Guildford Heat Basketball Club News

Heat Return Home to Host Raiders

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:16:08 GMT

The Guildford Heat return home on Sunday hoping to put an end to a three-game losing streak that has seen the team slip out of the play-off spots with losses to Glasgow and Sheffield on the road and to the Mersey Tigers at home. Standing in their way is a Plymouth Raiders team that has beaten the Heat three times already this season, twice in the BBL Trophy and once in the BBL.

The Raiders are riding high in the BBL, sitting in fourth place with an 11-3 record. However, while they are unbeaten at home, with a 9-0 record, they are just 2-3 on the road, their two wins coming against the Mersey Tigers and the Durham Wildcats, with the three losses coming against the league-leading Newcastle Eagles and the second-placed Worcester Wolves (twice). That second loss to the Wolves, 100-80, came two weeks ago, snapping a nine game winning streak, but the Raiders bounced back with an 84-78 home win against the Sharks the following day and an 84-73 win against the Tigers last Friday.

The Raiders have arguably the best starting five in the BBL, led by point-guard Jeremy Bell, who is averaging 19.6 points per game. He's backed up by small-forward Lehmon Colbert (15.6 ppg) and shooting-guard Michael Ojo, (13.9 ppg and a league-leading 97.1% from the free-throw line, having missed just one free throw all season). Up front, Paul Williams leads the way, the centre averaging a double-double of 13.7 ppg and 10.1 rebounds per game, while captain, Anthony Rowe, averages 13.3 ppg and 7.3 rpg as the starting power-forward.

However, Rowe has missed the last two games after turning his ankle in the loss to the Wolves. Jamal Williams, who joined the Raiders in December, has been filling in for his captain in the starting line-up. There are some familiar faces on the bench for the Raiders, with ex-Heat shooting guard James Jones (who has also been starting recently) providing outside shooting and ex-Heat centre Tomas Janusauskas in the centre. Guard Anthony Martin is another key reserve, but he has been out with a suspected broken rib.

The Heat also have some ex-Raiders in the line-up, the most prominent being Drew Lasker, who spent his first five seasons with the Raiders. Dean Williams also played for the Raiders back in the EBL, having spent his university years down in Plymouth. The Heat will need to make the most of home advantage and the potential lack of depth on the Raiders bench. The Heat, who have been resting since Friday last week, also have a slight advantage, with the Raiders playing two days before when they host the Newcastle Eagles in a vital top-of-the-table clash.

It promises to be an exciting game, with the Heat keen to stop their recent slide and make up for the heavy defeat they suffered down in Plymouth in January. One bright spot has been the performance of Tayo Ogedengbe who has been putting in strong performances all season. He leads the team with 17.5 ppg and is the Heat's most efficient offensive weapon, the only player shooting over 50% from the field. Tayo also leads the team in steals (1.3 per game) and is third in rebounding (5.7 per game).

The game tips-off at 3 o'clock on Sunday, 26th February at the Surrey Sports Park. You can get your tickets on-line or by calling the Heat Box Office on 01483 689111, but hurry as tickets are going fast, with plenty of people planning on coming along to see the special half-time appearance from the All-Star Dunkers.

All-Star Dunkers, the world’s first International Professional Acroballers Team, Audition for LOCOG during Guildford Heat Home Game

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:53:36 GMT

The All-Star Dunkers, the world’s first International Professional Acroballers Team, will perform an exciting, high flying 8 minute routine at half time during the Guildford Heat home game against Plymouth Raiders on Sunday. In addition to entertaining the home crowd, they will also be performing for some LOCOG representatives, hoping to secure a performance slot at the London 2012 Olympic Games basketball competition.

Chris Giles, Director of Match Night Operations for Guildford Heat commented, “Acroballing is a cross between basketball and acrobatics. The All-Star Dunkers have practiced for years to get to where they are now and are some of the best in the world. It’s a real privilege that they have chosen to perform at a Guildford Heat game and a real treat for our fans.”

