London find their rhythm and Leicester stay in tune as Championship action begins

The Eagles and Sharks enjoyed mixed fortunes, in a week that saw Manchester split results across two competitions and the Lions race to the top of the Championship standings.

London Lions 92 – 68 Sheffield Sharks

Friday night saw Championship action get underway at the Copper Box Arena, as the London Lions welcomed the travelling B. Braun Sheffield Sharks.

The Lions faithful hoped to see a positive reaction from their team, after a disappointing Trophy campaign, but it didn’t start in ideal fashion. A pair of buckets from Drake Jeffries pushed Sheffield out to an early advantage in the opening minutes.

It didn’t take the Lions long to claw back, as Aaryn Rai carved his way through the lane with the perfect combination of power and control, finishing in style to take the lead. However, the Sharks soon enjoyed a run of their own, with Prentiss Nixon and E.C. Matthews providing an extra scoring punch to jump out to a five-point lead at the close of the first quarter.

The hosts found an answer as the second period began. Ciaran Sandy pulled London back into the tie with a pair of cool free throws to tie the game, before Ovie Soko rose from the bench to make a significant impact on the boards and scoresheet to edge the Lions ahead. Michael Brisker then put together a tremendous offensive sequence to pile in the points.

When Rai sank from deep in the closing moments of the half, the Lions had earned a double-digit advantage and gained control of the fixture.

Shortly after the teams emerged from the locker rooms, Alen Hadzibegovic took the reins for London, driving with authority to widen the gap. Rodney Chatman III worked tremendously to re-ignite the Sharks offence, but turnovers started to plague the visitors, who were punished in transition and saw the deficit grow to 18 near the end of the third quarter.

Jaiden Delaire tightened London’s grip on the contest as the final instalment began, converting a pair of lay-ups to build on the lead. Chatman III enjoyed a valiant scoring run midway through the quarter, providing buoyancy for the away team, but it wasn’t to be.

Rai and Delaire made the advantage insurmountable as the quarter went on and when the final buzzer sounded, the Lions had secured an emphatic 24-point victory to kickstart their Championship season.

Most Valuable Player: Aaryn Rai played the starring role in a blockbuster team performance, recording 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists on his way to victory.

Newcastle Eagles 77 – 89 Manchester Basketball

Manchester travelled to the Vertu Motors Arena in Newcastle on Friday, with the goal of turning over a new leaf, as they attempted to improve their fortunes against the hosting Eagles.

Jordan Spencer splashed home a three for Newcastle in the opening minute to get things started, but unfortunately that would be the team’s most positive moment. Soon after, Isaih Moore combined a crafty lay-up with smooth shooting from the charity stripe to push Manchester in front.

The Eagles missed a series of threes, while Makai Ashton-Langford posed a threat from deep for Manchester, as they flew out to a double-digit lead midway through the first quarter. Forward Donovan Mitchell then added to Newcastle’s pain, commanding the boards and shooting with confidence to create a healthy gap between the sides by the end of the period.

There was a glimmer of hope for the hosts in the second. Seneca Knight and Jared Bynum offered some resistance for the Eagles, forcing their way to the line and moving the ball effectively to find open shots for Sauveur Kande, who narrowed the deficit to just six points. As the teams split for half-time, Manchester were up by nine and Newcastle had found their way back into the contest.

The second half began with both teams trading baskets, as Manchester kept the home team at arm’s length. Mike Okaura stepped up from the bench for the Eagles, shrinking the differential back down to three points, but back came Ashton-Langford and Moore, attacking the rim to maintain superiority.

De’sean Allen-Eikens drove aggressively, as Newcastle stubbornly fought against Manchester’s steady scoring, before Seneca Knight sank a mid-range jumper to make it just a one-point game. Mitchell then converted on a three-point play to create an offensive surge for Manchester. Heading into the final quarter, the visitors were up by six points.

Allen-Eikens chipped away at the deficit as the final period began, then Malcolm Delpeche split a pair of free-throws to tie the game. Then Mitchell decided enough was enough, making a series of contested shots to keep Manchester ticking down the stretch. Despite a gutsy second half, Newcastle couldn’t do enough and when the clock struck 0, Manchester had held on to win by 12.

