WORCESTER Wolves started life in 2014 on winning ways and remained top of the BBL Championship after pulling off a battling victory against the Manchester Giants.
The 95-80 win was Wolves’ director of basketball Paul James 100th victory since taking over the club more than four years ago and kept his side two points clear at the top of the table.
The Giants threatened what would have been a superb comeback victory after being 13 points adrift going into the final quarter but Wolves’ quartet of Will Creekmore, Alex Owumi, Stefan Djukic and Zaire Taylor got the crucial points when it mattered to keep their title hopes on track.
Speaking after the game, James said he was delighted to finish as winners after a tough encounter against the home side.
“It was much closer than the score suggests,” he said.
“Manchester played hard for forty minutes and it never really felt like we had the game fully under control but we managed to grind out the win.
“It’s great to enter 2014 at the top of the table but it means every side we play now sees us as the team to beat. We will need to stay focussed and play our style of basketball.”
The signs of a close contest was evident from the very start after just one point seperated the sides at the end of the first quarter.
But Wolves began to exert their dominance in the second quarter as the hosts attacks became limited against a strong defence.
A 50-41 half-time lead soon extended after the break as Taylor and Creekmore showcased their strength and quality at the basket.
Going into the last quarter leading 72-59, Wolves were not to have it all their own way for the last part of the match. Five quick points from David Aliu kept the game alive and another three pointer with seven minutes to go closed the gap to single figures.
The Giants’ push for a surprise win continued when James Jones hit the target from distance leading James to call a time out.
And the break in play did the trick as a burst of scoring from Stefan Djukic ended any chance of a Manchester win despite the late scare.
Wolves return to action on Friday (January 10) when they face the Durham Wildcats at the University of Worcester Arena.