Worcester Wolves slipped to a 75-64 defeat after a promising start against Teesside Lions.
The Wolves had a healthy 33-19 advantage six minutes before half-time at the University of Worcester Arena on Saturday, October 19, but failed to capitalise on it.
This advantage diminished as uncertainty crept in, allowing the Lions to crawl back to speed, level the score after the break, and ultimately take control of the match.
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Emmanuel Yeboah was the standout player for Wolves in the early stages, scoring 13 first-quarter points and setting up a series of scoring opportunities for his teammates.
Worcester's lead was at its peak when the Teesside Lions called a time-out, which helped them regain their composure.
The Lions then took advantage of the Wolves' errant shooting and frequent turnovers to gradually cut down their lead to just one point by half-time, leaving the score at 39-38.
Yeboah assisted James Davies with an easy basket, and the latter twice rebounded his own misses to keep the Wolves in front.
However, Teesside's formidable forward, Brendan Patrick, scored three times in a two-minute spell, taking his side to a 50-47 lead.
Worcester entered the final period trailing 54-50, with Yeboah's attacking momentum curtailed by the four fouls he had already picked up, one short of forcing an early end to his evening.
Despite Davies' attempts near the hoop, the Lions were able to secure the win due to a lack of scoring support from the rest of the Wolves.
Yeboah and Davies led the scoring with 20 and 14 points respectively, both also securing double-figure rebounds.
Wolves coach Dean Blake said: "After a decent start, we maybe got a little complacent.
"We lacked a bit of discipline and didn’t show the resilience we’re known for."
During the game Wolves managed to make only two of their 24 three-point attempts.
Blake said: "We talked in the locker room about needing to put pressure on the basket and not just settling for three-pointers.
"When we did put pressure on the basket, it made a massive difference."
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