TIGERS HAMMER PLYMOUTH
01/18/2009

Everton Tigers didn't just claim their first major piece of silverware at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham.

They bruised, battered and ultimately demolished Plymouth Raiders apart in what is surely the most uncompetitive final in recent British basketball history.

In a 103-49 hammering which was every bit as emphatic as the scoreline suggests, American forward Andre Smith, the final's Most Valuable Player, picked up 26 points and ten rebounds. He had plenty of help.

Marcus Bailey added 26. Richard Midgley chipped in 16 plus five assists. "I thought we played really well," declared the GB guard. "Our aim was to go out and share the ball and produce a team performance from the start.

And I think we did that."

Gary Stronach's men did hold the lead three times in the opening minutes.

Hope was all too short-lived.

Once Midgley converted from long-range to put the Tigers 9-7 ahead, what had been billed as a bout quickly became a total no-contest.

A 9-3 burst at the end of the period which pushed the Greenbank outfit 20-11 in front but it was a mere foretaste of what lay ahead. Plymouth could find no response as the Mersey outfit turned the screw.

With Terrance Durham hobbled by a knee injury and DeMarcus Beasley sporting an arm sling on the sideline, Everton were repeatedly able to feed Andre Smith in the paint.

The American brushed Kwbana Beckles and James Noel aside with ease and opened up gaps for his team-mates on the perimeter. He capped an 11-0 run
in the second period which opened up a 36-17 gap, and although Gaylon Moore - who eventually notched a team-high 19 points - interrupted the surge, the Tigers immediately reeled off another eight unanswered with Smith illustrating his versatility by draining a long jump shot from the top of the key.

With their team 44-19 down with two minutes left the first half, the large swathe of travelling green-clad supporters were silent, drowned out by Scouse glee. Stronach could only watch in despair. No muscle, no chance, The break couldn't come soon enough for the Raiders, in their first Cup final.

"We couldn't give up. We just wanted to try and cut the lead and make baskets," said Moore.

Trying to make up the 50-22 deficit at the break was never going to be simple. In fact, it just kept getting harder. Midgley drained a three-pointer at the outset of the third period, Smith was just relentless and although Chris Haslam didn't score until six minutes remaining, the veteran took up space in the middle like a greedy elephant.

The barrage blew the life out of the Raiders offense. Everton's 12-2 start to the second half just rubbed salt into the wounds. "It's a 2-0 run," screamed one wag after Moore hit two free throws which trimmed the gap to 62-26 midway through the stanza. Up to 2.08 left, that was all Plymouth could manage, a trey from James Jones extending the gap to 41.

A massacre was certain. All the shell-shocked Raiders could beg for was a swift merciful end to the slaughter.

Everton's advantage stood at an improbable 72-28 entering the fourth with none of their opponents in double-figure scoring.

Another 7-0 flurry came swiftly. And by the time Midgley downed his fourth three-pointer with 6:11 to go, the differential stood at a scarcely plausible 86-33. Garbelotto held back his bench but the Tigers, for the first time, faltered. Plymouth reeled off ten successive points but it was like mosquito nipping a rhino.

Smith's first conversion from outside the arc was almost a signal of personal displeasure at their impudence.

When he sat down with 1:56 to go, Plymouth only had the challenge of avoiding a 50-point reverse.

Everton's second unit had other ideas. Chiz Onuora opened his account upon his arrival and even Adam Nowell let fly to cap the afternoon.

The image of the Raiders' bench told the story. Disbelief and despair in every seat. It was not their day. Not even close.

Garbelotto grinned after finally removing the monkey of never picking up a major trophy off his back.

"I feel for Gary," he said. "Plymouth are way better than that. We just were really good."

To the rest of the BBL, it is a stern message. Three prizes left this season. On this form, who'd bet against them ending up on Merseyside?

Mark Woods in Birmingham for Basketball 24/7