COACH Adam Hanley praised "an outstanding team performance" as Hythe Stags charged to Division 3 play-off glory in the Solent Area Basketball League.

The Bradford & Bingley-sponsored side trounced Liphook 86-40 at Applemore Recreation Centre and Hanley said: "All facets of our game clicked. We never let Liphook play."

Hanley, who took the unprecedented step of having a training session before the game, was rewarded with a display full of discipline, aggression and pride.

Quick baskets from Paul Marsland set the tone, but it was Wayne Owen who stole the honours in the first quarter, shooting 13 points from outside to help establish a 25-7 lead.

Liphook scored only one basket in the second quarter in a near faultless defensive show by the Watersiders who resisted their usual bad habit of 'falling asleep' for a spell and letting their opponents off the hook.

With Carl 'Rhino' Riley hitting all his points from the line after being continually fouled, they finished the third quarter 62-20 up to effectively kill the game as a contest.

Hythe scorers: Paul Marsland 17, Wayne Owen 15, Tom Blakely 13, Rob Nicholson 10, Graham Halliday 9, Mike Puckett 9, James Hall 6, Carl Riley 5, Andrew Hanley 2.