Intense overtime defeat for Sharks in Bristol

Saturday 2nd December 2023

British Basketball League Regular Season

Bristol Flyers 78 B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 76 (1OT)

The B. Braun Sheffield Sharks went down by 78-76 in overtime at Bristol Flyers in game that became a highly charged affair, particularly in its latter stages. The Sharks led by 41-50 going into the final quarter, where they were outscored by the Flyers 25-16 to send the game to overtime. Crucial calls at the end of regulation caused some consternation as Bristol gained the momentum going into the additional five minutes to take the win. The Sharks are now 9-7 and fourth in the standings ahead of their next fixture on Sunday week.

Starting Fives

Flyers: Olison, Jackson, Thomas-Edwards, Graham-Bell, Greene.

Sharks: Ramsey, Pipkins, Ratinho, Nichols, Koch.

Key Moments

The Sharks played measured, composed basketball for the opening three quarters. The sides traded baskets to the mid-point of the first quarter at 10-10. Back to back Kipper Nichols buckets and a Jordan Ratinho corner three gave the Sharks a march on Bristol as a 0-9 run saw the period end at 10-19.

The run became 0-11 on Marcus Delpeche’ basket at the start of the second stanza and the dominance continued as an athletic throw-down by Prentiss Nixon and a Jubril Adekoya trey took the score out to 17-31. A low-scoring but controlled half of basketball was summed up by a patient Ratinho three after several passes out of Devearl Ramsey’s save and at 26-34 by half time, the Sharks were undeniably in command.

Little changed in the third quarter. Bennett Koch’s opening block allowed Jalon Pipkins out in transition to make it 26-36 and even though Bristol’s Tevin Olison made their first triple of the evening with 6.16 to play, Devearl Ramsey replied in kind on the next play. Nixon’s floater late in the period took him to double figures and the Sharks to a solid 41-50 advantage.

Rodney Glasgow inspired the Sharks to their biggest lead at the top of the fourth. His bounce pass took Bennett Koch to an and-one play and then he assisted to Parker Stewart to make it 41-56. Bristol whittled the lead away to 53-63 as both sides went into the bonus but it was former Shark Leslee Smith who inspired their late fightback. His pair of threes bookended another effort by Olison as the Flyers drew within 2 at 64-66. The referees put the ball back in Bristol’s hands, overturning an original double dribble call as Olison went on to tie up the game. An apparent foul on Rodney Glasgow was ignored on the buzzer and with tensions riding high, Sharks Coach Atiba Lyons picked up a technical foul.

Olison missed the free throw to commence the additional five minutes but a three from Corey Samuels and a three plus one play out of the corner by Jacob put the home side into a 73-67 lead. Jacob repeated the feat shortly after but became the villain of the piece when his technical foul allowed the Sharks to make it 78-76. The remaining 19 seconds saw Bristol keep the momentum as Smith racked up his sixth and seventh blocks of the encounter to secure the two point victory.

MVP

A frustrating evening for the Sharks in a game that escaped their grasp as the evening wore on. There was a Sharks-best for Prentiss Nixon, who finished with 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals and the ever-reliable Kipper Nichols weighed in with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal. Bennett Koch again toughed it out for a team-high 15 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist and a block. It was a non-stop display of athleticism that saw the MVP award go the way of Jordan Ratinho however. His statline was crammed with 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and a blocked shot but even he couldn’t stop the Flyers’ march as the clock ticked away.

Next game

B. Braun Sheffield Sharks v Cheshire Phoenix, Sunday December 10th 2023, Canon Medical Arena, 3.00pm Tip Off.

Image

Adam Bates