ARNAS Kazlauskas is determined not to let history repeat itself when Worcester Wolves take on Surrey Heat in the British Basketball League play-offs this weekend.

The 37-year-old power forward was part of the team that crashed out at the same stage in the end-of-season tournament 12 months ago when they suffered a surprising loss to Cheshire Jets over two legs.

It dashed Wolves’ hopes of building on a successful season which had seen them record their highest ever finish of third in the league.

Now they have a chance to make amends against the Heat, who finished one position above fifth-placed Wolves in the table this term, at home on Saturday (7pm) and in Surrey on Sunday (3pm).

Kazlauskas said: “I hope we are going to learn from that and this time we will be ready. We want to do our best and if we win we will be stronger. We need to play as a team and not seperate players.

“Every game and every point is very important, we must be focused 100 per cent.”

The Lithuanian feels Wolves have found their form at the right time having put a run of four defeats in five games behind them with back-to-back victories against league champions Leicester Riders and Plymouth Raiders.

He said: “Before last weekend it had been four losses but after those we started to work harder. We had been missing something but in those two games we showed that we are ready for the play-offs.”

Kazlauskas is also relishing the prospect of playing in front of a packed university sports hall in Saturday’s first leg, adding: “I think this year the fans have supported us more with more shouting and clapping.

“You feel the warmth from them after the games and that’s very helpful for the play-offs.

“We enjoy it when it’s full and the crowd is enjoying the game.”