Following the BBL Cup
quarter-finals there are All-Star 5 doubles for Leicester Riders – defending
BBL Cup champions – and Bristol Flyers, led by a sharpshooting performance from
Marc Loving and including both VJ King and Zach Jackson for the second week in
a row, among numerous do-it-all performances.
Marc Loving – Leicester
Riders
In defence of the BBL
Cup, Leicester Riders are safely through to the semi-finals after Marc Loving
fired them past Newcastle Eagles on Saturday to make his second All-Star 5
appearance of the season so far. He missed just twice in shooting 10-12 (83%) from
the field and nailed all five of his three-point attempts en route to 27
points, with seven rebounds and six assists, including a triple to cap a 10-0
run at the end of the first half with another one and a trio of assists in the
opening minutes of the third period when the game was broken open.
Malcolm Delpeche –
Bristol Flyers
Bristol Flyers made it
four straight wins in progressing through the BBL Cup quarter-finals with a
dominant home victory over Manchester Giants, leading to a first weekly showing
for big man Malcolm Delpeche. He had a double-double of 18 points, on 8-12
(66%) shooting, with 12 rebounds, of which seven were at the offensive end,
including eight points and four boards in the opening five minutes as Flyers
led from tip to buzzer.
Jeremiah Bailey –
Caledonia Gladiators
The only appearance from
a BBL Championship game this week, Caledonia forward Jeremiah Bailey led his
team to a big midweek win over Leicester Riders at the Emirates Arena to
feature in the All-Star 5 for the second time. He scored 23 points, with six
rebounds, five assists and three steals, including six points and three assists
as they raced out to a 31-12 first quarter lead, before adding 10 third quarter
points to hold off any fightback from the visitors.
VJ King – Bristol Flyers
VJ King makes the
All-Star 5 for the second straight week and becomes one of just three players
to have made three appearances so far this season, again for his performance in
the BBL Cup win over Manchester Giants. He had 16 points, seven rebounds and
six assists, with an influential start as recorded seven points, four rebounds
and two assists in the opening period as Flyers led throughout.
Zach Jackson – Leicester
Riders
Also featuring for the
second consecutive week, and also making his third All-Star 5 appearance at the
top of the overall chart, American guard Zach Jackson continued to demonstrate
his consistency in Leicester’s BBL Cup win over Newcastle. As is customary, he
did a bit of everything for his team, scoring 13 points, grabbing seven
rebounds and handing out six assists, including a flurry of nine points in two
minutes to open the second stanza as Riders sent the lead through an
insurmountable 20 points.
Off the bench: Kyle Johnson (Newcastle Eagles), Javion Ogunyemi (B. Braun Sheffield Sharks), Tajh Green (Manchester Giants), Dirk Williams (Manchester Giants), Patrick Tape (Caledonia Gladiators), Rodney Glasgow Jr. (B. Braun Sheffield Sharks), Javion Hamlet (Newcastle Eagles).
