Basketball: Sheffield keep Trophy hopes alive

THE LEAGUE Trophy holders, Sheffield Sharks, fought back in the fourth quarter to concede only an 81-77 defeat against Manchester Giants in the first leg of their semi-final at Ponds Forge last night.

Sharks, the joint leaders of the Budweiser League along with Giants, trailed 67-56 at the end of the third quarter, but 23 points from Terell Myers kept them in touch before next Wednesday's second leg. Tony Dorsey led the Manchester scorers with 24.

In the other semi, Derby storm lifted their ban on the England international, Yorick Williams, as they defeated Leicester City Riders 88-75 in the first leg. Derby's Rico Alderson was ejected from the game.

Newcastle Eagles have joined their rugby union colleagues from the Falcons in searching for a new owner, after Sir John Hall's abandonment of his Continental-style sporting club concept for Newcastle.

The Eagles, general manager, Paul Blake, said: "We are looking for a new owner for our franchise, which has been a spectacular success in terms of growth. As it stands today there is not by any means a problem getting to the end of the season."

The Basketball League are already looking for new owners for the Birmingham Bullets, but Blake denied there was any prospect of the Eagles also reverting to league control in the interim.

"The basketball club is more than feasible as a business and we hope to make an announcement within a couple of days," Blake added.