Having performed in more than 30 countries, the All-Star Dunkers, who have their own ‘unique’ way of playing basketball, have amazed audiences at some of the biggest events in the world. The founder of the All-Star Dunkers performed in the acrobatic basketball show at the Athens Olympics.

More recently, the France-based group has been a regular performer at BBL finals and performed at the Spanish Copa del Rey final in Madrid and in front of 70,000 fans at the Stade de France in Paris.

The game day is kindly sponsored by the Holiday Inn Guildford. For further information, visit www.holidayinn.com

The All-Star Dunker can be seen on www.youtube.com/user/JeromeSportists

Heat Fall Short Against the Sharks

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 20:13:11 GMT

The Heat headed up the M1 for the second time in just over a month to take on the Sheffield Sharks at the EIS, but this time it was not to be as they fell short in the second half.

For the first quarter it looked as if the Heat still playing the Tigers. An 11-3 run got the Sharks underway as they made all the hustle plays, beating the Heat to the ball time and again. When they did miss, the Sharks in the shape of Sing and Babalola, were there to grab the rebounds and a 14-3 Sharks run left the Heat down 13-27 at the end of the first quarter.

However, the Heat came out on fire in the second quarter. Twice they denied the Sharks a clean look at the basket and twice Tayo Ogedengbe got out on the break, finishing with two powerful dunks, the second a tomahawk slam. With less than a minute got, Atiba Lyons was calling timeout for the Sharks and although the Sharks got the lead out to 16 at 37-21, the Heat had set the tone. Drew Lasker sparked the comeback with a three and Martelle McLemore hit a pair from the line to make it 26-39.

After a Sharks score and with three minutes to go, the Heat embarked on an 11-0 run to close the quarter, once again defence feeding the offence. Mac and Tayo scored on the fast-break, Shaun Durant cut strongly to basket and was rewarded with a trip to the line where he made both free-throws and then Julius Joseph swished a deep three. it was left to Drew Lasker to finish the scoring, reacting first to get to a loose ball, he drove and put it in off the backboard, the ball bouncing around the rim four or five times before dropping in to make it 37-41 at half time.

However, things did not go the Heat's way in the second half as they fought bravely, but failed to make up ground on the Sharks. They kept pace with the Sharks, but could never quite draw them in. They weren't helped by some interesting refereeing, which let some blatant contact go, but called (on both sides) some very incidental contact and in some cases, so non-contact. The Heat also failed to keep their cool as Mike Martin and then Frank Holmes were both called for technicals complaining about no-calls. With the Sharks red-hot from the line (25-26), it was a gift of four points. In constrast, the Heat were an effective 13-17 from the line, but had they showed the Sharks composure, it could have been a different game.

The Heat trailed 54-61 at the end of the third, having never got closer than two points, but having only once let the lead out into double figures. It was the same story in the fourth as each time the Heat made their move, the Sharks had an answer. Both teams were in the penalty early, but it was the Sharks who got to the line more often and made the Heat pay. The Heat got within six points twice at 71-77 on Tayo's fast break reverse slam, one of his four thunderous dunks in the game, and again at 75-81 as Martelle made two from the line.

In the end it was a disappointing loss, the Heat going down 87-78 without really threatening to take the lead, but never looking like they were going away as they kept fighting to the end. It was a heartening performance after Sunday's surrender to the Tigers, but the Heat will need to play better and with more composure if they are to win on the road.

The Heat were led by Drew Lasker's 24 points as he recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds, Jimmy Langhurst leading all scorers with 26 points. The full match report is available here.

Charity Thriller Nets Over £1,000 For Charity

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:39:23 GMT

Adam’s Academicals won a thrilling 97-96 victory over the Robinson Buckley Rockets at the Heat Charity match on Wednesday evening. After a blistering first quarter, in which non-Heat players scored double points, the Rockets established a commanding lead, taking full advantage by feeding their non-Heat players, Neil P, George S, Jake G, Tye P and lottery choice, Paul B. However, the Academicals started a slow fight-back in the second quarter, their Heat quartet of Albert Margai, Martelle McLemore, Julius Joseph, Frank Holmes combining well with Charli G, Kirsten B , Phil R, Ron C and Nick S.

