Towers' chance to progress

Basketball

London Towers must capitalise on the absence of Verona's leading scorer Mike Iuzzolino at Wembley Court tonight to press their claims for a top- four finish in their European Cup group and a place in the knock-out stage.

London suffered two defeats in their first five games, but a weakened Verona are ideal opponents to begin the second half of their fixtures. Iuzzolino, the former Dallas Maverick, was injured in Verona's last Italian League fixture.

Towers lost 76-48 against Verona in their opening group game without the injured England internationals Karl Brown and 6ft 10in Neville Austin. Victory tonight and in their two other home games, against Tbilisi of Georgia and Yugoslavia's Podgorica, will assure a top-four finish and ease the pressure for away games in Turkey and Hungary.

NATIONAL CUP Quarter-finals: Friday 15 November: Sheffield v Leicester; London Towers v Manchester; Newcastle v Birmingham. Saturday 16 November: Thames Valley v London Leopards.