Worcester Wolves...100 Plymouth Raiders...80

MARJON Plymouth Raiders had done a decent job of keeping Worcester Wolves' leading scorer this season, shooting-guard Tommy Freeman, quiet before Saturday.

They had held the 23-year-old rookie below his season average of 18.8 points per game to 14.8 points a contest on, all told, 7/23 threes in five previous meetings in 2011/12.

On Saturday the skinny, 6ft 5in American finally cut loose and drilled 7/9 threes and had 40 points in a 20-point victory in the BBL Championship at Worcester University.

When Raiders fouled him to see what his mid-range shot was like, Freeman converted a flawless 11/11 free-throws.

It was only the second occasion this season Raiders have given up 100 points or more.

Raiders' rookie guard Michael Ojo hit 5/6 threes in response and finished with 19 points behind guard Jeremy Bell's team-high 23.

But Gavin Love's team were always chasing after trailing by 19 points, 39-20 early in the second quarter.

Defeat ended Raiders' eight-game winning streak in the league, dating back more than two months to November 25 and means they go 1-3 on the road this season in the BBL Championship.

In fairness, all three of those away losses have come at the top two, Newcastle Eagles and Wolves.

Raiders pulled within as few as six points, 59-53 in the middle of Saturday's third quarter and the gap was still only eight, 86-78 with 3:11 left in the final frame.

But Freeman ignited a 14-2 finish from Paul James' Wolves with back-to-back threes and helped bury Raiders by 27 points, 48-21 from the three-point arc.

Raiders were down by four, 20-16 late in the first quarter before Wolves forward David Watts' basket ignited the contest's decisive 19-4 run.

It was refuelled by back-to-back threes from power-forward Arnas Kazlauskas at the start of the second period, which stretched the gap to 16 points, 34-18.

Ojo manfully hit three threes on the spin to spark a 19-7 Raiders rally and make a fist of it and cut the gap to seven, 46-39 late in the first half.

Ojo's effort built on his 21 points and 5/5 threes in last weekend's Trophy semi-final second leg against Milton Keynes Lions.

Raiders centre Paul Williams said: "The score says we lost by 20, but we were in the game a lot.

"They just had one guy (Freeman) who was on fire. There's nothing we could've done.

"We tip our hats off to him, because he won the game for them."

STATS

Points: Raiders: Bell 23 (10/24 Field-Goals), Colbert 15 (7/11), P Williams 13 (5/8), J Jones 8 (3/9), Rowe 2 (1/5); Worcester: Freeman 40 (11/14), Watts 18 (7/11), Prezzie-Blue 17 (7/11)

Leading rebounder: Raiders: Colbert 6; Worcester: Fernandez/Gordon 7

Leader in assists: Raiders: Colbert 4; Worcester: Freeman 5

Field-Goal Percentage: Raiders: 47 per cent (31/66 attempts); Worcester: 54 per cent (34/63)

Three-Point Percentage: Raiders: 58 per cent (7/12 attempts); Worcester: 57 per cent (16/28)

Free-Throw Percentage: Raiders: 58 per cent (11/19 attempts); Worcester: 100 per cent (16/16)