Sterling Davis has claimed Brighton Bears' first award of the season.

The 23-year-old forward from Texas has been voted BBL player-of-the-month for November by basketball fans.

Davis claimed 38 per cent of votes cast in an internet poll on the BBL's website, just enough to pip Chester Jets' highly-rated Calvin Davis into second place.

Leopards forward Rico Alderson, Newcastle's Shawn Myers and Chester's John McCord were also among the contenders for the award.

The Bears' star American, who joined Brighton in September following a spell in South America, enjoyed a good month in November, during which time he averaged 21.43 points and 7.86 rebounds per game. He added 1.43 assists per outing, while shooting more than 71 per cent from the free throw line.

Davis has played down the importance of the poll, but Bears director Romek Kriwald admitted the whole club were thrilled with the news.

Kriwald said: "This is the first such award since I have been involved with the club and we are very pleased.

"Sterling is a fairly humble guy who does not go in for personal accolades but he knows all about the award and I am sure he is really pleased. It is quite an achievement.

"He thoroughly deserves it. He has put on performances night in, night out, at both ends of the court."

The closest Bears had come to such an award in the recent past was when Mark Dunning was nominated for the coach's prize last February.

Chester's Robbie Peers won the coach's award this time with a staggering 70 per cent of the vote after guiding the northern conference leaders to six consecutive wins.

Among the other nominees was Nigel Lloyd, who brings his in-form Milton Keynes Lions side to The Triangle tomorrow for a crucial southern conference tussle.

Fans will be required to make their own way to Burgess Hill for that match but Kriwald is set to lay on transport for future Triangle dates.

He will guage fans' reaction tomorrow and at next Sunday's televised showdown with Thames Valley and ask for guidance as to pick up points and fares for a matchday shuttle service to Burgess Hill.

Kriwald said: "It will not happen this weekend but I am doing research and i think for a forthcoming game we will just take the plunge and hire a bus on a trial basis.

"I know fans want to get to the games and we will do all we can to help them."

Bears have a free date in their schedule after neighbours Worthing Thunder turned down an invitation to appear at the Brighton Centre on Tuesday, December 18.

That was the date originally reserved for a game with the now defunct Manchester Giants.

The home clash with Edinburgh has been switched from The Triangle on January 17 to the Brighton Centre on March 24, giving Bears three home games in the last eight days of the regular season, by which time they will hope to be booking their play-off spot.