Manchester Giants 91 – 61 Cheshire Phoenix
Manchester Giants all but sealed their place in the quarter finals of the BBL Cup with the demolition of rivals Cheshire Phoenix on Friday night.
Tyrik Armstrong produced an outstanding all round performance, leading all scorers with 24 points while also facilitating Will Saunders and Martaveous McKnight who enjoyed big nights.
Phoenix, who started the better and led at the end of the first quarter, failed to contain the energetic Giants, buoyed by a raucous home crowd.
Lloyd Gardner’s side were hoping to seal an early season double over their northwest rivals but it was the Cheshire outfit that started brighter, capitalising on some overzealous defending.
Near perfect from the free throw line they enjoyed a five point lead at the end of the first quarter.
But Manchester’s big hitters found their footing after the break, Armstrong chief among them, not just through his offensive play but also his ability to get stops with quick hands on defence.
A six minute splurge approaching the interval saw them open a 14 point lead at the half.
The barrage continued after the break, Armstrong, again, scored from deep before skillfully setting up Geno Artison and then Josh Steel as Manchester’s lead ballooned to 28.
Namon Wright top scored for the visitors with 18 points, but with only one other Cheshire player in double figures, they were unable to match the Giants offensive power.
The win sees the Manchester Giants move to the top of the BBL Cup North.
Image Credit: All Sports Photography
