That wiped away the opening 87-68 loss at City of Sheffield Saints 24 hours earlier.

Giants’ senior women produced an opening 67-55 win at Cheshire Jets.

Sunday’s cup clash was always going to be a big ask as Giants senior men are in Division Three while the Coventry outfit had professional imported players.

Giants welcomed back player/coach Dan Richards after an appendix operation.

Coventry got off to a good start with a three from American import Oatman. Giants replied with two great drives to basket from captain Matt Shaw.

As Oatman continued to find form and score another three Giants big man Ben Coy scored two more inside baskets.

Coventry continued to shoot the lights out with two more threes from Oatman and Neely and Giants replied with their own three from Mike Elland but trailed 20-13at the end of the first quarter.

Giants got off to a great restart with a big three from Elland and the inside dominance from Paul Whitehead as he scored inside the key.

A long jump shot from Martin ‘Stretch’ Richards pulled the score back to 22-21.

Coventry began to find form again with Neely hitting another three and Taylor began to hit long range jump shots.

However Giants continued to push Coventry’s defence as Paul Kelly took strong drives to basket.

Coventry came out strongly in the final minutes of the quarter with Taylor claiming six more points to take the lead at the end of the half to 40-30.

Giants knew they had to come respond, and big men Ben Coy and Stretch combined to score seven points.

Kelly again drove to basket and great shooting from Coy scored more points inside the key.

As Giants tied the score 44-44 the Coventry outfit called a timeout and then scored five unanswered points.

But Coy again dominated inside to add four more baskets.

Three from Shaw and two successive threes from Richards saw Giants take a 59-51 lead at the end of third quarter.

The final quarter began with a huge three from Elland, but he was fouled whilst shooting so was also given a free throw to make it 63-51. Coventry hit back with another three from Neely as they scored seven unanswered points.

Shaw continued to pursuit Giants basket and was fouled doing so which sent him to the free throw line six times.

Richards went to basket strongly and was fouled to be awarded an ‘and 1’ as the game went from end to end aand Coventry brought the deficit within five points 75-69.

With minutes remaining Stretch was found inside to score and Shaw continued to drive to basket and was fouled to be awarded more free throws.

Oatman scored the last two points for Coventry before he fouled out with seconds remaining as Giants made a tactical time out with the score 76-73.

With seconds remaining Stretch again was fouled which sent him to the free throw to score one from two shots but it sealed the victory and Giants now travel to Birmingham in mid-October for round two.

Scorers: M. Shaw 16, B.