Sharks & Phoenix have perfect week; wins for Lions, Riders, Flyers

It was a winning week for the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks and Cheshire Phoenix as they secured two big wins in the latest round of SLB Trophy games.

In an action-packed week, the London Lions, Leicester Riders, and Bristol Flyers also won.

London Lions 76-65 Bristol Flyers

The third time was indeed the charm for the London Lions, who won their first game of the season 76-65 over the Bristol Flyers on Friday at the CopperBox Arena.

The win column finally ticked as London improved to 1-2 in the South Group, but it was by no means straightforward. The game was scrappy and hard-fought and, at times, almost resembled a battle that you would witness in the post-season.

A close first quarter was blown open by the hosts in the second period, as a 14-2 spurt gave them a 24-17 lead with just under four minutes to play.

Bristol mounted a comeback to narrow the gap after three, but London answered when it mattered, accelerating away for good in the final stretch.

Lions’ Jaiden Delaire was a problem all night for the Flyers, posting an impressive double-double of 23 points and 12 rebounds to lead the home side. He was ably supported by Ovie Soko’s 14 points and 11 boards.

Demond Robinson led Bristol with 20 points and eight rebounds, and they improved to 2-2 in the South Group.

MVP: Jaiden Delaire (London Lions)

Newcastle Eagles 69-90 Cheshire Phoenix

Cheshire Phoenix are getting used to leaving their mark, and Friday’s 90-69 hammering of a strong Newcastle Eagles side on Tyneside was yet another calling card left behind for the other teams.

It took a while for the Phoenix to get going. Without the services of head coach Ben Thomas, James Brice took the reigns, and with him holding the fort, the Cheshire players responded viciously.

A 30-15 fourth-quarter ambush was the ultimate game-changer in an otherwise closely fought encounter, as Cheshire ran rampant over a shellshocked Eagles team, who had initially fought back from an 11-point deficit in the second.

Responding superbly, Newcastle had narrowed matters to a one-possession game at one point. That was until the fourth quarter when the Phoenix moved up a gear and raced away, improving to 4-1 in the North Group.

Cameron Christon led the winners with 18 points, supported by Cameron Holden, who was on triple-double watch with 17 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. TJ Atwood also helped with a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Mike Okauru paced Newcastle with 13 points, but they were let down by poor shooting. They went only 38% from the floor and 3/21 from three-point land. They dropped to 4-2 in the North.

MVP: Cameron Holden (Cheshire Phoenix)

Caledonia Gladiators 80-94 B. Braun Sheffield Sharks

The B. Braun Sheffield Sharks were composed and brutal when it mattered as they dismissed the Caledonia Gladiators 94-80 in East Kilbride on Friday.

Sheffield’s lead peaked at 16 points as they shot an impressive 55% from the field, keeping Caledonia at bay despite the game being close for the first three periods of play.

However, in the fourth, the Sharks smelled blood and pounced on a Gladiators side, clearly fatigued from the FIBA Europe Cup competition 48 hours earlier.

Prentiss Nixon shot 6/13 from the floor for his team-high 19 points. He also grabbed six steals for good measure, helping Sheffield to 3-2 in the North Group.

Ian Dubose led all scorers with 25 points, however Caledonia fell to 2-4 in the North.

MVP: Prentiss Nixon (B.Braun Sheffield Sharks)

Surrey 89ers 75-87 Leicester Riders

Leicester Riders remain the only unbeaten team in the SLB Trophy with a determined performance over the Surrey 89ers on Saturday in Guildford.

Zach Jackson’s 21 points were enough to secure an 87-78 road win to improve the Riders to 3-0 in the South.

However, Leicester had to secure their win the hard way. Following a disastrous first quarter, where they trailed 26-15, they pushed on and gradually narrowed the deficit, and an 8-0 run to start the third, which finally gave them their lead.

From there, the Riders would not relinquish that advantage, with their lead peaking at 13 late on.

Mervin James had 19 for Surrey, who fell to their third straight loss.

MVP: Zach Jackson (Leicester Riders)

Bristol Flyers 108-85 London Lions

Bristol Flyers got early revenge on the London Lions on Sunday as a dynamic duo led them to a convincing 108-85 win at the SGS College Arena.

Trey Tennyson and Jared Sherfield both had 26 points, with the former handing out four assists. Bristol shot an eye-popping 62% from the floor, recovering from a 29-27 first-quarter deficit and turning the game on its head in the second.

From the second quarter onwards, the Flyers took off and never looked back, getting their winning record back to 3-2 and leaving the Lions in hibernation.

Jaiden Delaire led London with 22 points.

MVP: Trey Tennyson (Bristol Flyers)

B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 89-77 Manchester Basketball

The B. Braun Sheffield Sharks made it two wins from the weekend as they brushed aside a winless Manchester Basketball 89-77 at the Canon Medical Arena.

Leading by 32-22 in a frantic first quarter, Sheffield’s pace and energy kept going as they ballooned their lead further as the game wore on, as Manchester’s positive spell came in the final ten.

However, by that point, the Sharks were up 73-50, and the mountain was too high for Callum Jones’ side to climb.

Rodney Chatman shot 53% from the floor as he stuffed the stat sheet with 21 points, six rebounds, six assists, and six steals for the winners.

Nathan Cayo shot 6/12 from the field for his team-high 13 points for Manchester.

MVP: Rodney Chatman (B. Braun Sheffield Sharks)

Cheshire Phoenix 95-74 Caledonia Gladiators  

A 19-1 fourth-quarter blitz lifted the Cheshire Phoenix to a 95-74 win over Caledonia Gladiators at the Ellesmere Ports Sports Village.

Like the Sharks, the Phoenix secured their second win of the week with a dazzling final stretch that changed the complexion of the contest, which had been closely fought until then.

The first half was a game of two quarters. Cheshire got off to a fast start, only for Caledonia to make its run in the second. The game was nicely in the balance heading into the final period, with the Phoenix edging it 69-65.

Then the floodgates opened.

A 19-1 start led to a 26-9 fourth quarter that stunned the Scottish visitors. They ended their week with two defeats, dropping them to 2-5.

Cameron Holden had 20 and 10 rebounds to pace Cheshire, with RJ Eytle-Rock adding 19 as they leap to 5-1 in the North.

MVP: Cameron Holden (Cheshire Phoenix)

You can watch all of the SLB action live and for free on DAZN and follow our social channels for all of the latest content by clicking this link.