Leicester ride into the Cup semis, Sheffield earn top spot and Manchester earn important win

Ahead of Sunday’s Super League Basketball Trophy Final, the Riders progressed in the Cup, while Surrey were stifled by Manchester and the Sharks downed the Phoenix.

Manchester Basketball 77 – 85 Leicester Riders

Rob Paternostro took his team to the National Basketball Performance Centre, looking to recover from a tough loss to London just three days prior. Standing in their way were Manchester, looking to stop a two-game losing streak to the SLB Cup semi-finals.

The home crowd in Manchester were quick to rally behind their team as Donovan Mitchell opened the scoring with a three-pointer. Makai Ashton-Langford followed suit with another three, giving Manchester an early boost. However, Leicester responded swiftly with an offensive barrage. Riley Abercrombie hit a three-pointer of his own, and Zach Jackson extended the lead with another deep shot. Charles Thompson then went to work in the low post, helping Leicester take the lead as Manchester hit a rough patch, going scoreless for a few minutes.

Abercrombie and Jaylin Hunter made more shots, widening the gap for the Riders. Despite the struggles, Manchester fought back, with Ashton-Langford and Marcus Delpeche attacking the rim aggressively to reduce the deficit. A late lay-up from Zak Irvin briefly gave the hosts the lead, but Thompson’s last-second basket put Leicester ahead by a point as the quarter ended.

The second quarter began with both teams exchanging baskets as the intensity remained high. Manchester continued to press the attack, looking to cut into Leicester’s lead. Midway through the period, Cody John forced his way to the free-throw line, converting his shots to give Manchester a brief one-point lead. However, Leicester weren’t to be outdone. Hunter and Spencer Johnson orchestrated an offensive surge, propelling Leicester back in front.

With lay-ups from Jackson and Thompson, Leicester extended their advantage, but Ashton-Langford was determined to keep Manchester in the game. He led the charge for the hosts, keeping them within striking distance. In the final moments of the half, Jackson sank a pair of free throws, allowing Leicester to take a five-point lead into the locker room.

The Riders came out of the break with renewed energy in the third quarter. Jaylin Hunter opened the scoring with a hook shot, followed by a crafty lay-up from Abercrombie, pushing them further ahead. Manchester attempted to keep pace with Mitchell knocking down a three-pointer and Ashton-Langford earning trips to the free-throw line. Despite these efforts, Leicester’s offence remained potent. Spencer Johnson’s lay-up halfway through the quarter extended Leicester’s lead to double digits.

Zach Jackson added a contested three-pointer to further widen the gap and Manchester struggled to respond. As the quarter wound down, Junior Madut drained a three-pointer in the final seconds, providing Manchester with a glimmer of hope heading into the final period, though they still trailed.

The fourth quarter began with Manchester looking for a spark and they found it early. Madut and Irvin made lay-ups, pulling the hosts back within six points and the crowd was energized. However, Leicester quickly asserted their dominance. Duke Shelton powered inside, while Wright and Abercrombie hit critical shots, re-establishing Leicester’s commanding lead. Manchester continued to fight back, with Ashton-Langford and Nathan Cayo relentlessly attacking the rim, but time was running out. Wright and Jackson continued to score efficiently, and despite a late push from the hosts, Leicester held on.

When the final buzzer sounded, Leicester had secured an eight-point victory, extending Manchester’s winless streak and securing a spot in the semis.

Most Valuable Player: Zach Jackson contributed tremendously for Leicester, recording 18 points, five rebounds and five assists.

B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 87 – 85 Cheshire Phoenix

Sheffield welcomed Cheshire to the Canon Medical Arena on Friday night, hoping to defend homecourt and earn the top spot in the Championship table.

Starting off strong, the Phoenix grabbed the early momentum. Skyler White and Larry Austin Jr. both scored lay-ups in the opening minutes to give the visitors an early advantage. However, Sheffield quickly responded with an aggressive offensive push. Prentiss Nixon took charge for the Sharks, aggressively driving to the basket and scoring multiple times to close the gap.

Despite the Phoenix’s efforts, the Sharks were able to take control late in the first quarter. Scottie Lindsey made a pair of lay-ups to give Sheffield their first lead, and when Donovan Clay finished a drive to the basket in the final seconds, the Sharks held a five-point advantage heading into the second quarter.

The second period saw Sheffield carry over their strong play from the end of the first quarter. Coach Atiba Lyons’ squad demonstrated excellent ball movement, with everyone contributing to a 7-0 run early on. The Phoenix did not back down though, as White and Nick Timberlake responded with a dunk and a deep three-pointer to keep Cheshire within striking distance. However, Jacob Groves proved to be a difference-maker for Sheffield, showcasing confidence with his shooting.

