Season two of the Super League Basketball Championship tipped off with a bang, with four thrilling encounters – the majority of which were played out in front of sell-out crowds.
Manchester needed the returning home-town hero to get them over the line against neighbours, Cheshire Phoenix. London Lions and Bristol Flyers also bagged wins, and there was overtime drama at PlaySport to conclude an unforgettable weekend.
Manchester Basketball 92-89 Cheshire Phoenix
Kaiyem Cleary certainly repped the city as he led Manchester Basketball to a slender 92-89 win over Cheshire Phoenix at a sold-out Manchester Basketball Performance Centre on Friday.
Manchester-born Cleary returned home with lofty aspirations, and he made his statement with 20 points, shooting 54% from the floor and hitting five triples. However, the hosts needed character and solid execution at both ends in the fourth to get the job done.
Firmly on top in the first half, they saw their lead evaporate in the third as the Phoenix came out blazing, led by Skyler White, who would lead the visitors with 20 points.
Cheshire would take a 65-63 lead after the third quarter as both teams then traded buckets in the final period. Manchester would then race away with a 10-2 run to take a 90-83 lead with more than a minute to play to seal the win.
Leicester Riders 72-79 London Lions
The reigning Championship holders, London Lions, kept last season’s Play-Off winners, Leicester Riders, at bay in a heavyweight battle at the Mattoli Arena.
Joel Scott’s 25 points proved to be the difference as the Lions secured a 79-72 victory in a game where London led from the second period onwards but could never properly break away from the Riders, who were led by Travis Evee’s 22.
And it was Evee who gave Leicester a chance at a come-from-behind win with less than two minutes to play, as his three-pointer narrowed the gap to 72-70, shrinking the Lions’ lead that was as big as 13 points.
But that was answered right away by a three-point play by Scott with 90 seconds left, as the Riders saw their door slammed shut for good.
Bristol Flyers 78-60 B. Braun Sheffield Sharks
Bristol Flyers’ defence was a key factor in their 78-60 win over the B.Braun Sheffield Sharks at the WISE Campus Arena.
The hosts held the Sharks to just six points in the third quarter, while scoring 23 points themselves to create separation between the two teams as Bristol took a dominant 65-38 lead into the final quarter, and despite a strong finish from Sheffield, it wasn’t enough.
Zach Anderson drilled four triples to lead the Flyers with 16 points, helped by a familiar face, Owen McCormack, who added 15. Prentiss Nixon had 14 for the Sharks, who were hampered by a 32% shooting night.
Caledonia Gladiators 104-109 Newcastle Eagles
Newcastle Eagles left it late and even needed overtime to score a 109-104 win at the Caledonia Gladiators in a nail-biter in East Kilbride.
A Cole Long basket with less than a minute to play knotted the game at 94-94, and as the seconds ticked away, Kevin Allen had the chance to send the hometown fans happy, but his potential game-winner was blocked by Long, forcing the extra five minutes.
Long’s heroics proved beneficial, as the Eagles edged clear in overtime to secure a win. Marco Anthony led Newcastle with 24 points and eight rebounds, with the returning Maceo Jack adding a solid 23.
Allen had a game-high 27 points to lead Caledonia, but they will count themselves unlucky to fall short in a game that could have gone either way.
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