Super League Basketball Championship
2026 starts at the Canon Medical Arena for the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks with a first match-up of the season against Surrey 89ers. The Sharks come into the encounter on the back of that terrific 101-97 take down of Cheshire Phoenix that saw them ascend to third in the SLB Championship table. Surrey currently reside in eighth place with a 4 win 8 loss record but pushed the in-form Newcastle all the way in their New Years Eve-Eve fixture. Will the Sharks begin the New Year with a bang? You need to be there to find out!
Sunday – Sharks v 89ers – Canon Medical Arena – 4.00pm
Tickets - https://app.fanbaseclub.com/Fan/Fixtures?fanStoreType=Fixtures&clubId=216
Ones To Watch
Isiah Small – Forward who averages a near double-double of 14.8 points and 9.8 boards in Championship play. Weighed in with 17 points and 7 rebounds in the recent six point loss at home to a resurgent Newcastle.
Ronald Polite III – Assist-friendly guard who is racking up 15.2 points and 6.2 dimes per game for the men from Guildford. Another 7 assists came in the game against the Eagles but he couldn’t prevent the Niners going down by 82-88.
Michael Graham – Huge game on Tuesday evening for the Centre who recorded 16 points and an eye-watering 18 rebounds but couldn’t stop a fourth quarter run from Newcastle. Seven offensive boards underlined his dominance in the paint.
Kino Lily Jr – Big scoring guard who found success from deep four times against the Eagles on his way to 18 points and 5 assists. Averages 17 points for the season as one of Surrey’s main offensive weapons.
Last Meeting
March 15th 2025 – Surrey 89ers 69 B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 65
Shark Bites
In their first game of the new calendar year, the Sharks have picked up 18 wins with 13 losses. Championship only games show 15 wins and 10 defeats. When the first game of the year is a home game, the Sharks have 8 wins and 7 losses.
The Sharks have a perfect 4-0 winning record against teams called Surrey at the Canon Medical Arena. In the Sharks last 12 home Championship games against a team representing Surrey, they have not suffered any losses.
In all competitions combined and all venues included, the Sharks have won 18 of their last 21 games against a Guildford-based team.
The Sharks have played 30 games all competitions included since they last played Surrey on 15th March. In that same period, the Sharks have played Newcastle 7 times, Caledonia 6, Leicester 5, Bristol and Cheshire 4 apiece.
SharkNation
SharkNation – welcome to the New Year! We hope last Tuesday’s win kick-started your celebrations early – you were outstanding all evening long! The fun doesn’t stop there though. We need you loud and proud once again as we meet up with Surrey for the first time this season. Head on over to the ticket link and secure your seats as we look to start 2026 in the best way possible. From now until the end of the season in May, we need you with us all the way. You were great in 2025, we think you’ll be even better in 2026. It’s time to #FearTheFin!
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Josh Rackham
