WORCESTER Wolves brought Milton Keynes Lions’ eight-match winning streak to an end as they edged a British League thriller 92-91 at the University of Worcester on Saturday.
Coach Chuck Evans sprung a surprise with Roy Owen running the point alongisde Nerijus Karlikanovas, Randy George, Chey Christie and Harry Disy.
Christie ended up having more court time than any other home player and rewarded his coach with an all-round display that returned 14 points, ninerebounds and five assists.
Two other home players recorded their best statistics of the season with Evaldas Zabas scoring 30 points and Skouson Harker claiming 27 personal points, 14 rebounds and four assists.
Veteran Yorrick Williams, who top-scored with 34 points, opened the scoring for the Lions and went on to hit seven three-pointers out of 10 attempts.
Williams and EJ Harrison led the visitors to a one-point lead after the first quarter.
Wolves were battling hard and stayed in contention as they turned the match around to lead at half-time 48-45. It remained anyone’s game with the penultimate quarter ending 73-72 in Milton Keynes’ favour.
However, the last quarter provided the real entertainment as the Wolves went on a run of nine unanswered points and looked as though they would win the game with ease with seven minutes to go.
The Lions then produced a burst of 15- 2 to go in front at 88-83 and it appeared Wolves had thrown away a winning opportunity.
With the score level at 89-each, Harrison and Zabas both missed from the free throw line but the Lions edged ahead at 91-90 after they converted a free throw following Harker’s foul.
From the next play, the hosts gained possession but there were only three seconds left on the clock.
Live wire Lithuanian Zabas ghosted past a tiring Williams and evaded two other Lions players as he went on to make the lay up for the match-winning basket.
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