PRESTON, Lancs. — Lancashire tips off a double-header weekend at Westminster on Saturday before returning to the Greater Manchester area for a clash with the Magic. Saturday’s game starts at 6:30 p.m. from Capital City Academy in Willesden, London.
The Spinners are clinging to 11th place in the National League standings with a 6-14 record with six games remaining on their schedule, including three at Myerscough College. Westminster, which ended its league winless streak Feb. 25, is without a victory since then and is 1-19 in divisional play.
Saturday marks the fourth all-time meeting between Lancashire and Westminster. The Warriors are just one of two teams currently in NBL1 that the Spinners own a perfect record against. The other is Worthing (4-0). Lancashire’s three wins in the head-to-head series have been by an average margin of 10.7 points with the largest (13) coming on Jan. 30, 2017.
Mark Rangeley’s 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting, including four 3-pointers, helped Lancashire to a 95-86 win over Westminster back on Dec. 3. Zion Tordoff added 17 points on 7-of-15 from the field with seven rebounds. It was the third best shooting performance by a Spinners team this season, as they connected on 47.7 percent (36-of-76) of their shots. The Warriors, who led by two at halftime, were outscored 56-45 after the break.
Lancashire travels south with a 7-18 record overall and it is 2-3 over the last five games, with wins over Worthing and Derby. The Spinners are averaging 76.9 points in league play whilst allowing 85.5 points per game.
Rangeley leads the Spinners is scoring at 17.2 points per game on 41.8 percent (112-of-268) shooting from the field and 38.8 percent (54-of-139) from 3-point range. Jack Hudson ranks second on the team at 14.7 points per game. He is shooting 40.2 percent (99-of-246). Hudson leads the team with 99 assists and 38 steals.
Forward Connor Murtagh is averaging 12.9 points per game on 42.1 percent (77-of-183) shooting, which ranks second on Lancashire. David Ulph, who had his streak of five games with a double-double ended against Reading, is contributing 11.3 points on a team best 51.1 percent (71-of-139). He is the leading rebounder with 149 total boards.
Last Saturday’s loss to Reading also saw the end of 11 consecutive games for the Spinners with at least one player reaching double figures in rebounding. Murtagh had a team-high of just seven.
Westminster is just 3-23 overall this season and riding a two-game losing streak following defeats at home to Leicester and at London.
Allen Gunn
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