Great Britain’s Kyle Marsh ended the opening weekend as the joint-leading points scorer in Spain as 23 GB players returned to competitive action for the first time in over seven months with the return of the top divisions in Spain and Germany.
Marsh, who has three European titles and a Paralympic bronze medal to his name, scored 34 points as his BSR Amiab Albacete narrowly lost to Bidaideak Bilbao BSR in their opening game in Spain’s Division de Honor.
The 30-year-old’s points total included two three-pointers and matched the 34 points Bilbao’s Asier Garcia Pereiro scored during his team’s 73:70 victory over Albacete.
Marsh was one of five GB players to feature for the Spanish club with Lee Manning, Gaz Choudhry, Ben Fox and Harry Brown all representing Albacete this season. Manning scored 10 points, Choudhry nine and Fox eight on his Albacete debut.
George Bates posted game-high totals in points and rebounds as Bates, Phil Pratt and Billy Bridge helped Mideba Extremadura beat Abdi Jama’s Amivel, 55:64. Bates averaged nearly a point a minute when he was on court, scoring 27 points, while also playing a key role defensively with 11 defensive rebounds included in his total rebound tally of 13.
Pratt was on court for the full 40 minutes, scoring 10 points and positing nine assists and six rebounds in that time. Bridge added seven points to Mideba’s total on his return to Spain. Jama also played the full game, scoring six points in a close and competitive game against his former club.
Terry Bywater recorded a league-high 16 assists in CD Ilunion’s 15:102 win over Getafe; in a game which also saw the five-time Paralympian score 18 points, including two three-pointers. Bywater combined well with GB teammate Gregg Warburton, assisting 10 of Warburton’s 17 points, with Warburton also scoring a three-pointer on his debut for the Madrid-based club.
James MacSorley was victorious in a British head-to-head after his BSR ACE Gran Canaria side beat an Iberconsa Amfiv team, which featured Lewis Edwards and Sam Mack. MacSorley, playing in his first game for 10 months, scored two points for Gran Canaria, with Edwards scoring six and Mack two for Amfiv. 44:74 was the final score.
Lee Fryer scored a three-pointer in his first game since moving abroad for the first time, ending the game with five points and six assists. Fryer and fellow GB Academy athlete Will Bonner both helped Servigest Burgos to a 55:50 opening weekend win over Fundacion Vital Zuzenack.
In Germany, Simon Brown and Ian Sagar were both part of the RSV Lahn-Dill team who began their season with a 63:92 win over Doneck Dolphins Trier. Sagar scored nine points on his debut after joining Lahn-Dill from Special Sport Bergamo in Italy, while Brown added four points.
Helen Freeman made her debut for RSB Thüringia Bulls, helping last year’s table toppers to a 109:54 win over ING Skywheelers, finishing the game with two assists.
Four GB Senior and Academy players were in action as Baskets 96 Rahden beat Rhine River Rhinos Wiesbaden 60:74. 2017 U23 World champions Peter Cusack and Jake Robinson were both in Rahden’s starting five, scoring 10 and eight points, respectively in their first game in Germany.
Thomas Smith was also part of the Rahden team, scoring one point and totalling six rebounds in Rahden’s victory over Jim Palmer’s Rhine River Rhinos with Palmer scoring nine points.
Most Points (GB)
34 – Kyle Marsh (Albacete; Spain)
27 – George Bates (Mideba; Spain)
18 – Terry Bywater (CD Ilunion; Spain)
Most Assists (GB)
16 – Terry Bywater (CD Ilunion; Spain)
9 – Phil Pratt (Mideba; Spain)
6 – Lee Fryer (Burgos; Spain)
Most Rebounds (GB)
13 – George Bates (Mideba; Spain)
13 – Terry Bywater (CD Ilunion; Spain)
9 – Lewis Edwards (Amfiv; Spain)
9 – Peter Cusack (Rahden; Germany)
