Nothing to show for sterling Nix effort

CHESHIRE Phoenix put in a solid all-round performance to no avail on Easter Sunday at the Mattioli Arena against a Leicester Riders team who are just three games away from winning the inaugural SLB Championship.

- BY MARK TIMPERLEY

Having led for the majority of the game, Cheshire were worn down towards the end of a pulsating encounter, with the home team eventually edging it 94-90.

In the week building up to this, the Phoenix were handed another injury blow when stalwart David Ulph injured a finger in training that will see him miss the rest of the season and require surgery. Already weakened with RJ Eytle-Rock still sidelined with his hamstring injury, the Nix are getting down to the bones with only eight players suited up for this one.

Sometimes, though, a smaller rotation can prove beneficial in the short term, as players will obviously play more minutes and therefore get into a better rhythm, playing with a little more freedom.

This certainly looked to be the case in the early stages, as Cheshire started the game with a sharpened sense of purpose. Nick Timberlake stole the ball on the Riders opening offense, taking him downcourt to lay it in unopposed for the opening score of the game.

Leicester, having beaten the Nix soundly the previous week at EPSV, were also looking focussed on what was a must win game for them if they are to lift the SLB Championship trophy this coming weekend.

They struck back straight away, a three from Riley Abercrombie giving them their first lead of the afternoon, (3-2).

Both teams had their eye in from the off and traded baskets, with the advantage flip-flopping a further five times as TJ Atwood got the Nix noses back in front at 7-8 with less than three minutes gone.

This was the start of a 9-0 run for Cheshire, Captain Skyler White with a deep three and two lay-ups from Timberlake and Larry Austin Jnr. It forced Riders Head Coach Rob Paternostro into an early time-out. The Nix were 7-15 up and still we'd not reached the halfway point of the opening quarter.