Durham League

Middlesbough Mavericks moved top of Division One with an 87-71 home derby win over Norton.

After an even start, Wayne Bailey and Ian Viveash combined to give Mavericks the edge in the second quarter. The period had started at 19-14 to the Middlesbrough side, but a 9-4 start and a 7-2 finish took Mavericks into the interval with a match-winning 41-28 advantage. Andy Reid and Marek Pawlak took the initiative on the restart for Mavericks and despite a battling response from Dave Murphy and Tony Smelt the game was beyond Norton at 69-53 with ten minutes to play.

Five players hit double figures for Middlesbrough Mavericks, Pawlak (25), Viveash (15), Bailey (12), Richard Rowden (11) and Reid (11). Four matched them for Norton; Murphy (21), Smelt (15), Glen Urban (11) and Paul Jenkins (11).

Mavericks head the table by virtue of having played more games than the unbeaten East Durham and Houghall Basketball Academy who won again, and comfortably, when they dispatched University of Teesside 94-52 at Peterlee.

Ten unanswered points at the start of the second quarter gave Academy a 34-16 gap which just got bigger and bigger as the game went on. Mat Ellis was the only University student who offered any real resistance to the Academy machine and when Richard Lacey, John Simpson, Roni Gordon and Phil Thomas all hit points in a 15-0 spell early in the final quarter the University challenge was over.

Everyone scored for East Durham Academy, although Simpson, Michael Ojapah and Keith Dolby netted most with 19, 14 and 10 respectively. Ellis was at his best for the University on 28.

University of Teesside suffered a second reverse when they lost 101-83 to guests Nissan. The contest was a roller coaster for University. They were on the up in both the first and third quarters, but they will want to forget the second quarter as their form dipped to an all-time low as they collected only five points. At the other end of court, Nissan had no such problems as Neil Thorne, Arran Hope and Lee Davie took the students apart with a 26-5 burst. The final quarter finished on a relatively smooth run in as the sides matched each other at 25-21.

Thorne did best for Nissan with 28 points both Davie and Hope added 18. Rough and Falade collected 26 and 20 respectively for Teesside University.

The race for the Second Division title seems to have settled into a two-way tussle between last season's Third Division champions Consett Steelers and Hartlepool Hornets A relegated from Division One last year. Unbeaten Steelers lead the way but they had to be at their very best to beat a spirited Hartlepool CJ Hdraulics A 86-73. Hornets won a high scoring shoot-out with Shildon Strollers 102-90.

Brendan McNeany was the difference between Steelers and Hydraulics as his 38 points gave the north-west Durham side the edge at Hartlepool. Matthew Patterson gave excellent support with 26 points, although 23 points apiece from Gary Keith and Anthony Robinson meant that Hydraulics were always snapping at their heels.

Mal Ballard hit 34 points for Strollers. Steve Pattison added 27 while six players hit double figures for Hornets A, Bruce Marshall (22), John Middleton (21), Sean Ward (21), Mick Robinson (14), Luke Thomspn (11) and Lee Murphy (10).

RESULTS

Division One: East Durham and Houghall Basketball Academy 94, University of Teesside 52; Middlesbrough Mavericks 87, Norton 71; University of Teesside 83, Nissan 101.

Division Two: Belmont Reds 75, Durham Knights 47; Shildon Strollers 90, Hartlepool Hornets A 102; Hartlepool CJ Hydraulics A 73, Consett Steelers 86.

Division Three: East Durham and Houghall Community College B 79, Young Houghtonians 80; Hartlepool Hornets B 86, Teesside Huskies B 95; Spennymoor Exiles 81, Hartlepool CJ Hydraulics B 64; Durham Saints 68, Trimdon C.C.A. 78.

Women's Division: University of Teesside 59, Nunthorpe Boro Bruins 71; Durham Knights 24, Newcastle College Wildcats 97; Sunderland Nissan 56, University of Teesside 52