After a poor start to the season, Cheshire Phoenix have found their form and could make it six wins in a row tonight.
They face a trip to Leicester Riders and sit second in the Super League Basketball with 10 points after recovering from a disappointing start to chalk five wins in a row.
They kicked off the league with a defeat against Manchester Giants which was followed by two more losses against London Lions and Newcastle Eagles.
Wins against Caledonia Gladiators, Bristol Flyers, Sheffield Sharks and Newcastle Eagles in the return fixture has turned their season upside down.
Mersey Sport Live picks the three key factors that can help Phoenix continue their winning streak.
Patrick Robinson’s fine form
In his last three games, Patrick Robinson has led the Phoenix roster with points scored.
A season high 31 points in games against the Sharks and the Eagles came either side of a strong 20-point outing against the Flyers, helping Robinson reach 147 points for the season. The Phoenix point guard ranks fourth in the league for points per game (18.38) and eighth for assists per game (4.13).
The Big Three
Skyler White, Frankie Policelli and previously mentioned Patrick Robinson have combined to total almost half of all of Cheshire Phoenix’ points for the season.
Policelli and White offer serious threats from behind the three-point line, they rank seventh (2.88) and eighth (2.63) in the league for three points made per game.
It’s not just the offensive qualities these three bring to the team, Policelli ranks seventh in the league for defensive rebounds (5.25) and averages a steal per game. Phoenix will need the trio to perform again tonight to increase the winning streak to six.
Half the Battle
If the Phoenix want to continue their winning form, they will have to neutralise the threat of Leicester Riders six foot five forward Raequan Battle.
He ranks second in the league for points per game (20.86) and fourth for three-point shots made per game (3). In his last game he recorded a season high 27 points along with four rebounds and two assists.
The Phoenix defence will have to maintain strong perimeter defence to prevent Battle shooting from deep.
