Kieron Achara grabbed 23 points and 12 rebounds as Glasgow Rocks cut Manchester Giants down to size to move to the brink of breaking into the British Basketball League's top six for the first time in this season of inconsistency.
With recent acquisition Reggie Middleton stymied on his home debut, the American was largely left a bystander as the potentially disastrous consequences of a lacklustre start were ruthlessly avoided with a second-half surge at the Emirates Arena that saw the visitors brushed aside in a 90-85 victory.
Instead, it was left to the Scotland internationalist Jonny Bunyan to underline his growing worth as a playmaker, stepping off the bench to add a valuable sheen. As Rocks player-coach Sterling Davis observed, "It was an ugly one right across the board."
Trailing 34-21 in the second quarter, there was little to admire from his side before a 14-2 run drew Glasgow level at half-time. Manchester stepped up and threatened a decisive surge. Yet with Middleton largely confined to the bench, an 18-4 burst provided the momentum the Scots required. And although the Giants closed to within three in the final minute, Bunyan hit a three-pointer that opened up an unassailable advantage.
"We let them get away with far too much in the first half but I was happy to see the way we gritted it out in the end," Davis said. "We turned our intensity up in the second half and it came from improving our defence. Once we started to do that, we started to get the shots we wanted."
It completed a fine personal weekend for Bunyan who hit 50 points as Falkirk Fury, his second-claim club, retained the Scottish Cup with a 99-96 overtime win over St. Mirren and duly moved to within reach of a domestic double. "We lacked a bit of energy and they made some great shots," he said. "The only real difference was just that one basket in overtime."
Edinburgh University claimed their maiden women's Cup with a 70-59 defeat of capital rivals Kool Kats.
RESULTS
BBL. Glasgow Rocks 90 Manchester Giants 85, Sheffield Sharks 84 Newcastle Eagles 97, Cheshire Phoenix 79 Bristol Flyers 68, Durham Wildcats 76 Surrey United 75,
Scottish Cup (Lagoon Centre). Men's Final: Falkirk Fury 99 St. Mirren 96 OT. Women's Final: Edinburgh University 70 Edinburgh Kool Kats 59
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