Basketball: Crack shots wing Eagles

TWO LONG-RANGE marksmen shot the Newcastle Eagles down on Saturday night at the Bracknell Leisure Centre, where Bryan Balser scored six out of six three-pointers and Julio Politi five from six in Thames Valley Tigers' 117-94 Budweiser League victory.

"We hit 58 points ourselves in the second half," said Newcastle coach Craig Lynch, "But we couldn't stop them scoring. When players shoot like that, you're always chasing the game."

Newcastle's problems began in the 12th minute when 6ft 10in Scott Wilkie was floored by Jason Siemon's power move and fell on an arm. Lynch said: "We are told it could be fractured and, if so, we'll be missing Scott for a while."

The defeat, just 24 hours after an encouraging 104-92 victory over Worthing Bears, will send Lynch chasing a new signing this week to provide backcourt support for Ralph Blalock and redress his team's inconsistent start. Lynch said: "A change is imminent and maybe someone will have to make way."

Leicester City Riders' Hilroy Thomas and Birmingham's Fabulous Flournoy were ejected in the second quarter of the Bullets' 94-87 win at the Granby Halls.

Nigel Lloyd, with 33 points, topped Birmingham's scorers while Billy Singleton scored 19 for the Riders, who have lost all five games.

John White led Manchester's scorers as the Giants took control with a 27-19 first-quarter in beating Derby Storm 102-87.

Worthing bounced back from Friday's defeat to capitalise on Chester Jets' problems with a 105-101 win. The highest individual total of the season, 47 points from Jeff Warbritton, could not save Chester, who have four key players injured.