Round Three of Super League Basketball Trophy action saw crucial wins for the Flyers, Sharks and Phoenix, while the Gladiators struggle and league-leading Eagles see mixed results.
Caledonia Gladiators 66 – 71 Newcastle Eagles
Riding the momentum of a perfect 3-0 start to their Super League Basketball Trophy campaign, Newcastle Eagles arrived at the PlaySport Arena on Friday night with tremendous cause for optimism. However, it would be no easy visit; what awaited them was a talented Caledonia Gladiators team with a point to prove.
The contest got off to a cagey start, with both teams forcing turnovers and limiting their opposition on the defensive end through much of the opening period. Trevond Barnes made an early impact from the bench, edging the Gladiators ahead.
Despite being limited to just 12 points in the first quarter, the Eagles sprung to life in the second. A scoring burst from Josh Ward-Hibbert pushed the visitors in front, before Seneca Knight and De’sean Allen-Eikens teamed up to create a sizeable gap. Gareth Murray struggled to find answers, as the frustrated Gladiators finished the first half down by 11 points.
Early in the second half, Isaiah Hill came alive and offered some resistance for Caledonia. The guard rallied to provide a lifeline for the hosts, attacking the basket confidently and moving the ball with conviction. Princeton Onwas and Tanner Stuckman battled too, making an impact on both ends.
It wouldn’t be enough however, as Mike Okauru stepped up for the second unit, nailing crucial shots from deep as the Eagles regained control of the fixture. Knight then carved his way through the lane to help push the advantage beyond double-digits, before an Allen-Eikens lay-up built a mountain for Caledonia to climb.
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The Glad’s chipped away, but as the minutes ticked away, the deficit appeared increasingly insurmountable. When the final buzzer sounded, Newcastle had earned their fourth victory of the season, affirming their position at the top of the Trophy’s North Group.
Most Valuable Player: Playing his part in an effective team performance, De’sean Allen-Eikens continued his excellent start to life in Newcastle, scoring 13 points, grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out an assist.
Surrey 89ers 69 – 92 Bristol Flyers
Both teams entered the game with a 1-1 record on Saturday night, as Surrey 89ers welcomed Bristol Flyers to Surrey Sports Park for South Group action.
When the whistle blew, a tight affair played out in the opening minutes, as Mervin James led the way for Lloyd Gardner’s team. Kendall Lewis answered for Bristol, hitting back with a confident early shooting display to usurp the host’s early advantage. The ‘niners then responded through Jalen Ray, who hit from deep to end the first period with a three-point lead.
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Fans witnessed a scrappy restart for the second period, with the home team unable to make a shot for three troublesome minutes of play. During that spell, the Flyers would start to create a gap, spearheaded by Raphell Thomas-Edwards, who battled fiercely inside. A string of baskets from sharpshooting Josh Steel helped Surrey claw back, tying the game midway though the second quarter.
Then came Keddy Johnson, who put his stamp on the game in a multitude of ways, sinking major shots from three-point land, commanding the glass and finding his teammates for open looks. His dynamic play ensured that Bristol finished the half ahead by double-digits.
As the second half began, Cameron Gooden moved the ball effectively to offered some resistance for Surrey, but things only got worse for his team. Trey Tennyson attacked the cup and Jared Shefield shot with conviction, extending Bristol’s advantage healthily with 15 minutes remaining. Johnson piled on, letting it fly from beyond the arc to push it far beyond reach.
The road team put on a highly professional display down the stretch, cruising through the final quarters with very little adversity, sharing the ball in style and eventually finishing the contest with a 92-69 W.
Most Valuable Player: Keddy Johnson put on an offensive clinic, finishing the game just one assists away from a triple-double. He scored 18 points, pulled down 10 rebounds and dished out nine assists.
Braun Sheffield Sharks 84 – 75 Caledonia Gladiators
The crowd at the Canon Medical Arena rightfully anticipated a competitive affair on Sunday afternoon, as Sheffield Sharks prepared to face Caledonia Gladiators. The visitors hoped to bounce back from a loss to North Group-leading Newcastle two days prior, while Sheffield aimed to recover from an early losing record.
Isaiah Hill offered an early spark for Gareth Murray’s side, draining a sequence of jumpers to carve out a first quarter advantage. Before the in-form Prentiss Nixon pushed back to tie the game with aggressive drives to the hole and assured pull-ups.
Tanner Stuckman then exploded, sinking a string of shots that pushed the Scottish outfit ahead again. The forward found multiple ways to score, stepping up for his team as they attempted to take full control of the fixture.
