Stanojevic steals show for Red Star

The young bucks of Red Star Belgrade won the Sainsburys Classic Cola tournament at Wembley Arena last night, beating Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv 71-70 in the final. The Yugoslav's Jovo Stanojevic stole the show from Maccabi's 6ft 10in American centre Rashard Griffith, whose $950,000 (pounds 630,000) contract makes him the highest paid sportsman in Israel's history.

Stanojevic scored 17 points and regularly out-witted the huge Griffith, who managed just 10 points.

Vojkan Bencic shot Red Star into a 71-68 lead before Doron Sheffer lost the chance to force overtime when his foot strayed on to the three point line as he hit the game's final basket, for just two points instead.

In the loser's play-off, London Towers, just nine days before they open their European Cup campaign in Israel, were beaten 71-48 by AEK Athens. London led 29-28 at the interval but failed to score for nearly four minutes on the restart to trail by 12 points.

SAINSBURY'S CLASSIC COLA TOURNAMENT (Wembley Arena): Final: Red Star Belgarde 71 (Stanojevic 17, Miskovic 15); Maccabi 70 (Sharp 18 Griffith 10 Katash 10). Losers' play-off: London Towers 48 (Lewis 17) AEK Athens 71 (Alexander 21). Sunday's semi-finals: Red Star Belgrade (Yug) 90 London 82; Maccabi Tel Aviv (Isr) 74 Athens 55.