20th January 2008 SAMG Verve Scottish Rocks 100-78 Newcastle Eagles

BBL Trophy, Group Stages

Game details:-

Venue: Braehead Arena

Competition:- BBL Tropy, Group Stages

Tip-off:- 5.00pm

Quarterscores:- 20-15, 43-38, 71-57

Overtime periods:-

Final result:- 100-78

Officials:- Chris Dodds, Barry Fenwick, Graham Shaw

Top Scorers:

Eagles: Smith 17, Babalola 13, Flournoy 11

Rocks: Yanders 26, Davis 21, Hampton 17

vs.

The SAMG Verve Scottish Rocks beat the Newcastle Eagles by 100-78, but it was not enough for them to surpass their biggest rivals at the top of BBL Trophy Group Four as the Eagles won the head-to-head between the teams and confirmed their place in the semi-finals at Ponds Forge on Saturday 2nd February. The Eagles are looking to reach the final of this competition, which they won in 2006, for the third consecutive season.

In order to overturn the Eagles, the Rocks had to tie or better the 24-point margin that the Eagles beat them by in the first game between these sides in this competition. In an agonising fourth quarter they came incredibly close to doing so in front of the biggest crowd of the season so far at the Braehead Arena.

With 27 seconds remaining the Rocks were going through as they led 100-76, only for Charles Smith, who left the Rocks for their biggest rivals in contentious circumstances in 2005, kept his cool from the free-throw line to see his team progress. The Rocks had another chance to achieve that all-important 24-point win, only for Rob Yanders to turn the ball over on their final offence.

It began to look as though qualification was a realistic prospect for the Rocks in the third stanza as they established a 71-51 lead, which came about after a 13-2 opening to the quarter, only for the Eagles to score the last 6 points of the period to reduce the threat.

The Rocks then opened the fourth with the first 7 points and made a further 16-2 push late on to give them that lead of 100-76.

Earlier in the game the teams had traded 10-0 bursts, and there were 4 lead changes in the second quarter before a Sterling Davis three-pointer capped an 11-4 close to the first half that saw the Rocks lead 43-38 before the amazing second half to the game.

Yanders led the scoring with 26 points on the night. Smith led the Eagles with 17.

The Eagles will now wait with anticipation for tomorrow's semi-final draw.

Download Stats>>