Express de-rail Doncaster supremacy
Doncaster Eagles successful season has had few bumps in the road but in the Division 3 play-off final, tradition was maintained as the league champions fell short of making it a double. For the third successive time, it was the runners up who came through to snap up the Championship - and a spot in Division 2 next season - as Mansfield Express took a 159-151 victory over the two legs of the final to end on top.
Express sewed the seeds of victory on their home court in the opening tie by pulling off a 84-76 win. After a 21-6 start, they allowed Eagles to rally back last in the first half, a trey from Garnet Gayle at the buzzer sending them into the break up 38-41.
The ex-Sheffield guard, who would lead all scorers with 31, repeated the feat after the re-start but Mansfield were not knocked out of their stride, and as Gerrado Jivens began to find space, the hosts re-took the initiative as he scored 20 of his team-high 24 in the second half.
It was 63-63 with nine minutes left but Eagles chances were crushed with two minutes remaining when coach Simon Roberts was ejected on a double technical for verbal abuse and when Mansfield converted all four free throws, their cushion was seven points and victory was theirs.
The return leg at the Doncaster Dome was an equally tight affair. Eagles leading 37-32 at the break. The Yorkshiremen held brief hope of taking an aggregate lead when they were ahead 58-54 but Express continued to push and when the contest ended in a 75-75 tie, it was the visitors who were left celebrating.
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