10 February, 2020

GB players play key roles as the battle for top spot heats up in Spain

British players remain at the centre of the battle for top spot in Spain with Terry Bywater and George Bates both posting high scores, while Martin Edwards and Ian Sagar also top-scored in Italy.

Terry Bywater topped the weekend’s points standings in Spain with 28 points – followed by George Bates’ 24 points – but Bywater’s points total wasn’t enough to stop his CD Ilunion side from slipping to their first defeat of the season against Iberconsa Amfiv.

Lewis Edwards and Sam Mack both played for Amfiv with Mack posting his best points tally of the season so far with 10 points. Edwards scored 11 points with eight rebounds and three assists.

CD Ilunion’s loss means five GB players are currently tied at the top of the Spanish table with Gaz Choudhry, Kyle Marsh, Harry Brown and Lee Manning all helping BSR Amiab Albacete to a 92-48 victory over Thomas Smith’s Rincon Dental Amivel.

Choudhry scored a game-high 19 points as well as 11 rebounds and seven assists, while Kyle Marsh scored 17 points and assisted seven.

After being named in last weekend’s Champions League All-Star Five, Lee Manning picked-up where he left off; scoring 14 points and posting a game-high 13 rebounds.

Brown – who was also included in the All-Star Five – continued his impressive performances; scoring 10 points. Thomas Smith scored eight points for Amivel.

CD Ilunion and BSR Amiab Albacete are now level on 23 points at the top of the league, with Terry Bywater’s team travelling to Mideba Extremadura next week.

George Bates was the game’s top-scorer as Mideba lost 70-57 to Fundacion Grupo Norte. Bates scored 24 points – the second highest total of the weekend behind Bywater – and recorded a game-high 12 rebounds as he returned to the side.

Phil Pratt scored 10 points, while Ben Fox added eight and Gregg Warburton four.

In Italy, Ian Sagar and Martin Edwards both top-scored in their respective games with mixed results for the two GB players.

Edwards scored 31 points – including three three-pointers – as his Santa Lucia Roma side beat Dinamo Lab Banco Di Sardegna 71-74 in a close game. Not only did Edwards top-score, but he also recorded 11 rebounds and six assists.

Sagar’s 23 points wasn’t enough to help Special Bergamo Sport secure victory as his team lost 52-50 to Studio 3A Millennium Basketball.

In Germany, Simon Brown won the battle of the British players as his RSV Lahn-Dill side beat Jim Palmer’s Rhine River Rhinos Wiesbaden 78-37.

Brown helped his side to victory with another solid performance, including four rebounds and three assists; Palmer scored six points for his side.

GB top scorers

31 points – Martin Edwards (Italy)

28 points – Terry Bywater (Spain)

24 points – George Bates (Spain)

GB top assists

7 assists – Phil Pratt (Spain); Terry Bywater (Spain); Gaz Choudhry (Spain); Kyle Marsh (Spain)

6 assists – Martin Edwards (Italy)

5 assists – Lee Manning (Spain)

GB top rebounds

13 rebounds – Lee Manning (Spain)

12 rebounds – George Bates (Spain)

11 rebounds – Martin Edwards (Italy)

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