GBR - Guildford Heat, final team to progress through to semi-finals

LONDON (BBL) - Guildford Heat became the final team to progress through to the semi-finals of the BBL Championship play-offs thanks to an 81-72 victory over the Everton Tigers at the Spectrum on Sunday afternoon.

The Heat started strongly netting the opening seven points of the game. They increased their lead off the back of a 16-4 burst towards the end of the opening period to take the score out to 26-13.

The second quarter saw Mike Martin open the scoring with a three-pointer for the Heat, but the Tigers rattled off a 19-5 tear to take the lead at 34-39 with a minute remaining in the half. Baskets from Daniel Gilbert and a three from James Jones for the Heat tied the game at 39-39 at the half.

The second half saw the Heat open with a 10-3 run to take the score out to 49-42, but the Tigers responded immediately with a 13-5 burst to take a one-point lead at 54-55. The visitors held on to the slender lead at 56-57 going into the final stanza.

In the final quarter, the Tigers continued to hold a slender lead at 62-64. The Heat broke the game open with a 19-6 tear, including ten points from Martin, took the score out to 81-70 with twenty seconds remaining. A Tony Robertson dunk as time expired for the Tigers was not enough to prevent the Heat qualifying for the Final Four.

Martin led all scorers in the game with 25 points, as well as 10 rebounds. Calvin Davis led the Tigers scoring with 15.

BBL