagles were quick to reassert themselves though as first Smith, then Moore and finally Reggie Jackson landed three-point shots on the way to a 49-64 half time lead.
Excellent play by Brown for Sheffield gave his new team some hope as the margin was trimmed to single digits (63-72) midway through the third quarter. A speedy 7-0 burst put Eagles back in charge as they took a 68-81 advantage into the final stanza.
Showing good spirit the Sharks refused to go down without a fight with forward duo Chris Sanders and Matt Gorman scoring all the points in an 11-4 run to open the fourth quarter. It brought Sheffield back within six (79-85) but that was as close as they'd come.
Smith and Moore each scored and then once James Whyte brought it back to 81-89 from the line Eagles player-coach hit the next seven points to seal the match.
Heat Start Trophy Defence With Win - Jan 2, 2009 [read more]
Rocks Begin Trophy Campaign With Win - Dec 31, 2008 [read more]
Heat & Raiders End 2008 With Win - Dec 29, 2008 [read more]
BUCCANEERS KNOCK FURY OFF PERCH, GIVE RIVALS KINGS A PRESENT - Dec 27, 2008 [read more]
GB chase Kelenna Azubuike - Dec 25, 2008 [read more]
Tigers And Eagles Secure Wins - Dec 20, 2008 [read more]
