BCB Round 23 (Regular Season): Knights lose to Rockets

The Regular Season in BCB is slowly approaching the end. But there may be still some important changes in the final standings in the last 3 rounds. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

Round 23 in BCB means a new league leader. The biggest surprise took place in Reading where host Rockets (19-4) crushed league's leader Knights (18-5) 112-71 on Saturday evening. It was a key game for the top position in the league. Reading shot 60.9 percent from the field. Reading outrebounded Newcastle 47-26 including a 35-15 advantage in defensive rebounds. Reading shot the lights out from three sinking 17 long-distance shots on high 56.7 percentage. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 26 assists comparing to just 7 passes made by Newcastle's players. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Reading made 9 blocks. The best player for the winners was guard Victor Olarerin (188-1999) who scored 19 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. American guard Jax Bouknight (185-2002, college: Flagler) chipped in 22 points and 5 assists. American swingman Jaron Thames (198, college: MWSU) produced 28 points and 6 rebounds (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line) for the guests. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Rockets have a solid series of three victories in a row. Reading maintains first place with 19-4 record. Newcastle at the other side dropped to the second position with five games lost. They were replaced at the leadership position by Reading R.. Newcastle will play next round against Hemel Storm trying to make it back to the top of the standings. Reading will try to continue on its current victory against sixth ranked London C. at home.
An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Birmingham. First ranked Rockets faced 3rd placed Rockets. Guests from Reading (19-4) defeated host Rockets (17-6) 91-83. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Rockets. American guard Malik Bryant (190, college: Flagler) orchestrated the victory by scoring 21 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Victor Olarerin contributed with 18 points and 5 rebounds for the winners. point guard Zackery Powell (183-2000) answered with 16 points and 9 assists for Birmingham R.Rockets have a solid series of three victories in a row. Reading maintains first place with 19-4 record. Birmingham R. at the other side keeps the third position with six games lost. Reading will play against London C. (#6) at home in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Birmingham R. will have a break next round.
Bottom-ranked Flyers 2 (0-23) tried to put together a comeback for its first victory of the season, but they fell short in the 92-77 loss to eighth ranked Trailblazers (12-10) in Bristol on Saturday evening. It was a great evening for Maurice Walker who led his team to a victory scoring 23 points and 6 rebounds. Lanre Ayinla responded with 26 points. Flyers 2's coach rotated twelve players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Trailblazers have a solid series of three victories in a row. Derby T. maintains eighth place with 12-10 record. Loser Flyers 2 still closes the standings. Derby T. will meet at home Worthing T. (#9) in the next round. Bristol AF 2 will play against Yorkshire D. (#5) in Bradford and hopes to get finally their first victory.

Other games of round 23 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Yorkshire D. defeated Milton Keynes in Bradford 92-79. London C. was beaten by Hemel Storm at home 83-101. Bristol H. was destroyed by Loughborough on the opponent's court 112-79. Essex R. II unfortunately lost to Birmingham R. in a home game 75-93. Nottingham H. managed to beat Worthing T. on the road 101-89. Nottingham H. crushed Worthing T. on its own court 119-86.



Milton Keynes - Yorkshire D. 79-92

There was a minor upset in Milton Keynes where 4th placed Breakers (16-7) were defeated by sixth ranked Dragons (14-10) 92-79 on Saturday. It was a great evening for American guard Jordan Jefferson (193, college: UALR) who led his team to a victory scoring 22 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Naturalized Canadian guard Nicholas Lewis (190-1993) helped adding 18 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. Five Dragons players scored in double figures. Naturalized American forward Xavier Wilson (201-2000, college: LeMoyne) responded with 17 points and 9 rebounds and American guard DaShawn Jackson (190, college: Indianapolis, agency: Origins Sports Group) scored 22 points. Yorkshire D. moved-up to fifth place. Milton Keynes lost third consecutive game. They keep the fourth position with seven games lost. Yorkshire D. will meet at home bottom-ranked Bristol AF 2 (#14) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Milton Keynes will play against Bristol H. (#13) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Yorkshire D.: J.Jefferson 22+9reb+7ast, J.Corey 19+6reb+2ast, N.Lewis 18+8reb+8ast, W.Jordan 13, U.David 10+9reb, L.Rooney 5
Milton Keynes: D.Jackson 22+1reb+2ast, W.Xavier 17+9reb+3ast, J.Spencer 15+5reb+4ast, N.Jr Michael 9+9reb+4ast, D.Jonas 8+2reb+5ast, B.Ben 4+4reb

