This past weekend saw the fourth instalment of the Hoopsfix All-Star Classic return in style after a year-long hiatus in front of a sell-out crowd at the Brixton Recreation Centre.

Molten supply the ball and have been proud sponsors of the event since its inauguration in 2014 which showcases some of the finest young British basketball players over two matches, called the Underclassmen Game and the Class of 2018 Game.

Several big names of the sport were in attendance in the 700-strong crowd including Great Britain and England seniors, Commonwealth Games silver medalists, GB's performance director, Basketball England’s pathway manager, BBL players and coaches as well as legends of the game in the UK.

The first game of the day saw Team Black run out 85-71 victors over Team White in the first-ever Underclassmen game. Ade Adebayo took MVP honours, helping lead his side to victory with GB junior internationals Mate Okros and Hosana Kitenge also adding 11 points apiece in the win.

Adebayo commented: “It was a great feeling to win MVP after working so hard - it was a humbling moment. I really enjoyed playing and it was such a fun atmosphere, too, which made it amazing."

Meanwhile in the Class of 2018 game, GB Under-18 Brian Amabilino-Perez took MVP honours in the with 20 points - including 11 in the fourth quarter - along with 10 rebounds to lead Team White to a thrilling 85-88 win over Team Black.

Sesan Russell added 19 points in the win for Team White including a pair of clutch free throws down the stretch to leave the opposition needing a three for overtime and Josh Edwards’ effort rimmed out at the buzzer.

The two teams would go into the final quarter level at 62-62 to leave the contest evenly poised with the intensity picking up at both ends. Amabilino-Perez began to make his mark with eight points including a huge throwdown to send the sell-out crowd wild. Micheal Anumba and Edwards, who combined for 39 points, kept their side in contention with the game still tied at 76-76 with 3:46 remaining.

But a dramatic four-point play from Edwards provided a thrilling finish with Team Black down 85-86 with 15.1 seconds left on the clock. Russell held his nerve from the foul line and it would be enough to hold on for the win for Team White.

“I didn’t expect to be MVP, but it was a great feeling,” said Amabilino-Perez – who also featured in the event in 2016. “It was a really great event and it was good to see all of the British basketball talent coming together. “The game was awesome with a really great atmosphere so it was a pleasure to play in.”

Photo Credit: Mansoor Ahmed

Sevenoaks Suns have won back-to-back play-off finals after defeating Leicester Riders 69-44 at the O2 Arena.

The Suns were led by League and Play-Off final MVP Cat Carr who scored 19 points in addition to her 8 assists and 8 rebounds. Carr was helped along the way by Chantelle Pressley adding 12 points and Judit Fritz 10.

Sevenoaks hit the ground running, racing to a 7 point lead at the end of the first quarter before shutting the Riders out to take an 18 point lead into halftime, up 38-20, with Carr scoring 15.

Leicester attempted to mount a comeback in the third quarter, at one point reducing the deficit to 15 points, before the Suns rallied to extend their lead to 20.

Unfortunately, that rather put the nail in the coffin for the Riders and despite a spirited effort in the final quarter, they were unable to match Sevenoaks once again and finished the period trailing by an additional 5 points, meaning the Suns finished the match 25 points ahead.

Holly Winterburn who was the only member of the Riders to make double digits, scoring 12 points, with Sevenoaks’ defence proving too strong, holding Leicester to just 25% shooting from the field and only 16% from three. Leicester’s issues were compounded by the dominating way the Suns out-rebounded them at both ends of the floor.

The Suns collected their fourth title in two years, the club’s consecutive double, having already secured Championship honours at the end of April.

The Leicester Riders secured their third trophy of the season and their second treble in as many years as they defeated London Lions in front of a crowd of over 10,000 people at the O2 on Sunday.

Led by Trayvonn Wright, who was awarded MVP honours, the Riders ran out 81-60 winners over the Lions in the BBL Play-Off Final.

Wright scored 11 points, adding 13 rebounds and 2 blocks to help the Riders produce a dominant display over the crowd-favourites.

The Lions held a slender lead after the first quarter, but were soon after shut out by a terrific defensive display by the Riders, who regained the lead in the second quarter thanks to a 10-2 run, allowing Leicester to go into halftime 39-28 up, scoring almost twice as many points as their opponents in the quarter.

As the Riders began to heat up, the Lions shooting began to freeze over, as they were unable to recapture the lead in the second half.

Leicester edged a scrappy third quarter 19-15, which also saw London’s veteran centre Flo Larkai ejected from the game after a scuffle with Leicester’s Shane Walker, although in truth it had little bearing on the result.

15 points down and just a quarter left in the match proved too much for the Lions to overcome, despite posting their highest points tally in any quarter, as they were once again outscored by the Riders as they cruised to a comfortable victory.

The Riders continued their terrific defensive form throughout the second half, forcing London to shoot just 34% and only 10% from beyond the arc in the match.

Meanwhile, JR Holder (20), Pierre Hampton (19) and Leicester’s retiring captain Tyler Bernardini (17) did the majority of the damage for the Riders, who at one point had a lead of 25 points.

