Bermuda's Sullivan Phillips was the fall guy as the Birmingham Bullets threw away the chance to qualify for the next stage of the European Champions Cup.

The British basketball team needed to beat Dijon of France at the Aston Events Centre in Birmingham last night to proceed in the sport's equivalent of soccer's UEFA Cup.

The top two teams from each group go through but the 85-84 loss to the French last night means now that their only hope is to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams in the competition with Dijon and Tenerife going through in second and first respectively from Conference West Group A.

Phillips, who joined side from college in the US earlier this year, had a chance to win last night's match with just seconds remaining.

With Dijon just a single point ahead and just 3.2 seconds on the clock, Phillips drew a foul which gave him two free throws.

However, with the pressure well and truly on, he missed both attempts and then committed a foul of his own and the rest, as they say, is history.

Phillips scored seven points on the night, spending 34 minutes on the court.

The game had opened well for Birmingham and Phillips with the team opening up a five point lead and the Bermudian scoring with a jump shot.

After a missed lay up Phillips was in the thick of the action again as the half drew to a close, Michael Jackson executing the ally-oop pass for Phillips to finish with a dunk.

Bullets went in at the break 48-45 down and were in with a chance of victory throughout the second half and right until Phillips' costly misses at the death.

Phillips and Co. must now concentrate on the British Basketball League and do their best to drag themselves off the bottom of the table.