BASKETBALL: Jets roar over Lions to widen gap at top

THE LEADERS, Chester Jets, moved six points clear in the BBL Championship last night with a 95-85 victory over Milton Keynes Lions, 24 hours after they had won 87-85 at third-placed Brighton Bears by scoring the game's last eight points over the final two minutes.

Brighton, already without their playmaker Ryan Huntley after he broke a foot last weekend, lost their captain, the England international Yorick Williams, in the third quarter with a twisted ankle.

Bears seemed to have made the game safe with a 6-0 run, including four free throws from Andrew Alleyne, to lead 85-79. But Shawn Myers inspired Jets by scoring five of the last eight points, including a three-pointer plus the game-winning basket.

Sheffield Sharks stayed second, recovering from Thursday night's loss to Brighton with a 74-64 win at Plymouth Raiders after two three-pointers from Rob Yanders and one from Sterling Davis opened a 70-60 lead.

London Towers, beaten 109-103 after double overtime at Newcastle Eagles on Friday night, completed a gruelling weekend with an 80-77 victory over Scottish Rocks at Crystal Palace. Niki Arinze secured the win at the foul line after Lamont McIntosh's three-pointer cut Towers' lead to a single point.

Michael New and Joel Burns scored 26 each to lead Leicester Riders, second from bottom, to their first home win in two months by 99-95 over Thames Valley Tigers. The bottom club, Birmingham Bullets, were hammered 109- 75 at home by Newcastle.