Sharks and 89ers advance to Cup Final, while Newcastle and London grab Championship victories

Sheffield and Surrey will meet in the SLB Cup Final in Nottingham, after beating Leicester and Bristol in hard-fought semis.

Newcastle Eagles 110 – 101 Cheshire Phoenix

At the Vertu Motors Arena, two teams near to each other in the Championship standings faced off on Friday night, as the Phoenix visited the Eagles.

Fans anticipated a tight affair and they got just that in the opening moments. Tyreek Scott-Grayson opened scoring at the line before draining a free to open up a Cheshire lead. Seneca Knight scored twice from close range to push back for Newcastle, as the teams traded buckets.

Cameron Holden then scored twice to extend the Phoenix’ advantage to five, but back came Mike Okauru and De’sean Allen-Eikens who carved through the lane to pull the Eagles back to within a single point.

Skyler White scored from deep for Cheshire, but Newcastle answered back with a 7-0 run which would catapult them ahead of the visitors. Marc Steutel’s team scored by committee to establish their lead, but it didn’t last long; Nick Timberlake hit from downtown to tie the game, before Bobby Planutis’ lay-up  put them back ahead.

A Planutis jam made it a four-point game, but a subsequent offensive run from James and Okauru tied the game once again, ending the first quarter level at 25 a piece.

A successful trip to the line for Malcolm Delpeche edged Newcastle ahead as the second quarter began, but Larry Austin Jr. stepped up from the bench to quickly make a game-tying lay-up. Delpeche followed up again, combining with Okauru for lay-ins to regain the home lead, but Scott-Grayson and RJ Eytle-Rock then scored jumpers to push Cheshire a point ahead yet again.

It didn’t take the hosts long to respond however; Trey Pulliam drove the lane to regain the lead, followed by lay-ups from James and Okauru, to pull ahead by five points midway through the second period.

Holden and Austin Jr. provided resistance for Cheshire, before a three from Timberlake eventually snatched the lead back for Ben Thomas’ team. He then slammed it home a minute later, countering Knight’s scoring from the line to take the Phoenix to the locker room with a two-point advantage.

Pulliam tied the game seconds after the restart, before doing it again on the next offence with a second lay-up in a minute. The teams then traded baskets for a few minutes, with Okauru and Pulliam leading the way for Newcastle, while Scott-Grayson and Timberlake made the difference for Cheshire.

Another pair of Pulliam lay-ups pushed Newcastle back ahead. Cole Long then drained a pair of shots from beyond the arc in consecutive possessions, widening the margin to eight points in favour of the Eagles. Long then continued his heat check, dunking to create a double-digit advantage.

Austin Jr. continued to add a scoring punch for Cheshire, but Okauru scored seven consecutive points for Newcastle, answering every Cheshire score with one of his own. Heading into the final quarter, the hosts led by 12.

Cheshire weren’t going to give up, made clear by the assertive start to the fourth period by Scott-Grayson, who converted on an ‘and-1’ play.

Allen-Eikens drained a three to make it 12 once again, but Cheshire found an answer in Austin Jr. and Timberlake, who hit three lay-ups in a minute to slim the deficit to just six points. A minute later, Planutis and Holden combined to reduce the differential to five, before Timberlake stepped up to bring it down to just two.

A buoyant Knight pushed back with a lay-up, drawing a foul in the process and cooly converting at the line to regain momentum for Newcastle. Despite the efforts of Scott-Grayson, Okauru and James combined again to stretch it back to nine points.

Timberlake drove aggressively, dunking to reduce the arrears, before Austin Jr. and White made buckets from the charity stripe and mid-range respectively, pulling back to within a single point.

Another strong offensive surge from a deep-shooting Knight and physical Allen-Eikens pulled Newcastle back ahead by seven. Austin Jr. swiftly made a crafty lay-up to make it five, but a pair of free-throws made it seven again with 50 seconds left on the clock.

Phoenix fought to the end, with White hitting from three-point land and Austin Jr. scoring from close range in consecutive possessions, but it was too late. A missed Austin Jr. three meant that Cheshire had to tactically foul, giving Okauru and Knight the chance to finish them off, with steady and assured free-throw shooting.

