Oxford Devils kept their nerve in a thrilling finish to beat Reading Rockets by a single point 81-80 and book their place in the National Trophy quarter-finals.

After an anxious week that had seen them suspended from competition on a technicality over the dimenions of their Oxford Berookes court and then reinstated two days later, the Devils clinched a home tie in the last eight after a thrilling battle at Reading's Rivermead Sports Centre.

The Rockets took an early lead, and with the officials calling the game very tight, Oxford's Steve Riley was finding it hard to stay in the game as he began to pick up fouls.

However, Arthur Robinson produced by far his best game for Devils and, supported well by Todd McNeil and Angemi, the visitors went into the break all square at 40-40. In the third quarter, the Devils continued to fall foul of the officials to go four points down, but they picked up in the final period as O J Chouka and Joe Milnes combined well on the break to build up a seven-point lead.

With less than two minutes remaining, Reading made two huge shots from three-point range to narrow the gap to one point and with only ten seconds left, Cooper attacked the Devils' basket and was fouled by Keith Kelly.

Cooper made one from two to tie the score, leaving just five seconds on the clock. Cooper then fouled Kelly on the halfway line, and although Kelly missed his first attempt, his second found the basket to clinch victory.