BASKETBALL: Thunder's season-saving win

WORTHING Thunder arguably saved their season on Sunday. Less than 24 hours after their second home defeat to Everton Tigers, 107-89 following another abject start, they won 102-96 in overtime at Guildford Heat to go six points clear of their nearest rivals for the number eight BBL Play-offs slot.

They suddenly had to play the weekend without the league's second-top scorer Reggie Bratton, who was sidelined by a virus. They began on Saturday against Everton like a team believing they had no case for victory. But they turned the weekend around at Guildford, eight days after slipping up 104-101 at home.

Now tomorrow (Friday), they visit leaders and defending champions Newcastle Eagles, their possible post-season opponents. Worthing lead them 2-0 in head-to-heads'” an additional boost in search of their maiden away win over any team above them. They then call at Everton and Worcester the following Friday and Sunday.

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Worthing's first BBL-history win over Guildford was the collision of the league's two worst defensive teams. Thunder by the end had scored just two more field goals than Heat, one more three-pointer (with a stinging eight of 13), one more free throw and grabbed just four more rebounds, and they had six men in double-figure points.

But in between they led 28-13 and 42-21 after James Brame and Ville Makalainen vitally curbed scorers Kenny Langhorne and Julius Joseph, and Thunder power-forward Janis Ivanovskis completed the job.

His three of four free throws, at the line with the game on the line, took him to a season-high 17 points. Meanwhile, Makalainen, the courageous, consistent Finn, had 23 points.

Big men fouled out, Kadiri Richard just before overtime (RT: 87-87), Samuel Cricelli shortly into it. But point-guard Sherrad Prezzie-Blue took control and Thunder scored the first eight points to lead decisively 95-78 while Guildford looked to be paying the energy price for their comeback.

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Behind only Sheffield's Mike Cook (average 26.5 point per game), Bratton (24.9) is almost five points clear of the rest of the BBL.

Before Saturday's game, Everton coach Tony Garboletto said: "With a player like Bratton, you hope that you can reduce his touches and limit his options, but I think he has one of the best all round offensive games in the league."

After the match, he added: "I'd sign him if I could. I think he's a better offensive player even than Cook, who's playing for a more successful team. Bratton gives you offensive rebounds as well, and he takes people off the dribble. We built out team around Kevin Bell this season but when we lost him to injury we were headless for two months."

Thunder lost Bratton injured for four games in October. Without him, and also Sherrad Prezzie-Blue, they managed only to beat London Capital. Thunder hardly had time to think out alternatives against Everton. Bratton's illness became confirmed only at 6pm practice the previous evening.

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Down 34-14 after the opening quarter equated to their previous worst start, 27-9 on February 20 against an Everton team without the injured Jerome Gumbs.

In the previous meeting, spearheaded by Bratton, Thunder came back to lead from 22 points down. This time they flopped 31 points behind (51-82) to a side exuberantly directed by BBL MVP last season, Trey Moore.

Thunder turnovers lent 16 points to Tigers' towering 65 first-half points, and overall they managed only eight points off the bench, to Everton's 27.

Worthing recovered some respectability, led by big men Richard, whose three blocked shots and alleyoop dunk were once again high spots, and Cricelli, whose shooting touch brought a personal season-high 27 points in only 24 minutes.

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THUNDER 89: Cricelli 27pts, Makalainen 16, Prezzie-Blue 15, Zabas 13, Richard 10, Hildreth 2, Ivanovskis 2, Midgley 2, Marrast 2, Brame 0. DNP: Mitchell.

TIGERS 107: Gumbs 24, J.Jones 20, Babalola 18, Moore 16, Williams 9, M.Jones 9, Thomson 7, Haslam 2, Bethune 2, Asensio 0.

HEAT 96: McKnight 39, Ogedengbe 22, Joseph 14, Langhorne 13, Drakeford 5, Sandell 3, Ociepa 0, Popoola 0, Gawanab 0.

THUNDER 102: Makalainen 23, Prezzie-Blue 20, Ivanovskis 17, Zabas 15, Richard 11, Cricelli 10, Brame 6. DNP: Hildreth, Marrast, Midgley, Mitchell.

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BBL (P W L Pts): 1 Newcastle 29 24 5 48, 2 Sheffield 27 22 5 44, 3 Glasgow 27 18 9 36, 4 Leicester 28 17 11 34, 5 Cheshire 28 16 12 32, 6 Everton 27 15 12 30, 7 Milton Keynes 26 14 12 28, 8 Worthing 29 14 15 28, 9 Guildford 29 11 18 22, 10 Worcester 26 10 16 20, 11 Plymouth 27 9 18 18, 12, Essex 28 5 23 10, 13 London 25 3 22 6.

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