The inaugural weekend of Super League Basketball action did not disappoint, as the Trophy group stages began.
The Newcastle Eagles won two games in three days to climb atop the North Group. The B. Braun Sheffield Sharks and Manchester Basketball had a tougher time, losing twice over the weekend.
Caledonia Gladiators 99 – 77 Manchester Basketball (27/09/2024)
The SLB season tipped off at the Playsport Arena on Friday evening, as Manchester Basketball visited East Kilbride to face the Caledonia Gladiators.
The hosts controlled the pace of the game throughout, moving the ball effectively, punishing their opponents inside and earning 22 shots at the charity stripe, converting at a rate of 77%. Patrick Whelan led the way for Gareth Murray’s team, while newly-acquired American forward Tanner Stuckman logged a double-double to firm the Gladiators’ grip on the game.
Manchester put up a good fight down the stretch and tied the final period, spearheaded by the efforts of Marcus Delpeche. It wasn’t enough however; the visitors were significantly outworked on the glass, pulling down 22 fewer rebounds than the home side and allowing Caledonia to dictate play.
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With the 22-point W, Caledonia secured their first victory of the season and temporarily climbed to the top of the Trophy’s North Group.
Most Valuable Player: Patrick Whelan impressed for the home side, recording 22 points, five rebounds and six assists, to push his team over the line.
Newcastle Eagles 78 – 73 B. Braun Sheffield Sharks (27/09/2024)
Over in Tyneside, the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks were welcomed by the Newcastle Eagles at the Vertu Motors Arena.
Sheffield raced off to a positive start, edging the first two quarters and heading into half-time with a four-point lead. Shark debutant Drake Jeffries combined with Prentiss Nixon to carve out the early advantage for Atiba Lyons’ team.
Newcastle came back swinging in the second half, as two new arrivals made their mark for the home side. Mike Okaura came off the bench to impact every facet of the game, while the dynamic Seneca Knight led the starting unit.
Newcastle converted 47% of their 21 threes, as they shot their way to the five-point win and started their Trophy campaign on a positive note.
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Most Valuable Player: Debutant shooting guard Mike Okauru impressed enormously during his first game in an Eagles outfit. He grabbed eight rebounds and four assists, to go along with his 21-point offensive display.
Leicester Riders 91 – 69 Bristol Flyers (27/09/2024)
Leicester Riders hosted Bristol Flyers, as the teams opened their season in front of a packed Mattioli Arena crowd.
Rob Paternostro’s team started the game in sharp form, racing to a double-digit lead within the opening two minutes. They would not surrender the lead for the duration of the contest, despite the offensive contribution of Bristol’s Trey Tennyson, who enjoyed a productive debut.
Zach Jackson marked his return to Leicester with a game-leading scoring display, while new-signing Charles Thompson dominated the boards for the hosts, pulling down 12 of the team’s 44 rebounds. The Riders shot 46% from three point land, as they created an insurmountable lead.
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The game really got away from Bristol in the final period and when the final buzzer sounded, Leicester had secured the 22-point victory and a 1-0 record.
Most Valuable Player: Zach Jackson reminded the home crowd just what they had been missing, dropping 22 points, grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out two assists on his return.
Surrey 89ers 87 – 85 London Lions (28/09/2024)
The newly-dubbed Surrey 89ers got off to an exciting start, as they faced the formidable London Lions at Surrey Sports Park.
Both teams traded early blows, but Surrey pushed ahead by double digits the end of the first period. Cameron Gooden pulled the strings for the Niners, while veteran Andrew Lawrence added a scoring punch.
Surrey continued to control the pace in the second quarter, before London showed resistance through the perormances of Aaryn Rai and Jordan Taylor, tying the third.
The Lions dominated the final quarter, led by debutant Jaiden Delaire but it wasn’t enough to stage a full comeback and when Surrey’s new arrival Dame Adelekun converted twice from the charity stripe, Surrey had done enough to kick their season off with a two-point W.
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Most Valuable Player: Game winner Dame Adelekun made a dream start to his time in Surrey, as his clutch free-throws rounded off a huge 20 point and 13 rebound double-double.
Braun Sheffield Sharks 79 – 84 Cheshire Phoenix (29/09/2024)
Cheshire Phoenix opened their Trophy campaign with a trip to Sheffield to face the Sharks at the Canon Medical Arena in a competitive clash.
Sheffield made a positive start, as they attempted to bounce back from a tough loss in Newcastle, two days prior. Makhi Mitchell and Jamell Anderson made a massive impact in the opening stages, as the Sharks earned a double-digit lead at the end of the opening quarter.
Cheshire steadied as the game developed, winning each of the remaining quarters and chipping away at the early deficit. Cameron Christon played a huge role for the visitors, while new guard Ricky Clemons made an impressive start to his Phoenix tenure.
Skyler White tied the game with under four minutes left on the clock, before Clemons put Ben Thomas’ team ahead. Cheshire closed the game out in style and came away with a five-point road win to start their season.
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Most Valuable Player: Cameron Christon was effective throughout this one, finishing the game with 24 points, five rebounds and two assists.
Manchester Basketball 63 – 80 Newcastle Eagles (29/09/2024)
Both Manchester Basketball and Newcastle Eagles played their second game of the weekend on Sunday evening, as they faced off at the National Basketball Performance Centre.
Newcastle set the tone early, sharing the offensive load through the starting line-up and pushing ahead in the first quarter. They doubled down in the subsequent period, in which they outscored Manchester by 13, with big man De’sean Allen-Eikens leading the way on offence.
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Manchester made a valiant effort in the third quarter, chipping away at the Eagles lead, but Marc Steutel’s team responded down the stretch, to eventually earn the 17-point win and continue their perfect start to the season.
Most Valuable Player: Josh Ward-Hibbert made a huge difference on both ends of the floor. His 13-point, 13-rebound contribution benefitted his team enormously.