BBL Trophy semi-finals

Chester Jets 92   (14, 45, 66) McCord 32, Hamilton 21, Cameron 17, Davis 14
Leopards  81 (14, 31, 56)  Brown 20, Robinson 20, Alderson 17
 

Chester Jets remain on course for a sweep of all four domestic prizes, and a successful defence of their BBL Trophy, after a brave performance saw them overcome Leopards 92-81 in the semi-final at the Coventry Skydome on back of an energetic 32 points showing from John McCord.

Robbie Peers' squad may have four All-Stars but they could all have qualified for the All-Gutsy team, shaking off injuries to three of their starting five to domineer their opponents, who never quite found their rhythm after suffering a gut-wrenching Championship defeat to the Northern Conference leaders 24 hours earlier.

Executing admirably in the half-court and spreading their offensive load, Chester battled against the odds and were rewarded amply for their endeavour.

"We have guys who can score 30 on any given night and on most teams, they probably would," stated winning captain Pero Cameron, who hit five three pointers and made countless crucial defensive plays in a virtuoso showing.

"But on this team it's all about our spirit, sharing the load and getting the W's."

Jets - showing no sign of a hangover from their 93-92 victory in Brentwood the previous evening - suffered an early blow when back-up centre Dave Gardner pulled a calf muscle in the opening quarter, leaving Chester's threadbare roster even thinner. 

However the defending champions responded with a 6-0 burst as Leopards' early attempts fell short but the Essex outfit squared at 14-14 apiece at the close of the period.

A tight contest looked in prospect with Chester livewire John Thomas hobbling on one leg due to hamstring strain, another addition to the Jets' injury hex list. 

Wounded or not though, Peers' side have proven their will to win and they put on an exhibition, nullifying Leopards transition game and capitalising with runs of 10-2 and 9-0 which increased their cushion to as much as 16 with 1:01 left in the second period.

In a decided shooting funk at the interval, Chris Pullem needed more frm his side than their 36% success rate of the first half. It was slow in coming but while Chester - hampered by foul trouble to James Hamilton were still able to knock down a series of easy chances through Leopards hesitant defence, the Southern Conference challengers chipped away at the lead, Rod Brown firing 11 of his team-high 23 points in the third period to help his team to close the gap to 61-56 late in the stanza.

On the rack, as many times during this remarkable season, the Cup holders stepped up. Unsung hero Pero Cameron sparked a burst of 11 answered points around the break, driving coast to coast to put the Northgate outfit 74-56 in front with eight minutes remaining.

Creditably, Leopards did not give up without a fight. Once James Hamilton, contributor of 21 points, 6 steals and 4 assists, picked up his fifth foul with 4:02, Peers was forced to look again to Paul Singer to stem the tide. 

With Pullem's troops pressing in desperation though, the gaps opened up and it was Singer's nonchalant breakaway which effectively sealed Chester's safe passage to Birmingham on March 16, the 15 point cushion with one minute left beyond Leopards reach.
 
 
 

Milton Keynes 73  (23,36,49) Andrew Alleyne 28, Jason Siemon 16, Nigel Lloyd 10
London T 63 (19,34,52) Terrell Myers 19, Silas Cheung 14, Eric Mann 12

Milton Keynes Lions reached their first final in franchise history thanks to a 73-63 victory over a disappointing London Towers in the semi-final of the BBL Trophy, setting up a showdown meeting with Chester. 

Displaying a greater verve than their fancied opposition, the Bletchey outfit were deserved winners, breaking their long wait for a crack at a major prize.

"It's great for this organisation," beamed Lions assistant coach Martin Ford. "We've worked hard all year to build something for this club."

Milton Keynes started the stronger with Jason Siemon scoring their last nine points in the first period, and Andrew Alleyne scoring eight points in the second to give the Lions the lead 36-34 at the half. 

It should have been more for Nigel Lloyd's side who dominated on the glass against a London side which was disadvantaged by the absence of John White.

Robert Youngblood saw only limited action on his return from injury so it was left to Terrell Myers to stop the charge, hitting 14 of his team-best 19 points in the opening 20 minutes.

When he and Silas Cheung combined for four three-pointers to take the score out to 48-39 midway through the third, the capital outfit looked well placed to reach their fifth Trophy final in eight years. 

However their poor shooting cost them dear and they could not hold their advantage.

In the final period, the Lions went on a 19-4 tear which included 11 unanswered to re-take the lead, Jermaine Brown's one-two punch of an inside score and a block at the other end ultimately sealing an historic win.

Alleyne led all scorers with a game-high 28 points.

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