BBL Championship: Worcester open with Newcastle win

BBL Play-off champions Worcester Wolves began the season with victory at Newcastle Eagles, whom they defeated in last season's Play-off final.

Wolves had to deal with the loss of Most Valuable Player Zaire Taylor and Will Creekmore during the summer.

But Creekmore's replacement centre Robert Thurman came up with a 27-point debut to help Wolves win 86-81 at last term's BBL Championship winners Eagles.

Elsewhere, Bristol Flyers began their first BBL season with successive wins.

Flyers, backed by Bristol City owner Stephen Lansdown, won 65-56 against Plymouth Raiders on Saturday and 79-62 at Glasgow Rocks on Sunday.

Leeds Force were another team making their BBL bow but they did not experience the same success, beaten 80-46 by Durham Wildcats.

Wildcats were defeated by Sheffield Sharks on Friday before the Yorkshire club, last season's Championship runners-up, were shocked 76-72 by Manchester Giants, playing their first game at the Trafford Sportsdome.

Leicester Riders won three trophies in 2013 and made a strong start to their campaign with back-to-back success against Giants and Cheshire Phoenix, while Surrey United slipped to defeats against London Lions and Plymouth Raiders.

Following his side's win, Thurman, who previously played professionally in Denmark, said: "We just made it a point to get me the ball and they were fouling consistently so I got to the line.

"Every game is a statement game because we want to follow up last year's success and even surpass it. We knew they were going to be physical so we just had to match it."