Eight of the nine Super League Basketball teams took to the court in the final round of games of 2025, as teams looked to head into the new year on a high note.
Caledonia Gladiators 75-88 Manchester Basketball
The Manchester Basketball secured an important 88-75 win over the Caledonia Gladiators at the Playsport Arena to end the year on a high note.
Looking to bounce back after their loss to the Cheshire Phoenix over the weekend, Manchester opened the game with intensity and took an early lead thanks to their strong defence in the paint. The visitors then stayed in control of proceedings, taking a 16-point lead into the break.
However, the Gladiators fought their way back into the game inside the third quarter, cutting their deficit to just four points at the start of the fourth quarter, but Manchester were ultimately able to hold onto their lead to claim an important win.
Matthew Nicholson had a perfect night from the field, making all of his three shots on his way to a 10-point, 11-rebound and three blocks double-double. Meanwhile, Max Jones had a team-high 19 points in the win.
Despite Dwaine Jones Jr.’s 19 points effort, the Gladiators were unable to claim a second straight win in front of their home crowd.
Player of the game: Matthew Nicholson (Manchester Basketball)
Surrey 89ers 82-88 Newcastle Eagles
The Newcastle Eagles secured an important 88-82 win over rivals the Surrey 89ers at the Surrey Sports Park, extending their advantage to two more wins in the standings.
After a tough start, the Niners stormed out in the second quarter, edging ahead by just two points at the break. However, a strong display from the Eagles in the final period helped them secure an important win, their sixth of the campaign.
Emmanuel Kanwei had a perfect night from the field, scoring 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting for Newcastle, while Mitch Clarke led his side with 17 points.
For the Niners, Kino Lily Jr. delivered another solid performance with a team-high 18 points, however, it was Michael Graham’s 16-point, 16-rebound performance that caught the eye; unfortunately, it was not enough to avoid defeat.
Player of the game: Emmanuel Kanwei (Newcastle Eagles)
Leicester Riders 85-73 Bristol Flyers
The Leicester Riders cruised to a comfortable 85-73 home victory against the Bristol Flyers at the Mattioli Arena, ending the year on a high note.
An impressive run to end the first quarter helped the Riders take an early double-digit lead, which they carried into halftime. The hosts then kept control in the second half, comfortably seeing out the game despite a late surge from the Flyers to claim their sixth win if the season.
Raequan Battle, the league leader in average points, delivered another solid performance to lead his side to victory with a 17-point, eight-rebound outing; however, it was Marc Loving who led the Riders in scoring with 18 points.
For Bristol, Jonathan Brown had a team-high 14 points off the bench while Owen McCormack scored 13 points in the loss.
Player of the game: Raequan Battle (Leicester Riders)
B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 101-97 Cheshire Phoenix
Fuelled by Mervin James’ stellar performance (32 points, 14 rebounds), the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks came back from a 12-point deficit to defeat the Cheshire Phoenix 101-97 at the Canon Medical Arena.
The Nix, who were coming off a dominant win over Manchester, opened the game in strongly as they took control early. However, the momentum completely shifted in the second quarter, with the hosts taking over in front of a sell-out crowd.
Nonetheless, the Nix were able to hold onto their lead, setting up a thrilling second half. Ultimately, Atiba Lyons’ team produced an impressive collective performance, led by the duo of Mervin James and Dirk Williams to claim the win and perfectly end the year at home.
Dirk Williams scored 22 points in the win, while Prentiss Nixon and William Lee both added 14 points off the bench for Sheffield. Despite the efforts of Skyler White (27 points, seven rebounds) and Tobias Cameron (22 points), it was not enough to get Cheshire over the line.
Player of the game: Mervin James (B.Braun Sheffield Sharks)
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