Under the expert leadership of Coach Jamie M, the Academicals trimmed the lead to 20 at half time, when they called for reinforcements, Heat TV’s Brian Williams joining the team. The Rockets retaliated by drafting Heat courtside announcer, John “The Legend” Walker, into their ranks to join Drew Lasker, Tayo Ogedengbe, Mike Martin and Oskar Ociepa. However, the move back-fired when John started the third quarter and the Academicals left Brian on the bench, the Academicals quickly going on a 9-0 run, largely fuelled by Charli’s sharp-shooting from the key. John was quickly benched, only for the Academicals make a similar mistake by playing Brian, the lead quickly ballooning back to 17 points.

The Rockets called timeout with 9.4 seconds left, Coach Bridget H drawing up a play that saw Drew Lasker get the ball to John, open in the centre circle, only for him to miss the shot. The Academicals had the last laugh, Phil scoring as time expired with a fast-break lay-up.

In the final quarter the Academicals stormed back into it, courtesy of two eight point shots from Albert Margai and Frank Holmes and a little help from Scorcher. Albert’s shot was launched from somewhere near the half-way line, while Frank’s shot was made from under the basket after Scorcher had moved the eight-point circle (shoot from the circle and get the number of points shown on the circle) slightly closer to the basket.

Another fourth-quarter highlight was guest commentator, Drew Lasker, who was particularly lyrical in his descriptions of Freaky Frank Holmes' ball handling skills.

Things got a little chaotic, with 12 Academicals players taking the court against nine Rockets and with Tayo Ogedengbe fouling out not once but twice. However, order was restored and a thrilling finish saw the Academicals slip into the lead with under 10 seconds on the clock as JJ swished a three to give them a 95-94 advantage. Back came the Rockets under Heat captain Mike Martin, who drove strongly to the basket to put the Rockets back in front, 96-95 with six seconds on the clock. He was fouled on the play, but couldn’t convert the bonus, Ron coming up with the rebound for the Academicals.

Out of timeouts, all Ron could do was attempt a heave the length of the court, but he was fouled in the act, sending him to the line with 4.4 seconds on the clock for three free throws he slotted home the first, missed the second, but swished the third, to give the Academicals a 97-96 lead. When Frank Holmes intercepted a hopeful long pass, it was all over and the celebrations began.

Thank you to everyone who took part, everyone who came to the game and all the volunteers. We are pleased to announce that following some post-game donations, we have now raised over £1,000 for charity. Thanks to everyone who donated and to all those who generously bid so much to take part.

Heat Go Head-to-Head With Sharks

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:25:47 GMT

The Guildford Heat head up the M1 for the second time this season as they take on the Sheffield Sharks on Friday. This will be the last meeting between the two sides, with the series even at one game apiece. The Sharks won in Guildford early in the season and the Heat returned the favour in Sheffield just over a month ago to cap a three-game road winning streak.

Since then, both teams have had mixed fortunes. The Heat are just 1-3 and are trying to avoid a three game slide, while the Sharks are also 1-3 in the league since then, but are 1-5 overall, having lost both legs of their Trophy semi-final to the Newcastle Eagles. For the Sharks, this is part of a larger slide, having gone just 2-5 in the league since a four game winning streak at the end of 2011.

In contrast, the Heat are 4-3 in the same period and, Sunday's game against the Tigers not withstanding, having been playing well. This contrast in fortune has seen the two sides converging towards the middle of the table, the Heat coming up from the bottom and the Sharks slipping down from the top. The Heat are now in joint-eighth place with a 5-11 record while the Sharks are in joint-sixth place with a 7-9 record. A win for the Heat would therefore close the gap and give them the head-to-head, which could be crucial in the battle for play-off spots. The Sharks, on the other hand, will be looking for the win to stop their slide and put some distance between them and the Heat.

