There will be no BBL cup run for the Worcester Wolves basketball team this year as they lost their first round game to Sheffield Sharks on Sunday at the University of Worcester 89 – 80.The match was truly entertaining spectacle and it marked the return to Wolves colours for American Anthony Paez and the arrival of Vidantis Uzkuaritis from Lithuania.

Paez went on to top score for the Wolves with 21 while Uzkuaritis was to announce himself with some spectacular long range shooting as he accumulated 14 personal points – an excellent debut as he had only arrived in England the morning before the match  and was introduced to his team mates just minutes before the game.

It was Sheffield who started by far the best as they raced into a first quarter advantage of 27 -13 aided by a run of 9 unanswered points very early in the game. Chris Sanders, the GB international, was in impressive form for the Sharks and he scored 23 points overall while James Whyte contributed 20 for the visitors. Wolves settled better in the second period and with Harry Disy to the fore they pegged the lead back to just 4 points at the half time interval. Disy ended the game with his first double double for the Wolves making 19 points and 12 rebounds.

The Wolves revival continued in period 3 and both teams appeared determined to win through to the second round game at Guildford next week. The home fans were on their feet as spectacular moves from Paez and Disy ended in flying dunks. Will Funn joined in with two post to post mazy runs on his way to a fine game score of 16 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. The Wolves looked to have returned to the run and gun policy of last year and this all out attack saw them go into the lead early in the fourth quarter as the all action Uzkuaritis put them into the lead for the first time as he sunk a huge three from way outside the arc.

This however was the catalyst, not for the Wolves to on and win the game, but for Sheffield to explode into action. The visitors then produced a match defining run of 16 - 1 as the Wolves tired from their catch up efforts in the previous two quarters. The home team did not score for 4 .5 minutes and in addition conceded two technical fouls as they battled hard to stay in the competition. They also were deep in foul trouble and four players, Funn, Disy, Brown and Harker all left the game early with five personal fouls each. Despite this, the Wolves managed a 9-2 run to take the game to within five points but the ultra cool James Whyte kept his nerve, and his visiting team in the competition, as he netted from the free throw line to establish a final margin of 9 points.

However, the match was much closer than that and for the second week running the Wolves can be pleased that they got into a winning position in the fourth quarter but coach Harker must be equally disappointed that they did not force a win on either occasion. The schedule has not been kind to his team as on Friday they travel to one of the joint leaders, Everton Tigers and the very next day entertain the other top team the Newcastle Eagles. Tip off 7.00 pm at the university.