Most Valuable Player: Donovan Mitchell put on an impressive performance to inspire victory, logging 22 points, 12 rebounds and an assist.

Surrey 89ers 66 – 82 Leicester Riders

The unbeaten Leicester Riders arrived at the Surrey Sports Park to take on the 89ers on Saturday afternoon, looking to carry their tremendous form over to the Championship.

Surrey’s crowd were provided with a cause for optimism in the opening stages, with Dame Adelekun making a confident start to garner an early lead. Cameron Gooden then entered the fray, splashing from deep to add to the excitement.

Leicester showed some uncharacteristic indecision on offence, resulting in unforced turnovers and poor shot decision, which saw Surrey hold onto the lead for the majority of the period. Gooden made another three in the final seconds of the quarter, which saw the 89ers carry a single-point-lead into the second.

Leicester legend Conner Washington then marked his record-breaking 304th appearance with a shot from beyond the arc that pushed his team ahead. Gooden then tied the game once again, but the Riders responded swiftly, as Charles Thompson powered through the paint for a pair of buckets to widen the gap.

A three-point play from Josh Steel in the final seconds of the half meant that Leicester took a five-point lead to the locker room.

Whatever Rob Paternostro told his team at half-time did the job. Jaylin Hunter and Riley Abercrombie flew out of the blocks, combining pull-up jumpers with three-point proficiency to grow the lead to double-figures.

The versatile Zach Jackson spearhead the offence for much of the third quarter, taking on much of the offensive load and facilitating tremendously for his teammates. Though Tayo Ogedengbe pushed back for Surrey with some much-needed bench scoring, Leicester couldn’t be stopped. Jackson and Hunter sank a pair as the quarter closed and the visitors were up by 18.

Surrey couldn’t make a dent on the lead in the fourth quarter. Jackson pulled the strings, while Leicester put on a highly professional display down the stretch, moving the ball effectively to find open teammates and frustrating the 89ers on the other side of the floor.

When full-time arrived, Leicester’s unbeaten run was extended with a 16-point W.

Most Valuable Player: Zach Jackson took control when his team needed him, adding four rebounds and six assists to his 20-point scoring display.

Manchester Basketball 93 – 99 London Lions

Following big wins on Friday night, Manchester and London both arrived at the National Basketball Performance Centre with additional swagger, hoping to continue their positive respective weekends.

Manchester made the better start, as Isaih Moore and Donovan Mitchell powered through the paint to propel the home team ahead in the opening minutes. However, they were met by Michael Brisker, who combined a mid-range jumper with a contested three to bring the teams level midway through the first.

The teams traded blows for a while, until Jaiden Delaire stepped up from the bench for London, making a pair of shots to create a temporary gap between the teams as the quarter developed. But back came Manchester, in the form of aggressive drives from Nathan Cayo, who ensured that they finished the opening quarter three points ahead.

In the third, Mitchell went toe-to-toe with Michael Brisker, swapping buckets as the game restarted, before a sequence of makes from Aaryn Rai created a slim and temporary advantage for the visitors. Major deep shots from Mitchell and Makai Ashton-Langford put Manchester back ahead, but London always had an answer, this time in the form of Ovie Soko, whose bench contribution helped keep the Lions alive.

Delaire and Jordan Taylor combined for a five-point run in the final minute of the half, which meant that London carried a four-point lead into half-time.

Moore and Mitchell came flying out of the blocks at the restart, cutting decisively and finishing with conviction, as Manchester jumped back ahead of the visitors. As was so often the case however, Michael Brisker had something to say about that. The 26-year-old guard snatched the lead back with a string of makes, before Ashton-Langford responded immediately with a pair from the charity stripe and made a tough lay-up to edge in front at the end of the third.

Neither team would budge as the final quarter began; Brisker and Mitchell could not be stopped on the offensive end, as the teams continued to exchange leads for the duration of the period. Brisker’s electric shooting from beyond the arc made an enormous difference, while Mitchell took control of the Manchester offence to keep his team in the contest.

Mitchell earned Manchester a three-point lead when he converted thrice from the free-throw line with a minute remaining, but once again, Brisker came back in dramatic fashion, sinking yet another three with 13 left in regulation and tied at 90, this one was going into overtime.