When the final buzzer sounded, Newcastle had earned the nine-point victory, putting them level on points in the Championship table.

Most Valuable Player: Seneca Knight put on an impressive display, recording 24 points, 13 rebounds and three assists to lead his team.

Bristol Flyers 64 – 88 B. Braun Sheffield Sharks

Having fallen short in the Trophy Final, Bristol entered the SLB Cup semi-final first leg with a point to prove. They played host at the SGS College Arena on Friday, with an in-form Sharks team visiting.

Rickey McGill made a positive start for Sheffield, opening scoring a mid-range jumper. Evan Walshe responded with a transition lay-up to tie, before Kendall Lewis nailed a triple to open up a three-point advantage – the best it would get for the hosts.

Prentiss Nixon opened up a dominant personal display with a contested three to bring the Sharks back level. Donovan Clay then pushed the visitors ahead momentarily, but a hook-shit from Robinson swiftly won the lead back for Bristol.

The teams then went blow for blow for a few minutes, both scoring by committee, swapping the lead back and forth. However, the Sharks then experienced an offensive surge, with Jamell Anderson, Rodney Glasgow Jr and Nixon scoring from close range move five points ahead.

Walshe calmly sank three consecutive shots from the line near the end of the period, but when Glasgow Jr drove for a lay-up, he finished the opening quarter with a three-point lead.

Both teams moved the ball tremendously at the start of the second, once again trading makes as a result of dynamic offence. Sheffield continued to score steadily, sustaining their slim advantage, until the midway point, when the visitors went on a 12-0 run, made up entirely of three-pointers, including three by Nixon.

Now holding a double-digit lead, Nixon would not relent. The American guard earned a trip to the line, hitting all three of his efforts to push ahead by 15.  A minute later he hit another contested three, making it 16 and capping off a spectacular heat check.

Drake Jeffries stepped up from the bench, laying it in to take a 17-point advantage into the half-time break.

It didn’t take long for the Sharks to add to the lead; McGill hit a step-back jumper to widen the gap to 19 points. Bristol hit back a pair of dunks, but Clay hit a trio of lay-ups in quick succession to make it a 22-point game.

McGill became the hot hand as the third quarter developed, stretching the lead to 24 in the final minute. Johnson hit from deep, but as the period wound down, the hosts had some work to do.

Both teams made a terrible start to the final quarter, going scoreless for over three minutes. Normal business resumed however, with Robinson and Walshe making tough lay-ups. As was so often the case throughout the game however, Sheffield answered back. Jeffries and Clay piled in the points, as the visitors went into cruise control.

A run of makes from McGill and Jeffries put the cherry on top, creating a game-high 25-point lead. When the contest came to an end, the Sharks had taken care of business, winning the game comfortably and earning a 88-64 aggregate lead heading into Sunday’s return leg.

Most Valuable Player: Prentiss Nixon led Sheffield with 29 points, eight boards and four assists on his way to a convincing victory.

Surrey 89ers 93 – 93 Leicester Riders

In the other SLB Cup semi, Leicester travelled to the Surrey Sports Park to face the 89ers in the first leg.

Leicester sit in the far more favourable position in the Championship table, so they entered the game as clear favourites. That’s not necessarily how it looked after tip-off however, as Surrey made a tremendous start on the offensive end.

Dame Adelekun hit a pair of lay-ups in the opening minutes, with Jalen Ray and Mervin James adding to the offensive onslaught to continuously move ahead of the visitors, who scored by committee to keep pace.

Adelekun was then joined by Cameron Gooden on a strong offensive run, hitting jumpers to pull ahead by six. Spencer Johnson pushed back for Leicester with a lay-up and Ethan Wright soon tied the game with one of his own, but that’s when Surrey took over.

Nedas Cholevinskas stepped up from the bench to make a lay-up and move five ahead. Ray then hit a pair of contested shots from inside and out, before a James lay-up created a double-digit advantage for the home side, as the first quarter ended.

