Adam Bailey

It’s set to be another busy weekend of club action for the GB internationals playing in Europe this season, with four games expected to feature GB players in Spain while Helen Freeman and Jim Palmer are set to play their final league games of the regular season in Germany.

Here’s the games to look out for across this weekend (all listed as UK times):

Spain – http://bsr.feddf.es/index.php

Fundacion FDI Las Rozas v Amivel   (15:00 – Saturday 20 March)	Abdi Jama
Mideba Extremadura v Servigest Burgos (16:00 – Saturday 20 March)	George Bates (Mideba) Billy Bridge (Mideba) Phil Pratt (Mideba) Will Bonner (Burgos) Lee Fryer (Burgos)
BSR Amiab Albacete v Iberconsa Amfiv (18:00 – Saturday 20 March)	Harry Brown (Albacete) Gaz Choudhry (Albacete) Ben Fox (Albacete) Lee Manning (Albacete) Kyle Marsh (Albacete)   Lewis Edwards (Amfiv) Sam Mack (Amfiv)
Fundacion Aliados v BSR ACE Gran Canaria (18:00 – Saturday 20 March)	James MacSorley

Germany – https://www.rbbl.de/de/rbbl1/

Hannover United v RSB Thuringia Bulls (17:00 – Saturday 20 March)	Helen Freeman
ING Skywheelers v RSV Lahn-Dill (17:00 – Saturday 20 March)	Simon Brown Ian Sagar
Rhine River Rhinos Wiesbaden v BG Baskets Hamburg (14:00 – Sunday 21 March)	Jim Palmer

It was the GB five of Harry Brown, Gaz Choudhry, Ben Fox, Lee Manning and Kyle Marsh who were victorious despite George Bates top-scoring with 24 points as BSR Amiab Albacete beat Mideba Extremadura in Spain’s Division de Honor. 

With seven GB players in action in Albacete, British athletes played a starring role in Albacete’s 70:62 win against Mideba. Kyle Marsh led the points scoring for Albacete with 18 points, while Gaz Choudhry recorded a triple-double of 15 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds to inspire Albacete to victory. 

Lee Manning was instrumental at both ends of the court, scoring 17 points and collecting 11 defensive rebounds in his game-high total of 17 rebounds. Ben Fox scored two points with Harry Brown also playing a part in Albacete’s win. 

George Bates was the game’s top points scorer, scoring 24 points for Mideba, along with 13 total rebounds. Phil Pratt also played the full 40 minutes for the away team, ending the game with eight points, nine assists and seven rebounds. 

Albacete are now second in the table, two points behind league leaders Bidaideak Bilbao BSR, with Mideba fourth, two points behind their opponents, although Mideba have played a game less. 

James MacSorley was also in club action on Saturday, scoring two points in BSR ACE Gran Canaria’s 80:50 win at home to Fundacion FDI Las Rozas. MacSorley’s Gran Canaria are third, level on points with Albacete. 

In Italy, Martin Edwards was the joint top points scorer in the Serie A quarter-final between Special Bergamo Sport Montello and Deco Group Amicacci Giulianova. Edwards posted 24 points and nine rebounds, but his Bergamo side were unable to overturn the deficit from the first leg, losing 64:61 in another close game. 

In Germany, Helen Freeman’s RSB Thuringia Bulls bounced back from their first defeat of the season with victory against BG Baskets Hamburg. Freeman scored two points in a 95:43 victory for Thuringia Bulls, who have already secured their place in the end of season play-offs.  

Most Points (GB athletes) 

24 – George Bates (Spain; Mideba); Martin Edwards (Italy; Bergamo) 

18 – Kyle Marsh (Spain; Albacete) 

17 – Lee Manning (Spain; Albacete) 

Most Assists (GB athletes) 

10 – Gaz Choudhry (Spain; Albacete) 

9 – Phil Pratt (Spain; Albacete) 

8 – Kyle Marsh (Spain; Albacete) 

Most Rebounds (GB athletes) 

17 – Lee Manning (Spain; Albacete) 

13 – George Bates (Spain; Mideba) 

10 – Gaz Choudhry (Spain; Albacete) 

British Wheelchair Basketball has today launched a new online learning platform to boost learning and development opportunities across the sport in the UK. 

BWB Learning is a free resource for all BWB Members providing them with a hub of interactive learning resources for wheelchair basketball. The platform has been designed to ensure everyone has the support and learning opportunities available to be the best they can, whatever their role within the sport. 

