Heat Look to Bounce Back After Week-end Defeat

Guildford Heat will be looking to avenge the 98-97 loss they experienced in Milton Keynes back in December last year, when they travel to Marshall MK Lions tomorrow evening. The Lions have won just one of their last six games, beating Essex Pirates by ten points last week, and are currently in seventh position in the BBL Championship table, whilst the Heat lay in tenth.

In their last game, a tight last second win for the Lions was their way of saying goodbye to their former home, Bletchley Leisure Centre, as they blew an eighteen point lead to snatch victory on Robert Youngblood’s free throw. Michael New scored six points in the opening quarter as Lions led 26-18 after ten minutes. Ten from Dru Spinks in the second period helped his team to a 58-36 half time advantage.

After the break though it was all Heat as runs of 12-4 and 10-4 brought them back to 63-57. Yorick Williams and Frank Holmes combined for six points for Lions, but a 9-2 burst by Guildford saw them trail by just three (71-68) heading into the final stanza.

Heat went ahead on a Mike Martin three at 74-75 and they backed that up with a further five unanswered points. Lions responded with a 7-0 run to re-take the lead at 81-80 but they couldn’t sustain it and were down 89-96 in the last minute. Williams’ three began the revival and the same player calmly sank three free throws to tie the match at 97-97 with six seconds remaining. On the next possession Martin fouled Youngblood and after missing the first free throw the veteran drained the second to secure a memorable victory for a happy Vince Macaulay.

Despite the Lions being in the league for twenty three years compared to the Heat’s five, the Heat have won fifteen out of the twenty one games between the teams in BBL history. Last seasons dealings finished with the Heat sneaking a 75-74 win at home, but the Lions gained their revenge in October, by knocking Chad McKnight’s team out of the BBL Cup in the first round with a 79-75 win.