The Heat and the Sharks share one thing in common: an injury-ravaged season. When the two teams last met, Drew Lasker had just come back from injury to hit the game winning shot. In contrast the Sharks were missing outside threat Jimmy Langhurst and big man Justin Dobbins. These two are now back on court for the Sharks, but they have lost influential GB point-guard Nate Reinking to a knee injury and it is not clear if he will be able to take the court against the Heat.

Meanwhile the Heat are almost at full strength with big Frank Holmes starting to show some dominant form inside. The only sour note comes from new-signing Chi Lewis-Parry who will be out for a few weeks having broken his foot during a mixed-martial arts contest.

The game tips-off at 7.30 on Friday, 17th February at the EIS Sheffield. There are places available on the team coach, which leaves at 1.30 from the Surrey Sports Park. It costs just £20 per person, including admission to the game. For more information or to book a place, please e-mail Peter Bowyer. If you can't make the game, then the Heat will be running a live web-chat from the game; see the Heat Facebook page for details.

Join in Guildford Heat's Half Term Charity Game

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:34:12 GMT

Guildford Heat is running a fun-filled half term charity game on Wednesday 15 February from 7.00pm-9.30pm at Surrey Sports Park. The professional basketball club is inviting fans of all ages to bid to have key roles at the game, ranging from playing and coaching to dancing or running on with the players.

The Heat is hoping that these bids, together with money raised from interactive games for spectators, will raise £2,000 to be split between Breast Cancer Care and the Heat Community Foundation.

Click here to place your bid! Bidding will close at 4pm on 15 February for all other bids. Fans can bid to:

- Play alongside their favourite Heat players – and a guest appearance from TV presenter, Mark Evans, builder of the famous 'Hill Billy' Landrover. (Over 16s only).

- Perform with the talented Heat Street 13 dance group in front of the cheering home crowd. (Open to age 8+). Please note, there will be a rehearsal on Wednesday 8 Feb from 6-9pm at YPod Centre in Woking for those successful in the bidding process.

- Become a team Head Coach. (Open to all age groups).

- Name the team. (Open to all age groups/businesses)

- Bring water to the Heat players and sit alongside them on the bench. (Children of all ages).

- Run on with the players and join them on the bench for a quarter. (Children of all ages).

Alison Reeve, managing director of Guildford Heat, is urging fans to come and support the club’s charity event. She commented, “Sadly, the Heat’s head coach, Creon Raftopoulos recently lost his mother to cancer and so we are hoping to raise funds for Breast Cancer Care. We will also be using the opportunity to raise money for the Heat Community Foundation, to either fund a sport wheelchair or low baskets to help when teaching younger children.

“In order to raise the money, we are putting on a fun-filled event, with lots of opportunities to get involved, whether participating in the action or watching the event. Each team will be set special challenges every quarter and we hope to have a strong crowd to cheer them on. Please come to Surrey Sports Park, join in the fun and help us to meet our fundraising targets.”

Fans at the event will have an opportunity to win one of two final places on the team with a bonus raffle ticket available in the programme – so be sure to bring your trainers along.

Tickets to watch the game are £5.00. There will be lots of free goodies for the children, a bouncy castle from 6pm and prizes to be won throughout the event, including a meal for two at the Radisson Inn and tickets to a Harlequins and Storm game.

To complete the line-up, Scorcher will be joined by Lionel the Lion from The White Lion Walk Shopping Centre, who will help him to entertain the crowds and give out goodies. The famous ‘Hill Billy’ Landrover will also be making a special guest appearance at the game.

Heat Stone Cold Against The Tigers

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 01:09:01 GMT

It might have been cold outside, but the Heat were even colder at the Surrey Sports Park as they hosted the Mersey Tigers and put in their worst three quarters of basketball of the season. Trailing by 23 going into the final quarter, it was all set up for a famous comeback, but the Heat fell just short, drawing to within three before going down 77-82.