With the platform’s content covering a wide range of topics, including coaching, officiating, club development, safeguarding and wellbeing, this new eLearning platform provides all BWB Members with the opportunity to expand their knowledge across different areas of the sport. 

This new resource will also be a valuable tool for coaches, officials and club volunteers who can further their development and knowledge with specific resources created for their roles. 

The launch today has also seen the unveiling of a new digital version of The Activators’ Award – formerly The Leaders’ Award – aimed at supporting the development of young people involved in wheelchair basketball. 

BWB Learning has been designed to make learning and development easier and more accessible for members to complete at a convenient time for them, allowing users to choose which resources they would like to complete, at their own pace and in their own surroundings. 

As a BWB Membership benefit, registration and access to the BWB Learning courses and resources is free to anyone who is a BWB Member. The online platform can be accessed by visiting https://learning.britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/ where members can sign-up by creating an account and enrol onto the available courses. In line with the BWB Data Privacy Notice, users of the platform need to be age 13 or older to be able to register.

A full list of the courses available from today’s launch date is below with more courses and content to be added each month. 

Coaching 

• Understanding the Teenage Brain 
• Nutrition Guidance for Isolation 
• Strength and Conditioning for Wheelchair Basketball 

Officiating 

• Introduction to Wheelchair Basketball Rules and Regulations 
• Scoring for Beginners 

Club Development 

• Club Development – Development Plan 

• Club Development – Policies and Procedures 

Safeguarding and Wellbeing 

• Safeguarding Adults Webinar 
• Mental Health Awareness at Work from Mind 
• NSPCC Let Children Know You’re Listening 

Young People 

• How to Play Wheelchair Basketball 
• Young Leaders Award 

If any support is required, please email courses@britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk. 

There will be a very British feel when BSR Amiab Albacete host Mideba Extramedura in Spain on Saturday with eight GB players lining-up for the two clubs this season. 

Harry Brown, Gaz Choudhry, Ben Fox, Lee Manning and Kyle Marsh will be in action for the hosts, while George Bates, Billy Bridge and Phil Pratt will travel to Albacete to represent Mideba in what will no doubt be a very competitive clash in Spain’s Division de Honor. Tip-off on Saturday is at 6pm (UK Time). 

The only other game in Spain this weekend will see James MacSorley’s BSR ACE Gran Canaria take on Fundacion FDI Las Rozas at 6pm. 

In Germany, Helen Freeman will be hoping she can help RSB Thuringia Bulls return to winning ways after their first defeat of the season came against RSV Lahn-Dill last weekend. A home game against BG Baskets Hamburg is what awaits them this weekend (Saturday, 5pm). 

In Italy, Martin Edwards will be back in action after playing his first competitive game in over a year last weekend. Despite top-scoring with 23 points last weekend, he was unable to prevent Special Bergamo Sport Montello being defeated 48:59 by Deco Group Amicacci Giulianova in the first leg of the Group B Quarter-Final in this season’s new format for Serie A. 

The two teams will meet again on Saturday at 4pm for the return leg with Edwards and Bergamo looking to overturn their first leg deficit. 

Here’s the full list of fixtures featuring GB athletes this weekend (all listed as UK times):

Spain – http://bsr.feddf.es/index.php  

BSR ACE Gran Canaria v Fundacion FDI Las Rozas  (17:00 – Saturday 13 March)	James MacSorley
BSR Amiab Albacete v Mideba Extremadura (17:00 – Saturday 13 March)	Harry Brown (Albacete) Gaz Choudhry (Albacete) Ben Fox (Albacete) Lee Manning (Albacete) Kyle Marsh (Albacete) George Bates (Mideba) Billy Bridge (Mideba) Phil Pratt (Mideba)

Germany – https://www.rbbl.de/de/rbbl1/  

RSB Thuringia Bulls v BG Baskets Hamburg   (17:00 – Saturday 13 March)

Helen Freeman

Italy – https://www.federipic.it/ 

Deco Group Amicacci Giulianova v Special Bergamo Sport Montello (16:00 – Saturday 13 March)

Martin Edwards

It was another weekend when British players shone with George Bates among the leading scorers in Spain’s Division de Honor, while there was success for Simon Brown and Ian Sagar in the top of the table clash in Germany. 

George Bates scored over 30 points for the second successive week, recording a game-high 34 points in Mideba Extremadura’s 30:85 win over Getafe BSR. Bates was influential at both ends of the court with 11 defensive rebounds included in his game-high total of 15 rebounds. 

