2nd February 2008 Worcester Wolves 75-81 Guildford Heat

BBL Trophy Semi-final

Game details:-

Venue: Ponds Forge, ISC, Sheffield

Competition:- BBL Tropy Semi-final

Tip-off:- 3.30pm

Quarterscores:- 19-18, 45-38, 60-65

Overtime periods:-

Final result:- 75-81

Officials:- Dale Aitcheson, Paul Unsworth, Steve Ferris

Top Scorers:

Wolves: Paez 26, Life 23, Harker 9

Heat: Gilbert 18, Dorsey 17, Harrison 13

vs.

The Guildford Heat made it to the BBL Trophy Final for the first time in their history with an 81-75 semi-final win over the Worcester Wolves at Ponds Forge.

Danny Gilbert and Tony Dorsey led the Heat with double-doubles. The former had 18 points and 10 rebounds, whilst the latter posted 17 points and 10 boards; EJ Harrison added 13 points and 5 assists. The Wolves were led by Anthony Paez (26) and James Life (23).

The teams traded early runs as the Heat scored the first 5 points of the game, and John Nottley added 4 in a row soon afterwards for an early 9-4 lead for the Heat. However, Paez and Life, the latter with two dunks, hit four each in an 8-2 burst that put the Wolves in front for the first time. There were five lead changes from that point as the Wolves prevailed with a 19-18 lead after the opening ten minutes courtesy of a Chuck Evans score.

Life, the league's leading score, came out on fire in the second as the Wolves started with an 11-3 push. Life had 9 of those, including a four-point play and his team led 21-30. Veteran Tony Dorsey halted that run with the next 5 and when Ajou Deng scored the Heat had closed it to 30-32. The Wolves finished the half the stronger as Paez hit four more and Skouson Harker drained a three-pointer to send them into the break 38-45 in front.

They carried that momentum into the second half as they soon stretched the lead out to its peak at 45-56 after Chuck Evans had four and Life had three in a run of 7 unanswered points, before Harker and Paez added scores shortly afterwards. From that moment, Danny Gilbert turned the game around. He hit the next 9 points to ignite the Heat as they posted a 17-3 surge. They tied the game at 59 on a Nerijus Karlikanovas triple and then took the lead courtesy of Mike Martin's free-throw. Deng closed the third stanza with a three-pointer and the Heat had the edge at 65-60.

The teams traded baskets in a slow start to the decisive period, but the irrepressible Paez and Life closed the gap to just two points with a little over two minutes to play. Paez made a free-throw and Life a mid-range jump shot, before Paez blocked EJ Harrison and found his team mate on the outlet - Life finished with a big dunk and it looked as though the pendulum was swinging in their favour as the deficit became 71-73. However, with 52 seconds remaining, Deng made a three-pointer from the top of the arc to seal the game. Gilbert and Harrison saw the game out from the free-throw line.

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