Tuesday 21st April 2026
Super League Basketball Championship
Leicester Riders 87 B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 85
A second defeat in three days at the hands of Leicester Riders will see the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks finish in fourth place in the SLB Championship. A super advert for basketball in the league was still in doubt right down to the final minute but led by 30 points from captain Flynn Boardman-Raffet, it was the Riders who saw success on this occasion. The Sharks were a different prospect from their showing on Sunday and another 22 point haul from Nick Kern Jr continued his run of superlative form. The Sharks wrap up regular season on Sunday with the visit of Manchester Basketball to the Canon Medical Arena and must await the results of Surrey and Leicester’s final games to see who they will match up against at the quarter-final stage of the playoffs.
Starting Fives
Riders: Johnson, Evee, Menzies, Ndoukou, Boardman-Raffet.
Sharks: Williams, Chatman III, Ratinho, Kern Jr, Alihodzic.
Key Moments
The Sharks looked revitalised from the side that had lost to Leicester on Sunday and flew out to a 0-5 start early in the contest. An astonishing night for the Riders’ Flynn Boardman-Raffet commenced as he shot his side into a 10-9 lead but a pair of Dirk Williams baskets restored the Sharks faith at 14-19. Williams capped a nine point quarter with another steal and layup and it was the Sharks who looked in charge as the first quarter closed at 19-25.
That six point gap held until Xavier Bledson converted an and-one play plus a bonus shot following Rodney Chatman’s technical foul and when Travis Evee also made an extra point play, the scoreline read 30-31. Boardman-Raffet eurostepped the Riders into the lead as the sides began a series of trades. His eight points to close the quarter were tempered by a deep Prentiss Nixon buzzer-beating three to send the sides in level at 47-47 by half time.
The Sharks gave themselves a fighting chance with a 14-21 third period. A 1-9 start saw Nick Kern tipping in a Dirk Williams drive with Leicester calling for time at 48-56. Riders’ playmaker Evee walked a tightrope on 4 fouls as a pair of Kern free throws gave the Sharks their biggest lead at 9 points and as Kern made a fadeaway jumper late in the quarter, the Sharks looked in command at 61-68.
A determined Leicester side quashed that optimism with a 26-17 final stanza. Dirk Williams triple from the wing saw things still looking promising for the Sharks at 66-74 but a nonchalant reply from Bledson gave an ominous sign at 75-78. Boardman-Raffet seemed to score at will as the Riders went up by 81-80 once more and a chink of daylight opened up for the midlanders when Aaron Menzies hit the mid-ranger that made it 86-83. Prentiss Nixon finished off the glass for the Sharks as it became a 1 point game but a Sharks miss with 2.8 seconds to go saw Evee finish from the line to claim victory at 87-85.
MVP
It is possibly no consolation but the Sharks did look vastly improved from an abject Sunday afternoon defeat. The dependable Fahro Alihodzic weighed in with 11 points and 6 rebounds and his points tally was bettered by one by Dirk Williams. Prentiss Nixon put up a very creditable 16 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists with some spectacular finishes late in the contest but the MVP was undoubtedly Nick Kern Jr. His 22 points came on 56% shooting with a statline-packing 6 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal and 2 blocked shots and a similar vein of form will be required if the Sharks are to make progress in post-season.
Next Game
B. Braun Sheffield Sharks v Manchester Basketball, Sunday 26th April 2026, Canon Medical Arena, 4.00pm Tip Off.
Image
Josh Rackham
