Manchester Basketball are through to the Super League Basketball Cup Final in Manchester!
They got there by beating the Surrey 89ers 200-179 over two legs, winning the second leg 99-92 at home.

As he did in Surrey, Pjay Smith led the return fixture with 20 points and 6 rebounds. The Niners didn’t have an answer for the American point guard throughout the Semi-Final, and Smith took the biggest games of the season so far by the scruff of the neck to lead Manchester to the Final.

Jordan Johnson led the second unit, which won the bench battle 41-15, by stuffing the stat sheet. He had 16 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds in a highly effective game. His index rating of 23 was the best of any player.

Max Jones also impressed with 15 points, draining four threes on the night, meanwhile Tim Adetukasi put up 13.

Manchester started the game up 14 points on aggregate, knowing they had to keep Surrey from cracking open the door over 40 minutes. They did so effectively from the opening tip, ensuring the game remained in deadlock when Surrey were hoping to start fast.

Surrey’s biggest lead of the game was four points, as they were unable to crack the double-digit points barrier throughout the game. Manchester were never really able to pull away, but they’d done the hard work in Surrey.

A 8-0 run midway through the fourth, capped off by a Kaiyem Cleary jam, put the game to bed. Manchester were up 19 on aggregate with just under six minutes remaining.

Manchester fans got a chance to see GB U18s captain Demi Babalola for the first time, the Manchester youngster making his first appearance in an SLB competition having come through the Manchester pathway.

The Final will be played at Manchester’s AO Arena on Sunday, March 22. Manchester will take on the London Lions for the silverware on the big stage.