London C. - Hemel Storm 83-101

There was a surprise result in London where eleventh ranked Storm (7-15) defeated higher ranked Cavaliers (13-9) 101-83 on Saturday. Hemel Storm dominated down low during the game scoring 54 of its points in the paint compared to Cavaliers's 34. Hemel Storm had a 29-18 advantage in offensive rebounds. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. It was a great evening for American power forward Darien Nelson-Henry (211-1994, college: Pennsylvania) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 25 points and 15 rebounds (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field). New Zealand forward Brayden Inger (203-1999) helped adding 24 points and 5 assists. Storm's coach Jake Routhage used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Forward Juan Manning (-1997) responded with 31 points (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line) and American swingman Daniel Braster (203, college: Alcorn St.) scored 22 points and 6 rebounds. Hemel Storm maintains eleventh place with 7-15 record. Loser Cavaliers dropped to the sixth position with nine games lost. Hemel Storm will meet at home league's second-placed Newcastle in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. London C. will play against the league's leader Reading (#1) and will have a slim chance for a victory.
Top scorers:
Hemel Storm: N.Matthew 26+2reb+3ast, D.Nelson-Henry 25+15reb+1ast, B.Inger 24+4reb+5ast, S.Mergim 7+2reb+1ast, K.Walker 7+4reb+1ast, S.Newman 6+1reb+11ast
London C.: M.Juan 31+2reb+3ast, B.Daniel 22+6reb, A.Roberts 9+3reb+7ast, D.Delsol-Lowry 6+3reb+5ast, M.Beasley 6+2reb, R.Joe 5+1reb

Loughborough - Bristol H. 112-79

We cannot really consider it an upset in the game between close teams in Loughborough where 12th ranked Hurricanes (5-16) were rolled over by thirteenth ranked Riders (6-17) 112-79 on Saturday. Loughborough looked well-organized offensively handing out 30 assists comparing to just 17 passes made by Bristol H.'s players. It was a great evening for American guard Jalen Cook (196, college: Minot St.) who led his team to a victory scoring 33 points (!!!) and 5 rebounds. His fellow American import guard Michael Joiner (196, college: Seton Hill) helped adding 16 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists. Riders' coach William Maynard felt very confident that he used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Lithuanian power forward Vilmantas Dilys (207-1987) responded with 18 points and 6 rebounds and naturalized Albanian guard Elvisi Dusha (188-1994) scored 12 points and 9 assists. Five Bristol H. players scored in double figures. Loughborough moved-up to twelfth place. Loser Hurricanes dropped to the thirteenth position with 16 games lost. Loughborough will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Bristol H. will play against Milton Keynes (#4) and will have a slim chance for a victory.
Top scorers:
Loughborough: C.Jalen 33+5reb+2ast, J.Michael 16+7reb+8ast, C.Keys 15+1reb, S.Wylie 15+1reb, T.Akinsiku 10+6reb, J.Campbell 5+4reb+8ast
Bristol H.: D.Vilmantas 18+6reb+1ast, D.Ubiaro 14+6reb+2ast, D.Elvisi 12+2reb+9ast, E.Daniel 11+4reb, D.Jules 11+2reb+1ast, H.Kobe 5+3reb+1ast

