September 8th, 2016
Build up and pre-match interviews will begin from 7pm on this page. Look out for the link on this page from 6.30pm.
Get involved by using the hash tag #FlyersLIVE on Twitter!
27th August, 2016
A week to go until some of the best European club teams come to the UK to take us on in our MKM Euro Invitational 2016 tournament and we’re pleased to announce more international pre-season basketball for the Eagles.
On Monday 12th September the Esh Group Eagles Newcastle will take on this year’s USA Select team at Walbottle Campus, the same venue for last year’s clash where the Eagles were triumphant.
Tip off will be at 7:00pm with doors opening at 6:30pm.
Tickets are just £7 per person and can be purchased on the door or in advance by calling the Eagles Office on 0191 245 3880.
For further information contact the club on 0191 245 3880 or e-mail [email protected].
Wednesday, September 7th, 2016
Bristol Flyers v USA Select
Pre-season exhibition game
Thursday, September 9th (7.30pm)
Tickets available on the door, avoid disappointment by buying in advance online
Supporters have the chance to see Flyers’ new signings in action for the first time this Thursday (7.30pm) as USA Select are the visitors to the WISE Arena.
A brief guide to the travelling team from the USA can be found below.
USA SELECT
USA Select are regular visitors to Bristol, having faced Flyers in several pre-season exhibition games over the past few years. USA will offer Flyers a highly competitive game as 45 players from stateside aim to earn a contract in Europe. Sean Kilmartin and his fellow coaches will be presiding over three separate sides as their squad face the tricky task of playing around 50 games in the space of an 18-day period.
FORM
Current BBL League Champions Leicester Riders proved too strong for Select this weekend, claiming a pair of comfortable victories over the side from the USA, 94-55 and 98-74. Tiredness appeared to be a factor in these games for USA – the opening quarters being tight affairs before Riders pulled away in the second-half of each game. There were no such issues however when the team from the States faced Manchester Giants, the visiting side running out 69-76 winners at the Trafford Sportsdome.
TICKETS
Tickets will be available on the door on Thursday night, but to be sure of a seat and avoid disappointment book online now.
COURTSIDE UPGRADE – USA SELECT SPECIAL OFFER
Courtside tickets for USA Select cost just £7 for under-19s and £13 for adults – to get closer to the action and upgrade to courtside seats, contact Steve Devereux on 0117 963 0645 or email [email protected]. VIP tickets with food, drink and guaranteed parking are also available.
FIRST TIME AT THE SGS WISE ARENA?
This game will be played at the home of Bristol Flyers; the WISE Arena at SGS College in Filton:
SGS WISE Arena,
New Road,
Stoke Gifford,
Bristol BS34 8LP
SGS WISE Arena is in a convenient location just off junction one of the M32, and a short ten minute walk from Abbeywood and Bristol Parkway train stations.
Parking
Please note that there is limited car parking availability at SGS Wise campus offered on a first come first served basis – the post code for SatNavs is: BS34 8LP.
VIP customers will have spaces reserved at SGS WISE campus car park.
Parking is also available a short two minute walk from the arena – see map below for details:
Food and drink
Food and drink is available at the WISE Arena – there is a cashpoint on site but we would advise bringing cash with you if you plan on purchasing food and drink.
Ticket collections
Tickets can be collected from the ticket collections desk located just inside the main foyer of the WISE Arena – we advise arriving early if you are collecting tickets for this game.
5 September 2016
Jamie Hayes attacks the basket for Leopards
Pre-season friendly ends in narrow loss
Shaq Lewis attacks the basket for Essex Leopards against Team USA Select (pic: Paul Phillips)
Levett Essex Leopards were edged out by Team USA Select in a thriller at a packed-out Brentwood Centre last night.
Fiedling a mixture of bench players from last season and trialists, the Big Cats put up a brave fight before going down 81-77 against the touring side.
Veteran big man Errol Seaman returned after 10 years away, having helped the Big Cats win the National Cup in 2005-6, and there was a familiar face in guard Josh Johnson among the six trialists.
But it was youngster Shaq Lewis who stole the show on his Leopards’ debut with 25 points, nine rebounds and a couple of assists.
The visitors’ lack of size saw them outrebounded 49-39 by the Big Cats, but they used their quickness to cause 24 turnovers which proved crucial down the stretch.
