There were mixed results for champions Reading Rockets over weekend, going down 67-64 at Leicester Warriors before bouncing back to defeat Coventry Crusaders 91-81 (stats).

 

On Saturday at Leicester, Rockets started well with captain Ryan Lohfink and Robbie Parker hitting threes as Reading shot into an 8-0 lead. 

 

However, the Warriors went on an 11-1 run to hold a 17-15 advantage as the quarter ended.

 

Leicester opened up a 10-point advantage midway through the second period before a Lohfink deuce and a pair of wide three pointers from 18 year old Adam Thoseby saw Rockets draw level at 31. 

 

Rockets had upped the tempo and were playing better defence and they finished with a 14-5 run to take a one point lead into the locker room.

 

Fenny Falmagne opened Rockets' scoring in the third period with a finger roll moments before Parker finished a Rockets' fast break. Jason Sayers scored inside but both Lohfink and Parker were called for their third personal fouls in this bruising encounter. 

 

Warriors scored from the resulting free throws, levelling on 38 points, but six quick points from Saunders and Parker's second three of the game saw Rockets hold an eight point advantage at the start of the fourth quarter.

 

Thoseby and Saunders were quickly called for their fourth personal fouls as Warriors went on a 17-4 run and took a five point lead at 61-56. A crucial block followed by a steal and two points by Saunders saw Rockets fight for a win. 

 

However, with Reading in team foul trouble and having a unsportsmanlike foul called on Jon May, Rockets were four down with 41 seconds left. 

 

Falmagne hit a two and then one from the line to take Rockets one point adrift with 11.2 seconds remaining. Reading fouled and Warriors missed the two free throws, but Leicester's Emile Hopkins took the offensive boards, was fouled and converted his pair giving them the 67-64 lead.

 

A last gasp three point effort by Rockets to take the game to overtime failed, keeping Leicester in fourth spot.

 

Joe Reynoso led Warriors with 14 points, with MD Janiska adding 11 and Tyler Kathan, who returned from injury, ten. Lohfink and Thoseby each scored 12 points, with Falmagne and Kenny Saunders adding ten apiece.

 

The following day, Thoseby completed a good personal weekend when he hit 25 points, as well as dishing out three assists and pulling down two boards. The England under 18 guard converted 10 of 13 field goals including all three attempts from behind the arc.

 

He was ably assisted by 17 year old Louis Sayers, who scored 17 points and the experienced American Kenny Saunders, who achieved a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds.

 

A good team performance from the hosts saw coach Sasa Punosevac able to rest the experienced players suffering with niggling injuries. One such player, Robbie Parker, started the game and made a major contribution in the opening quarter hitting seven personal points while Saunders blocked shots at one end and dunked at the other.

 

But it was Coventry who finished the quarter well, including a Jon Olinger buzzer-beating two giving them a 24-23 lead into the first break.

 

Saunders and May scored inside for Reading with Thoseby and Louis Sayers finishing a pair of threes, but an Olinger three clipped the Rockets's lead to two (41-39) at the interval.

 

An Olinger three point play three minutes into the fourth gave Coventry a brief lead (46-45), but 12 Thoseby points in the quarter helped Reading into a lead they wouldn't lose. 

 

Coventry took the final period 27-23, but it wasn't enough and Reading moved nearer to the .500 mark in the table.

 

American pair Olinger and Matt Smith led Crusaders with 29 and 18 points respectively, with the former adding five assists and four steals and both players pulled down five rebounds.