Helen Freeman, Simon Brown and Ian Sagar helped their clubs reach the Championship final in Germany, while Martin Edwards top-scored twice in two days as he ended his season in Italy.
George Bates was the weekend’s leading points scorer in Spain and seven GB internationals were involved in a highly-competitive one-point game between CD Ilunion and BSR Amiab Albacete.
Germany
It’s been two weekends of intense action in Germany with both of the best-of-three play-off semi-finals featuring GB internationals, including on both sides of the court in the semi-final which saw RSB Thuringia Bulls and Baskets 96 Rahden go head-to-head.
Helen Freeman and RSB Thuringia Bulls took to the court on Saturday with the advantage after their victory over Rahden in the first game a week before, and they secured their place in the Championship final thanks to an 82:61 win in the second game.
Freeman, who has featured throughout the season for Thuringia Bulls, scored two points to help her side to victory, while Thomas Smith and Peter Cusack scored 10 and eight points, respectively, for Rahden as their play-off final hopes were sadly ended.
There was semi-final joy for Simon Brown and Ian Sagar as they helped RSV Lahn-Dill to a second victory over Hannover United, setting-up what promises to be another enthralling final as Lahn-Dill and Thuringia Bulls renew their rivalry, featuring Freeman, Brown and Sagar.
Sagar scored six points in Lahn-Dill’s 69:47 win over Hannover on Saturday, while Brown scored two points in the game which secured Lahn-Dill’s place in another Championship final. The first match of the best-of-three final will take place on 8 May with both finalists now turning their attentions to the Champions Cup (30 April-2 May).
Italy
In Italy, Martin Edwards ended his 2021 club campaign with two game-leading points totals as his Special Bergamo Sport Montello finished seventh in this season’s condensed format of Italy’s Serie A.
Edwards posted a game-high 31 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the first game in the battle for seventh between Bergamo and Reggio Calabria Bic Farmacia Pellicano. It was another top-score for Edwards a day later, adding 27 points, 19 rebounds and six assists in the second game as Bergamo beat Reggio Calabria 69:57 and 62:52 to finish seventh.
Spain
The GB athletes playing for clubs in Spain still have at least three games left in the Division de Honor season, and, with no play-offs in Spain this year, the battle for top spot looks to be going down to the wire.
There remains British interest at the top with BSR Amiab Albacete, Mideba Extremadura and BSR ACE Gran Canaria all featuring GB internationals, and all three clubs are level on 33 points, three points behind league leaders Bidaideak Bilbao BSR.
Albacete’s title hopes were dealt a blow in what was a thrilling game between CD Ilunion and Albacete on Saturday.
Seven GB internationals were in action in Madrid with Ilunion, featuring Terry Bywater and Gregg Warburton, claiming a 70:69 victory. Warburton recorded 11 points and a game-high eight assists while Bywater scored two points as Ilunion claimed their fourth consecutive win.
Gaz Choudhry was the game’s joint-leading points scorer with 25 points, including three maximums, as GB athletes scored 61 of Albacete’s 69 points. Lee Manning added 14 points to Albacete’s total along with a game-high 15 rebounds.
Kyle Marsh posted 12 points and five assists, Harry Brown‘s tally of seven points included a three-pointer and Ben Fox ended the game with three points.
George Bates ended the weekend as the weekend’s top points scorer in Division de Honor, scoring 28 points in Mideba Extremadura’s 59:80 win at Fundacion Vital Zuzenak, along with a team-high rebounds total of 11.
Billy Bridge topped the game’s assists standings with 10, also scoring 10 points and collecting five rebounds. Mideba are now level on points with Albacete and Gran Canaria, although Mideba have played a game less.
James MacSorley scored eight points for Gran Canaria in their 50:76 defeat against league leaders Bidaideak Bilbao BSR.
Lee Fryer led the points scoring in Servigest Burgos’ 97:20 win versus Getafe BSR, scoring a game-high 20 points, along with seven assists and six rebounds. Will Bonner scored six points as Burgos secured their third successive win.
There was also victory for Lewis Edwards and Sam Mack as Iberconsa Amfiv beat Fundacion FDI Las Rozas, 56:39, with Edwards scoring 12 points.
Abdi Jama totalled 10 points for Amviel but they weren’t able to avoid a 45:53 defeat against Fundacion Aliados. Jama will be back in action on Saturday as Amivel host CD Ilunion in the only Division de Honor fixture of the weekend.