There was little to choose between the teams in the early stages as they shared 20 points in the first five minutes, before Leopards looked set to take a lead into the first break only to see the visitors hit a late three-point play to tie the game at 21-21.
It was a two-point game in favour of the Americans heading into the final five minutes of the first half, before a crucial stage of the game saw Leopards outscored 15-7 to trail 45-35 at the interval.
Although Lewis made it a single-digit game with the opening score of the second half, it appeared to have got away from the hosts as Team USA opened up a 52-40 lead at the midway stage of the third period.
But free-throws from Brian Nguru and Lewis, together with a fast-break from Jamie Hayes, saw the hosts claw their way back into the game and Nguru cut the defict to 60-55 at the final break.
Scores from Fraser Glass and Dougie Bennett made it a three-point game early in the fourth period and Johnson set up a grandstand finish with a jump shot six seconds from time to make it a four-point deficit.
But with Leopards forced to foul to stop the clock, the visitors wrapped things up at the charity stripe.
Leopards will make their debut at Oaklands Academy on Friday when they continue their pre-season campaign with a second game against American opposition.
Steve Ogunjimi’s team will host touring side Ballers Heaven Beyond Select at 7.30pm at their new training venue and are working more closely with Oaklands this season, with the college’s elite players expected to be on the bench in Leopards’ Division One fixtures.
The American side are coached by former Coventry Crusaders play-caller Roger Payne and are a mixture of players who have just finished their college career, professionals who have experience in Europe and a couple of former NBA Development League players.
They are playing two other games, both against BBL teams, and are all hoping to gain pro contracts in the UK. Tickets are available on the door, priced £3.
Ogunjimi expects to be able to field a stronger side than the team which narrowly went down against Team USA Select on Sunday, with Tosin Oyelese and Justin Hitchman among those expected to return.
The Big Cats return to Brentwood in a fortnight, facing Hemel Storm in the National Trophy on Friday, September 16 (8pm), before London Lions are the visitors the following day, tip-off 7pm.
4 September, 2016 10:25 AM | Worthing Thunder
Worthing Thunder lost 81-74 to the USA Select side in a pre-season friendly at the Worthing Leisure Centre on Saturday night.
Despite the result, Thunder coach Daniel Hildreth was happy with how the team competed against a physical American outfit and he successfully gave everyone minutes, while trying out new plays ahead of the new season.
With player announcements coming this week, Hildreth still aims to sign one more player ahead of the arrival of American Lyonell Gaines and the first home game against Reading Rockets on September 17.
“Today went very well I regards to its purpose,” Hildreth said. “I wanted to get the guys out there and get the cobwebs away, I wanted to test a few sets, give everyone some time and most importantly play against a physical pressing team.
“We had some very solid performances and there are some glaring issues we need to work on. We still have to introduce Lyonell and hopefully another player that will both be huge additions.”
Tom Ward led Thunder with 22 points on the night, supported by 16 for Josh Brown. Brendan Okoronkwo added 12.
Thunder started the game shooting the ball well and holding a naturally quick USA Select side to just eight points in the first five minutes. The hosts would take a 23-19 lead after one.
But the touring Americans fought back and hit their stride in the second, taking a 38-36 advantage heading into the half-time break before pulling away in the third.
Worthing narrowed the gap to 69-67 half-way through the fourth quarter but the hosts, still showing signs of rust allowed the Select side to edge to victory.
4 Sep 2016
Friendly: Giants 69-76 USA Select
Yorick Williams ran the rule over a host of trialists and hopefuls against the touring USA Select side.
The Giants head coach used 17 players in the pre-season warm-up game which the visiting team won by seven points.
Fans got a first look at signings Harold Trobo, Rom Geffin and Dean Wanliss, while Williams gave playing time to a group of others.
Veteran guard Steve Gayle, who played for the Giants in their former incarnation as well as Manchester Magic and Lancashire Spinners more recently, showed he is still in good shape as he hit four points and dished out the same number of assists in 13 minutes.
Young former Magic guard Jordan Whelan had an impressive run-out. The Wigan-born ball handler has just returned from the US where he graduated from MNU (Mid-America Nazarene University) and scored a team-high 16 points in 27 minutes of action that showed composure and positivity.
Bulgarian Boris Matrakov took 12 rebounds and scored seven points.
The Giants led 30-22 after a quarter but were 47-39 down at the half. They closed the gap to 67-63 at the end of the third before the visitors finished the game 76-69 up as Williams rotated his players.