As the quarter progressed, Rickey McGill drained a pair of three-pointers, and Nixon continued to attack the basket with intensity. By halftime, Sheffield held a 13-point lead, leaving Cheshire with a significant challenge in the second half.

After the break, Ben Thomas’ Cheshire side came out with determination. Planutis made two quick lay-ups to begin chipping away at the deficit, but the Sharks quickly responded. Nixon and Jamell Anderson combined for a series of lay-ups, and Groves added a pair of finishes inside to push the Sheffield lead to 23 points midway through the period.

Cheshire showed some resilience toward the end of the third as Greg Wild made a contested jumper and Planutis added another lay-up. However, despite the small rally, the Phoenix found themselves trailing by 18 points as the game entered the final quarter.

The fourth quarter saw Cheshire mount an impressive comeback attempt. Jordan Ratinho opened the scoring for Sheffield with a lay-up, giving the Sharks a commanding lead early in the period. However, Cheshire refused to go down without a fight. Timberlake made several trips to the free-throw line, Tyreek Scott-Grayson powered inside for key buckets, and Austin Jr. added crafty lay-ups.

Sheffield, meanwhile, struggled offensively, failing to score for over five minutes, allowing Cheshire to close the gap. Groves and McGill briefly stemmed the tide with their own lay-ups, but Cheshire remained relentless. With 90 seconds left, Scott-Grayson hit a deep three-pointer to bring the Phoenix to within single digits.

In the final moments, the game became even more intense. Nixon managed to convert a pair of free-throws to push Sheffield’s lead back up, but Austin Jr. responded with a clutch three-pointer to make it a one-point game with 30 seconds remaining.

The Sharks, who had been in control for most of the contest, looked rattled, committing turnovers and missing key shots. Austin Jr. finished another lay-up and Timberlake calmly sank three free throws to move to within a single point. However, Sheffield managed to hold on. Nixon split a pair of free-throws in the final seconds to secure a 2-point victory for the Sharks, who moved to joint-top of the Championship table.

Most Valuable Player: Jacob Groves did it all, scoring 16 points, pulling down nine boards and dishing out six assists.

Manchester Basketball 85 – 76 Surrey 89ers

Two teams in the bottom half of the Championship table met at the National Basketball Performance Centre on Friday night. Manchester looked to recover from their cup elimination earlier in the week, while Surrey simply aimed to chase their opposition in the standings.

Dame Adelekun set the tone early for the ‘niners, leading them on a 6-0 run that highlighted what would become a standout individual performance. Mervin James added to the opening momentum, and Adelekun’s continued offensive prowess extended Surrey’s lead to nine points as the first quarter drew to a close.

However, Manchester slowly began to regroup, with Ian Dubose offering the first resistance. His confident drives to the basket helped Manchester inch back into the contest. Cody John came off the bench with a spark, contributing offensively to shrink the deficit to just four points by the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter saw Manchester begin to turn the tide. Zak Irvin started strong, scoring a lay-up and a fade-away jumper, igniting his team’s comeback efforts. The teams traded baskets throughout the period, with Adelekun’s powerful dunk being quickly answered by a crafty lay-up from John and a three-pointer from Kyle Carey. Manchester eventually tied the game, and John hit another three-pointer to give the home side a three-point lead midway through the quarter.

Surrey struggled with turnovers, and Manchester capitalised, widening their lead. Yet, Surrey responded quickly, with James and Jalen Ray scoring important lay-ups to level the score once again. Tayo Ogedengbe then split a pair of free throws to give Surrey a narrow one-point lead before Dubose hit back with a clutch basket, earning Manchester a single-point advantage heading into halftime.

After the break, Manchester came out strong, with Dubose and Nathan Cayo continuing to score from close range, maintaining their lead. Surrey showed resilience, with Gooden playing a pivotal role on offence, eventually tying the game with a tough three-pointer.

However, Cayo and Makai Ashton-Langford hit a pair of deep jump shots, pushing Manchester back into a convincing advantage. The hosts controlled the pace of the game as the quarter wore on, and heading into the final frame, Manchester held an eight-point lead.

The fourth quarter saw Manchester extend their advantage early, with Cayo hitting a jump shot to widen the gap to double digits. Surrey responded, with Jay and James hitting mid-range jumpers to reduce the deficit to six points. However, Manchester hit back quickly, with Dubose and John sinking crucial jump shots to push their lead back into double digits.

Adelekun fought hard for Surrey, scoring three unanswered baskets to lead a late comeback attempt, but Manchester’s stubborn defence held firm. Dubose then answered with a step-back three-pointer, re-establishing control for the home team.

Despite the valiant efforts from Jay and James, the lead proved insurmountable and when the final buzzer sounded, Manchester had secured a 9-point victory, fending off multiple comeback attempts from their opponents.

Most Valuable Player: Nathan Cayo played a starring role in a strong Manchester performance, recording 18 points, five rebounds and three assists.

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