REPORT: Surrey feel the heat as Sharks celebrate coaching milestone in style

Sunday 6^th December 2020

BBL Championship

B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 105 Surrey Scorchers 61

The B. Braun Sheffield Sharks celebrated Coach Atiba Lyons’ 500^th game at the helm with a huge 105-61 blowout win over Surrey Scorchers. The success marked the Sharks ninth largest margin of victory since joining the BBL in 1994 and became Coach Lyons third biggest margin of victory throughout his tenure. More importantly, a first Championship win is secured as the Sharks move on to their final BBL Cup group game on Monday evening.

Starting Fives

Sharks: Lewis, Lillard, Koch, Nichols, Hemsley.

Scorchers: White, Richards, Cashaw, Ogedengbe, Cook.

Key Moments

The Sharks set out in the right manner with Hemsley’s bucket but an 0-8 run in Surrey’s favour saw Coach Lyons calling for time with the score at 7-13. The desired effect was achieved. Bennett Koch came up with an ‘and one’ play and Johde Campbell brought energy off the bench, supplying Marsden at 18-13 and wrapping up a 15-0 run to the end of the quarter with a putback two as the score closed at 22-13.

The momentum was now well and truly in the Sharks favour. Campbell’s turnaround three displayed tremendous confidence to make it 31-18 and his high-scoring team-mate Antwon Lillard went back to back with triples of his own as that became 41-26. Nicholas Lewis joined the party  moments later with a trey and a half time score of 45-27 reflected twenty minutes of real dominance.

Surrey, who had showed a bit of ill-discipline in the first half, finally got going through former NBA draftee Ryan Richards but a one-handed Lillard dunk on an assist from his skipper Mike Tuck underlined brutally how much the Sharks were in control at 55-29. The Scorchers Evan Walshe single handedly tried to give his side a modicum of respectability with eleven points but Campbell’s ‘and one’ took the margin further out at 68-44. Sharks’ new signing Jeremy Hemsley took over at this point and it was fitting that his three point score ended the third period at 75-47.

Not content with that, the Sharks poured in another 30 points in the final stanza. Oscar Baldwin claimed his first points in a Sharks jersey and Johde Campbell, clearly relishing the extra responsibility, converted three more from downtown to make it 96-61. Lewis came up big from distance and laid in to complete a huge 105-61 success as the Sharks go to a 1-1 record in the BBL Championship.

MVP

Three Sharks had twenty point returns in a celebratory evening for the club. Jeremy Hemsley had a stellar third quarter, maintaining his perfect record from the line for the Sharks, on his way to a second twenty point haul with 21 points, 3 rebounds and an assist. Bringing the energy from the bench and thriving on the extra responsibility, Johde Campbell came up with 21 points, 7 rebounds and an assist. Although it was difficult to separate the three, the honours went the way of Antwon Lillard however. He went eleven of sixteen from the field to finish one shy of a double-double with 25 points and 9 rebounds with one memorable dunk to boot!

Post-Game Interview

Next game

Leicester Riders v B. Braun Sheffield Sharks, Monday 7^th December 2020, Morningside Arena, 8pm Tip Off.

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Adam Bates