Essex 71-78 Worcester Wolves

Chey Christie was the Wolves star performer in the win at Essex Pirates

Worcester Wolves finally broke their duck for the new season when they came away from Southend with a 78-71 BBL Cup win over Essex Pirates.

The Wolves head coach Chuck Evans was especially pleased with American Chey Christie's 19-point individual haul.

"Chey has done well for us especially down the stretch as the game was being decided," he said.

"We still need to keep getting better if we are looking to make up ground on some of the teams in the league."

While Christie might have stolen the headlines, the Wolves Lithuanian duo of Evaldas Zabas and Vidmantis Uzukrulatis provided much of the impetus behind this win.

They each returned personal scores of 15 points and took turns playing out of position at point guard as Chuck Evans continues his search for a replacement for the departed Antony Martin.

In a match in which fortunes ebbed and flowed, the Wolves converted a two-point deficit at the end of the first quarter into a four-point half-time lead.

But at the end of the third quarter they found themselves four points adrift and it was at this point that Chey Christie stepped up to lead a fine recovery.

The Wolves played their best basketball of the season so far to win the final quarter 23-12 and book themselves an away trip to Leicester Riders in the next round of the BBL Cup on Saturday 7 November.