Charles Thompson imposed himself physically early in the second, as he urged his team on with a rousing jam. Shortly after, Hunter made a pair of buckets to shrink the deficit for Leicester, also converting a bonus shot at the line to make it a five-point contest.

Thompson stepped up again, scoring a lay-up to pull closer and Wright then nailed a three to tie the game for the Riders. The teams then swapped buckets, before an important scoring run from Surrey led by Ray and Adelekun, which pushed them back again by five.

Thompson hit a jumper to move closer, but Jordan Hunt combined with Ray for another pair of jump-shots to make it six. Zach Jackson had a response for Leicester however and his ‘and-1’ play ensured that the visitors only trailed by three heading into half-time.

As the teams returned, Jackson almost immediately tied the game with a triple. Despite James’ pushback, Johnson then earned Leicester the lead with a three of his own. Abercrombie widened the margin at the line, but back came Surrey. Ray nailed efforts from inside and out, while Cholevinskas hit from mid-range, as the ‘niners snatched the lead back.

Surrey piled in the points for a couplemof minutes and when veteran Tayo Ogedengbe scored a two-pointer midway through the third, the hosts led by double-digits. Despite Riley Abercrombie’s efforts, the 89ers continuously edged for a while.

Abercrombie wasn’t done however, he drained a pair of threes in the final minute of the third and when Hunter scored a pair at the charity stripe, the Riders trailed by just one.

Leicester carried that momentum into the fourth quarter, when Thompson and Jackson made lay-ups to earn a three-point lead. Surrey would bite back however, in the form close-range efforts from Cholevinskas and Adelekun, who regained the advantage.

A Ray lay-in created a three-point gap, but Leicester came back swinging. Thompson rose for an impactful dunk and Abercrombie hit from deep to jump ahead yet again.

Ray scored a reverse lay-up to tie the game with three minutes left, subsequently retaking the lead for Surrey at the foul line. Hunter tied the game again with a three, but James and Adelekun then found their way through the paint to move ahead.

Thompson rose again to pull Leicester closer but with just 26 seconds left on the clock, Adelekun found himself at the free-throw line, with a chance to win the game. He split a pair, earning a three-point lead.

Time was running out for Leicester, but they had the man for the job. With 14 seconds remaining Zach Jackson broke free of his defender, before draining a three-pointer to level it.

Surrey weren’t able to respond, missing two consecutive efforts and when the buzzer sounded, this one was tied at 93, with another chance to progress on Sunday’s second leg.

Most Valuable Player: In a tight contest, Jalen Ray’s performance shone through. He logged 28 points, four boards and 11 assists.

Manchester Basketball 72 – 108 London Lions

League-leading London travelled to Manchester’s National Basketball Performance Centre on Friday night.

The hosts knew they had a challenge on their hands, with their opponents recently returning to their formidable best. Manchester made the brightest start however, responding to Michael Brisker opening the scoring with a 5-0 run to create an early lead.

Elijah Ifejeh was aggressive from the start, carving through the paint for a lay-up and hitting a free-throw to extend the advantage. Jaiden Delaire pushed back for London, with a make from close range, but Manchester swiftly responded with another run led by Donovan Mitchell and Makai Ashton-Langford to go ahead by six.

Brisker was joined by Ovie Soko, as a scoring run pulled them to within three. However, when Zak Irvin pulled up from mid-range with just over a minute left in the first quarter, Manchester led by five.

Alen Hadzibegovic stepped up from the bench for a contested lay-up and a floater as the second period began. Manchester didn’t seem too shaken however, Irvin scored from close range and Dubose quickly did the same, holding onto the Manchester lead.

Also from the second unit, Tanner Stuckman hit a pair of shots to chip away at the deficit. Mitchell scored from the charity stripe to create their game-best seven-point advantage, but that seemed to wake a sleeping beast. Two quick makes from Soko and a smoothy lay-up from Aaryn Rai tied the game with three minutes until half-time.

Lions were in full flow, punctuated by a pair of threes from Brisker and Hadzibegovic, which regained and extended the London lead. The latter then finished an alley-oop jam to pull ahead by eight. Moments before the break, Stuckman confidently hit a jumper and the visitors were up by double-digits.

