Glasgow Rocks booked their place in next month’s BBL Cup final by defeating Surrey Scorchers 87-73 last night at the Emirates Arena to complete a 168-152 aggregate victory over the two legs of a surprisingly competitive semi. There were imperfections galore from the hosts, errors that could have cost them dearly. Ultimately however, the momentum from a winning streak which has now reached 12 successive games provided the spur for Sterling Davis’ men to erase the threat of an upset and set up a showdown for silverware with either London Lions or Newcastle Eagles at Birmingham’s Barclaycard Arena on January 15.
13 years have passed since the Rocks landed their lone major trophy. Runners-up medals have been garnered but swiftly forgotten. On current form, this will be their best opportunity yet to finally break the hex and although Surrey were deft enough to move ahead in the second quarter, Neil Watson – who notched 18 points and ten assists – rose calmly above the fray and calmly steered Glasgow to safety.
“The guys definitely deserve it with the work we’ve put in and the run we’ve been on,” said Davis. “These competitions, especially at this stage, it becomes a grind. What’s happens beforehand in the season doesn’t matter. A lot of Surrey’s season was based on the Cup so they came out hungry. But we were able to survive and move on.”
With an 81-79 cushion from Friday’s first leg, Glasgow appeared poised to stamp their authority when they raced into an early 14-4 lead. But Surrey, paced by 22 points from Chaz Rollins, punished the hosts’ lapses to compile a 13-2 burst that left Davis fearful of lines fluffed. “I didn’t feel good about things in the first five minutes of the game, even up to half-time,” the American admitted. “Everything we were doing was slow, whether it was cuts, offense, defence. We just looked tired.”
Eventually, the Rocks shored up their leaks and flooded Surrey into the depths of despair. Gareth Murray ignited another 14-4 run that provided enough of a cushion to assuage the home nerves and, unlike 48 hours earlier, there was no late inferno from the Scorchers who simply flamed out.
With Achara adding 11 points and 17 rebounds, and seven players scoring in double-digits, Davis can point to his depth in reserve as a reason to be confident when Newcastle and London resolve their semi-final later this month. And the Rocks could further underline their ascent by moving top of the British Basketball League next weekend.
“It feels good to be where we are right now,” Davis acknowledged. “This is the best season I’ve ever had with the Rocks and I’m pleased and proud of the guys. But in this position, you’re always looking over your shoulder for the next challenge and the next game and making sure you continue to grow and that has to be our focus.”
RESULT
BBL Cup, semi-final 2nd leg. Glasgow Rocks 87 Surrey Scorchers 73 (Glasgow win 168-152 on aggregate)
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