Friday 16th January 2026
Super League Basketball Championship
Surrey 89ers 88 B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 77
A huge final quarter was key as the in-form Surrey 89ers took down the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks in game one of the weekend double-header. The game was delicately poised at 59-58 heading into the final ten minutes but a big 29-19 final period in favour of the Guildford-based outfit saw them to the 88-77 victory. A 20 point haul from Mervin James wasn’t enough against his former side, failing to stop the Niners going to a fourth win on the bounce. The Sharks must now regroup ahead of the visit of leaders London Lions to the Canon Medical Arena on Sunday afternoon.
Starting Fives
89ers: Small, Polite, Lawrence T, Lily, Nwanko.
Sharks: Williams, Chatman, James, Ratinho, DeLoach.
Key Moments
It wasn’t entirely unexpected that Surrey would come out with intent; Kino Lily Jr and Ronald Polite III connecting on three pointers as they went up by 6-2. Some terrific back and forth ensued however as Rodney Chatman III kept the Sharks in touch from distance at 10-8 and the introduction of Rodney Glasgow Jr kept it tight at 14-13. A 12-2 run from the hosts gave them some daylight. Veteran Tayo Ogedengbe pushed to score out to 26-15 before triples from Surrey’s Nedas Cholevinskas and a huge effort from Prentiss Nixon closed the quarter at 29-19.
The Sharks took the second stanza. A 0-14 start commenced on William Lee’s and-one score and ended on a Nixon floater as the Sharks finally took the lead at 29-33. Three points from the line by Kino Lily inched Surrey back ahead at 39-35, soon to be confirmed even further by three from the wing by Ogedengbe to make it 44-37. Rodney Chatman made the trey at the third attempt from the corner to reduce the deficit but a Timothy Nwanko free throw saw the 89ers into the locker room ahead by 45-40.
The Sharks also claimed the third quarter, leaving the game wide open for the final period. Five points from former Surrey man Mervin James maintained the revival and a stepback three from Chatman saw the Sharks lead restored once more at 49-50. The basket trades and lead changes continued until Prentiss Nixon’s long two edged the Sharks back ahead at 56-58. A Cholevinskas free throw and a putback from Haydn Ling closed the quarter with the game still on a knife-edge at 59-58.
Dirk Williams opened the final stanza with a three for Sheffield but triples for Isiah Small and Kino Lily were followed by sustained success from the line for Tyrin Lawrence as Surrey went on an 11-0 run and opened up a gap at 70-61. The Sharks were playing catch-up from hereon in as an outrageous one-handed alleyoop from Nwanko was followed by an Ogedengbe triple to make it 81-68. Both teams entered the bonus and with Surrey shooting 75% from the charity stripe as compared to the Sharks 52%, it was the southerners who ran out winners by 88-77.
MVP
There were glimpses of what might have been from Nick Kern Jr, who finished with 10 points and the Sharks were positive two while ever he was on court. The same could be said of Prentiss Nixon (+8) and his 12 point, 4 assist game saw him make 4 of 7 shots inside. Rodney Chatman’s all-round game led him to 13 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals but even a determined effort from Mervin James on his former home court couldn’t see the Sharks to the win. He finished with 20 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and a blocked shot but couldn’t prevent the Sharks dropping to 9-7 for the season ahead of Sunday’s big match-up with the league leaders.
Next Game
B. Braun Sheffield Sharks v London Lions, Sunday 18th January 2026, Canon Medical Arena, 4.00pm Tip Off.
Image
Adam Bates