Delaire opened the half with a smooth three, carrying the Lions momentum into the third quarter. Tyler Peterson then grabbed the baton, recording seven consecutive points for the league-leaders. Brisker added a three moments later, as London appeared increasingly more comfortable.

The Manchester defence were out of sorts, which Aaryn Rai took advantage of with a string of makes from deep. London frustrated the hosts with effective ball movement and swarming defence, as they raced ahead by 20 points.

In the final minute of the third, Stuckman opened up a 25-point chasm with another three. Leaving it to Nathan Cayo to convert an ‘and-1’ and limit it to 22, heading into the final instalment.

It didn’t get any easier for Manchester as play resumed. Soko, Stuckman and Ciaran Sandy widened the margin to 28 with a run of points in the paint. Hadzibegovic added to the pain a minute later, pulling ahead by 30.

As the quarter developed, Manchester seemed desperate for this one to end. They were overwhelmingly out-rebounded by the visitors, who impressed with an excellent 57% from 19 three-point attempts.

Delaire scored multiple buckets down the stretch, even opening the lead to a gargantuan 45 points. Manchester worked to reduce that deficit, but when the buzzer sounded, they had fallen by a considerable 36-point margin, as the Lions solidify their positive atop the table.

Most Valuable Player: Alen Hadzibegovic made a huge impact from the bench, recording 16 points, eight rebounds and three assists to headline an excellent London road-trip.

Leicester Riders 86 – 90 Surrey 89ers

Leicester and Surrey tipped off Sunday’s second-leg action. With a place in the SLB Cup Final on the line, the teams were deadlocked at 93 each on aggregate.

Having rallied from behind in the first leg, Leicester held the momentum and home-court advantage heading into this one. It certainly showed, when Charles Thompson opened scoring with a driving lay-up, before Jaylin Hunter converted on an ‘and-1’ play, creating an early Leicester lead.

Nedas Cholevinskas then drove the lane for two and Jalen Ray split a pair of free-throws to tie the game. The Riders pushed back though, with Riley Abercrombie scoring a pair of jumpers from inside and out to reestablish the lead for Rob Paternostro’s team.

Cholevinskas offered resistance for Surrey, but Leicester were in full-flow. Abercrombie and Hunter scored from close range to sustain the hosts’ lead, followed by a physical play from Charles Thompson, who drew a foul on a successful lay and hit at the line, earning Leicester a four-point advantage at the first break.

As play resumed, both teams shared the offensive load, trading buckets and punishing each other in transition. Leicester held onto their lead until midway through the quarter, when Cameron Gooden scored a pair of buckets and Mervin James scored two to tie the game.

A game of cat-and-mouse then unfolded, with Surrey answered every Leicester go-ahead bucket with a tying two-pointer of their own. Contributing from the bench, Tayo Ogedengbe drove for an easy look to the 89ers ahead.

Abercrombie hit back with contested three to move ahead, but Jalen Ray did the same to leapfrog the home side. Ray then sliced through the lane for two more buckets, widening the margin as the quarter developed.

Zach Jackson made some key plays for Leicester just before the half-time break, evening taking the lead with a hook-shot and a successful trip to the line. Moments later Abercrombie did the same, but Surrey enjoyed a crucial run, scoring eight points in a minute before half-time, through James and Jordan Hunt threes.

When Gooden scored an easy two at the end of the half, the ‘niners found themselves ahead by seven.

Gooden continued the impressive offence right after the break, stepping back for a deep jumper to move Surrey in front by nine. Despite Jackson’s efforts, Leicester couldn’t seem to chip away at the deficit as the quarter ticked away and with three minutes left in the period, Gooden created a double-digit advantage, before Hunt grew it to 12 with a mid-range jumper.

Leicester would not quit. Thompson pounded the paint, while Hunter drove relentlessly and when the latter drained a pair from the stripe, the Riders trailed by just four.

Cholevinskas nailed a big shot from beyond the arc as the final quarter opened, but was met by a highly-resilient Hunter, who sank a triple before a smooth lay-up, moving Leicester to within two. A minute later, Abercrombie made it a one-point game, with an assured slam.