Bristol AF 2 - Derby T. 77-92

Bottom-ranked Flyers 2 (0-23) tried to put together a comeback for its first victory of the season, but they fell short in the 92-77 loss to eighth ranked Trailblazers (12-10) in Bristol on Saturday evening. Derby T. dominated down low during the game scoring 62 of its points in the paint compared to Flyers 2's 38. Derby T. outrebounded Bristol AF 2 37-26 including 27 on the defensive glass. Derby T. looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. It was a great evening for naturalized Canadian forward Maurice Walker (208-1991, college: Minnesota) who led his team to a victory scoring 23 points and 6 rebounds. The former international guard Conner Washington (183-1992) helped adding 21 points and 5 rebounds. Five Trailblazers players scored in double figures. Forward Lanre Ayinla (191) responded with 26 points and Norwegian guard Yusuf Hafid (178-2001) scored 13 points and 4 assists. Flyers 2's coach rotated twelve players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Trailblazers have a solid series of three victories in a row. Derby T. maintains eighth place with 12-10 record. Loser Flyers 2 still closes the standings. Derby T. will meet at home Worthing T. (#9) in the next round. Bristol AF 2 will play against Yorkshire D. (#5) in Bradford and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Derby T.: W.Maurice 23+6reb+2ast, W.Conner 21+5reb+3ast, S.Malcolm 17+3reb, J.Pathmarajah 12+7reb+7ast, M.Raheem 10+4reb+1ast, M.Rob 4+5reb
Bristol AF 2: A.Lanre 26+2reb+1ast, H.Yusuf 13+4reb+4ast, E.Ebuka 12+3reb+1ast, L.Nassim 9+4reb+5ast, E.Reginald 7+4reb, C.Jack 3+2reb

Essex R. II - Birmingham R. 75-93

Very predictable result when third ranked Rockets (17-6) beat on the road 10th ranked Essex R. II (9-14) 93-75 on Saturday. It was a great evening for point guard Zackery Powell (183-2000) who led his team to a victory scoring 20 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. American forward Ronald Blain (196-1997, college: HPU) helped adding 22 points and 5 rebounds (on 10-of-13 shooting from the field). Four Rockets players scored in double figures. Guard Ben Winter (191-2001) responded with 16 points and 6 rebounds and Spanish forward Anthony Idiata-Mendez (198-2002) scored 13 points. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Rockets have a solid series of three victories in a row. Birmingham R. maintains third place with 17-6 record having just two points less than leader Reading R. Loser Essex R. II keeps the tenth position with 14 games lost. Birmingham R. will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Essex R. II will play against Nottingham H. (#7) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Birmingham R.: B.Ronald 22+5reb+3ast, Z.Powell 20+7reb+6ast, E.Donaldson 13+4reb+2ast, L.McGregor 12+3reb+2ast, F.Mughal 10+1reb+2ast, O.Jackman 8+6reb+3ast
Essex R. II: W.Ben 16+6reb+1ast, I.Anthony 13+3reb+1ast, C.Tom 9+2reb+4ast, R.Udeh 9+2reb+3ast, M.Johnny 7+5reb+1ast, G.Harry 7+3reb

Reading R. - Newcastle 112-71

Round 23 in BCB means a new league leader. The biggest surprise took place in Reading where host Rockets (19-4) crushed league's leader Knights (18-5) 112-71 on Saturday evening. It was a key game for the top position in the league. Reading shot 60.9 percent from the field. Reading outrebounded Newcastle 47-26 including a 35-15 advantage in defensive rebounds. Reading shot the lights out from three sinking 17 long-distance shots on high 56.7 percentage. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 26 assists comparing to just 7 passes made by Newcastle's players. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Reading made 9 blocks. The best player for the winners was guard Victor Olarerin (188-1999) who scored 19 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. American guard Jax Bouknight (185-2002, college: Flagler) chipped in 22 points and 5 assists. Bouknight is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. Five Rockets players scored in double figures. American swingman Jaron Thames (198, college: MWSU) produced 28 points and 6 rebounds (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line) and the other American import forward Messiah Jones (198-1999, college: Towson) added 10 points and 5 rebounds respectively for the guests. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Rockets have a solid series of three victories in a row. Reading maintains first place with 19-4 record. Newcastle at the other side dropped to the second position with five games lost. They were replaced at the leadership position by Reading R.. Newcastle will play next round against Hemel Storm trying to make it back to the top of the standings. Reading will try to continue on its current victory against sixth ranked London C. at home.
Top scorers:
Reading R.: J.Bouknight 22+2reb+5ast, O.Victor 19+7reb+4ast, S.Yusef 15+2reb+3ast, C.Cooper 13+10reb+1ast, C.Simon 13+4reb, E.Poorman 11+2reb+6ast
Newcastle: T.Jaron 28+6reb+2ast, S.Trunley 12+1reb+1ast, M.Jones 10+5reb+1ast, D.Bradley 6+1reb+1ast, S.Jason 4+5reb, W.Neighbour 3

