Worcester Wolves secure win over Oxford Hoops to stay top

A large crowd welcomed Wolves back to the University of Worcester Arena for their first match in the city since early January and fans were rewarded with a competitive affair that belied the gulf in the records of the teams.

American stalwart Earl Burgess showcased his offensive arsenal from the tip-off, slotting in a fade-away shot to set the scoreboard ticking.

A put-back of a teammate's miss, stepping outside for a three-pointer, a head-down drive and a double of free-throws rubber-stamped his all-rounder status and brought up an early 13-5 Worcester lead.

Emmanuel Yeboah chipped in a swift trio of scores to aid a 26-21 first-quarter advantage for the hosts.

However, the lead was quickly overturned when Oxford secured the initial seven points of the next period, with wily Latvian veteran Oskars Berzins rounding off the run with a smooth triple.

Burgess and Humberto Ferreira answered the call to steady the ship, both snatching three-point plays.

Isaiah Dapaah justified his introduction to the action by connecting from outside the perimeter to put Wolves 47-37 to the good at the half-time buzzer.

Wilfrid Santhe came to the fore after the break with multiple rushes to the basket as well as handing out a bagful of clever assists, widening the gap to 73-59 entering the final quarter.

Coach Dean Blake took advantage of the double-digit cushion to spread minutes across his squad with Dapaah and Harry Godwin both producing circus shots and Jesse Kilara impressing on thrusts to the hoop to seal the home win.

Burgess sped to a game-high 24 points, with Santhe recording a double-double display of 16 points alongside 10 assists.

Blake said: “Oxford showed today that they are a good team with some good players and that we couldn’t take them lightly, irrespective of their position in the league.”

Wolves’ final home game of the regular season takes place at the University of Worcester Arena next Sunday, March 1 (3pm) against Leicester Warriors.