Friday 3rd April 2026
SLB Championship
B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 93 - 68 Leicester Riders
The B.Braun Sheffield Sharks made Good Friday a great one, as they sent the Leicester Riders home taking the second win against them this season. A hard fought match saw a 25 point lead and win, with MVP Nick Kern Jr catching 16 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists, though there were some impressive displays from Dirk Williams, Fahro Alihodzic and Rodney Chatman III too. Troy D’Amico also found his feet in Sheffield and made a mark with 9 points in his second game with the team after his debut against the 89ers. Sharks maintain fourth place in the SLB Championship with playoffs still on everyone's minds.
Starting Five
Sharks: Williams, Chatman III, Ratinho, Kern Jr, Alihodzic.
Leicester: Johnson, Evee, Sulaiman, Martin, Boardman-Raffet.
Key Moments
Leicester opened up the scoring 0-2 through Olutomiwa Sulaiman but the Sharks weren’t far behind as Jordan Ratinho, with a pass from Dirk Williams, shot the three from the corner, putting them up by one (3-2), kick starting the Sharks momentum. From there the ball began to roll, as Nick Kern Jr followed up with a dunk beginning to put the gap between the two teams. The Sharks defence was on top but their offence was just as good. Dirk Williams had an impressive first quarter putting up three three pointers and saw the first quarter close 25-15.
Leicester tried to bring it back by taking control of the beginning of the second quarter, but it just wasn’t quite enough. Fahro Alihodzic was knocked to the floor but managed to find Rodney Chatman III, who dropped it in the net to make it 32-20. A slow moving quarter as both teams acted great on the defence before Leicester again tried to take control as they saw the gap increase. Though the Sharks were ready, Nick Kern Jr went on the spin to make it 40-32 in the final minute. He then went to line after a foul making one of two shots (41-32), then followed by Rodney Chatman III after a timeout, who also made one of two shots from a foul, closing the second quarter at 42-32.
A rocky start for the Sharks at the beginning of the third quarter as Leicester started with full control. Leicester captain Flynn Boardman-Raffet found the rebound at the beginning and brought the score to 42-34. Sharks closely followed with Fahro Alihodzic and brought the gap back up to double digits (44-34). Rodney Chatman III managed to steal the ball and break but was blocked by Riders’ Kendrian Johnson who found his way down. Riders spent the quarter trying to close the point gap but the Sharks wouldn’t let that happen, as captain Rodney Glasgow Jr hit the three points and Prentiss Nixon went to the line after being fouled and made both shots, ending the third quarter at 66-52.
Troy D’Amico found his place and opened the fourth quarter with a three from the corner and made it 69-52. Leicester's Micheal Joiner took to the line after a foul, to bring the score to 69-54, but it wasn’t enough to make a significant change in the gap. Riders’ Kenny Johnson then found himself out the game hitting his fifth personal foul. Sharks saw themselves pulling further away as the Riders tried their hardest for a comeback. Troy D’Amico again found another three pointer from the corner in the final minute and brought the score to 91-65, before Rodney Chatman III found himself back to the line, after a foul, and made both shots. With a 28 point lead, the Sharks matched their gap from back in September where they beat Leicester away (65-93), but Leicester’s Micheal Joiner with a final three pointer brought that gap down to 25, making it the sharks second biggest win over Leicester and ending the game 93-68.
MVP
There were four huge standouts throughout the game as the Sharks claimed their second victory over Leicester. With a very valuable 28:31 played throughout the game, Rodney Chatman III collected a total of 14 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. Going a point better was Fahro Alihodzic who gathered 15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals. Dirk Williams made a serious contender for the MVP award, spending only 20:32 in the game, he collected 16 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists, especially after his strong performance in the first two quarters. The MVP award, for the second time in a row, was awarded to Nick Kern Jr, who had the most in-game minutes (28:48) and collected 16 points but also 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals, as the Sharks added a consecutive win to the list.
Next game:
B.Braun Sheffield Sharks vs Caledonia Gladiators, Friday 10th April, Tip Off 7:30pm (90’s neon night).
Photo: Josh Rackman
