basketball: Scorpions squashed

Russ Saunders, English basketball's all-time leading scorer, rattled in the highest individual total of the Budweiser League season with 53 points for Sunderland Scorpions on Saturday. But Saunders' total, which included nine three-pointers, did not save the league's bottom club from a 113-102 home defeat against second-placed Doncaster Panthers.

Panthers' win, spearheaded by 23 points each from Chris Fite and Andy Bale, did not cut into the 12-point advantage of the leaders, Sheffield Sharks, who won 84-73 at Worthing Bears on Saturday. Herman Harried returned for Worthing after three weeks with a broken wrist, but just seven points each from him and his fellow American, Cleave Lewis, undermined their challenge.

Colin Irish, leading the league's scorers this season with an average of 25 per game, performed over-par with a total of 27. This was matched by 27 from Sheffield's American, Todd Cauthorn.