Sharks go North West for Game Two

British Basketball League Regular Season

The second game of the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks five fixture stretch on the road sees them heading north west to tackle Cheshire Phoenix. The Sharks come into the encounter on the back of that narrow 79-72 loss in Newcastle with the ‘Nix taking a surprise 110-86 win on Leicester’s home court. Excitement is building after a thrilling opening weekend and another terrific game is on the cards over in Ellesmere Port on Sunday afternoon.

Sunday – Phoenix v Sharks – Cheshire Oaks Arena – 6.00pm

Watch – Cheshire Phoenix vs B. Braun Sheffield Sharks, British Basketball League Championship - LIVE - YouTube

Ones To Watch

Aaryn Rai – The NBL Player of the Year for 2022-23 hit the ground running against Leicester with a first day MVP performance. His all-round game flourished with 23 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and a block as Coach Ben Thomas’ side surprised one of the British Basketball League’s most consistent outfits.

Maceo Jack – One of the few returnees to the ‘Nix, Jack carried on where he left off last season, pouring in 22 points, pulling down 8 boards and dishing out 3 assists as his team laid down an early marker in this fledgling regular season.

Skyler White – The free-scoring former Surrey standout showed he had lost none of his prowess on his return to Britain. He made 7 of his shots from beyond the arc on his way to 22 points, reminding all watching that size is by no means his only attribute.

Cam Holden – Instant double-double watch for the former Towson Tiger Holden, who was one of Cheshire’s keys to success over the Riders. The 6’ 5” guard dished out 12 assists as well as adding 14 points and 9 rebounds on a 50% shooting night to ensure the ‘Nix immediately put one down in the ‘W’ column.

Last Meeting

April 9th 2023 – B. Braun Sheffield Sharks (Ramsey 21 Nichols 15 Glasgow Jr 13) 89 Cheshire Phoenix (Austin Jr 18 Jack 17 Evans 16) 75

Shark Bites

The Sharks go into their game at Cheshire Phoenix on Sunday having split the last 6 games with the ‘Nix at 3 wins apiece. The 9 previous to that were all won by Cheshire.

Since Ben Thomas was appointed coach of Cheshire in February 2017, the Sharks and Phoenix have met in a total of 24 games with the ‘Nix holding a 15-9 advantage.

The game on Sunday will be the 133rd clash with Cheshire in all competitions. The Sharks have recorded 80 wins.

After losing at Newcastle last week, the Sharks overall record for games played in September, all competitions, is 36 wins, 22 losses – a win percentage of 62.07%. This is the Sharks lowest win ratio in the months September to March inclusive over their 29 seasons in the British Basketball League.

SharkNation

We think you’ll agree your B.Braun Sharks pushed a loaded Newcastle side all the way last Thursday and there is certainly more to come from Coach Lyons and the guys. You can catch our newly-appointed co-captain Bennett Koch and his team-mates on the British Basketball League’s eye-catching coverage on YouTube (see the link above) while we are on the road for our current run of games. But don’t forget, our homecoming to the amazing new Canon Medical Arena takes place on Sunday October 8th and you can get your tickets for this not-to-be-missed event here: Fanbase | Dashboard (fanbaseclub.com). The British Basketball League and the B.Braun Sheffield Sharks – Unbeatable! #FearTheFin

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Adam Bates