Saturday 02 March 2013 BBL Trophy Semi-final 2nd leg – Leicester Riders 66-68 Worcester Wolves (Leicester win 148-141 on aggregate)

Worcester Wolves fought ferociously to overturn a nine-point deficit from the first leg of their BBL Trophy semi-final when visiting Leicester Riders on Saturday. While Worcester can be proud to have inflicted the Riders’ first BBL Trophy Semi-final 2^nd leg – Leicester Riders 66-68 Worcester Wolves (Leicester win 148-141 on aggregate)

defeat in Leicester since February of last year, their 68-66 victory was not enough to secure the prize of a final in Glasgow next week against Sheffield Sharks.

In a low-scoring affair, the Wolves gradually chipped away at their host’s advantage, eventually taking a game night lead in the third quarter, and a one-point aggregate lead with five minutes left in the contest. However, Leicester’s top-scorer from the first leg, Zaire Taylor, was once more the man with the calm hand on the tiller, hitting a couple of late three-pointers to suppress the Wolves.

Just as in Worcester the night before, the teams were greeted on to court by a standing-room only audience. In recognition of the importance of the evening, the game was given a rare ceremonial tip-off when the match ball was hoisted by the High Sheriff of Leicestershire, Richard Brooks, fully bedecked in the regalia of his office, including an imposing dress sword.

When the action began for real it was centre Arturas Masiulis who notched the Wolves’ first three points. His fellow Lithuanian, Arnas Kazlauskas, spun around and laid in the next Worcester basket, to leave the score at 9-5 in favour of Leicester. As the first quarter buzzer sounded Kazlauskas floated in a long-distance shot to lessen the deficit to 15-13.

By three minutes into the second period, a double of scores from Riders’ Great Britain star Andrew Sullivan had helped his side to 23-16, and prompted a time out from Wolves’ coach Paul James. The break in play did little to slow the Leicester run of success over the next four minutes, with their lead standing at 34-22 after Jorge Calvo delighted spectators with a behind-the-back pass to forward Anthony Rowe.

However, an 8-0 burst from the Wolves closed the first-half, including five points from guard Alex Owumi. The visitor’s momentum carried over into the early part of the third period as ten more points from Owumi, in a 12-2 surge, took Worcester to a 42-36 advantage. It was now the turn of Riders’ coach Rob Paternostro to request a time out to regroup his charges. A trio of scores from Taylor briefly pushed Leicester ahead, until Wolves’ playmaker Sherrad Prezzie-Blue opened his scoring account with a three-pointer and tied the sides at 45-45.

There was a re-run of the end to the first quarter when Kazlauskas was once more able to bank in a long-distance basket, closing the third period. The deja vu continued in the final quarter when, just as in the first leg of the contest, Kazlauskas was whistled for an unsportsmanlike foul, on this occasion for bundling over Sullivan.

Prezzie-Blue sank another triple but immediately watched Sullivan do the same, leaving the Wolves in front at 51-49. Owumi was able to grab the rebound of a Masiulis shot attempt and convert it, and Prezzie-Blue was again on target from outside the arc. Tight defence was enough to hurry Leicester guard Jay Cousinard into a shot that hit nothing but air, and Rowe was then penalised for spending more than the allotted three seconds in the area around his opponent’s basket. In the meantime, Prezzie-Blue and Owumi steadily moved their team’s half of the scoreboard, thrilling a large throng of Worcester fans who finally witnessed a single-point aggregate lead, at 63-53 with five minutes to go.

Unfortunately the Wolves’ offensive production was to splutter for the remainder of the evening, only being increased by a few meagre points from the free throw line. Meanwhile, Leicester recovered their scoring touch, with their talisman Taylor coming to the fore. With a minute and a half left and leading 68-62, the visitors still had a chance to take overall victory, but Taylor cruelly sank another triple. A minute later Taylor made one of two foul shots to move his side even closer at 68-66, and there was insufficient time left for Worcester to widen their margin of victory.

Wolves’ coach Paul James was proud of his team, despite not progressing to the final, saying: “I’m proud of the boys. We believed in ourselves, managed to get an aggregate lead in the last quarter, but couldn’t quite hold on to it. But Leicester don’t often lose at home so the players, the club, and the great support we’ve had today, and yesterday at the University, can be proud of what has taken place.”

Owumi registered 29 points for the second night in a row, and also grabbed 12 rebounds, and James paid tribute to his contributions, saying: “He’s a winner, so will be desperately disappointed to lose. But he’s a warrior so this will just make him even more determined for the rest of the season.”

After Owumi, Wolves only other double-digit scorer was Prezzie-Blue who tallied 14 points. Taylor was again Leicester’s highest scorer with 16 points, followed by Rowe with 14 points.

Wolves will now get back to league action this week, facing London Lions at the University of Worcester on Friday. The following Sunday they will take on Cheshire Phoenix up in Chester.