Lee Davie's Durham Wildcats want to dictate the tempo when they take on high-flying Worcester Wolves on Sunday.

One of the BBL's most improved teams, Wildcats inflicted a dramatic defeat on Plymouth University Raiders last weekend having earlier been knocked out of the Cup by One Health Sharks Sheffield.

This weekend they host a Worcester side who will be fired up coming off an overtime loss to title rivals Esh Group Eagles Newcastle - but Wildcats will have a plan.

"We've played Worcester twice in BUCS and come away with the wins but this is the first time we've seen each other in the BBL this season," said Davie.

"Their BBL team is a completely different animal with a very explosive backcourt in Zaire Taylor and Alex Owumi and two very skilled bigs in Andreas Schreiber and Will Creekmore.

"We want to try and control the tempo of the game that's for sure. We have to take the fight to those guys at both ends of the floor. Taylor, Owumi and Creekmore are all playing 35 minutes-per-game and we need to make them work for every second they're on the floor."

Davie was particularly pleased with the way his team recovered from Friday's deflating defeat to Sheffield with the right approach against Plymouth.

He added: "In the locker room before the game you could feel the guys' energy and excitement for the game against Plymouth.

"The best part of the win for me was that we finished the game off the correct way. We got back in the game together and we closed the game out together with the win."

Wildcats guard Ralph Bucci said: "Worcester have had a very good start and have played a very difficult schedule so far. We just want to keep playing the way we have been and continue to improve. It will be a good test for us because they will be a team fighting for a top position."

Last weekend, the Wildcats made amends after their BBL Cup exit to the hands of the Sheffield Sharks 70-58 after triumphing in front of their home crowd against travelling Plymouth University Raiders, pulling back an 11-point deficit to win 72-67.

Friday night saw Durham made the short journey to Sheffield hoping to win their quarter final tie to create history and set up a semi-final match up against local rivals Newcastle Eagles. Unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be for the Wildcats despite tying the game in the third quarter after being behind by as much as 14 points.

It was a very slow start for the Wildcats, only managing to pick up ten points in the first quarter as they struggled to break down a solid Sheffield defence, but the tables soon turned when Devin Ginty and Kirk Crecco controlled the pace of the game providing a dramatic comeback claiming their first lead just after the half-time interval.

The game was tied 50-50 at the end of the third but Durham lost their momentum in the final stanza, going cold handing the Sharks the opportunity to clinch the semi-final slot winning 70-58.

Saturday night soon came round and Durham had to rally together when the Raiders made the long journey north. The Wildcats started brighter in this encounter holding a narrow lead throughout the opening quarter, but Plymouth’s Shane Walker and Donald Robinson, with excellent execution, provided the Raiders their first lead going into the third at 38-40.

Durham soon found themselves in a rut as Plymouth extended their lead by 11 points with Louis Sayers doing the damage from behind the three-point line.

The Wildcats got the defence stops they were looking for to change the game in their favour tying the game up at 63-63 with five minutes remaining in the fourth to produce a nail-biting ending.

As the final buzzer approached, Devin Ginty settled the nerves momentarily for the Durham fans dropping a two-pointer when Plymouth had the chance to tie the game with 11 seconds on the clock but it was to no avail as the Wildcats sealed the victory 72-67.

Lee Davie believed winning against Plymouth cancelled out Friday night’s disappointment, “The guys really stuck together after Friday’s loss. It was a great team performance by the lads tonight, really showed the character of our team.”