Midway through the period, the difference-making three point efforts started falling for Surrey. Cholevinskas scored a pair from deep within a minute, stretching the 89ers advantage to seven.

When they needed him, Leicester called upon a proven winner in Jackson, who kept his team within striking distance with a trey of his own.

Mervin James made a turnaround jumper to push Surrey back ahead by six, but Jackson wasn’t done. The American forward absorbed two fouls and earned two trips to the line within a minute, pulling the home team to within two.

With a spot in the Cup Final still up for grabs, Leicester couldn’t quite do enough. A frustrating turnover cost them a chance to tie the game and when Hunt was sent to ice the game at the line, he did exactly that.

At the buzzer, Surrey had secured a 4-point upset, in both this game and the overall tie. The win takes them to the Motorpoint Arena on the 9th of March, where they would face either Sheffield or Bristol.

Most Valuable Player: Cameron Gooden starred for Surrey, pushing them to victory with 19 points, five boards and eight dishes.

B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 66 – 63 Bristol Flyers

Sheffield carried a 24-point aggregate lead into the Canon Medical Arena on Sunday afternoon. Bristol had quite the job on their hands, as they looked to mount a remarkable comeback.

Evan Walshe opened scoring for Bristol, making consecutive lay-ups to earn an early advantage. Kendall Lewis then drained a three to stretch the lead to five. Following an incredible display two days prior, Prentiss Nixon hit back with a jumper to push back, before Jordan Ratinho tied the game with a three-point bomb.

Donovan Clay then scored from close range, as the Sharks raced ahead, but was met by Walshe, who hit from beyond the arc to pull to within a single point. Keddy Johnson tied the game once more by splitting a pair of free-throws and Walshe then continued his hot streak, pulling up from three to hold the slim Bristol lead.

Johnson enjoyed a trip to the line at the end of the opening quarter, scoring three points to end the period six points ahead.

The Sharks fought back to begin the second; Donovan Clay cut through the lane for a jam and Nixon let it fly from three-point land to pull to within four. Johnson and Demond Robinson hit back with a couple of J’s, but Sheffield weren’t done. Clay and Jamell Anderson hit on consecutive possessions to reduce the deficit to two.

Bristol worked to hold off a stubborn team, with Lewis scored five-unanswered points to catapult Andreas Kapoulas’ team further ahead. Drake Jeffries drained two deep efforts to cancel out the Flyers comeback, but when Alain Louis hit a lay-up on the brink of half-time, the resurgent visitors lead by seven.

Lewis continued his offensive onslaught as the third quarter began, pushed the Flyers ahead by nine. Sheffield refused to let things get out of hand, as Rickey McGill made shots from the line and three-point territory to move to within two.

A rough few minutes for both teams then unfolded on the offensive end, until Lewis stepped up again, scoring to widen the margin slightly. But Sheffield came back swinging; McGill and Clay hit from close range, followed by another pair of McGill free-throws to tie the clash.

The Sharks then built on their lead, converting at the line to move ahead by four. Keddy Johnson then carved through the paint to claw Bristol back within two points, but at the end of third, Sheffield had one foot in the Final.

Refusing to give up, Lewis tied the game with a crafty lay-in at the beginning of the final instalment. Bristol just couldn’t stop the Sharks however; Anderson hit a three and Scottie Lindsey converted at the line to open up an eight-point differential for the hosts.

Johnson and Lewis combined for a 6-0 run for Bristol to move within two points, but he does so often, Nixon hit back to bolster the Sheffield lead. At this point, a dispirited Bristol ran out of gas, as Lindsey and McGill made this one insurmountable.

When the buzzer went off, Atiba Lyons’ team had edged the game but run away with the tie. They overwhelmed Bristol, securing a 27-point aggregate victory and booking their ticket to face Surrey at the SLB Cup Final in Nottingham.

Most Valuable Player: Rickey McGill played a major role in Sheffield’s W, adding five boards and three rebounds to his 17-point scoring display.

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