Brandon Peel (22) and GB international Paul Guede (10) were London's main men with Guede's second-quarter threes proved to be the only ones the Lions hit in the entire game.

The result for the Riders meant that they have now won 8 of the last 12 available trophies whereas the Lions have now reached the final twice in 3 years, being defeated both times.

Sevenoaks Suns and Leicester Riders have made the Women’s British Basketball League (WBBL) Play-Off Final after breezing through their respective semi-finals.

The two finalists finished on the same amount of points this year in the WBBL Championship, setting up what should be a thrilling final. The Suns have made the final for the second year in a row, having won the competition 

In the end, Sevenoaks ran out very comfortable winners with the match finishing 73-48, with Captain Catherine Carr picking up 23 points along the way.The Suns were up against the Nottingham Wildcats and the first half was a tight affair, with Nottingham only 1 point behind the Suns at half-time. However, the Suns came out all guns blazing in the third quarter, outscoring the Wildcats 22-5 which essentially cemented their place in the final before the final quarter even began.12 months ago.

The Wildcats can be please with their seasons work, however, having picked up the WBBL Cup earlier in the season.

In the other semi-final, the Leicester Riders defeated Sheffield Hatters to make the final for the first time in their history and will be joining the men in representing the club at the O2, after they too won their semi-final.

The Riders overcame an 8-point deficit from the first quarter to consistently outscore their opponents for the remaining three quarters, eventually running out 71-64 winners.

Holly Winterburn top scored for the riders with 17 points and she was ably supported by her teammates whereas Hatters Forward Gianna Woods did the bulk of the scoring with 21 points, but she didn’t receive the enough support to defeat the Riders.

The final takes place this Sunday, 20 May 2018, at the O2, with the women’s final tipping off before the men’s final.

It was another fantastic round of British Basketball League (BBL) Play-Offs this past weekend, with the London Lions and Leicester Riders emerging victorious in their respective semi-final matches.

The Lions, who finished second in the BBL Championship, were unable to get past Glasgow at home in the first leg as the match, quite incredibly, finished in a 78-78 tie. London’s catch-and-shoot game plan ultimately let them down, attempting 35 3-point shots compared to Glasgow’s 18 attempts. Their poor shooting allowed the Rocks to make a late comeback from which the Lions were unable to surpass.

The Lions made sure to avoid a repeat of the first leg, this time knocking down their shots to beat the Rocks by 14 points in the second leg. London’s recent pedigree in the Championship seemed to pay dividends as the 2015 finalists battled back to brush passed the Rocks team, largely thanks to six players managing double-figure scoring returns, including Jonathon Thompson who made 7 of 9 shots from the field.

Despite boasting a winning record against London in the regular season this year, the Rocks were unable to mount a comeback akin to the first leg, meaning that their wait to reach the Finals will continue, having not been there since 2010.

Joining the Lions will be perennial favourites Leicester Riders who showed their pedigree by sweeping Bristol Flyers to win with an aggregate point’s difference of +23.

The Riders made light work of the Flyers in both legs, showing why they won the BBL Championship so convincingly this year.  The Riders will be hoping to create history by securing the BBL treble in back-to-back seasons, having already won the BBL Championship and BBL Trophy this year.

Despite Bristol’s best ever BBL season, in which they finished in their highest position in the Championship and made the ¼ finals of the BBL Trophy, they were no match for the Riders.

The final between the Leicester Riders and London Lions takes place this Sunday (20 May 2018) at the O2 in London. The Lions will be assured of plenty of local support and will be looking to make up for their last appearance at The 02 three years ago, having lost to Newcastle on that occasion. The Riders, on the other hand, are firm favourites having won 11 trophies in 6 years under Head Coach Rob Paternostro.The Flyers took an early lead in the second leg match, only to stand-by and watch as the Riders reduced and then surpassed the deficit with a 10-0 run early in the game to take a lead that they never let slip. JR Holder impressed for the Riders with an 18-point and 10-rebound double-double.

The Molten Corporation announced the global partnership between Molten Corporation and the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) last week.

Molten will supply its Molten BGG7X and BGG6X for the official game ball for all world competitions as well as the zonal qualifying tournaments directly leading up to them. The first time the balls will be used in partnership with the IWBF will be the 2018 World Championships taking place in Hamburg, Germany later this year.

Click here to purchase your very own BGG6X and BGG7X basketballs.

Kiyo Tamiaki, President and CEO of Molten Corporation, said: “It is our great pleasure to execute our partnership with IWBF, allowing Molten basketballs to be used as the official game ball for competitions at the global level. Wheelchair basketball is such an exciting sport both for players and audience. We are honoured to be an IWBF global partner.”

Ulf Mehrens, IWBF President, said: “Over a number of years FIBA have been the provider of our game balls. We are very proud to have signed a new agreement which directly involves Molten and makes them the first global partner of IWBF. In Molten we have found a long-term and traditional partner who will not only ensure we have the best basketballs for our main world competitions and zonal qualification tournaments but will also boost our efforts in increasing the exposure of the sport worldwide. I’d like to thank FIBA for their role in the agreement and their overall support.”

