by Vlad Ionasc
The Phoenix will look to get back to winning ways when they’ll host the Scorchers in their first home game of 2021.
Creon Raftopoulos’ team has played just four games in the regular season and they currently sit on a 1-3 record.
Because of COVID-19 complications, the Scorchers haven’t played since December 20th (79-99 loss vs. Flyers).
Surrey won the last match between the two sides, 74-70, at the Surrey Sports Park on the 12th of December.
GAME DETAILS
Date: Sunday 17th January, 2021
Tip-off: 5 p.m.
Competition: BBL Championship
Where: EPSV
How to watch: BBL Player
The BBL Player is the new one-stop-shop for all BBL action as you can watch every club and every game (excluding Bristol’s home games) live and on-demand for £19.99 per month. Alternatively, single-game passes are priced at £4.99.
Because of how the BBL is structured, all the money from the BBL Player goes directly to the clubs, so make sure to select the Cheshire Phoenix as your ‘club to support’ when registering, as all the revenue will help carry the club through this incredibly difficult period of financial insecurity.
SCORCHERS SCOUTING REPORT
Surrey’s only away victory this season came in the form of a 20-0 forfeit at the expense of the Bristol Flyers.
The Scorchers have picked up just one win in their last five games in all competitions.
Raftopoulos strengthened his squad with the addition of 2017-18 BBL Fans MVP — Tony Hicks — on the 14th of December.
Creighton alum Connor Cashaw leads his team in points (11.5), assists (4.3), rebounds (5) and steals (1.8) per game.
As a team, the Scorchers are shooting just 38% from the field and 31.6% from deep.
Skyler White is Surrey’s most precise shooter, at 40.9% from three-point territory, while Caylin Raftopoulos and Cashaw are both shooting 37.5% from distance.
Emondre Rickman hasn’t started any regular-season games so far, but he ranks second in offensive rebounds (3 per game) behind Manchester’s Breaon Brady (4.4 per game). Rickman also ranks second in personal fouls per game (3.5).
Cashaw is one of only three players league-wide to have converted all of his attempts from the free throw line (Ben Mockford and Jonny Bunyan are the other guys shooting 100% from the line).
KEY PLAYERS
Surrey Scorchers: Connor Cashaw — The 6-foot-5 guard impressed last season, when he was a member of the Sheffield Sharks, as he averaged 16.2 points on 43.5% shooting from deep. He’s been Surrey’s best player this season and he leads the Scorchers in every important statistical category.
Cheshire Phoenix: Jimbo Lull — The Californian big-man leads the Nix in points (19.9), rebounds (9.8) and field goal percentage (58%). Lull has made more field goals (65) than any other player in the league and has posted four consecutive double-doubles. The 7-footer was limited to just eight points (4-11 FG) and seven rebounds last time out against the Scorchers as the experienced Ryan Richards lured him into early foul trouble.
COACH’S CORNER
Ben Thomas: “With the head to head on the line tonight we really need to pick this win up!
“Friday was disappointing but we have to get over that quickly and play hard for the full game today, we do that and we will get the win!”
NEXT HOME GAME
The Nix are next in action at the EPSV on the 7th of February against the Hemel Storm in the First Round of the BBL Trophy.
GO PHOENIX!