ROCKETS ARE LIFT OFF: BIRMINGHAM'S TROPHY FINAL HEROES
By John Hobbs
More than 72 hours removed from the City of Birmingham Rockets' BCB Trophy victory on Saturday and chances are, the entire franchise still haven't come down from the celebratory clouds.
"I'm so proud of these guys, they were great," beamed head coach Charles Smith, who after enjoying endless success with the Newcastle Eagles as a player, can add his first winners medal to his coaching career.
"I ain't sleeping tonight," shouted Ronald Blain afterwards, and the question remains: How much sleep have they had since becoming the first ever winners of a BCB title?
However, it's richly deserved. From the starting five, to the key bench players and the juniors. Here are Birmingham's history making heroes from their 85-66 victory over the Yorkshire Dragons in Nottingham.
MVP - Eric Donaldson
A player who stepped up on the Rockets' big day. Of all games, Birmingham wanted Eric Donaldson to perform when it mattered, it was the BCB Trophy final. Donaldson was perfect from the floor, going 7-for-7 from the field, which included a corner three-pointer and 4-for-4 from the foul line for 19 points. He also pulled down seven rebounds and dished out three assists to claim the deserved first-ever MVP award in the league.
Ronald Blain
The sixth time is the charm. A player that has reached finals before with Newcastle Knights, Worthing Thunder and Yorkshire Dragons (then-Bradford), but has always come up to collect a runners up medal, this moment meant everything to his professional career. After going 0-5 in finals, Blain wasn't going to end up on the losing side again. He went for 16 points, five rebounds and six assists, shooting 57 percent from the floor in a stellar showing.
Orlan Jackman
A player with the most big-game experience, Orlan Jackman, has been down this road before, and he came off the bench to deliver his big-game expertise. Jackman flirted with a double-double of 15 points and nine rebounds, as he went a solid 6-for-9 from the floor and drained two three-pointers in his superb haul.
Zack Powell
A player who brought tremendous energy and a scorer’s touch to the final. Zack Powell was in attack mode all game long and ended with 18 points and five assists, with a lot of his points coming from drives to the basket and in transition, where nine of his 18 came from fast break points. Birmingham needed a potent scoring effort from the local lad, and he provided just that.
Lucas McGregor
Lucas McGregor will be the first to say that his shooting was off in the final, going just 1-for-11 from the floor. But he contributed in so many other ways to help his team win, which was the most important stat of all. McGregor pulled down four rebounds and pulled the strings offensively with six assists. He also drew five fouls from Yorkshire due to his deceptively quick first step, going 4-for-5 from the foul line for seven points.
Martyn Gayle
A player who lives and breathes basketball in Birmingham, Martyn Gayle drew some of the loudest cheers in the final as he drained a three from the wing in the second quarter and was the man who lifted the BCB Trophy aloft to scenes of mass hysteria. He played a pivotal role off the bench, with three points and four assists in more than 20 minutes on the floor.
Luke Okosieme
The ultimate rim protector. Luke Okosieme leads the BCB in blocks per game at 2.4, and he showcased his defensive presence in the final, swatting away two shots and pulling down nine rebounds, denying second-chance opportunities and bossing the paint like it was his own house.
Faaris Mughaal
He played limited minutes, but Faaris Mughaal brought great energy and confidence when he came on and was a menace defensively.
Larry Duru, Adrian Mutothori, Phillip Basoiudis, Tom Grayling
Towards the end, coach Smith put on the fantastic four of Larry Duru, Adrian Mutothori, Phillip Basoiudis, and Tom Grayling to give them minutes in the final, and they didn’t look out of place. Basoiudis drilled a long two in transition, and Larry Duru, BMet Rockets’ leading scorer in this season’s EABL, canned a free throw to add extra gloss on an unforgettable day for Birmingham.
