by Vlad Ionasc
Cheshire Phoenix will welcome the Glasgow Rocks to the EPSV for their fourth and final game in the BBL Cup group-stage.
The Nix will have to defeat the Rocks by a margin of 31 or more in order to avoid elimination from the Cup.
Cheshire will still be without Kahron Ross, Pharroh Gordon, Sehill Moulioum and Eric Hamilton. Ben Thomas confirmed that the quartet will be back in practice next week.
GAME DETAILS
Date: Sunday, 22nd November, 2020
Tip-off: 5 p.m.
Competition: BBL Cup
Where: EPSV (behind-closed-doors)
How to watch: FREE on our YouTube channel.
ROCKS SCOUTING REPORT
Last time out, the Rocks dispatched the Nix with relative ease, as they cruised to a 30-point win in Glasgow following a dominant second half performance.
Marc Kwedi scored a game-high 26 points on 7-10 FG, including an almost perfect 7-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc.
Glasgow’s big-men, Julius Van Sauers and Boban Jacdonmi combined for 28 points and 14 rebounds on 14-of-21 shooting.
The Rocks converted 51% of their attempts from the field, including 45% from three-point land.
Gareth Murray’s men controlled the glass, as they outrebounded the Nix 50-to-22 and scored 16 second-chance points.
Fergus Harte joined the team following a successful trial period.
The Rocks have had a full week of rest, while the Nix played the Giants on Thursday night.
KEY PLAYERS
Glasgow Rocks: Julius Van Sauers – Last time out, the Dutchman pounced on Phoenix’s lack of a natural center and limited interior presence as he rushed to a first half double-double. He dropped down a couple of gears in the second half and allowed his fellow big-man Jacdonmi to run the show and secure himself a double-double too. In order to give themselves the best chance of winning, the Nix need to make sure that Van Sauers starts slow and finishes even slower tonight.
Cheshire Phoenix: Jalen Hayes – Although he isn’t a natural center, the former Oakland forward is more combative than Sol Rolls-Tyson and he brings some real toughness on the interior. Standing at 6-foot-7, he is a little shorter than both Van Sauers and Jacdonmi, but Hayes knows how to pick his spots and will go toe-to-toe with any big in the BBL. Hayes hasn’t looked quite right this season, but tonight, the Nix will look to him for interior presence at both ends of the court.
COACH’S CORNER
Ben Thomas: “It has obviously been a tricky couple of weeks with a lot of our guys having to isolate during the group stages of the cup, but we have one more game to play against Glasgow and we will be doing everything we can to win our final BBL Cup group-stage game before we welcome back the rest of the guys from isolating next week.”
NEXT HOME GAME
Yet to be confirmed.
GO PHOENIX!