Basketball: Jets crush Bears' resistance to stay on course for fourth title

Chester Jets stayed on course for a clean sweep of all four domestic titles when they defeated Brighton Bears 95-82 in the BBL Championship semi-finals at Coventry Skydome last night, after taking control with a 32-10 third quarter against the Southern Conference runners-up.

Chester Jets stayed on course for a clean sweep of all four domestic titles when they defeated Brighton Bears 95-82 in the BBL Championship semi-finals at Coventry Skydome last night, after taking control with a 32-10 third quarter against the Southern Conference runners-up.

The Jets, who have also won the BBL Trophy and National Cup, now go through to the Wembley final on Sunday week to play the team they beat to the Northern Conference title, Sheffield Sharks. Chester will make their final debut against the Sharks, who are back in the title decider 12 months after making their debut in the final and losing to Leicester Riders.

The Sharks last night produced the only result in the play-offs which went against the form book. They won 104-87 against London Towers, who like last season won the Southern Conference title only to lose in the semis.

Sheffield dominated Towers, who drew level at 31-31 but later conceded 13 unanswered points to trail 55-37. Towers' former Shark, Terrell Myers, led all scorers with 32 points, ahead of Sharks' Lynard Stewart, 22 points, and Peter Scantlebury with 20.

Brighton threatened another upset after a 13-2 run put them 48-37 against the Jets, who still trailed 48-39 at the half. But John McCord, 25 points, Calvin Davis, 18, and the League MVP John Thomas with 18 led Chester's onslaught in the third quarter for a 71-58 lead.

The Jets then opened the fourth with a 12-2 run to keep their sights on a domestic clean sweep, to emulate the 1992 Kingston team.