Phil Pratt was also influential in Mideba’s victory, ending the game with 11 points, a game-leading nine assists and 12 rebounds. 

It was also a productive weekend for the British players in action for BSR Amiab Albacete, with 53 of their 78 points against Servigest Burgos scored by GB athletes. Lee Manning led the points scoring for Albacete with 18 points along with a game-high 16 rebounds. 

Gaz Choudhry was top of the game’s assists charts with 16 assists in addition to his 15 points and eight rebounds. Harry Brown’s points total was 12, while Kyle Marsh and Ben Fox scored six and two points, respectively, as Albacete moved up to second in the league table.

Will Bonner and Lee Fryer were both in action in Burgos’ 78:62 defeat in Albacete with Fryer adding 10 points and 11 assists to the scoresheet.

Albacete are level on points with James MacSorley’s BSR ACE Gran Canaria who lost 58:61 to CD Ilunion in an end-to-end, competitive game. The scores were level going into the full minute but Terry Bywater’s three-pointer with 31 seconds left on the clock proved to be decisive with Ilunion securing the win by three points. 

Bywater’s final minute three-pointer saw the five-time Paralympian end the game with 10 points and a game-high eight assists, while Gregg Warburton added nine points to Ilunion’s total. MacSorley scored six points for Gran Canaria. 

Abdi Jama was also involved in a thrilling game in Malaga with his Amivel’s side claiming a 97:95 win after two periods of overtime. Jama scored 15 points and totalled five assists. 

There was also victory for Lewis Edwards and Sam Mack who helped Iberconsa Amfiv to a 67:48 win against Fundacion Aliados. Edwards scored 11 points with Mack adding two. 

In Germany, all eyes were on the top of the table clash between RSB Thuringia Bulls and RSV Lahn-Dill. It was Lahn-Dill – including Simon Brown and Ian Sagar – who were celebrating at the final buzzer as they delivered Thuringia Bulls’ first defeat of the season.  

Sagar scored 11 points and Brown nine as Lahn-Dill won 82:54 to move two points behind Thuringia Bulls at the top of the table, with Lahn-Dill having played a game less. Helen Freeman scored six points for the league leaders. 

Thomas Smith was also part of a winning side, posting 10 points and a team-high six rebounds for Baskets 96 Rahden in their 89:36 win against ING Skywheelers. 

Jim Palmer’s Rhine River Rhinos Wiesbaden lost 68:65 away at BBC Munsterland with Palmer ending the game with two points, four assists and five rebounds. 

Martin Edwards returned to competitive action for the first time in over a year as he played his first game for Italian side Special Sport Montello Bergamo in a new Serie A format. Edwards was the game’s top points scorer with 23 points, while also collecting nine rebounds in Bergamo’s 48:59 defeat to Deco Amicacci Giulianova.

Most Points (GB Players) 

34 – George Bates (Spain; Mideba) 

23 – Martin Edwards (Italy; Bergamo)

18 – Lee Manning (Spain; Albacete) 

Most Assists (GB Players) 

16 – Gaz Choudhry (Spain; Albacete) 

11 – Lee Fryer (Spain; Burgos)

9 – Phil Pratt (Spain; Mideba)

Most Rebounds (GB Players) 

16 – Lee Manning (Spain; Albacete) 

15 – George Bates (Spain; Mideba) 

12 – Phil Pratt (Spain; Mideba) 

There will be British interest on both sides of the court when the top-two teams in Germany go head-to-head this weekend with Helen Freeman, Simon Brown and Ian Sagar in action.

Freeman’s RSB Thuringia Bulls are top of RBBL1 with a 100 per cent winning record this season; a record Freeman will be hoping remains when the league leaders travel to RSV Lahn-Dill on Saturday. Lahn-Dill are four points behind Thuringia Bulls, but Brown and Sagar’s side have played a game less.

The top of the table clash in Germany is one of eight games expected to feature GB athletes in Spain and Germany this weekend, including a head-to-head battle between Terry Bywater/Gregg Warburton and James MacSorley in Spain.

