Sharks wrap up Manchester sweep to climb standings

Sunday 7th April 2024

British Basketball League Regular Season

Manchester Giants 68 B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 99

The B. Braun Sheffield Sharks wrapped up the clean sweep of Manchester for the season, moved to fifth in the standings and guaranteed a top six finish with another sizeable victory over their Lancastrian rivals. Every Shark made the scoresheet and despite the Giants varying their tactics from last week’s previous encounter, the 31 point margin spoke volumes. Malek Green took the MVP award but there were eye-catching displays across the roster as the Sharks now move on to a three game home run to close regular season.

Starting Fives

Giants: Lee, Stampley, Bourcier, Lawton, Lewis.

Sharks: Ramsey, Eytle-Rock, Green, Ratinho, Koch.

Key Moments

Manchester employed zone defence for long periods of the game and it took a while for the Sharks to adjust, despite holding an 11-12 lead going into the last three minutes of the opening quarter. When they did make the adjustment, a 0-11 run was the end result – Malek Green, Jalon Pipkins and Prentiss Nixon making transition baskets as the score became 11-23. Nixon’s three in the final seconds wrapped up a solid 14-26 first ten minutes.

Manchester poured in 33 points in the second quarter, the most the Sharks have conceded in any quarter this season. Coach Lyons called for time at 25-31and the gap narrowed to five twice; at 35-40 and 45-50 on William Lee’s three point shot. A technical foul called on Nicholas Lewis compounded the infringement he had already been called for as Devearl Ramsey made three shots from the line. However, Nick Stampley scored on the buzzer for the Giants leaving the game closely poised at 47-53 by half time.

The third and fourth quarters were an altogether different kettle of fish as the Sharks went on to outscore the Giants by 21-46. Lee made it a four point game at 54-58 with another three ball but the media timeout saw the Sharks step into a higher gear. Malek Green’s do or die block on Lewis set the tone as back to back triples from Jalon Pipkins concluded a 2-12 streak with the score at 56-70. Pipkins found success in a similar fashion from the corner late in the period as a Lewis floater brought the third quarter to a close at 60-75.

Kipper Nichols joined the fray in an 8-24 final stanza. His trey was followed by a pair of mid-range jumpshots to extend the lead to twenty at 67-87. He found further success from the stripe and when a Nate Montgomery three swished through the net in the final minute, a comprehensive 68-99 Sharks win was wrapped up.

MVP

All eleven Sharks found the scoresheet in another decidedly team-based win, five of whom found their way into double-figures. Jalon Pipkins and Prentiss Nixon made 6 of the team’s 12 three point scores and both ended with 13 points; Nixon making 5 of 8 of his shots in total, Pipkins going 5 of 10. Devearl Ramsey was a perfect 5 out of 5 from the line and finished with a fine statline of 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. RJ Eytle-Rock led the Sharks scoring effort with 17 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals but it was the energy of Malek Green that took him to the MVP award once again. An outstanding block on Nicholas Lewis provided the Sharks with a spark as he went on to finish just short of another double-double at 11 points with 9 rebounds and 5 assists.

Next game

B. Braun Sheffield Sharks v Caledonia Gladiators, Friday April 12th 2024, Canon Medical Arena, 7.45pm Tip Off.

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Adam Bates