London Lions clinch the SLB Championship; Surrey win in fiesty encounter

The race to the postseason continues as Super League Basketball Championship action returns with a six-game slate.

London Lions were crowned as the winners of the Super League Basketball Championship with two vital wins over the weekend.

Sheffield Sharks 93-68 Leicester Riders

Nick Kern Jr. put on a show for the Sheffield Sharks, chalking up 16 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists as the home team breezed to victory against the Leicester Riders.

Sheffield dominated proceedings from the opening tip. Nick Kern Jr. was the recipient of a cute pass from Dirk Williams that allowed him to slam home the first dunk of the game. Williams continued to impress with two shots from three-point range as the Sharks established a 10-point lead.

Nathaniel Martin contributed five points in the second quarter to steady the shop for the Riders; however, nine points and two steals from Sheffield’s Fahro Alihodzic ensured that Leicester could not put a dent into the lead the home team had created.

The game stayed competitive, but the Sharks edged the third quarter to calm any fears of a comeback. Prentiss Nixon scored eight points as the deficit extended to 14 points.

Ending the game in style, Sheffield outscored Leicester by 11 points to clinch their 14th win of the campaign.

Player of the Game: Nick Kern Jr. (Sheffield Sharks)

London Lions 81-68 Caledonia Gladiators

Another impressive team performance from the London Lions prevented the Caledonia Gladiators from stealing a shock victory at the Copper Box on Friday night.

The Lions continued to follow the philosophy that has boded them so much success during their championship campaign so far, share the ball, and hold a strong defensive structure. Seven different London players registered points in the opening quarter of play.

However, it was Caledonia who found momentum in the second period of play. They outscored London by two points and reduced the deficit to six points heading into the halftime break.

London needed a response to ensure this victory did not slip out of their grasp, and this is exactly what they got. Kameron McGusty scored seven points after the Lions began to run their offensive game plan through him on a more regular basis.

Matthew Ragsdale recorded five points in the final quarter as the Gladiators fought until the final buzzer, but London’s dominance earlier in the contest had all but confirmed the home team’s victory.

Player of the Game: Tarik Phillip (London Lions)

Surrey 89ers 94-77 Manchester Basketball

Ronald Polite III recorded 24 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists for the Surrey 89ers in a fiery matchup with Manchester Basketball.

Manchester Basketball had a huge first quarter of play, outscoring their opponents 30-19, with Max Jones chalking up 15 points and draining three precise shots from deep.

Surrey regained their poise on both ends of the floor, scoring 32 points while holding Manchester to just 16. Ronald Polite III chalked up 10 points and also slammed home a ferocious dunk that showed the aggressive intent the 89ers wished to showcase.

The ding-dong battle continued as, again, Manchester took control of the fixture. Jordan Johnson led the way with nine points for the away team.

The 89ers came out of the traps in the final quarter with a point to prove and a game to win. Surrey held Manchester to just five points, while they scored 30 points, and crushed the spirits of a squad that appeared to be in the ascendancy just 10 minutes prior to the final buzzer.

Player of the Game: Ronald Polite III (Surrey 89ers)

Leicester Riders 85-78 Bristol Flyers

The Bristol Flyers did their utmost to pull off a mammoth comeback, but the Leicester Riders’ earlier dominance ensured that the home team would chalk up a much-needed victory.

Flynn Boardman-Raffet was in electric form during the first quarter of play, scoring 12 points for the Riders and proved to be an interior presence that Bristol struggled to contain.

Leicester continued to work the ball inside, chalking up 18 of their points from open play from inside the perimeter. The Riders established a 19-point lead as the halftime buzzer sounded.

Bristol began to find their range from deep, with Cameron Christon leading the charge, draining two attempts from three-point distance. However, Leicester still managed to outscore their opponents by three points to maintain their substantial lead.

Despite trailing for three quarters of play, the Riders almost enacted the greatest comeback of the season, cutting the deficit down to just five points with 12 seconds left on the clock. Leicester’s expert game management poured ice-cold water on Bristol’s sizzling scoring streak and recorded an important home victory.

Player of the Game: Kedrian Johnson (Leicester Riders)

Caledonia Gladiators 67-96 Newcastle Eagles

Ray’Sean Taylor inspired the Newcastle Eagles to victory over the Caledonia Gladiators by recording 20 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, while shooting 72% from the floor.

Both sides went blow for blow during the opening period of the game — scoring 17 points each to head into the first break of play tied.

Newcastle flew out of the blocks in the second quarter, chalking up 30 points, while containing Caledonia to just 14. Gus Okafor hit two shots from three-point range to stretch the floor for the Eagles and open up the Gladiators’ defence.

Matthew Ragsdale scored six points in the third quarter for the Gladiators as he attempted to spark his teammates into life, but the Eagles still managed to establish a 20-point deficit for the home team to come back from.

For a second time this game, Newcastle scored over 30 points in a quarter (31), to ensure they would be taking a win back to Tyneside.

Player of the Game: Ray’Sean Taylor (Newcastle Eagles)

Cheshire Phoenix 79-99 London Lions

The London Lions were crowned Super League Basketball Championship winners as they defeated the Cheshire Phoenix at the Cheshire Oaks Arena.

Aaryn Rai and Tarik Phillips combined for eight points to spark the Lions into life against a dangerous Cheshire team that would have been determined to delay the away team’s title celebrations.

London continued their impressive offensive performance by outscoring the Phoenix 27-23 in the second quarter to establish a seven-point lead heading into the halftime break.

Phillips scored 12 points and three shots from deep in an explosive third quarter for the Lions, which saw them extend their lead to 21 points. The travelling support began to raise the volume as London had one hand on the SLB championship trophy.

The Cheshire Phoenix refused to make it easy for London in the final quarter; nevertheless, Jaxon Brenchley’s 11 points were in vain as the Lions had already created a significant deficit that the home team could not claw back from.

Player of the Game: Tarik Phillip (London Lions)

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