BASKETBALL: Lewis gives Towers new Cup hopes

WITH THREE games left to play in their group, London Towers' 82- 80 victory in Italy on Tuesday night against Milan has set up an unexpected chance of qualifying for the last 32 of the European Saporta Cup.

Danny Lewis drove through the Milan defence with nine seconds to play and scored from a lay-up to take his points total to 27. A steal by the England international Neville Austin had earlier given Lewis the chance to put the Towers into the lead at 80-79 in what had been a close game throughout.

Milan's best performer, Lee Nailon, made only one of two free-throw attempts to tie the game on 80-80 before Lewis' late score left the Italians with no time to recover.

Next Tuesday at Crystal Palace, the Towers will face the Swedish club Plannja Lulea, who lost at home to Belgium's Okapi Aalst, the bottom club in the group. After the two-week break for national teams the Towers are at home to Darussafaka of Istanbul and then away to Aalst in their last game.