Big Pre-Christmas weekend starts on Friday for the Sharks

British Basketball League Regular Season

Before the big guy in the red suit arrives, the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks have a double helping of festive hoops on the way. First up is our ‘Mad Friday’ encounter with Bristol Flyers, where a win for the Sharks will see them take a very important head-to-head. Then, the guys face a Christmas Eve showdown in the capital when they travel to the league-leading London Lions for an early afternoon tip off. Can we deliver a couple of early Christmas presents? You need to follow us to find out!

Friday – Sharks v Flyers – Canon Medical Arena – 7.45pm

Tickets – Fanbase | Schedule (fanbaseclub.com)

Ones To Watch

Trejon Jacob – The Flyers went down by 103-80 away at Manchester in their last game but it wasn’t without a fight from Jacob. He led the Bristol output with 20 points but was unable to guide his side to success in the North West.

Rowell Graham-Bell – Punched above his season average of 10.4 points per game with a 16 point, 5 rebound outing against Manchester but was unable to prevent the Flyers slipping to a 10-10 record in the standings.

Brad Greene – The towering forward put up a huge double-double in Manchester of 15 points and 13 rebounds but even his dominance in the paint couldn’t stop the mercurial Giants in their tracks.

Raphell Thomas-Edwards – The Bristol skipper was keen off the offensive boards, ripping down 6 as he powered his way to an 11 point, 14 rebound double-double. As the Flyers shooting dipped below 40%, they didn’t have enough firepower to get the dub on this occasion.

Last Meeting

December 2nd 2023 – Bristol Flyers (Jacob 20 Olison 18 Smith 13) 78 B. Braun Sheffield Sharks (Koch 15 Nichols 13 Nixon / Ratinho 11) 76

Sunday – Lions v Sharks – Copperbox Arena – 1.00pm

Watch - Week 15 - London vs Sheffield, Championship - LIVE - YouTube

Ones To Watch

Matthew Morgan – Had a ludicrous game as London took a 99-91 overtime victory against Manchester on Sunday. His 31 points included 14 out of 16 successful shots from the line as well as 11 boards for an index of 34 as the leaders marched on.

Connor Morgan – The forward showed his vital shooting touch once again, pouring in 19 points to go with 9 rebounds, 3 assists and a block as the Lions toughed out yet another win.

Jordan Taylor – Shot 77% from the field including the last ditch three that sent the Giants game into overtime. Dished out 7 dimes as well as claiming 4 boards and a steal to go with the 17 points that helped seal the success.

Josh Sharma – Made full use of his 22 minutes on court on Sunday, going on to an efficient 9 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocked shots in the Copperbox. Averages 10.9 / 4.5 for the season.

Last Meeting

October 20th 2023 – B. Braun Sheffield Sharks (Nichols 11 Ramsey / Allen / Pipkins / Koch 10) 76 London Lions (C Morgan 19 Olaseni 18 M Morgan 17) 92

Shark Bites

Sunday will see the Sharks play in their 1000th regular season game since joining the British Basketball League in 1994.

The game will also be the 1300th in all domestic competitions as they have currently played a combined total of 300 Cup (96), Trophy (130) and Playoff (74) matches.

The 998 regular season games have brought 660 wins and 338 losses. The 1298 total matches have seen 830 wins, 4 draws and 464 defeats.

The 1000 games have seen just 4 Head Coaches for the Sharks. Jim Brandon 108 games (85 wins 23 losses), Chris Finch 216 games (166 wins 50 losses), Peter Scantlebury 185 games (123 wins 62 losses) and Atiba Lyons 491 games (currently 286 wins 203 losses).

SharkNation

Dig out those gaudy sweaters because we’ve got a pre-Christmas party going on at the Canon Medical Arena this Friday. We need you guys out in force as we take on Bristol Flyers with a crucial head-to-head series at stake. The Flyers lead 2-1 but with the Sharks ahead on basket difference, that win is vital! Make it the maddest of Fridays by heading to the ticket link at the top of the page to secure your seat for this big game. And then, settle down with a glass of eggnog in front of the telly on Christmas Eve to watch the guys take on the all-conquering London Lions in an early afternoon encounter. It might be Christmas but basketball never stops. The Sharks and You – together we are unbeatable! #FearTheFin

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Adam Bates