BASKETBALL: Scottish are rocked by Thunder

PLYMOUTH beware. They could be Thunderstruck after Colby Bargeman sent Worthing into loose-cannon mode on Saturday in the mystery absence of recent new player Mansour Mbye.

The rookie could do little wrong and rocked Scottish with 32 points that got Thunder sending out forked lightning danger signals to the league.

Bargeman, top-scorer at Plymouth with 29 points in February, carried Thunder to their first home win of the year '” but their second victory in four games, both by 10 points. A Dan Wardrope three-pointer sent them 99-83 ahead and Rocks had only point-guard Rob Yanders' desperate solo efforts left.

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Rocks, beaten the previous night at Milton Keynes, had their excruciating losing road run stretched to eight. Their player-coach Sterling Davis admitted: "I don't know the answer why. Thunder did a good job of exposing us. They've come a long way in their first season in the BBL. They always impress us by how hard they play."

Bargeman, surely Worthing sport's most exciting athlete this winter, had an exhilarating night spoilt only by a finger in the eye that forced him off a minute from the end '”one short of his 10th rebound. He, Janis Ivanovskis and Jonathan Woods each plundered six rebounds off the Rocks backboard.

The 6ft 5in American revealed his positive policy: "I've been waiting to break 30 points, and on top of that we got the win. Sometimes things haven't gone my way but each game I'm always ready to come out and play. I feel we are a better team than our position. Maybe we can win our final six games."

Ryan Patton lost a contact lens as Thunder led 86-74, retired, was admirably covered by Daniel Hildreth, then returned to nail six of six free throws before Ian Berry's lay-up completed Thunder's scoring.

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Patton later revealed that an eye infection had led to his no points, shots, or assists at Newcastle a week earlier.

He said: "We've had a great win after our big body, Mansour, did not arrive. We gave the people of Worthing what they needed, we're entertaining, and they got to see what we're about."

Ivanovskis commented: "It was a real team effort. People came off the bench and gave something. Plymouth is always tough, but everybody's beatable."

THUNDER 109: Bargeman 32 (9 rebounds, 3 steals), Ivanovskis 22 (12rb, 4assists), Woods 16 (11rb, 3 ass, 2 blocks), Patton 16 (8/8 free throws, 3 ass, 4 stl), Wardrope 12 (2 ass), Midgley 9, Berry 2, Hildreth 0 (3 ass, 4 stl), Brame 0. Absent (unwell): Mbye.

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ROCKS: Davis 25, Yanders 19 (4 ass, 4 stl), Murray 14, Russell 9, Johnson 8, George 8, Pratt 8, Lewis-Parry 8. DNP: McGregor.

Angmering Boys and Sion Girls will be the town's representatives at the BBL Play-offs on May 2.

They won Worthing Thunder's Molten 3-On-3 Shooting Stars tournament at the Leisure Centre on Saturday and will go up against finalists from around the other BBL clubs in a national contest at Birmingham NIA.

Angmering's team were Dom Gladdish, Dion Wright and Tom Jenner. The Sion squad, coached by Jane Baker, were Emily Shearing, Ella Daniels, Shannon Brightman, Rebecca Lindfield and Abigail McClumpha. Six boys and three girls teams from Years 7 & 8 took part.

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The event was arranged by Daniel Hildreth, Thunder's assistant coach and Community Development Director.

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