Both sides started slowly, and it was two minutes before Albert Margai drove to the basket and got things going with a three-point play, while it took the Tigers almost four minutes to get on the board. With five minutes gone it was 3-2 to the Heat, but then the Tigers caught fire, while the Heat remained stone-cold. The Tigers scored on their next four trips down court for a 12-3 lead and took an 18-7 lead into the second quarter.

The Heat came out with renewed application, scoring the first six points of the quarter to make it 13-18, but with just over four minutes gone, the Tigers were ahead 26-17. It was then four and half minutes before the Heat scored again, turnovers, point-blank missed and two missed free-throws contributing to their woes. In contrast, the Tigers scored on four consecutive trips down court, part of a 13-0 run which put them firmly in control at 39-17.

The Heat finally got back on track with 1:15 to go in the quarter when a foul and a technical foul arguing the call gifted the Heat four free-throws. However, they could only make one of the four shots, but this seemed to spark the Heat who closed the quarter on a 9-0 run.

Down 26-39 going into the second half, the Heat needed to keep up their momentum. Instead they gave up an 18-4 run in the first six minutes to put them in a 27 point hole, 30-57. The Heat finally got things going, taking the ball to the basket and drawing the fouls. A 10-2 run got the lead below 20, but on four trips to the line the Heat could only manage 1-2 each time, the Tigers making the Heat pay with a 7-3 run to close the quarter.

Down 43-66 going into the final 10 minutes, the Heat staged the most improbable of all comeback attempts, only to fall short. Christian Beale swished a half-court shot to win a season ticket during the break which got the crowd on its feet and seemed to energise the Heat. Frank Holmes scored seven points in an opening 13-2 burst that got the lead down to a manageable 12 points. However, that was the only significant run the Heat had as from thereon in, the Tigers managed enough timely baskets to keep the Heat at bay.

Frank scored inside with three minutes to go to get the Heat to within 10 at 64-74, then after Frank blocked Williams inside, Martelle hit his second three of the game to get the lead into single digits, 69-76, with 1:18 to play. After both sides missed threes, Frank grabbed an offensive rebound and slipped the ball to Drew under the basket to make it 71-76 with 40 seconds to play. Tayo fouled to stop the clock and Devan Bailey could only make one of two from the line. Coming the other way, Martelle missed a drive, but Frank was on hand to tip the miss home to make it 73-77 with 30 seconds to go.

Unfortunately that was about as good as it was going to get for the Heat as the Tigers made three of four from the line to make it 73-80 with 16 seconds on the clock. Martelle and Tayo scored on back-to-back drives around a Tigers turnover to make it 77-80, but with two seconds on the clock, there was only time to foul Bustamante who made both free throws for the final score of 77-82.

The Tigers had a balanced attack, with six players scoring 9 points or more, Devan Bailey and Antonio Bustamante adding 15 points each. Myles Hesson had 14 points and 14 rebounds, with Sam Cricelli adding 10 points and 10 boards. Martelle McLemore lead the Heat with 17 points, but needed 19 shots and only Frank Holmes, with 15 points and nine rebounds, shot better than 50% from the field as the Heat shot just 32% from the field (27-84), including a woeful 3-22 from three-point range. Although they got to the line often enough, they only converted 20 of their 32 free-throws (63%).

A full match report is now available.

Heat Looking to Bounce Back Against the Tigers

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 16:50:16 GMT

The Guildford Heat host the Mersey Tigers for their only visit of the season this Sunday, 12th February. The Heat have had an excellent start to 2012, going 4-2, with an impressive win over the Milton Keynes Lions here at the Surrey Sports Park the weekend before last. However, the Heat faltered on the road last weekend at Glasgow and will be looking to bounce back against the Tigers on Sunday and maintain their 100% home record this year.

