BEING defending champions in the British League Trophy puts more pressure on us but we are looking forward to the challenge.

It’s always hard trying to defend a title but I relish that opportunity and I know we have players who do too.

We defeated Durham Wildcats 86-84 on Sunday, including 22 from Alex Owumi, and now face Leicester Riders in the quarter-finals on Saturday, January 31.

Durham are a tough team and another who move the ball very well and are patient. Consequently, as an opposition you have to be patient as well and choose your moments.

We had our chance to blow the game wide open but a couple of sloppy plays allowed them back into the match.

But I was really delighted with the way we applied ourselves and toughed it out mentally, both against Durham and in the one-point league win over Bristol Flyers the day before.

Now we have got Leicester in the Trophy and they don’t come much tougher than that. I am going back to my hometown team and that’s always a bit more special and I am sure they’re going to have a sell-out so if any Wolves fans are going to go I would suggest they get their tickets now.

If you’re going to win the Trophy you’ve got to go through the best teams and Leicester are one of those.

I would have preferred to have them at home but we’ve beaten them once already this year on their court in the league.

We were without Robert Thurman on that occasion, didn’t have Dejan Radojevic and Paul Guede had just arrived so we’re stronger now than when we played them last time and it’s going to be another very exciting game.

But we’ve still got room to grow and improve and our feet are very firmly on the floor. I don’t think we’ve got the time to be complacent because we’re not dominating teams.

We’ve threatened to and if we do put a 40-minute game together we will dominate somebody.

We haven’t really blown anybody out this season and sometimes when you are winning comfortably and beating teams by 15 or 20 points every game you can become complacent and think it’s easy. All the games we’ve played we’ve had to fight for regardless of who we’ve played.

Tomorrow we take on Sheffield Sharks in the league at the University Arena and I am looking forward to playing them again.

The last time Sheffield were here was in the semi-final of the BBL Trophy which was an absolutely outstanding game.

They are a team who have had their ups and downs but they look to be turning the corner so I’m expecting a tough game but we will prepare well for them.