Basketball: Jets take title race to the wire

The destination of the BBL Championship title will be decided by tomorrow's final games of the regular season after Newcastle Eagles lost 96-94 at home last night to joint-leaders Chester Jets.

The destination of the BBL Championship title will be decided by tomorrow's final games of the regular season after Newcastle Eagles lost 96-94 at home last night to joint-leaders Chester Jets.

Any victory would have given the Eagles the title, while the Jets needed to win by nine or more to take the crown. Instead, the title will now depend on the results of the Eagles' visit to Sheffield Sharks and Chester's home game against London Towers tomorrow.

Newcastle have the edge in the head-to-head with Chester, but have lost one more game. So if they both lose or both win tomorrow, Chester will be champions. If Newcastle win and Chester lose the Eagles will take the crown.

The former Jets coach Robbie Peers will take his Towers to the Northgate Arena tomorrow on an 11-game winning streak, and another victory in the run will deny Chester the title.

Yet the Jets seemed to be on their way to the Championship at the Telewest Arena last night, when a 20-2 run gave them a 74-56 third-quarter lead in front of 4,000 stunned Eagles fans at a packed venue.

Eagles fought back with a 9-0 run, seven points coming from Andrew Sullivan, and kept the Jets within the nine-point safety margin they needed to take the title race into the final day of the regular season.