TCS CHESTER JETS had two important games last weekend and significantly improved their chances of silverware with impressive victories in both the BBL Trophy at Leicester on Saturday and the league v Thames Valley Tigers on Sunday.
The Jets took control of their BBL Trophy pool with a hard fought 93-81 success over the Leicester Riders on Saturday night in the Midlands.
After two encounters already this season with the Riders side, Jets came to Loughborough aware that although yet to win this season, Riders are far from easy to beat.
They started slowly and the Riders made all the early running and Jets were quite fortunate to be down by only three at the end of the first quarter at 21-24.
The second quarter saw Jets continuing to make headway, though the Riders were still making plenty of shots and taking too many rebounds.
The fact that the half ended with Jets leading 44-37 was mostly due to the fact that 22 of Jets' points were made by Calvin Davis who was having just one of those days when everything was falling into place.
Jets came out in the second half seemingly determined to see off the Riders threat. Their offence seemed much faster and defence more committed and there were several flashes of the Jets magic.
Calvin Davis maintained his intensity under both boards and midway through the third Jets led by 19. Leicester, however did not seem to know when they were beaten and came back to reduce the lead by the end of the quarter.
Into the final quarter and still the Riders kept coming. They trimmed the lead to six, but they never really looked a serious threat. When Calvin Davis fouled out with just over a minute to go he had a personal tally of 38 points! Amazing, but it was not just a one man show.
Ryan Huntley was everywhere and Mike Nurse dropped a few bombshells and set up a few more, while John McCord and James Hamilton worked away to keep it all together, and ex-Leicester favourite Billy Singleton (who received a warm and enthusiastic welcome from the Riders fans) made his presence felt at both ends of the court!
The final score of 93-81 was a fair reflection of the play. Calvin Davis starred with an amazing 38 points [not to mention a staggering 17 rebounds], supported by Michael Nurse with 17 and John McCord with 14.
On Sunday the Jets rose to second in the BBL Championship table with a thoroughly deserved 108-94 success at home to previously second-placed Thames Valley Tigers, who had humiliated Birmingham the night before by a clear 60 points.
Jets led the game from tip to buzzer, starting the first quarter with 10 points before the Tigers opened their account and did very much the same in the second with an 11-2 run.
Despite strong showings by ex-Tigers men John McCord and Mike Nurse, both in the scoring and the assists columns, it was by no means one-way traffic and the Tigers battled back with an 18-8 finish to the first half, reducing the arrears to four points at half-time at 47-43.
The third quarter started with a positive deluge of three point shots including three spectacular long-range efforts from Ryan Huntley and this saw the home side 59-45 ahead early in the third quarter and although, ominously they lost James Hamilton with an ankle injury, they still managed to close out the period 80-63 to the good.
Understandably the Tigers raised their games in the fourth as the five fit Jets players tired, but despite the best efforts of the impressively athletic Josiah James, the closest they could get was 99-87.
John McCord led Chester's scorers with 28 points, with man of the match Ryan Huntley close behind on 27 and Calvin Davis on 18.
