Basketball: Jets' reverse puts Sharks back in the hunt

Chester Jets tripped up on their march to the Northern Conference title with a 107-98 home defeat on Saturday night against London Leopards, who meet them again in the BBL Trophy semi-finals on Saturday week.

The Leopards, who boosted their own hopes of a top four finish in the South to reach the play-off quarter-finals, came back from trailing 53-40 at half-time in the Northgate Arena. But the Leopards hit an 18-2 run in the fourth to tie the scores on 81-81 before taking control. Chester's defeat also gave Sheffield Sharks renewed hope of catching them after they hammered Leicester Riders 126-88 at Loughborough. The Sharks, three wins behind the Jets but with a game in hand, still have to play them twice. Leicester also lost 99-93 at Newcastle Eagles on Friday, but those two clubs are still likely to complete the play-off slots from the North ahead of fifth-placed Edinburgh Rocks. London Towers continued their runaway progress to the Southern title with a 95-88 win at Thames Valley Tigers, but the five clubs beneath them are all in contention for the remaining three play-off slots.

Birmingham Bullets beat second-placed Brighton Bears 93-91, while Milton Keynes Lions won 108-80 away to the North's bottom club, Derby Storm.