All teams took to the court in an action-packed Super League Basketball Championship weekend.
Manchester Basketball 84-106 B. Braun Sheffield Sharks
The B. Braun Sheffield Sharks bounced back to claim a dominant 106-84 win over the Manchester Basketball at the National Basketball Performance Centre.
The Sharks delivered a strong opening quarter, taking control of the game early. However, the momentum of the game shifted as Manchester surged back with an impressive 15-0 run in the second quarter to take their first lead of the game. Nonetheless, Sheffield fought back to end the first half with a three-point lead.
Sheffield dominated the third quarter to take a decisive 15-point advantage before comfortably seeing out the game to secure their nineth win of the season.
Mervin James led his side in scoring with an impressive 19-point, 11-rebound double-double outing, while both Dirk Williams and Nick Kern Jr added 17 points in the win. For Manchester, Max Jones scored a game-high 21 points, but it was not enough to guide his side to victory.
Player of the game: Mervin James (B. Braun Sheffield Sharks)
Surrey 89ers 93-80 Bristol Flyers
The Surrey 89ers claimed their sixth win of the campaign with a convincing 93-80 victory over the Bristol Flyers at the Surrey Sports Park.
A strong collective effort proved the difference between the two sides, as the Niners’ three-point shooting helped shape their success. Well led by Kino Lily Jr., who put on a clinic from beyond the arc, Surrey saw him finish with a game-high 22 points and six rebounds while shooting 7-of-9 from deep (77%). Despite a fourth-quarter surge from Bristol, Surrey were able to see out the game in front of their home crowd.
Nedas Cholevinskas scored 17 points off the bench for the Niners, while Isiah Small (14 points, 12 rebounds and five assists) and Michael Graham (12 points, 10 rebounds) both registered double-doubles in the win.
William Yoakum led the Flyers in scoring with 17 points and five rebounds.
Player of the game: Kino Lily Jr. (Surrey 89ers)
Newcastle Eagles 50-76 London Lions
In a preview of the upcoming SLB Trophy final, the London Lions dominated the Newcastle Eagles 76-50 at the Vertu Arena, making it three wins on the bounce.
The Lions started strongly with a 12-2 run and never took their foot off the gas. Another strong collective performance at both ends of the floor proved key to their 12th win of the season, with four players scoring in double figures.
Shavar Reynolds Jr. led the Lions with a team-high 15 points, while Ethan Price recorded 12 points and six rebounds, shooting 83% from the field (5-of-6).
For the Eagles, Terrell Burden Jr. scored a team-high 15 points in the loss.
Player of the game: Ethan Price (London Lions)
Leicester Riders 102-95 Manchester Basketball
A tremendous collective effort helped the Leicester Riders secure a hard-fought 102-95 home win over Manchester Basketball at the Mattioli Arena.
The first half saw plenty of back-and-forth action in a highly entertaining contest. Neither side was able to land a decisive blow, with teams heading into the break level at 53 points apiece. The fourth quarter saw Leicester finally take a solid advantage down the stretch. A decisive Spencer Johnson (16 points) three-pointer gave them a seven-point lead in the final minute, enough to seal the win in front of their home crowd.
Tomiwa Sulaiman recorded 17 points off the bench, going perfect from the field (4-of-4), while Marc Loving registered 17 points and five rebounds. Six Leicester players scored in double figures in the victory.
Patrick Smith Jr. (17 points, five rebounds and seven assists) and Kaiyem Cleary (17 points) led Manchester in scoring but but was not enough to get their side over the line.
Player of the game: Tomiwa Sulaiman (Leicester Riders)
Caledonia Gladiators 73-86 Surrey 89ers
Tyrin Lawrence (30 points) delivered an outstanding performance to lead Surrey 89ers to a 86-73 win against the Caledonia Gladiators at the Playsport Arena.
After a fairly even first half, Surrey took control of the in the third quarter fuelled by their defence and offence in transition. The Niners then opened the fourth quarter with a devastating 15-2 run to seal their third consecutive win.
Isiah Small registered 18 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four steals in another remarkable performance, while Ronald Polite III recorded 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists for Surrey in the win.
Rian Holland recorded 32 points, four rebounds and five steals but it was not enough to claim the win.
Player of the game: Tyrin Lawrence (Surrey 89ers)
Cheshire Phoenix 101-98 Newcastle Eagles
The Cheshire Phoenix fend off a 21-point comeback from the Newcastle Eagles to claim a 101-98 home win at the Cheshire Oaks Arena.
A strong finish to the opening quarter appeared to set Cheshire up for another win. Lifted by their home crowd, the Nix pushed their lead to 21 points. Nonetheless, despite the huge deficit, the Eagles refused to go down easily and fought their way back into the game. A 10-1 run helped Newcastle cut the gap to just three points. Yet, the Nix dug deep and managed to fend off the Eagles in crunch time to claim a hard-fought win.
Patrick Robinson’s 29-point performance off the bench helped Phoenix secure an important win. Meanwhile, Ray’sean Taylor led Newcastle with a 22-point, eight-rebound display, but his side fell short.
Player of the game: Patrick Robinson (Cheshire Phoenix)
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