The SLB Championship returned to action over the weekend with many jaw-dropping moments and phenomenal performances.
The weekend saw a preview of the upcoming SLB Cup Final, a club record for points in a game, a team performance unlike any other and game-winning baskets in a fitting end before the international break resumes on February 27.
Manchester Basketball 105-79 Newcastle Eagles
Manchester Basketball got the ball rolling with a resounding 105-79 victory over the Newcastle Eagles.
Jordan Johnson had 25 points and six assists in just 23 minutes as Manchester held the Eagles to just 39% from the field, while hitting 13 three-pointers and shooting 52%.
Maceo Jack led Newcastle with 25 points and 10 rebounds on an off-night. However, they would respond emphatically, 48 hours later.
Bristol Flyers 94-95 Cheshire Phoenix
Cheshire Phoenix came back from a 13-point deficit to sneak a 95-94 win over the Bristol Flyers in the dying seconds.
Frankie Policelli hit five triples for his 19 points, but it was he who hit the game-winning free throws with 16 seconds left to send the Phoenix fans happy as they travelled back to Ellesmere Port with the win.
Patrick Robinson led Cheshire with 29 points and nine rebounds as he shot 62% from the field. Will Yoakum amassed 20 points to pace Bristol.
Newcastle Eagles 99-72 Surrey 89ers
Ray’Sean Taylor went on a scoring tear that would be etched in Newcastle Eagles folklore as they beat the Surrey 89ers 99-72 at the Vertu Motors Arena.
Taylor exploded for 51 points on an impressive 59% from the field, setting a new scoring benchmark for the Eagles franchise, as Taylor’s haul surpassed the legendary Charles Smith’s 49 points that he set back in 2013.
It was an outburst that Surrey simply couldn’t handle, as Newcastle led from start to finish. Isiah Small paced the Niners with 27 points on 10/13 shooting.
London Lions 95-78 Leicester Riders
Championship leaders, London Lions, ambushed Leicester Riders 95-78 in an offensive masterclass that set an SLB season-high.
Chaundee Brown Jr. led five players in double figures with 18 points as the Lions shot an eye-watering 70% from the field, which set the bar for field goal percentage this season. London only missed seven shots from two-point range, and five players went a flawless 100% from the floor.
Nate Martin and RaeQuan Battle had to work hard for their team-high 18 points each for Leicester, as they only mustered 37% from the field, and were constantly suffocated by the Lions’ defence all night.
Caledonia Gladiators 70-92 B. Braun Sheffield Sharks
B. Braun Sheffield Sharks recovered from a slow first quarter to eventually beat the Caledonia Gladiators 92-70 at PlaySport.
The hosts raced out to a 19-13 advantage after the first 10 minutes, then Sheffield came back strong in the following period. Despite a tug-of-war for the lead, a basket from Rodney Chatman gave the Sharks a 39-38 lead at the break. From there, the visitors took control and outscored Caledonia 53-32 in the second half to bag the win.
William Lee led the winners with 20 points and 11 rebounds, with Prentiss Nixon adding 16. Ethan Wright had 17 for the Gladiators.
Manchester Basketball 74-82 London Lions
London Lions unleashed a fourth-quarter onslaught that Manchester Basketball could not contend with, leading to an 82-74 win in an SLB Cup Final dress rehearsal.
In a prime example of where London clicked their fingers, and everything worked for them, it seemed like that happened in real time, as Manchester led for the majority of the game, including holding a 65-59 advantage after three quarters, before London flipped the game on its head with a 23-9 fourth quarter barrage to take the game.
Chaundee Brown Jr. paced London with 20 points and five rebounds on 7/10 shooting, with Shavar Reynolds Jr. adding 16. Max Jones had a game-high 25 points for Manchester.
B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 85-94 Bristol Flyers
Bristol Flyers recovered from Friday night’s heartbreak to Cheshire by downing B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 94-85 on Sunday.
Zach Anderson had 24 points to lead Bristol, helped along by 16 from Cam Holden, as a relatively tight game came down to the Flyers connecting well on their free throws, going 22/30 and outrebounding Sheffield 41-29, allowing for 13 second chance points.
Dirk Williams had 24 for Sheffield.
Cheshire Phoenix 106-84 Surrey 89ers
Cheshire Phoenix capped off their perfect weekend with an unrelenting three-point attack in their 106-84 victory over the Surrey 89ers on Sunday.
The Phoenix shot an eye-watering 23/42 from three-point land and went as far as shooting 14 more threes than two-pointers, leaving Surrey staring down the barrel of a fourth straight defeat in all competitions.
Skyler White hit seven triples to lead Cheshire with 23 points, with Pat Robinson adding 17. Kino Lily Jr. led Surrey with 20 points and seven assists.