Gary Smith today called on Worthing Thunder to reproduce their cup final spirit as they battle for a decent play-off position.

Thunder went down fighting against EBL title favourites City of Sheffield Arrows in the National Trophy final at the Brighton Centre.

Now coach Smith wants them to take that sort of energy into more mundane league games in British basketball's second division.

Smith admitted: "We don't always play that hard. Maybe we did because it was the final or maybe they listened in practice.

"Defensively we did a hell of a job. We got the ball inside offensively but the biggest thing was the free throws. We didn't knock enough of them down.

"We have to feed off this. We need to keep playing hard, playing tough defence and sharing the basketball."

Unlike Bears later in the afternoon, Thunder gave their final a real go, despite missing 13 of 31 free throws.

Having trailed by 13 early in the final period, they reduced arrears to 76-72 in the last two minutes.

Then Steve Gayle's three-point attempt struck the back of the rim and Arrows, in the shape of former Sheffield Shark Todd Cauthorn, had the experience to close the game out.

Cauthorn, Mike Payne and player/coach Garnet Gayle have seen plenty of big occasions and held things together after Thunder had at last snuffed out the scoring threat of Ryan Patton.

The American guard was named MVP for his 28 points, though only four came in the second half.

An English quintet of Daniel Hildreth, James Brame, Okolie Ugbana, David Butterworth and under-used Pat Bates dragged Thunder back into the game.

Hildreth did a good job of upping the tempo but was distraught to be called for three fouls in the first eight minutes and a fourth soon after half-time as he led the defensive job on Patton.

Sheffield had a 10-0 run just before half-time but Thunder replied with a 10-0 of their own as Knox and Gaylon Moore had joy inside.

Threes from Payne and Cauthorn (two) made up a 9-0 burst which gave Arrows control but they were never really comfortable until Cauthorn sank two free throws with 23 seconds to play.

Thunder: Moore 23, Knox 21, Gayle 15, Butterworth 9, Ugbana 4, Hildreth 2, Bates 2.

Arrows: Patton 28, Cauthorn 19, Richards 13, Payne 12, Gayle 9, Renton 2.