Giants smash Tigers hoodoo
This time, there were no mistakes. Manchester Giants booked their spot in the quarter finals of the Sainsbury's Classic Cola Cup with a 94-71 victory over recent hoodoo side Thames Valley Tigers at MEN Arena.
Roy Hairston had a game best 26 points for the Giants who shot the ball extremely, unlike their visitors who struggled from everywhere bar the free throw line.
Tigers guard trio of Casey Arena, Mark Jackson and and Martin Gottfried combined for just six points - all of which fell to Arena, a hard deficit for Paul James' side to overcome.
Although the Tigers opened the scoring, Hairston scored nine as Giants hit their first 19 points without reply to open up a fifteen point advantage and Tigers trailed 40-33 at half time. Another of the Giants summer signings, Phil Handy, then got Giants in control when he hit six free throws early in the second half.
But it was the New Jersey native Hairston who put the game beyond doubt as he netted all but five of Giants points in a 14-4 tear which left them 67-45 ahead.
Handy added 20 for Manchester , matching the highest Tigers tally of Billy Singleton.
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