The Tigers, who won the BBL Trophy (beating the Heat in the finals), BBL Championship and Play-off Final last season, have struggled this year. Financial woes have meant that they couldn’t keep their victorious squad together, with coach Tony Garbelotto and forward David Aliu the only main holdovers from last year, although both may be missing on Sunday. Garbelotto has been suspended following his ejection against the Jets last weekend and David Aliu missed that game with an ankle injury and might not be back.

Coach Garbelotto has recruited a mixture of young talent and experience this season. Young GB talent abounds in point-guard Devan Bailey, who played in the men’s senior team over the summer, and small forward Myles Hesson, who played for the Essex Pirates last season. Ex-Heat forward Marlin Capers and veteran forward Calvin Davies provide many years of experience, along with Matthew Otten, the Dutch/American guard having played in the BBL in 2007-08 when he was with the Jets. Canadian forward Kris Douse, in his first BBL season, rounds out the squad.

The Tigers very much share the wealth, not relying on a single high-scoring player, with Hesson, Douse and Aliu all averaging 15 points per game. They also provide the bulk of the rebounding, each averaging around seven boards per game. Otten averages 10 ppg, while Bailey and Capers each chip in with 8 ppg. However, defence is where the Tigers have their greatest problems as they allow a league-worst 90 ppg, while coming second from bottom in scoring. This has led them to a 3-13 record, their latest defeat coming at home last Friday against fellow-strugglers, the Cheshire Jets, the Tigers going down 72-83.

One area where the Tigers do have an advantage is in rebounding, where they average 38 boards a game compared to the Heat’s 34. However, with the recent signings of Frank Holmes and Chi Lewis-Parry combining with the hard work of Shaun Durant and Mike Martin, the Heat are hoping that this will soon be a thing of the past.

Of course, the Heat have fond memories of the Tigers since their first win of the season came on the road against the Tigers, an 82-76 triumph in December. That defeat was a part of an eight game slide for the Tigers, which they ended with an impressive 89-74 win on the road against the Glasgow Rocks, showing that they can’t be taken lightly.

Indeed, while the Heat are very much looking forward to the game, complacency is the last thing on their minds as they look to improve to 3-0 at home this year. If you want to come down and support the team, the game tips off at 3 o’clock on Sunday afternoon. You can get your tickets online or by calling the Heat Box Office on 01483 689111.

You can also watch a match preview on Heat TV.

Heat Falter on the Road

Sun, 5 Feb 2012 19:27:04 GMT

The Heat made the long trip up to Scotland for the second time this season to take on the Glasgow Rocks on Sunday. In front of the Sky TV Cameras and Mike Copeland, who seriously injured his knee playing here for the Heat before Christmas, the Heat put up a brave performance, but ultimately left themselves too much to do after a poor start to the second half. Frank Holmes, the man brought in to replace Mike, had his best game so far for the Heat, but it wasn't enough to get the win.

The Heat started brightly, jumping out to an 8-4 lead behind a 6-0 run early in the first quarter. The Heat pushed the advantage out to 11 at 22-11 behind a 10-2 run that featured back-to-back dunks by Big Frank. First Mychal Green turned the ball over and Frank went coast-to-coast for the slam, then after the Rocks missed a three, Albert Margai rewarded the big man for running the floor hard, finding him open under the basket for another slam.

The Heat took a 22-15 advantage into the second quarter and started well. After another offensive rebound by Frank, who muscled his way open to put back the miss with his third dunk of the game, the Heat were up, 26-18. However, a 17-3 Rocks run left the Heat reeling at 29-35.

The Heat hit back with a 13-5 run to close out the quarter, putting them ahead 42-40 going into the break. It was a strange first half, with the Heat bossing the first quarter and seemingly very timid in the second. They weren't helped by an interesting refereeing performance that neither side was happy with. In the first quarter, the Heat were the aggressors, going to the basket and drawing the fouls. In the second quarter, it was the other way around with the referees calling all sorts of very marginal contact that frustrated all the players and frequently sent the Rocks to the line.

