Scintillating final quarter seals first win over Caledonia in Scotland

Friday 18th October 2024

Super League Basketball Trophy Group Stage

Caledonia Gladiators 80 B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 94

The B. Braun Sheffield Sharks secured a first-ever win over Caledonia Gladiators in Scotland on the back of a scintillating final quarter. The teams were predictably closely matched at 62-64 going into the final stanza, whereupon a fired-up Sharks outscored the Scots by 18-30 to go 3-2 in the Trophy group stage. The Sharks are now just a single win behind second-placed Newcastle Eagles ahead of the visit of Manchester Basketball to the Canon Medical Arena on Sunday afternoon.

Starting Fives

Gladiators: Hill, Malcolm, Onwas, Stuckman, Hughes.

Sharks: Jeffries, Nixon, Anderson, Ochereobia, Groves.

Key Moments

Last Sunday’s overtime game suggested that this one would be close and so it proved to be for three quarters. The Sharks went up by 7-11 on a pair of Prentiss Nixon free throws as Caledonia’s Toto Fagbenle went to the benches on a very early three fouls. Delightful ball movement saw firstly Rodney Glasgow Jr, followed by Jordan Ratinho connect on three point shots as the Sharks held a narrow 14-17 advantage. Ian Dubose levelled for the Scots at 20-20 but another Glasgow trey from the top of the key saw the Sharks with the early lead.

The Sharks retained that three point margin at half time. Princeton Onwas and Dubose made big shots to level at 28-28 and the Gladiators finally edged in front through a Fraser Malcolm triple. That was short-lived as the Sharks replied with a 2-10 streak, concluded by a Jacob Groves three at 39-46. Dubose, having his best game in some time, made two concluding baskets as the teams went in at 43-46 by the break.

Little separated the sides after 30 minutes of play as well. Tanner Stuckman, Fraser Malcolm and a Theo Hughes and-one play swung things Caledonia’s way at 52-50 before back-to-back baskets from Prentiss Nixon redressed the balance. Rodney Chatman repeated Nixon’s feat to send the Sharks up by six at 54-60 but a big Dubose triple restored parity at 62-62. A pair of Rodney Glasgow free throws saw the Sharks move into the final quarter ahead by two points.

The Sharks cantered to a well-deserved victory in an 18-30 final stanza. A big Jordan Ratinho three gave a hint that the Sharks were going to break free at 67-73. The versatile guard converted from a Groves three point attempt and then poured in another three from the corner to make it 74-82. Ratinho’s tenth and twelfth points of the quarter all-but sealed the game and despite an Onwas dunk on the buzzer, it was the Sharks who could be rightly pleased with a comfortable 80-94 win.

MVP

Five Sharks in double-figure scoring summed up another eye-catching team-based performance. Drake Jeffries 10 points came on 5 of 8 shooting and there were equally-pleasing 13 point outings for Rodney Chatman and Jacob Groves. The TV MVP award went the way of Prentiss Nixon, whose statline of 19 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 steals caught the eye and was key to the win. Equally key however was Jordan Ratinho. He picked up much of the slack from the third quarter departure of Mike Ochereobia and went on to record 19 points, 5 rebounds and a steal, making 5 of his 6 two point scores and going a perfect 3 of 3 from distance.

Next game

B. Braun Sheffield Sharks v Manchester Basketball, Sunday 20th October 2024, Canon Medical Arena, Super League Basketball Trophy Group Stage, 4.00pm Tip Off

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Adam Bates