Now the dust has settled on the Cheshire Phoenix's BBL Trophy quarter-final triumph over the Bristol Academy Flyers it's a case of 'business as usual' for John Lavery's men as they refocus their attention back to domestic matters, starting with a long trip to Devon.

The county famous for custard, ice cream and, er, Miranda Hart, is the next stop for Lavery's resurgent Nix, who now have a BBL Trophy semi-final double-header with Glasgow Rocks to look forward to, and the head coach will be looking for his charges to take heed of his advice.

Lavery has warned against complacency in recent weeks and has stressed the importance of focus to his players, who are on a run of 11 wins in their last 14 games.

This Sunday's trip to Plymouth University Raiders (7.30pm) represents an excellent chance for the Nix to boost their chances of a top-five finish, something which Lavery craves, but, just as importantly, it is a winnable game that can help keep the momentum of the side going as they edge ever closer to their first leg tie with the Rocks at the Northgate Arena on March 9 (5.30pm).

After what was, by his own admission, a terrible start to the season for Lavery's men, they have been nothing short of sublime in recent weeks and some of their play has been a joy to behold. The starting five, complemented by a solid bench and some promising young talent, are now a match for anyone in the league and, despite some detractors inside the game who have looked down their nose at the reformed Phoenix and their more humble surroundings (they shall remain nameless), the progress that has been made in the past few months has been miraculous.

While coy over his side's chances of some silverware this season, Lavery, whose coaching talents have shone through in recent months, knows his side possess the quality on their day to overcome the Rocks and make it to the final in Glasgow on March 30.

This weekend's game against the Raiders is important, not just to aid the Nix push for a top-five spot and to cement their play-off berth, but also, as previously mentioned, to keep the momentum barrelling forward.

For me, the Raiders and the Rocks are cut from the same cloth. They are sides that can turn up and spoil the party but, on other occasions, can be quite generous in their gifting of a 'W' the column. It will be vital for the Nix to keep firing on all cylinders.

Jay Marriott's Raiders, who include former Nix guard Gabe Haskins in their roster, have not been in the best of form of late, losing five of their last six games with their solitary bright spot in that miserable run coming at the expense of the Rocks. Good omen, anybody?

If the Nix take to the court in a focused and professional manner then they should have too much in their locker to overpower the Raiders, whose best chance of getting something from the game stems from whether their star turns, Haskins and 6ft 4ins West Virginia Tech graduate Donald Robinson find the hot hand on the court.

Victor Moses has been in superb form of late and is likely to be the go-to-guy once again for the Nix while Reggie Middleton, Dominique Coleman, the under-rated Devan Bailey and unsung hero Donatas Visockis will all be looking to carry on where they left off against the Flyers.

Lavery reserved praise for Visockis following the Nix victory over the Flyers, and rightly so. He has grown in stature (metaphorically, not physically) in recent months and has become a key cog in the resurgence of the Northgate Arena side. The 6ft 10ins Lithuanian, who graduated from Portland State in 2009, will once again be at the heart of ensuring the Nix retain a strong defence.

A win for the Nix and they put the squeeze on the fifth placed London Lions and move themselves a step closer to Lavery's target. Just imagine where they'd be if the season started in November!