REACHING the British Basketball League play-offs is the “minimum requirement” for Worcester Wolves, insists head coach Paul James.

Wolves have consistently qualified for the end-of-season championships, finishing in the top four for four of the last five years, and clinched the top prize in 2014.

However, after 11 losses in 16 games, Worcester have slipped outside the top eight and face the prospect of not making the play-offs for the first time since 2011.

James, who had high hopes of challenging for honours this term, admitted “nobody was happy” with their lowly league position.

But, with 17 games left and a BBL Trophy quarter-final tie at Surrey Scorchers to look forward to, James is adamant they can “salvage something” from the campaign and urged his players to “keep fighting”.

“The season has not gone as we would have expected,” he said.

“Obviously we want to make the play-offs regardless of whether that’s sixth, seventh or eighth. That’s a minimum requirement from where we are right now.

“We are still in the Trophy and have got a reasonable draw away to Surrey so there is still plenty to play for.

“We can salvage something and we are working very hard to ensure that happens.”

James said his side's latest defeat was “tough to take” as Bristol Flyers took advantage of a misfiring Wolves to win 81-73 last Saturday.

Captain Marek Klassen top scored with 18 points, swingman Danny Huffor chipped in with 16 and forward Maurice Walker continued his double-double streak with 17 and 12 rebounds.

However, James said it was a “really disappointing” display of shooting at the SGS WISE Arena.

“It was tough to take because the head-to-head was on the line and as we are fighting out with three, four or five teams for sixth, seventh and eighth spot in the league it was a massive game for us," he said.

"If we finish level with them we will go below them so it was disappointing.

“We went out and created the opportunities but we have got to do a better job of finishing off the plays.

“If two or three of those shots had fallen in we would have been OK.

"But it just carried on throughout the game and it wasn’t until we dug ourselves a hole with a 19-point deficit when some shots started to fall.

“But it was too late so it was a really disappointing performance in terms of the shots not going down.”

Ninth-placed Wolves face a long trip to leaders Newcastle Eagles tomorrow (7.30pm) before travelling to London Lions on Sunday (4pm).

“Nobody is happy with where we are in the league,” James added.

“But we have to keep fighting as a group which we are doing and just keep working hard.

“There are still plenty of games to be had and if we could put two, three or four wins together in a row there is going to be no question about us making the play-offs.

“And once we are there we will be a very dangerous team.”