Back to action for the Sharks this Friday

British Basketball League Regular Season

It’s back to the bread and butter of the British Basketball League Regular Season for the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks this coming Friday as they head south to take on Surrey Scorchers. The Guildford-based side are eighth in the standings with a 7-14 record but have proved they are not a team to be slept on as the Sharks found to their cost in a 91-71 defeat during the recent Trophy campaign. A week’s break will have given the Sharks further time to assimilate Malek Green into the roster, hoping that he can build on a pair of outstanding displays in his first two games in the blue and yellow.

Friday – Scorchers v Sharks – Surrey Sports Park – 7.30pm

Watch – Championship Week 17: Surrey vs Sheffield - LIVE - YouTube

Ones To Watch

Justin Robinson – He may be in the veteran stage of his career but two-times league MVP Robinson is proving to be a vital component of everything that Surrey do well. Led the Scorchers scoring with 15 as they crashed out of the Trophy by 63-105 against eventual champions Cheshire.

Padiet Wang – All-action South Sudanese international, whose athleticism is key to the Surrey style of play. Involved all over the court and averages 10.9 points per game with 5.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals for the season so far.

Saiquan Jamison – Recently poured in 18 points against the Sharks during the Trophy break and is hot off the boards for an undersize forward. His 9.2 rebounds per game is made up of 3.4 from the offensive glass and 5.8 from the defensive, marking him as a Scorchers dangerman.

Andrew Lawrence – Former GB Olympian, who like Robinson brings a lot of veteran knowledge and skill to the table. Provides 4 assists per game with 10.4 points from an average of 19 minutes per game to demonstrate his efficiency.

Last Meeting

January 6th 2024 – Surrey Scorchers (Mohamed 18 Jamison 18 Wang 11) 91 B. Braun Sheffield Sharks (Ramsey 17 Koch 17 Nixon 11) 71

Shark Bites

The Sharks recent defeat against Surrey was their first loss against the Scorchers in 14 games. The loss on 6th January this year was by 20 points; the previous one on 17th February 2019 was by 21 points.

Should the Sharks lose on Friday to Surrey in Guildford, the winless run in away games will go to 7 for only the second time in 30 seasons in the British Basketball League. The previous winless streak began in December 2011 and ended – after 8 consecutive road losses – in March 2012.

Malek Green has made a very positive start to his Sharks career in his two games. His 24 points at Cheshire equalled the Sharks season high set by Jalon Pipkins, also at Cheshire last September. His 11 rebounds also equalled the Sharks best this season, matching Devearl Ramsey.

The Sharks 25th game of the season saw Malek notch up the Sharks fourth double-double of the campaign, joining Bennett Koch (twice) and Devearl Ramsey.

SharkNation

After a one week break, your B. Braun Sheffield Sharks are back and we’re looking straight ahead at the business end of the season. A pair of road games await us before we get back to the Tank and our fabulous SharkNation of fans! This Friday we head to Surrey and follow that up with a Thursday evening away encounter against the high-flying London Lions. But get this date in your diary – Sunday February 11th – It’s another fantastic double-header! Go to Fanbase | Schedule (fanbaseclub.com) and you can claim your ticket to see the Sharks take on the Lions and the Hatters take on the Wolves. Two games of basketball in one day – now that’s what we call UNBEATABLE! #FearTheFin

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Adam Bates