Patriots bounce back in style with a rare win over Leicester

PLYMOUTH City Patriots finally returned home this weekend, for a double header, and suffered mixed fortunes in the British Basketball League.

- PABLO CHEEKS

A hectic weekend started with the news that heade coach Paul James and the Patriots players had avoided any serious repercussions from the incident that followed the buzzer at the recent match at Manchester Giants.

James received five penalty points, along with all of the Patriots players, while Manchester were hit much harder.

Head coach Brian Semonian received 10 penalty points and will consequently serve a one-match suspension, while Giants player Austin Lawton received 20 penalty points. He will consequently receive a two-match suspension and has been issued with a monetary fine.

Although not playing in the aforementioned fixture, Giants player Jamell Anderson received five penalty points for his participation in the incident.

For breaching the Code of Conduct, both clubs have been issued monetary fines, which will be donated to charitable causes supporting community basketball.

The two spectators involved in the incident have received a lifetime ban and a five-year ban respectively from all British Basketball League fixtures.

A statement released by the BBL read: “The British Basketball League, alongside its clubs and stakeholders, prides itself on providing a safe, family-friendly environment for all spectators to enjoy the sport, and operates a zero-tolerance policy toward any aggressive, threatening or abusive behaviour at any of its events.”