Basketball: Bridge rises to halt Jets' dominance of Trophy

Chester Jets' grip on the BBL Trophy was prised open for the first time in five seasons on Saturday night, when Newcastle Eagles made home advantage count at the MetroRadio Arena to defeat them 92-87 after overtime in the semi-finals.

Chester Jets' grip on the BBL Trophy was prised open for the first time in five seasons on Saturday night, when Newcastle Eagles made home advantage count at the MetroRadio Arena to defeat them 92-87 after overtime in the semi-finals.

The Eagles will meet Brighton Bears in the final, after they edged London Towers 87-84 to maintain their chances of a clean sweep of honours after winning the BBL Cup two weeks ago. Rod Brown missed a Towers free throw to tie the scores, leaving Ryan Huntley to seal the win from the line.

But the Bears suffered a reaction last night, losing 84-76 in the BBL Championship at Milton Keynes, whereas the Jets recovered from their disappointment to demolish Birmingham Bullets 116-85. The former Bullet Trey Moore and Calvin Davis were joint top scorers for the Jets with 26 points each.

The Jets hold a two-point lead in the Championship over Sheffield Sharks, who defeated Leicester Riders 94-79 last night. The Towers completed a dismal weekend by crossing the border into Scotland and losing 80-74 against Scottish Rocks in Glasgow. Newcastle are now third, two points behind Sheffield, while Bears and Towers are two further points behind but with games in hand.