Friday 20th February 2026
Super League Basketball Championship
Caledonia Gladiators 70 B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 92
A hugely dominant second half steered the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks to a comprehensive 70-92 win on the road at Caledonia Gladiators. The Sharks out-scored the Scots by a combined 53-32 in the third and fourth quarters to begin a big double-header weekend of hoops. Sharks debutant Fahro Alihodzic impressed on debut with a solid 11 point display that also included 5 steals but there were also vital contributions from Rodney Chatman III (15), Prentiss Nixon (16) and game MVP William Lee, who finished with a 20 point, 11 rebound double-double. The Sharks move to 11-9 for the season ahead of the visit of Bristol Flyers to the Canon Medical Arena on Sunday.
Starting Fives
Gladiators: Holland, Carr, Ragsdale, Wright, Bryan.
Sharks: Nixon, Chatman, Lee, Ochereobia, Kern.
Key Moments
The first half was a close-fought affair as both sides looked to shake off a two week break from action. Daniel Carr tied up the game at 4-4 for Caledonia and then finished Matthew Ragsdale’s assist as the home side took a 9-8 lead. Ethan Wright’s dagger three was a prelude to Jet Speelman following suit and when youngster Nino Satha drained one from the wing, the Caledonia advantage became 19-9. Four shots from the line by Rodney Chatman closed the quarter at 19-13.
The Sharks went on to take the second quarter but the game was delicately poised by half time. Chatman claimed all 11 points in a streak from the Sharks that was finished by the first points in the yellow jersey from debutant Fahro Alihodzic with the score at 19-22. Little separated the sides in a series of trades until the Gladiators’ Fraser Malcolm and Ethan Wright opened up a slight gap at 34-30. The Sharks fought back through William Lee’s corner triple and despite Rian Holland replying in kind, a Rodney Chatman floater saw the visitors into the locker room in front by 38-39.
The Sharks came out on fire in the third quarter. Lee’s three from the wing capped another 0-11 run as daylight opened up with the Sharks ahead by 38-50. That run eventually petered out at 2-19 on a pair of Mervin James free throws as the Sharks began to score at will. Malcolm Delpeche scored the Scots’ first field goal of the period after six and a half minutes of play as James went on to make a successful and-one play. Dirk Williams joined the three point shooting display and despite Jet Speelman and Dwaine Jones finding success from deep, the Sharks looked well in command with the score at 53-68.
Caledonia rallied briefly at the top of the final stanza particularly through 5 Matthew Ragsdale points but despite his efforts, the result already appeared to be a foregone conclusion. William Lee’s superlative shooting night continued from beyond the arc at 60-77 and a big Prentiss Nixon triple opened up a twenty point gap at 62-82. Seven points from Alihodzic plus a further Lee trey all-but-confirmed the win but the game was wrapped up by Reyad West’s first ever successful free throws for the Sharks with the score at 70-92.
MVP
The Sharks improved their shooting percentage from 28 at the end of the first quarter to 61 by the end of the game, dominating the paint by 26-46. Showing all his veteran smarts was debutant Fahro Alihodzic. He went 5 of 6 from the field to end with 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 steals. Rodney Chatman III handed out 5 assists to go with a neat 15 points and also dishing the dimes was Prentiss Nixon, with 7 having shot 70% for his 16 points. The game MVP was William Lee. He missed only one three point shot all night on his way to a very slick 20 points that also came with 11 rebounds, 2 steals and a blocked shot as the Sharks began the weekend in the best possible fashion.
Next Game
B. Braun Sheffield Sharks v Bristol Flyers, Sunday 22nd February 2026, Canon Medical Arena, 4.00pm Tip Off.
Image
Adam Bates
