Basketball: Jets are grounded by Eagle attack

Chester Jets, who won all four domestic titles last season, began the new National League campaign with an 81-79 defeat at Newcastle Eagles last night despite scoring two three pointers inside the final 60 seconds.

The Jets won the Northern Conference, the Championship, the BBL Trophy and the National Cup last season – a feat which cannot be repeated this season as the north-south conference system has been replaced by a single 11-team league system to decide the national champions. And defeat last night would not have been on the agenda for Robbie Peers' team.

However, with a minute to go they found themselves trailing 78-73. The new American playmaker Shawnee Holloway, who finished with a game high 21 points, cut the Eagles' lead to two points with a three-pointer, only for Andrew Mavis to extend the home team's advantage to 81-76 with 20 seconds remaining.

The Jets' Pero Cameron hit another three, but the Eagles held on for a stunning start to the new season.

Jeremy Hyatt, Mavis and Ricki Arinze scored 17 each for Eagles, with John McCord (20 points) and Davis (19) the main support for Chester's Holloway.

Meanwhile, the Birmingham Bullets' coach Tony Garbelotto is hoping to sign the former England International and Los Angeles Laker Steve Bucknall for the congested opening weeks of the season when they face fixtures in the BBL and the Western Conference of the European Champions Cup.

Bullets open their domestic campaign tonight at the Aston Events Centre against London Towers, Bucknall's last BBL club before the 6ft 6in Londoner left to play in Greece last season.