LANCASHIRE Spinners moved up to seventh place in Division One of the National Basketball League courtesy of an 84-71 win at home to Westminster Warriors on Saturday.

Despite a second-half scoring record of just one-in-three, the Spinners remained just out of reach of their opponents when it mattered.

Connor Murtagh scored 16 points – 14 of them in the second half – with Aitor Estrada adding 15.

Murtagh believes a top-eight finish and a place in the end-of-season play-offs is within reach.

“We played great team basketball in larger spurts,” he said, after the side bounced back from last week’s defeat to Northumbria.

“If we keep this effort up against teams higher up the table then we’ll improve our play-off position.

“It can be quite daunting going into the second half having scored very little, but the guys believed in me and were confident I would break out of my slump.”

The Spinners produced an excellent all-round performance, with 38 points from the bench, and Steven Gayle adding 12, including a three-pointer that opened up the game from a 21-all tie.

That was as close as 12th-placed Westminster got, cutting the deficit to nine in the final quarter before a prompt response by Alex Roberts pushed the game out of reach.

Four of the Spinners’ next six games are against sides currently above them, but coach Neal Hopkins believes Saturday’s performance will stand them in good stead.

“It was great to get back to winning ways after last week’s disappointment,” he said.