Worthing T. - Nottingham H. 89-101

Not a big story in a game in Worthing where 9th ranked Thunder (10-13) was defeated by seventh ranked Hoods (13-10) 101-89 on Sunday. Nottingham H. looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. It was a great evening for American forward Bryce Johnson (198, college: Sacred Heart) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 26 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 6 steals. Naturalized Nigerian forward Abiodun Adedo (198, college: UMW) helped adding 24 points and 8 rebounds (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field). American forward Justin Hopkins (196-1998, college: Texas Southern) responded with 28 points and 8 rebounds and naturalized Jamaican guard Danny Evans (193-1997, college: St.Anselm) scored 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Four Nottingham H. and five Worthing T. players scored in double figures. Nottingham H. maintains seventh place with 13-10 record. Worthing T. lost seventh consecutive game. They keep the ninth position with 13 games lost. Nottingham H. will meet at home Essex R. II (#10) in the next round. Worthing T. will play against Derby T. and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Nottingham H.: J.Bryce 26+14reb+5ast, A.Abiodun 24+8reb+3ast, N.Donell 24+4reb+3ast, S.Akano 12+5reb+8ast, B.Elliot 8+7reb+1ast, M.Savery-Richards 4+7reb+1ast
Worthing T.: J.Hopkins 28+8reb+1ast, D.Evans 20+5reb+4ast, D.Elliot 12+6reb+6ast, M.Bryan-Amaning 12+8reb+4ast, M.Elijah 11+5reb+3ast, L.Jonathan 6+5reb+3ast

Nottingham H. - Worthing T. 119-86

Everything went according to plan in Nottingham where seventh ranked Hoods (13-10) outleveled 9th ranked Thunder (10-13) 119-86 on Saturday. Nottingham H. forced 19 Worthing T. turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 36 assists. The game was dominated by American players. It was a great evening for forward Bryce Johnson (198, college: Sacred Heart) who led his team to a victory with a triple-double by scoring 21 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and 4 steals. Guard Tyrone Williams (196, college: ODU) helped adding 27 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Five Hoods players scored in double figures. Hoods' coach Vladan Dragosavac felt very confident that he used 11 players and allowed the starting five to rest. Forward Justin Hopkins (196-1998, college: Texas Southern) responded with 53 points (!!!) and 7 rebounds and guard Elijah Maynard (193-1996, college: WAU) scored 7 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists. Nottingham H. maintains seventh place with 13-10 record. Worthing T. lost seventh consecutive game. They keep the ninth position with 13 games lost. Nottingham H. will meet at home Essex R. II (#10) in the next round. Worthing T. will play against Derby T. and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Nottingham H.: W.Tyrone 27+5reb+5ast, J.Bryce 21+11reb+10ast, A.Abiodun 15+5reb, N.Donell 14+5reb+8ast, S.Akano 13+7ast, B.Elliot 11+7reb+2ast
Worthing T.: J.Hopkins 53+7reb, L.Jonathan 9+3reb+5ast, D.Evans 7+5reb+1ast, M.Elijah 7+6reb+9ast, P.Alfie 6+1ast, L.Briceny 2+1reb+1ast

Birmingham R. - Reading R. 83-91

An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Birmingham. First ranked Rockets faced 3rd placed Rockets. Guests from Reading (19-4) defeated host Rockets (17-6) 91-83. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Rockets. American guard Malik Bryant (190, college: Flagler) orchestrated the victory by scoring 21 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Guard Victor Olarerin (188-1999) contributed with 18 points and 5 rebounds for the winners. point guard Zackery Powell (183-2000) answered with 16 points and 9 assists and American forward Ronald Blain (196-1997, college: HPU) added 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in the effort for Birmingham R.Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Rockets have a solid series of three victories in a row. Reading maintains first place with 19-4 record. Birmingham R. at the other side keeps the third position with six games lost. Reading will play against London C. (#6) at home in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Birmingham R. will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Reading R.: B.Malik 21+8reb+7ast, O.Victor 18+5reb+2ast, J.Bouknight 14+1reb+3ast, N.Ty 13+7reb, C.Cooper 11+2reb, E.Poorman 9+6reb+7ast
Birmingham R.: M.Lucas 17+2reb+4ast, P.Zackery 16+4reb+9ast, R.Blain 15+5reb+5ast, J.Orlan 12+8reb+3ast, L.Okosieme 9+4reb+1ast, D.Eric 8+2reb+2ast