Abdi Jama was the weekend’s top scoring British player in Europe on a weekend which saw eight GB players level on points at the top of the table in Spain and a brilliant battle in Germany featuring Helen Freeman, Simon Brown and Ian Sagar.
It was a successful weekend on the road in the north of Spain for Harry Brown, Gaz Choudhry, Ben Fox, Lee Manning and Kyle Marsh with the five GB players helping BSR Amiab Albacete secure two wins to move to the top of Spain’s Division de Honor.
A trip to Fundacion Vital Zuzenak was the first stop for Albacete’s double header, with Marsh leading the game standings for both points scored and assists as Albacete began their weekend with a 50:94 victory in Zuzenak.
Marsh’s game-high 21 points included two three-pointers, while Fox scored 17 points and collected a game-high 11 rebounds. Choudhry added 14 points to Albacete’s total, while Manning and Brown scored 10 and four points, respectively.
The next morning Albacete were back in action against Servigest Burgos, featuring Will Bonner and Lee Fryer. Manning’s 20 points was the game’s joint-highest total and his 14 rebounds were also a game-high as Albacete picked up their second win of the weekend, thanks to a 61:82 win over Burgos.
Against Burgos, Fox added a further 15 points to his season’s tally, with Choudhry scoring eight points and Marsh seven. Brown’s seven assists was a game-high, who also added three points to his team’s total.
Lee Fryer scored 10 points, a day after recording the same total in Burgos’ 76:55 victory over Fundacion FDI Las Rozas. Will Bonner scored two and four points in Burgos’ two games.
Albacete’s two wins sees the club move to the top of the table, level on points with Bidaideak Bilbao BSR and Mideba Extremadura, who suffered their first defeat of the season against BSR ACE Gran Canaria on Saturday.
James MacSorley scored 12 points in Gran Canaria’s 70:65 win over Mideba, in what was a competitive and close game with the two teams level heading into the final quarter. Phil Pratt was the game’s highest scoring British player, scoring 13 points for Mideba, with George Bates and Billy Bridge scoring six points each.
Abdi Jama had the honour of being the weekend’s top-scoring GB player in Spain, scoring 28 points and recording a game-high 10 assists as Amivel beat Getafe BSR 107:14.
Gregg Warburton posted his highest points tally of the season as Warburton and Terry Bywater helped CD Ilunion claim a fourth successive win; their latest coming thanks to a 85:75 victory over Fundacion Aliados. Warburton scored 18 points, while Bywater’s 14 included two three-pointers.
Lewis Edwards and Sam Mack were in action twice for Iberconsa Amfiv. Edwards scored nine points and Mack five as Amfiv lost 93:51 to Bidaideak Bilbao BSR on Saturday, before both players increased their points tallies even more on Sunday, with Edwards scoring 19 and Mack six in Amfiv’s narrow defeat to Fundacion Vital Zuzenak (56:53).
In Germany, Helen Freeman, Simon Brown and Ian Sagar were all involved in the much-anticipated clash as RSB Thuringia Bulls v RSV Lahn-Dill went head-to-head. Seven points was the difference between the two sides at the final buzzer, with the win going to Freeman and Thuringia Bulls (79:72).
Freeman scored two points for Thuringia Bulls, who extended their lead at the top of the table, while Ian Sagar and Simon Brown posted 10 and two points, respectively.
Thomas Smith was the highest scoring GB player in Germany, scoring 18 points as Baskets 96 Rahden secured a 40:77 victory over ING Skywheelers. Peter Cusack and Jake Robinson added six and four, respectively, to Rahden’s total.
Most Points (GB Players)
28 – Abdi Jama (Amivel; Spain)
21 – Kyle Marsh (Albacete; Spain)
20 – Lee Manning (Albacete; Spain)
Most Assists (GB Players)
10 – Abdi Jama (Amivel; Spain)
7 – Harry Brown (Albacete; Spain); Kyle Marsh (Albacete; Spain)
6 – Gregg Warburton (Ilunion; Spain)
Most Rebounds (GB Players)
14 – Lee Manning (Albacete; Spain)
11 – Ben Fox (Albacete; Spain)
8 – Phil Pratt (Mideba; Spain)