Sheffield’s E. C. Matthews suffered a nose injury toward the end of the first period, bringing a lengthy pause to the occasion. When play resumed, Jamell Anderson and Jacob Groves stepped up the aggression for the Sharks, as they levelled the game and subsequently jumped in front. However, when Atiba Lyons’ team gained multiple leads, Fahro Alihodzic responded with commanding interior play to regain the momentum for Caledonia.
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Some inconsistent shooting played out for the remainder of the quarter and the low-scoring half drew to a close with the Gladiators up 36-33.
The tourists continued piled onto the lead, as the second half got underway. Stuckman teamed up with Theodore Hughes to extend the gap to seven points, before Sheffield came back swinging. Nixon put together a tremendous offensive sequence to chip away at the deficit, but Caledonia seemingly wouldn’t fold.
Then came recently-signed Rodney Chatman III, who stepped up from the bench to enjoy a phenomenal heat check, flipping the tie on its head. The guard forced his way to the charity stripe three times in the final few minutes of the third, converting enough to take the lead for Sheffield, heading into the final quarter.
Groves continued the offensive surge for the Sharks early in the fourth, before Chatman III found his way to the line once again, stretching out the home team’s advantage. However, just when the game looked to be slipping away from them, the Glad’s clawed back through Onwas and Hill, who tied the game with five minutes remaining.
During clutch time, the teams went blow-for-blow. Anderson’s explosive lay-up was met with a Fraser Malcolm reverse lay-up, assured Alihodzic free-throws were countered with some of Chatman III’s own. Then just after Trevond Barnes sank a pair from the line, Anderson splashed home a contested three to create a lead for Sheffield. Alihodzic nailed a pair of free-throws moments later and this one was going into overtime.
Caledonia suffered through a highly frustrating five minutes in the additional chapter, going scoreless for over four minutes and committing painful turnovers, as Nixon, Groves and Anderson took care of business when it mattered most. When the final buzzer sounded, Sheffield had fought their way to a well-earned 84-75 win, reaching the same amount of Trophy group wins as their opponents.
Most Valuable Player: Jacob Groves headlined for Sheffield, adding five rebounds and two assists to his 23-point scoring performance.
Cheshire Phoenix 90 – 82 Newcastle Eagles
The unbeaten Newcastle Eagles – fresh from their win in Scotland on Friday – travelled to the Cheshire Oaks Arena on Sunday evening to face the second-placed Phoenix.
Home fans were treated to the perfect start, as their pair of Camerons inspired an impressive offensive display in the opening minutes. Cameron Holden sliced his way through the paint to score multiple lay-ups, before Cameron Christon earned multiple trips to the free-throw line, where he converted cooly.
Continuing the excellent form in the early stages of his debut season, Mike Okauru provided buoyancy for Newcastle from the bench, securing a pair of buckets that invited the Eagles back into the game. Cheshire were just a point ahead, at the end of the first quarter.
Holden was joined by TJ Atwood as the second period began, who widened the difference for Cheshire with some impressive mid-range makes. Okauru replied however, sinking a string of confident jumpers to shrink the deficit once again. Seneca Knight joined the party soon after, taking a portion of the offensive load as Marc Steutel’s team tied the game ahead of half-time.
At the restart, Josh Ward-Hibbert made an impact on the glass and the scoresheet, helping Newcastle to carve out their first considerable lead. The run was met by some crucial shots, made by Cheshire’s Skyler White to come within touching distance. A pair of buckets from Ricky Clemons also kept the Phoenix afloat during a strong run from the visitors.
The Eagles wouldn’t relent, Okauru continued to impress, assisted by De’sean Allen-Eikens to ensure that they finished the third quarter up by nine.
Cheshire’s star trio of Atwood, Holden and Christon then took over, pulling their team back into the game by scoring in a variety of ways and eventually taking the lead with six minutes remaining in the contest. White contributed to build upon the advantage, but lay-ups from Okauru and Knight provided lifelines for Newcastle.
Every time Newcastle found an avenue, Cheshire found a blockade. Then, in the closing minutes, Atwood showed elite composure to close the game out with cold-blooded shot-making at the free-throw line. At curtain call, Cheshire had won 90-82 and handed the Eagles their first L of the season, in turn shrinking the gap between first and second.
Most Valuable Player: TJ Atwood provided a steady hand in the clutch, scoring 23 points, grabbing four rebounds and dishing out an assist to earn the huge victory.
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