HUDDERSFIELD Heat Basketball continued their solid start to the season as they booked a quarter-final spot in the National Shield for the first time in their history.
The University side visited Rossendale Raptors in a third round tie and came away with a 84-71 win.
The competition for all third and fourth division teams from the English Basketball Leagues, has come alongside a busy league programme for the Heat.
In the vCars.co.uk Division III Championship, Heat picked up a fantastic 69-56 away victory at Stockport Falcons, before narrowly losing at home 66-68 to the Sheffield Saints.
These latest round of fixtures moved the Heat to a 3 & 1 record in the league, and they currently occupy sixth place in the table, just two places outside the play-off positions.
New Spanish centre Francisco Gonzalvez Campos made his debut for Heat, who are now eagerly waiting to see which of either Derby Trailblazers II or Northants Thunder they face in the last eight.
Heat player-coach Eduardo Perez said: “After the disappointment of our first league defeat the night before, to come away and get the victory against a really tough team just shows our progress and that our hard work is paying off.
“The cup competitions had been one of our real failures in the past and to get to the quarter final of the Shield, we are all delighted.
“However, we’re clearly not just happy to be here. There are eight teams left and we feel we have a genuine chance at some silverware.
“Our next opponent, whether it be Derby or Northants, will have got there on merit and will be keen to progress too, so no-one is getting carried away with this one win, and we have to remain humble and hard working to get our rewards.”
The Heat now face a return trip to face the Rossendale Raptors, in a league encounter, as the teams begin to settle in the championship standings.
