Sunday 30 March 2014 – BBL Trophy Final – Worcester Wolves vs Glasgow Rocks

It has been anything but a dream season for Sterling Davis and his Glasgow Rocks but they can give their fans a day to remember in the BBL Trophy Final against Worcester Wolves on Sunday (tip off 3.15pm).

Rocks have struggled to hit top form this season with inconsistent performances preventing them from pushing further than a 10-17 record, good enough for 10th spot in the BBL currently.

Wolves meanwhile are still in the Championship race, just four points behind leaders Esh Group Eagles Newcastle, with three games in hand heading into the weekend.

But all of that will matter little when the teams take to the floor in Emirates Arena on Sunday, and Davis hopes playing at home could give his team the edge. “It’s an understatement to say there have been some bumps this season,” said Davis.

“Losing is never a fun experience in team sport and is something that can test you as a group to hang in there with each other. I feel playing on our home floor will give us a boost throughout the game as we have some great fans, but the game is played on the court so we have to take care of business there.”

Taking care of business is something Worcester have done consistently this season.

As well as eliminating Eagles, London Lions and One Health Sharks Sheffield on their way to the Trophy Final, they have also won 21 of their 25 league games, including two victories over Glasgow, 92-77 and 89-82.

Davis added: “They are a ‘find a way to get it done’ type of team. They have not always put out their best performances but in the end they have always come out on top for the most part.”

A big part of Worcester’s success to this point has been the form of forward Will Creekmore, who is averaging 20 points and 13 rebounds-per-game.

He will likely be in direct competition with Rocks’ Daniel Northern, who put up an incredible 29 points and 21 rebounds to help his team wipe out a first-leg deficit and reach the final.

And the winner of this personal battle could have a big say in the outcome of the game.

“I think both players are important pieces to the makeup of their perspective teams but also feel they both rely on their support around them to get it done,” said Davis.

“It will be interesting to see whose influence outshines the others in the game.

Creekmore came to Worcester this season because he wanted to win silverware and won’t settle for anything less.

“It feels great to be in the Trophy final, but the job isn’t done,” he said.

“We didn’t start the season in hopes of finishing in second place, we want to win championships. We expect a hard-fought game but we are confident that if we play our game, we will bring Worcester back a trophy.”

As the Wolves’ man in the middle, Creekmore knows that his battle with Rocks’ Daniel Northern is a match-up fans will be watching.

“I think Northern is one of the best centers in our league, without a doubt,” said Creekmore.

“We’ve played against each other twice now and I definitely think there’s a mutual respect there. We have very different playing styles but we both play hard and we both produce. It should be a great match up that both of us are looking forward to.”

With the Rocks’ struggling to make the play-offs, Creekmore is well aware that Sunday might be the Glasgow side’s only chance at glory this season.

“I expect it to be a slug fest,” said Creekmore. “They are going to be playing with a ton of pride, as they are at home in front of their fans and have a team full of competitive guys.”

Creekmore added, “We are looking forward to the challenge.”

Wolves’ coach Paul James said: “I think there are personal duels that need to be won in every area. If we can win more of those battles than not, we will give ourselves a great chance of doing something that will be very special for the club.”

Both clubs are blessed with talent throughout their rosters however. BBL Team of the Week stalwart Zaire Taylor offers a huge outside scoring threat for Worcester while Glasgow’s promising guard Jonny Bunyan appears to be hitting top gear just in time for the showpiece after pouring in 15 points against Sheffield last weekend.

There are a myriad of factors that go into deciding big games like this, but the Worcester coach doesn’t feel home-court advantage will be one of them

James said: “We are not concerned about playing there, in fact our best games have been played away from Worcester Arena so business as usual, just another game that we want to perform well in and win. It’s going to be a fantastic atmosphere and occasion for the Wolves organisation that’s for sure.”