BBL Championship: Guildford Heat 84 Cheshire Jets 90

Oct 31 2011 by Alec Doyle, Chester Chronicle

DEFENCE couldn't temper the attacking flare of either side as Guildford Heat failed to end their losing streak against the travelling Cheshire Jets.

Jets guard Adam Brown took the contest by the scruff of the neck scoring a game-high 27 points as he showed he is adapting to life in the BBL well and he was supported by Colin O'Reilly (19) and Matt Schneck (17) as the Jets won with their highest score of the season so far and registered their first BBL Championship victory in the process.

The start of the game saw both teams feeling out their opposition as they traded baskets before a Martelle McLemore basket gave the home side the lead at 14-12.  However this only helped to spark the Jets into life as they ended the quarter with an 8-2 burst to head into the second period leading by four points at 16-20. 

In the second quarter, the home side got themselves right back into the contest as a Mike Martin basket sparked a 12-3 burst to take the score out to 32-25 midway through the period.  The home side continued to extend their lead throughout the remainder of the quarter and lead by as many as 12 points at 43-31 with 1:07 left in the half, but the Jets gave themselves some hope of salvaging the contest as they netted the final six points of the half to head into the locker rooms trailing by six at 43-37 at the half. 

The visitors continued their form from the end of the first half as they secured an 18-4 start to the third period, including eight points from Adam Brown, to take the score out to 47-55 midway through the third quarter.  The Heat tried valiantly to get themselves back into the contest and they hit the final four points of the quarter to trim the deficit to six points at 54-60 heading into the final stanza. 

In the final period the home side started with a 5-0 start to get to within a point at 59-60, but the Jets kept their noses in front as they extended the lead out to six points once again at 65-71.  The home side were desperate to keep themselves in the contest and as a result bagged the next six points, culminating with a McLemore 'and-1' to tie the contest up at 71-71 midway through the final period.  A Martin basket gave the home side a slender lead at 78-77 with 2:58 remaining in the contest, but that was the last lead the Heat would enjoy as the Jets closed the game out with an 13-6 tear to end the contest 84-90 victors. 

Brown's day was only tempered by the fact his 27 was matched by the Heat's Tayo Ogedengbe.