Jo Richards, British Wheelchair Basketball’s Development Director feels that this will be a beneficial partnership for the NGB and its clubs: “Over the Rio cycle, post London 2012, we have strengthened our relationship with Molten and Unicorn Products Ltd. They are strong advocates of wheelchair basketball and the development of the game within the UK.

“Since the London games, Molten has been a critical partner of British Wheelchair Basketball. They have enabled us to support and service the 300% increase in participation. Their continued support of our clubs is representative of their belief and investment in the strength of wheelchair basketball in England and the home countries.”

Alex James, Marketing Manager, Molten UK & Ireland believes in the power of the game in the UK: “We are delighted to announce the continuation of our successful partnersip with British Wheelchair Basketball. “It has been a privilege to be a partner of British Wheelchair Basketball’s over the last five years and witness first-hand the unprecedented increase in popularity of the sport. “Given the success achieved within the sport over the last four years, we are excited to join British Wheelchair Basketball as they begin the journey towards Tokyo and beyond.”

For the first time since Melbourne 2006, Basketball will once again be played at the Commonwealth games in Australia. Despite a 12 year Basketball sabbatical, the Commonwealth Games promises to provide the elation and emotion that a worldwide tournament always delivers.

11 countries will be competing in the basketball event, including 2 of the Home Nations in the men’s tournament and England representing the Women.

Despite the various backgrounds of all the athletes, for this tournament they will all have one thing in common; the use of the Molten GL6X and GL7X Basketballs, which are available to see HERE.

With men and women from all corners of the globe gathering for the Gold Coast Games, it promises to deliver an exciting exhibition of skill, speed and power.

Since 1982, Molten has provided top quality leather basketballs as the official game ball for all FIBA World Championships and Olympic Games, and now the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

See below the video announcement of the GL6X and GL7X balls.

Story by Jack Dinning

After years of coming close, Nottingham Wildcats have their name on the WBBL Cup Final Trophy, in front of record numbers at Arena Birmingham.

In a match that was closely contested all the way through, Nottingham Wildcats managed to edge out Caledonia Pride in a 70-66 thriller. The sides were difficult to split early in the game, with both Tricia Oakes and Ashley Harris putting in big numbers.

However from the second quarter, Nottingham got their noses in front and stayed there, with Sbahi running the show and Harris and Lovett with the lions share of the points.

Ashley Harris took MVP, with Sbahi receiving a special mention for her contribution to the game.

For the first time in 16 years, Cheshire Phoenix were victorious in the BBL cup final,  beating Worcester Wolves 99-88.

Worcester got out of the gates quicker, with Bachynski winning the early battles against fellow forward CJ Gettys. However it didn’t take long for Cheshire to get into their stride, with MVP Malcolm Riley peppering the basket, to take the game to half time with just a point in it.

In the second half Phoenix really started to dominate, with Sandoval controlling the game and Gettys, Riley and Falzon finding the basket, taking them into the third quarter with an 11 point lead.

Two big three-pointers from Falzon in the fourth quarter took the game almost out of sight for the Wolves, who trailed by 15 with just minutes remaining. Some heavy scoring from Wolves towards the end took the game to within 7 points, but hopes were quickly squashed by Phoenix, who ended the match 99-88.

MVP Malcolm Riley won the Molten Golden Ball award, securing himself 26 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists, with CJ Gettys chipping in with 19 points in from of the packed Birmingham crowd.

After a gripping afternoons basketball, London Lions secured victory at the 02 to the delight of the crowd. They fought off a late comeback from Newcastle Eagles, winning 26-25 despite a Jaysean Page 5 point shot in the last minute of play.

The event was played with a new set of rules at the 02, including a 5 point line and a 2 minute power play, allowing teams to score double points in a 2 minute period at any stage of the game. This encouraged a faster pace of basketball and really allowed the finest shooters in the country to showcase what they can do from distance, proving popular among players and spectators alike.

London Lions looked strong from the start, with two comfortable victories in the group stages over Glasgow Rocks and Bristol Flyers, before playing Bristol Flyers again in a much closer affair. London Lions snuck through 18-16 after failing to use their powerplay within the allotted time, a mistake that nearly proved very costly!

It wasn’t such a smooth ride to the final for Newcastle Eagles, who were beaten 41-22 in their first game, before coming through the double elimination to face BBL champions Leicester Riders. Newcastle Eagles survived a late push from Leicester Riders to win 27-26, an incredible match between two British Basketball heavyweights!

Highlights from around the tournament included an incredible halfway line buzzer beater from Mackay McKnight to win the game for Sheffield Sharks, and 10 point shots from Saah Nimley and Elvisi Dusha to completely change the game.

As in the BBL, the Molten BGG7X was used for matches, which can be purchased at https://www.playwiththebest.com/molten.html.

The tournament came with a huge £100,000 prize fund put up by Matchroom, with £25,000 going to the champions London Lions.