WORCESTER Wolves dug deep to hold on to top spot in National Basketball League Division One with a dramatic 70-63 win against Liverpool Basketball Club.
A remarkable encounter saw Wolves race into a 52-26 half-time lead only for Liverpool to stage a stunning turnaround courtesy of a third-quarter blitz.
However, some late sharp-shooting from Fin Rennie and Wilfrid Santhe helped Worcester snatch a dramatic victory.
Despite the win, Worcester coach Dean Blake, who celebrated his birthday on the day of the game, branded his side’s third-quarter display as ‘abysmal’.
Blake said: “We started off really well and, in the end, got the win. But maybe we got ahead of ourselves in the half-time break and our third quarter display was abysmal.
“We only scored four points while it felt like Liverpool had scored thirty. It was perhaps a little bit of immaturity – we should have been in control of the game but we obviously weren’t.
“I said to the players that Liverpool were third in the table for a reason so don’t expect them to just lie down and of course the third quarter proved that.”
Santhe opened the game with a confident drive forward and then grabbed a rebound to set up an Emmanuel Yeboah dunk.
After pulling down a second rebound Santhe slotted home again for a 6-0 lead.
Yeboah made the most of Liverpool’s failure to inbound the ball in the permitted time to close out a comfortable 23-11 first-quarter cushion.
Earl Burgess hurled a long pass for Rennie to collect and convert and followed up with a double of baskets to increase the lead.
Successive three-pointers from Georgios Stergiopoulos and bully-ball plays from Burgess and Humberto Ferreira contributed to providing a half-time chasm between the teams.
But matters turned south for Worcester after the interval. As shot after shot went astray, Liverpool’s confidence grew.
It would take until the third minute of the second half for Wolves to impact the scoreboard while Liverpool now found their aim with ease.
The fourth quarter commenced with morale-sapped Worcester clinging to a vastly-reduced 56-49 advantage.
Only two more minutes had elapsed when Liverpool centre Torin Dubiel rose up for a thunderous slam that brought spectators to their feet and nudged his side 57-56 ahead.
Liverpool still held sway at 63-61 with three minutes of the game remaining.
However, Rennie made two free-throws and a follow-up thrust to the hoop produced a 65-63 reversal entering the final minute.
With 30 seconds to play Santhe found space in the left-corner of the court with defenders seemingly daring him to shoot.
He calmly accepted the invitation and danced in celebration of the ball swishing through the net to confirm victory.
Santhe and Burgess top-scored with 16 and 14 points respectively.
Wolves face another road trip against Manchester Magic on Saturday, February 14 with the tip-off at 7.30pm.
