Sharks move closer to London

Basketball

Basketball

DUNCAN HOOPER

The pack closed in on London Towers at the top of the Budweiser League following the restricted holiday fixture list, with the defending champions, Sheffield Sharks, only two points behind their challengers for the title.

There were wins for the Sharks and fourth-placed Derby Storm, but victory and defeat for joint-fourth Worthing Bears.

Doncaster Panthers had just seven fit players for their Yorkshire derby with the Sharks, who hit 15 points in a row to lead 22-4 to take a stranglehold on the game, which they won 94-51. Sheffield's Americans, Todd Cauthorn and Chris Finch, scored 23 and 16 points, respectively, and there were 13 from Roger Huggins, the only England international in action before the national team's departure today for Denmark.

Worthing moved into joint-fourth with Friday's 109-91 win over Newcastle Comets, but failed to go joint-third when they were beaten 102-97 at Derby.

Newcastle won 94-89 at bottom-placed Hemel Royals to climb above Chester Jets and Leicester City Riders and out of the three re-election places.