Basketball: Rolston shines as Bullets sink Mons

Birmingham Bullets, bottom of the BBL Championship without a win in seven games, maintained their outstanding European Champions' Cup form with an 89-87 victory over Mons, of Belgium, at the Aston Events Centre last night.

Bullets have won five out of seven in the Western Conference and are contesting the two qualifying places with Tenerife, of Spain, and French club Dijon, thanks to an inspirational third quarter from Kyle Rolston.

The American hit 17 of his game-high 35 points in the third to give Bullets a 69-67 lead after they trailed 49-42 at half-time.

Mons, lifted by 20 points from George Evans and 19 from Wouters DeWilde, were pegged back by a 6-0 run from the Bullets, with two points from Rolston and four from Eugene Baah, to tie on 82-82.

Gary Collier's three-pointer put Mons ahead again, but Bullets kept their nerve from the foul line with two frees from Rolston and four from Sullivan Phillips for a game-winning 88-85 lead, Gary Collier's two-pointer was too little too late to save Mons. Baah finished with 15 and Phillips 12. Bullets' next group game is away to Tenerife on 3 December.

Newcastle Eagles' Niki Arinze, the championship's leading scorer and second highest rebounder, may have damaged his collarbone when he dislocated his shoulder during the National Cup quarter-final defeat at Brighton Bears on Saturday. The Eagles player-coach, Fab Flournoy, who has a hamstring injury, is unlikely to play at Scottish Rocks on Saturday.