Nunthorpe Boro Bruins and University of Teesside played out a tremendous women's battle last week which netted Nunthorpe victory by the narrowest of margins at 57-56.

This week those same two teams lined up against each other at Peterlee in the semi-final of the Women's Handicap Cup. Although Nunthorpe are third in the league table and University have not yet managed a win, the 25 point handicap start which University had been given suddenly began to look generous. But just as in many things a week is a long time in basketball and Nunthorpe made light of the deficit to storm to a 88-67 win.

Buoyed by their 25 point advantage, University made the better start as Shonagh Fullarton and Erica Danis stretched the gap to 36-8. A time-out allowed Nunthorpe to draw breath and they charged back into the game with a 12-0 run in the last four minutes of the quarter. Lisa Roughley and Hermione Wappatt had shared most of the points in that run, but it was Sarah Hindmarch and Kathleen Ashwell who opened the second quarter with a 9-0 spurt and suddenly the University advantage was below ten. That gap had shrunk even more to just 44-42 as the half-time whistle blew. Nunthorpe made the first two scores of the second half to take the lead for the first time at 46-44, but Danis then gave University hope with a 9-6 five minute spell to wrestle the lead back at 53-52. University had fielded only five players and they were now beginning to tire as Hindmarch and Wappatt hit baskets in another run of ten unanswered points which gave Nunthorpe control for the first time at 62-53. Once in charge Nunthopre were not going to be beaten and another 12 points without reply gave them the win.

Hindmarch made little of her recent injury to finish with 35 points for Boro Bruins as Wappatt and Roughley added 27 and 15. Fullarton and Gillian McKimm collected 14 points apiece for University of Teesside, whilst Danis hit 13.

Durham Knights had a busy, but unsuccessful Second Division week with two defeats from two outings. They started with a 114-81 loss away to Hartlepool Hornets who were only too happy to bounce back from their recent run of defeats. Dan Farrell and Graham Ord found the first chinks in Knights armour at the end of a first quarter which scored 25-18 to Hornets. Sean Ward and Dan Bailey then combined in a 12-5 start to the second quarter, the lead had increased to 37-23 and Knights were struggling. Simon Briault then gave the students hope although a run of points from him could not stop Hornets form reaching the break with a 53-37 cushion. The second half was more of the same as Hornets pulled steadily rather dramatically away. The third quarter scored 25-19 and with ten minutes left Hornets advantage was 78-56. Although Hornets were always going to win, Briault and Adam Woodhouse battled right to the end for Knights. Teamwork was once more at the heart of Hornets win and six players hit double figures; Bailey (21), Ord (20), Ward (17), Luke Thompson (14), Farrell (12) and Leon Thompson (12). Briault was excellent for Durham Knights with 39 points, Woodhouse, Kapil Kirpalani and Harit Intakanok each added 15, 12 and 10. A couple of days later Shildon Strollers were Durham Knights guests at Maiden Castle and even though the game was very different the outcome was not, as Strollers won 50-40. Richard Parsons and Mal Turnbull shared twelve points without reply from the third to the ninth minute of the first half to give Strollers control at 14-4, but by the interval Fred Bjelland, James Glen and Peter Roberts had combined well for the University students to cut the deficit to just 30-28. The wheels came off in a big way on the restart as both sides succumbed to blanket defence and the scoring rate dropped. The third quarter scored only 6-6 and the games was any ones until three baskets from Parsons and a couple from Mal Ballard inched Strollers ahead at 46-36, a cushion which Knights could not deflate.

Parsons, Ballard and Steve Pattison managed double figures for Shildon Strollers with 16, 14 and 10. Only Woodhouse did so for Durham Knights which accounts for the loss.

Young Houghtonians reached this weekend's Division Three Cup play-offs with a massive 102-38 success at home to Specsavers Wear Valley Wolves. Wolves went into the game without several of their more important players and the win should serve to give Houghtonians a big psychological advantage for this weekend's cup semi-final in which the two teams line up against each other again. The match as a contest never really got off the ground as Young Houghtonians won the first two quarters 22-9 and 28-5 to earn themselves an uncatchable 50-14 half-time advantage and ended with four of their players sharing most of their points; Ben Evans (26), Anthony Burdis (23), Luke Jenner (22) and Nathan Jenner (20).

The two semi-finals take place this weekend at East Durham and Houghall Community College in Peterlee and the Wolves versus Houghtonians semi-final will precede the one between Hartlepool Hawks and Durham Saints.

Hartlepool CJ Hydraulics B moved up to second place in the division three table with two victories.

The first win came at Ferryhill where they beat Spennymoor Exiles 71-53 thanks mainly to 22, 19 and 16 points respectively from Anthony Robinson, Graeme Errington and Paul Judkins. The Hartlepool side had the game sown up within the opening 16 minutes by which time they led 32-17. Spennymoor did come more into the game from then on, but the 19 points which Richard Baister scored were never going to be enough to rescue the prize.

Belmont B made the trip to Hartlepool where they were hosted and beaten, but only just, in Hartlepool CJ Hydraulics B second game of the week. Hydraulics opened with a 10-0 burst, but total of 22 missed free-shots allowed Belmont to close to just 50-48 with a minute left. Those final sixty seconds were all Hydraulics, and their only reward, another one point from the line, was enough to see them home at 51-48. This time 15 points apiece from Anthony Robinson and Graeme Errington gave Hydraulics the edge as only Mark Elderkin managed double figures with 15 for the Durham outfit. Belmont B had their own version of a busy week, but theirs was not as happy as Hydraulics as they also lost 86-53 at home to Specsavers Wear Valley Wolves. Unlike the cup game, Wolves were at strength for this match and 27 and 23 points respectively from Sam Attah and Ian Stringer formed the basis of the win, although everyone of the ten Wolves contributed to the success which was sealed with a 17-4 start to the fourth and final period. When that run finished with six minutes left Wolves were home and dry at 74-47.

Everyone also scored for Belmont B, although Mark Elderkin did reach double figures with 15.

With Mark Finmore at the controls, Norton B blasted off like a rocket in the opening ten minutes of their game with East Durham and Houghall College C as shots from all parts of the court found their way to the bucket with laser like precision. At the other end of court scoring was a mystery as shot after shot went astray and by the end of the period Norton had a match winning 25-6 lead. Things could only get better for College and even though they did, especially in the second and fourth quarters, there was absolutely no way back from the poor start and Norton ran out comfortable winners at 78-59.

Mark Finmore led Norton home with 17 points, Martin Kelsey and Mark Winter scored 14 each. Paul Cassell top scored for East Durham with 24, Dunn and Chris Pattinson got 12 and 10.

Other results - Division Two: Durham Knights 40 Shildon Strollers 50.

Division Three: Women's Division: Newcastle College Wildcats 70 Durham Knights 62; East Durham and Houghall Academy 83 University of Teesside 59; Nunthorpe Boro Bruins 77 Sunderland Nissan 53; Tyne and Wear Cadettes 77 Northumbria 54.