Preview: Plymouth Raiders vs Worcester Wolves

UCP Marjon Plymouth Raiders and Worcester Wolves will both look to move up the BBL Championship table when they meet at Plymouth Pavilions this Sunday afternoon (tip off 4pm).

The Raiders go into the game sitting in fourth spot in the table with a 7-3 record, while the Wolves are one position lower with seven wins from 13 games.

The teams met seven times last season, with Raiders shading the overall series. Each side won on their opponent’s floor in the group stage of the BBL Trophy, though it was Raiders who progressed to the semi-final. In contrast, home court advantage proved key in the three BBL Championship games between the two teams as Wolves took the series 2-1, but it was Raiders who came out on top in the two-leg BBL Cup semi-final with a pair of victories to progress to the title game. Raiders hold an 18-8 lead in the all-time series between the two clubs who both progressed to the top flight of British basketball after success in Division One.

Raiders’ coach Gavin Love has a good idea what to expect when the Wolves arrive at Plymouth Pavilions: “They are a huge team with talent across the board, on paper they are one of the strongest and most experienced teams in the league.
“I think Alex Owumi and Stanley Ocitti are very tough covers but all their guys can step up and hurt you in a variety of ways.”

Wolves’ coach Paul James knows that his team faces a tough game: “The Raiders have one of the most individually-talented teams in the league. They have quality in every area and when they play together they look like a team that should be capable of winning a championship.

“You really cannot look much past Jeremy Bell as their key player, but Michael Ojo is having a great season and the additions of Drew Lasker, Colin O’Reilly and Matt Schneck mean you get a five that can more than compete with the best teams in the league.”

Raiders and Wolves recorded contrasting victories against One Health Sharks Sheffield last weekend, with Plymouth winning 99-71 on the road before Worcester held on for a three point victory the next day.

“We had a solid game against the Sharks” said Love, “Jamal Williams came into the game and had an impact at the defensive end and really sparked a run in the third that led to our victory.”

James was honest about his side’s narrow victory: “We probably played better the night before, but the way the league is shaping up any win is a good win so I was very pleased with the final outcome and two more points on the board.”

The Wolves were also in action on Friday night, letting a big lead against London Lions disappear as they went down 94-76, to leave James a disappointed man: “I thought we played some of our best basketball in the first half of the game, but I was disappointed with our collective collapse in the second half. They did a good job as a unit to take us out of our comfort zone.”