Unfortunately for Manchester, they ran out of gas during the extra period, Brisker and Taylor took over to secure the all-important points at the line and from three-point range, securing the six-point W and placing London atop the Championship table at 2-0.

Most Valuable Player: Michael Brisker was the main man for London, putting on a tremendous display to inspire them to victory. He scored nine three-pointers, totalled 36 points at a clip of 63%, pulled down five rebounds and dished out two assists.

Caledonia Gladiators 71 – 94 Newcastle Eagles

Newcastle travelled to the Playsport Arena to face the Caledonia Gladiators on Sunday, as both teams made a start to their Championship campaigns.

The home crowd had something to cheer for in their first offence, when Patrick Whelan scored a lay-up to open the scoring column. But that was when the party ended, as Josh Ward-Hibbert reacted by sinking three consecutive shots to create an advantage for the Eagles.

Despite some bright shooting from Kyle Jiminez, Newcastle only built on their lead throughout the first period. De’sean Allen-Eikens carved his way through the paint, while Cole Long showcased his sharpshooting abilities from the bench to push the visitors up by double-digits. The first period finished with Marc Steutel’s team leading by nine.

The Eagles continued to soar through the third quarter. Allen-Eikens punished the Gladiators in transition, while Mike Okauru added an additional scoring punch from the second unit, as the road team controlled the pace of the contest entirely.

Tanner Stuckman provided some resistance from Caledonia, but couldn’t really diminish Newcastle’s growing lead. When the teams split for half-time, the Eagles led by 18 points.

At the restart, Long and Allen-Eikens made more impressive shots, as Gareth Murray’s team scrambled on defence but struggled to find any real answer. Midway through the third quarter, Newcastle earned their largest lead of the game, jumping out to a 23-point lead.

The Gladiators looked to their second unit to find a route back into the clash, but the Eagles simply wouldn’t relent. Seneca Knight made an impact in every facet of the game during the fourth quarter, controlling the glass, finding open teammates and scoring down the stretch, as the visitors cruised their way to their first Championship victory of the season.

Most Valuable Player: In an impressive team display, Seneca Knight provided his team with 17 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.

B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 102 – 90 Bristol Flyers

Having lost their Championship opener to London on Friday, the Sharks aimed to bite back on Sunday when the Flyers came to town to kick off their campaign.

The teams made an even start, with Jacob Groves spearheading the Sheffield offence in the opening minutes, while Corey Samuels responded with a pair of smooth lay-ups to establish a Bristol lead midway through the opening quarter.

Rodney Chatman III and Drake Jeffries reacted with multiple difficult jump-shots to tie the game for Sheffield, but the Flyers soon regained the momentum through confident makes from Trey Tennyson, who quickly converted three times from deep as the visitors created a double-digit gap.

When Jordan Ratinho made a tough three-point play, the Sharks had narrowed the deficit to just six points to end the first period.

Atiba Lyons looked to his bench, as the second quarter began. E.C. Matthews rewarded him by making a near-immediate impact, draining shots from beyond the arc and pulling down rebounds, as the Sharks reduced the difference. Donovan Clay also stepped up for the second unit, supporting on the glass and driving with reckless abandon, as the Sharks forced their way back in front.

Three consecutive buckets from Chatman III widened the gap, then Matthews piled in the points to create a 12-point lead toward the end of the half. Jared Sherfield made a three at the buzzer and when the teams broke for half-time, the hosts were up by nine.

Chatman III continued to lead the Sheffield offence at the restart, completing a series of offensive plays that punished any lapse of the Bristol offence. Clay offered a tremendous contribution in the third also, shooting on sight and moving the ball effectively, as the Sharks took full control of the tie.

Demond Robinson chipped away for Bristol, but the Sharks couldn’t be stopped. Matthews and Chatman III kept the Sheffield offence ticking while the home side cruised through the final instalment. Despite a valiant last-minute effort from the visitors, Sheffield finished the game 12 points ahead and earned their first Championship W.

Most Valuable Player: Rodney Chatman III impressed throughout, logging 24 points and nine assists.

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