Table-topping Sharks tough out the win over Surrey

Sunday 8th December 2024

Super League Basketball Championship

B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 93 Surrey 89ers 85

The B. Braun Sheffield Sharks claimed the outright lead of the Super League Basketball Championship with a hard-fought victory over a belligerent Surrey 89ers outfit. Following trend, the Sharks shot the lights out in an electric first half but had to battle to keep the Niners at arms-length down the stretch in a testing encounter. The win sees the Sharks to the top of the table for the first time since 15th December 2013 as attentions switch briefly to the Cup in Reading next Sunday. Prentiss Nixon claimed the MVP honours for his 22 points but there were several eye-catching displays that carried the Sharks to a 6-2 record and for now, the summit of the league standings.

Starting Fives

Sharks: Nixon, Ratinho, Chatman, Clay, Groves.

89ers: Gooden, James, Steel, Ray, Adelekun.

Key Moments

The teams combined for 58 points in a ferociously-paced opening quarter but it was the hard-hitting Sharks who took a 32-26 lead. The Sharks began with a 10-2 run that ended on Prentiss Nixon’s corner trey as Surrey’s Andrew Lawrence followed suit to keep his team in touch at 15-11. Nixon found success from deep a further three times in the period but the Niners stuck around; the gap being just two points on Jordan Hunt’s triple at 25-23. Nixon had the final say – his three was followed by the jump shot that closed the first ten minutes.

The Sharks carried that momentum over into the second quarter as skipper Rodney Glasgow Jr hit the corner triple that ended an 11-0 streak. Glasgow came from the bench to great effect, hitting another three and then the mid-range two that gave the Sharks their biggest advantage of the afternoon at 48-31. The Sharks kept up a furious rate of 1.5 points per possession throughout the half as Glasgow’s 14th point of an 11 minute stint turned the score to 52-40. Dame Adelekun with 8 points ensured Surrey were never truly out of range and it took a Prentiss Nixon basket to see the Sharks into the locker room at 54-46 by the end of the half.

Rodney Chatman received some close attention from the 89ers, claiming his first points of the game at the start of the third period before joining the deep shooting of the rest of his side to make it 64-55. Ditto Jacob Groves. He took the score out to 66-57 before Surrey fought back through Andrew Lawrence, Cam Gooden and Jordan Hunt in a 0-10 run of their own, taking the lead at 66-67. Donovan Clay went to work under the hoop with quick points as the advantage was short-lived but a Jalen Ray and-one play left the final quarter neatly poised at 73-70.

The opening two and a half minutes of the final stanza remained nip and tuck as Mervin James made a quick score for Surrey from an inbound with the score at 78-76. A further triple from Groves gave the Sharks a chink of light at 85-80 and despite Gooden keeping the Niners in touch, the Sharks were savvy enough to tough out the win to the end of the contest. Adelekun fouled out for Surrey, who went into the penalty late in the game as Chatman, Groves and Nixon saw out a deserved but hard-fought 93-85 success from the line.

MVP

The Sharks made a scintillating ten of eighteen three pointers in a thrilling first quarter that set the tone for a sixth win of the Championship season. Rodney Chatman was a late starter but influenced the game in a variety of ways for his 10 point, 7 rebound, 6 assist, 1 steal statline. Rodney Glasgow Jr was again a talisman off the bench, gaining most of his 14 points in a very polished second quarter. Donovan Clay’s 18 point, 10 rebound double-double was just reward for his sheer hard work and the eye-catching finishing of Jacob Groves took him to 21 points on 8 of 12 shooting that included 4 triples. The MVP award was Prentiss Nixon’s however. He too made four shots from deep to end with 57% shooting stats that garnered 22 points to go with 8 boards, 7 assists and a steal and the ascent of the Sharks to an outright first place in the table.

Next game

Reading Rockets v B. Braun Sheffield Sharks, Sunday 15th December 2024, Loddon Valley Leisure Centre, Super League Basketball Cup, 4.00pm Tip Off

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Adam Bates