Friday 26th September 2025
Super League Basketball Championship
Leicester Riders 65 B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 93
It was an altogether different B. Braun Sheffield Sharks that took down hosts Leicester Riders in game two of the new Super League Basketball season. An almost complete first half on both ends of the floor set the tone for the 28 point victory that the Sharks led from start to finish. Still without Mervin James and Reyad West, all the suited Sharks made it on to the scoresheet in an excellent team display that was spearheaded by Prentiss Nixon, who finished with 21 points on the night. Newcastle Eagles, victorious in their first two games, now present the next challenge to the Sharks at the Canon Medical Arena on Sunday afternoon.
Starting Fives
Riders: Evee, Akot, Sulaiman, Johnson, Martin.
Sharks: Williams, Nixon, Chatman, Ratinho, DeLoach.
Key Moments
A hot start was key to the Sharks success. A Prentiss Nixon three following some excellent ball movement opened the encounter and a Nick Kern finish at the second attempt closed a 0-14 run with the Sharks up by 2-17. William Lee got the friendly roll on yet another triple but as Dirk Williams connected on the Sharks fourth and fifth treys of the quarter, they looked fully deserving of the 13-28 scoreline.
Little changed in the second period. Rodney Chatman, looking impressive on extended minutes following his return from injury, opened with yet another three at the start of the quarter as Jordan Ratinho increased the gap to 23 with three more at 16-39. Travis Evee, top scorer for Leicester as they ran a stacked London side close last week, finally came to play with three of his own from the wing but it was the calm, assured play of Kern and Nixon that kept the Sharks foot on the gas. An outrageous shot from his own half on the buzzer by Nixon found the target as the visitors went in ahead by 29-51 at the break.
Honours were even in the third quarter by 17-17 but that was about as good as it got for the Riders. They did reduce the deficit to 14 on Nathaniel Martin’s fadeaway but again it was the Sharks who finished stronger. William Lee’s trey from the wing against his old side was a prelude to a Dirk Williams drive into the paint as the scoreboard read 46-68 after thirty minutes play.
The Sharks took the final stanza by 19-25 to put the full stop on a big win. Shades of his athleticism from last season saw Rodney Chatman make a finish off his own shot that hit the rim and there was a big throwdown for Jalen DeLoach off a Nick Kern assist. Mike Ochereobia finished Chatman’s dish to take the lead to thirty and that became thirty two when Kern kicked out to Lee for three more. Olutomiwa Sulaiman found success from deep in the dying seconds but in truth, a scintillating Sharks performance had seen them run out as convincing 65-93 winners.
MVP
The Sharks were dominant in all aspects. They out-shot the Riders by 52% to 38%, won the battle of the boards by 42-29 and took the paint by 40-26. A measured 12 points on 4 of 7 shooting set the tone from Dirk Williams and there was visible confidence from rookie Nick Kern Jr, who ended with an eye-catching 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal. More than doubling his minutes from the first game was Rodney Chatman III. His 15 point, 5 rebound, 2 assist, 1 steal outing came from only 14 minutes on court and showed what a valuable piece of the Sharks jigsaw he is. The MVP was the irrepressible Prentiss Nixon however. His 21 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists came on 53% shooting, emphasising just how destructive he and his side can be.
Next Game
B. Braun Sheffield Sharks v Newcastle Eagles, Sunday 28th September 2025, Canon Medical Arena, 3.00pm Tip Off
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Adam Bates
