Gary Smith has called on his Worthing Thunder team to take the positives from their BBL Trophy adventure into tonight's key league match.

Barker (Tarring) Thunder host Nottingham in EBL division one (8pm) looking to improve on last night's 89-84 Trophy defeat at London United.

Thunder led 46-40 at the half and were well in the game until the closing stages and coach Smith remained upbeat after the defeat.

He said: "We played decent for 30 minutes. We were doing the right things until they had a run. Even then they tried to hand the game back to us but we weren't mentally strong enough.

"It was a mental block. They played a zone defence in the first half and we did what we had to do against that.

"Then they went man-to-man and that was what stumped us a bit.

"We're not happy to lose but I take positives and the main thing is to keep our heads up for the game tonight."

Thunder have won their only league game to date and face a Nottingham side which includes Brighton-based guard Bud Johnston, who previously came off the bench for Bears.

Steve Gayle led Thunder with 21 points while Steve Vear and Alfredo Ott had 17 apiece. Santa Ataha hit 40 for United.

BBL: Newcastle 77 (Sullivan 21, Walker 17), Plymouth 69 (Lasker 21, Moore 16).