Worthing Thunder became the first team from the England Basketball League to advance to the BBL Trophy quarter-finals with an 84-64 thrashing of Mersey Tigers over the weekend.
Outside of the British Basketball League, teams from the EBL and the Scottish league have been invited to the BBL Trophy competition but never have they progressed further than the first round.
Thunder, who are bottom of the EBL ended that spell emphatically as they led for the majority of the game and looked far the better side on the court.
Bud Johnston, himself an ex-BBL player with the old Brighton Bears led all scorers with 23 points. Hank Rivers supported with a double-double of 18 points and 14 rebounds. Philip Wait led the Merseysiders with 20 points as they slump to 0-18 in all competitions.
The reward for Worthing is a home clash with Cheshire Phoenix, who beat London Lions 92-88 in their first round game.
There was very nearly another upset on the cards as BBL outfit Glasgow Rocks edged Scottish league side Edinburgh Kings 72-61.
Glasgow’s Gareth Murray led with 28 but it was Kings guard Lee Reilly that pulled off a heroic display of 23 points as the Scottish League champions traded the lead nine times against their full-time rivals from across the way.
Glasgow will play Sheffield Sharks in the next round.
There was no sign of an upset though at Reading as Surrey Heat comfortably dispatched of the EBL league leading Reading Rockets 86-68 as they seal a quarter-final date with Leicester Riders at Surrey Sports Park.
The other quarter-final tie will see Newcastle Eagles host the Worcester Wolves, after they saw off Durham Wildcats and Plymouth Raiders, respectively.
The Trophy final will be played at Glasgow Rocks’ Emirates Arena in March.
BBL Cup
Newcastle Eagles will face Leicester Riders next Sunday in Birmingham for the first domestic silverware of the season, a game that will be covered by TalkBasket.
Both teams had contrasting semi-final results, with Newcastle needing overtime in the second leg against Plymouth Raiders to eventually win on aggregate 190-181.
After winning the first leg in Devon, Raiders hit back at Sports Central to win the game on the night 89-72 but send the game to overtime, as the aggregate scores were level. Eagles’ resilience came through as they booked their spot and a chance to defend their crown.
Leicester had an easier passage by comfortably beating Sheffield Sharks in the semi-final over two legs.
