Solent Stars hope to be back to full strength this weekend as they play twice in 24 hours to decide their Uniball Basketball Trophy fate.

Panji Grainger is expected to recover from the knee problem which has kept him out of the last four games but Chris Harper faces a fitness test on the knee injury which put him out of the midweek defeat at Derby.

That loss virtually killed off Solent's hopes of qualifying from the group but they will have a slim chance of going through if they can beat Birmingham at Fleming Park tonight (8pm) and then win at London Leopards tomorrow.

It is a tall order though as in-form Birmingham are top of the southern section of the Dairylea Dunkers League.

Solent were beaten by 30 points at northern section leaders Derby in midweek but are the only one of the three Division 1 sides in the Uniball competition to have beaten one of the top dogs.

They won their home game against Derby and coach Alan Cunningham is looking for a repeat of that intensity tonight in what looks a mouth-watering tie.

Meanwhile Solent have been handed a horrible semi-final draw in the National Basketball Trophy. They must make the long trek to Teesside on November 28.

The Stockton side have won all seven of their games in this campaign and they beat Solent by two points to delay their title celebrations at the tail-end of last season. But it is at least a tie Stars feel they can win.

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