The start of the second half was, however, where the Heat lost the game, when it took them five and a half minutes to score from the field, allowing the Rocks to put together a 17-2 run, leaving the Heat in a 44-57 hole. That they managed to come back at all was largely down to Tayo Ogedengbe who took the ball strong to the basket and drew plenty of fouls in the process. He got things going with a three-point play and followed that up with a hard baseline cut. Big Frank found him with the perfect pass and Tayo finished with a powerful dunk for another three-point play. Behind his strong play, the Heat cut the lead to four by the end of the quarter with a 13-4 run that was also built on much improved defence.

Trailing 57-61 going into the fourth, the last thing the Heat needed was another slow start, but they fell behind by eight, 61-69. It wasn't as disasterous as their previous poor runs, but it wasn't the strong start they needed. However, a 10-2 run, which included Tayo's third three-point play, saw them storm right back into contention, getting to within one at 71-72 with five minutes to play.

That, unfortunately, was as close as the Heat got, the Rocks going on an 8-0 run over the next three minutes to leave the Heat down by nine, 71-80. Even though big men Deaundre Cranston and Andrew Wedemre both fouled out during that period, the Heat could get nothing going inside, the Rocks forcing them to rely on outside shooting. The Heat needed stops and baskets from then on, but couldn't get either as they went down 75-86.

The Heat once again had a balanced attack, with Tayo Ogedengbe leading the way with 15 points, 13 of those coming in the second half. Mike Martin and Drew Lasker added 14 apiece and Julius Joseph had 12. Drew led the way on the boards with nine rebounds, while Mike and Frank added seven apiece, Frank chipping in with eight points.

The Rocks were led by Mychal Green's 22 points, with Danny Huffor and Gareth Murray adding 16 each. The teams were pretty much even on the boards, although the Heat gave up offensive rebounds at crucial moments. However, their undoing was their 19 turnovers, the Rocks coughing the ball up just 10 times in return.

A full match report is now available. If you want to watch the game, it is on Sky Sports 3 at 5.30 on Tuesday, 7th February, and repeated on Wednesday morning at 2.00 and 8.00 on Sky Sports 3 and again in the afternoon at 1.00 on Sky Sports 2.

The Heat now return home to take on the Mersey Tigers on Sunday, 12th February, at 3 o'clock at the Surrey Sports Park. You can get your tickets on-line or by calling the Heat Box Office on 01483 689111.

Fan-favourite Chi Lewis-Parry re-signs with the Heat

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 11:57:14 GMT

The multi-talented and hugely popular Chi Lewis-Parry is coming back to the Heat! The 6’8" powerhouse played for the Heat in 2008 and, having moved away from basketball to focus on his fighting career, is keen to return and contribute to the Heat’s success.

Lewis-Parry was a valuable member of the 2008 Guildford Heat squad, best known for his rugged defending and rebounding. He went on to play for the Scottish Rocks, where he appeared in all 33 games and led the team in rebounding with 5.5 rebounds per game, while contributing 5.9 points per game.

Heat Coach, Creon Raftopoulos, explained the decision to bring Chi back to the Heat:

"After the ups and downs that we've had this season, I felt it important that we get cover at the forward position. Chi is a great utility player who we can count on at the defensive end, and will contribute to rebounding which is key to our success."

You can find a full interview with Coach Creon about the return of Chi on Heat TV.

Chi himself, who has been a familiar sight in the stands at Heat games this season, is delighted to be back:

"Returning to the Guildford Heat is like a homecoming for me. I hated the way things were left on my departure in 2008 and wanted to come back and rectify things with Guildford's wonderfully loyal fans. This time I'll be here to the end."

As a competitive fighter, Chi is in great physical shape. On 4 February he will be competing in a professional mixed martial arts show called Cage Rage:UCMMA 26 at The Troxy, Commercial Road, East London which will be broadcast on Sky Sports.

His first Guildford Heat home game will be on Sunday 12 February at 3pm against Mersey Tigers.