Sunday 20th April 2025
Super League Basketball Championship
Caledonia Gladiators 86 B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 89
The B. Braun Sheffield Sharks took a valuable come-from-behind win at Caledonia Gladiators as the jostle for Playoff seedings moved into the final week of regular season. The Sharks made a slow start, being down by as many as 13 points in the second quarter before finally ascending to the lead late in the third and moving on to a tight 86-89 victory. Five Sharks contributed double figure scoring to achieve a twentieth win of the season led by the influential Rickey McGill, who ended with 22 points and 9 assists. The Sharks head back to Scotland next Friday before wrapping up regular season with the visit of London Lions to the Canon Medical Arena on Sunday.
Starting Fives
Gladiators: Ramsey, Barnes, Fagbenle, Whelan, Speelman.
Sharks: McGill, Clay, Ratinho, Glasgow Jr, Groves.
Key Moments
The Sharks were again without the services of Prentiss Nixon and made a slow start as Caledonia went into a 25-15 first quarter lead. Trevond Barnes and former Shark Devearl Ramsey shot the hosts into an 8-0 lead and despite replies from Donovan Clay and Rodney Glasgow Jr, the Scots continued to make hay. Jett Speelman’s triple extended the advantage to 15-4 and it wasn’t until the introduction of James Reese V that the Sharks started to rally. Fraser Malcolm found further success from deep as a Mike Ochereobia free throw closed the quarter.
Toto Fagbenle’s dagger three opened the second stanza and when Barnes drove to the hoop, the Sharks found themselves thirteen behind at 30-17. A 0-10 run revitalized the Sharks. Reese found success from the mid-range as well as effecting a steal and dunk that made it 30-27. Malcolm’s three from the wing showed that the Gladiators hadn’t gone away but a Rickey McGill flick set up an intriguing second half at 41-37.
The sides traded a six point gap for the first half of the third period; Trevond Barnes making it 49-43. Donovan Clay found his range with 4 points and his first successful free throw in eleven finally put the Sharks ahead by 49-50. James Reese V knocked down another trey, followed by Drake Jeffries from the corner following a cross-court McGill pass but Caledonia stayed in touch on three free throws from Albert Ventura. Rickey McGill’s bucket on the buzzer inched the Sharks in front by 58-60 however.
The Sharks started to put some daylight between themselves and the Gladiators at the top of the fourth quarter. Jacob Groves’ three point jump shot was followed by a drive into the paint at 63-68. Ventura made it a four point contest from distance but an extremely deep Jeffries triple put the Sharks ahead by 70-77. Still Caledonia fought back. Ramsey’s and-one play was followed by a deft Barnes finish to make it 81-82 and just as the Sharks thought McGill had sealed the win with an athletic one-handed touch, Fraser Malcolm’s three shots from the stripe kept it too tight to call at 86-87. James Reese cooly put the Sharks three in front at 86-89 from the line and with Barnes’ hail mary missing the target, it was the visitors from Yorkshire who claimed victory.
MVP
Five Sharks contributed double-figure scoring efforts. Drake Jeffries 10 point haul was bettered by Donovan Clay, who finished with 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal and a blocked shot. James Reese V had an excellent afternoon for his 15 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals and the Sharks were positive 18 while ever he was on court. Jacob Groves went perfect from three and the line to conclude with 18 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals but the MVP award went the way of the mesmeric Rickey McGill. He finished just shy of a double-double with 22 points and 9 assists as well as adding 3 rebounds and 4 steals to his statline on a 9 of 14 shooting afternoon.
Next Game
Caledonia Gladiators v B. Braun Sheffield Sharks, Friday 25th April 2025, Playsport Arena, Super League Basketball Championship, 7.30pm tip off
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Adam Bates