Here’s the games to look out for across this weekend (all listed as UK times):

Spain – http://bsr.feddf.es/index.php

Getafe BSR v Mideba Extremadura   (16:30 – Saturday 6 March)	George Bates Billy Bridge Phil Pratt
Amivel v Fundacion Vital Zuzenak   (17:00 – Saturday 6 March)	Abdi Jama
Iberconsa Amfiv v Fundacion Aliados   (17:00 – Saturday 6 March)	Lewis Edwards Sam Mack
BSR ACE Gran Canaria v CD Ilunion   (17:00 – Saturday 6 March)	James MacSorley (Gran Canaria) Terry Bywater (Ilunion) Gregg Warburton (Ilunion)
BSR Amiab Albacete v Servigest Burgos (18:00 – Saturday 6 March)	Harry Brown (Albacete) Gaz Choudhry (Albacete) Ben Fox (Albacete) Lee Manning (Albacete) Kyle Marsh (Albacete) Will Bonner (Burgos) Lee Fryer (Burgos)

Germany – https://www.rbbl.de/de/rbbl1/

BBC Munsterland v Rhine River Rhinos Wiesbaden   (14:00 – Saturday 6 March)	Jim Palmer
Baskets 96 Rahden v ING Skywheelers   (17:00 – Saturday 6 March)	Peter Cusack Jake Robinson Thomas Smith
RSV Lahn-Dill v RSB Thuringia Bulls   (18:30 – Saturday 6 March)	Simon Brown (Lahn-Dill) Ian Sagar (Lahn-Dill) Helen Freeman (Thuringia)

George Bates was the weekend’s top points scorer in Spain’s Division de Honor, while Simon Brown and Ian Sagar were victorious as second versus third went head-to-head in Germany. 

Bates scored a weekend-high 31 points in Mideba Extremadura’s 62:54 win over Fundacion FDI Las Rozas, taking the World and European champion’s total to 196 points this season. It’s a statistic that places the 26-year-old in the top-10 players for average points in Spain this season.  

Phil Pratt continues to be one of the leading players for assists, recording six points and a game-high 11 assists in Mideba’s latest win – his seventh double-digit total for assists this season. Billy Bridge also added to Mideba’s total with two points as the Badajoz-based club posted their 10^th victory of the season. 

Albacete also secured their 10^th win as Lee Manning topped both the points and total rebounds charts in their 100:10 win over Getafe BSR. Manning recorded 26 points, 15 rebounds and six assists in a complete all-round performance, ending the game with an efficiency rating of 50. 

Gaz Choudhry was the game’s leading player for assists with 10, along with his 12 points and seven rebounds. There were season best points totals for both Ben Fox and Harry Brown, who scored 20 and 14 points, respectively, while Kyle Marsh added four points with GB players scoring 76 of Albacete’s 100 points.  

Terry Bywater’s birthday celebrations began a day early thanks to CD Ilunion’s 82:71 win at home to Iberconsa Amfiv. Bywater – who celebrated his 38^th birthday on Sunday – scored 11 points for Ilunion, with Gregg Warburton also in action for the Madrid-based club, scoring two points.

Lewis Edwards and Sam Mack both featured for Amfiv, scoring two and four points, respectively. 

James MacSorley’s BSR ACE Gran Canaria remain second in the Division de Honor table; their 40:82 victory Fundacion Vital Zuzenak included six points from MacSorley. 

Will Bonner and Lee Fryer both continued their debut seasons in Spain for Servigest Burgos. Fryer scored 11 points – including a three-pointer – in Burgos’ 63:53 defeat to Fundacion Aliados. 

In Germany, Simon Brown and Ian Sagar ensured RSV Lahn-Dill kept the pressure on RSB Thuringia Bulls at the top of the table. Sagar scored eight points and Brown four as Lahn-Dill beat Baskets 96 Rahden 83:49 in a second versus third clash. 

Thomas Smith scored eight points and collected a team-high six rebounds for Rahden. 

Lahn-Dill are four points behind RSB Thuringia Bulls, who have played a game more, and the two sides will meet next weekend. Helen Freeman scored four points for The Bulls as they extended their unbeaten season to date with a 49:92 win at RBB Munchen Iguanas. 

Jim Palmer scored two points as his Rhine River Rhinos Wiesbaden side beat Hannover United 77:70. 

Most Points (GB Players) 

31 – George Bates (Spain; Mideba) 

26 – Lee Manning (Spain; Albacete) 

20 – Ben Fox (Spain; Albacete) 

Most Assists (GB Players) 

11 – Phil Pratt (Spain; Mideba) 

10 – Gaz Choudhry (Spain; Albacete) 

8 – Harry Brown (Spain; Albacete) 

Most Rebounds (GB Players) 

15 – Lee Manning (Spain; Albacete) 

9 – George Bates (Spain; Mideba) 

8 – Lewis Edwards (Spain; Amfiv); Ben Fox (Spain; Albacete)