The B. Braun Sheffield Sharks earned their first points of the 2023/24 British Basketball League season with a hard-fought win over the Cheshire Phoenix in game week two.
After an opening loss, the Sharks managed to keep an aggressive Cheshire team at bay to take home their first victory.
Cheshire Phoenix starting five: Laquincy
Rideau, Maceo Jack, Aaryn Rai, Cam Holden, Skyler White
B. Braun Sheffield Sharks starting five:
Devearl Ramsey, Terrell Allen, Jalon Pipkins, Jordan Ratinho, Bennett Koch
First Half:
Following their disappointing opening display against Newcastle, the Sharks arrived at Ellesmere Port Sports Village ready for battle, which was evident in their explosive first quarter.
Jalon Pipkins came out flying, draining two early
threes and orchestrating the offence to end the first quarter up 26-12.
The Phoenix found a response in the second
however, with bench forward Cam Christon making an immediate impact with two
consecutive lay-ups, before Maceo Jack threes and Aaryn Rai buckets helped chip
away at Sheffield’s early lead.
Though Cheshire bounced back with a much improved second period, the Sharks did enough to head into the half with a nine-point lead, at 45-36.
After Q2 @SheffieldSharks are still in front but @CheshireNix have cut the gap to 9, do not miss the second half‼️
📺 https://t.co/d6BMQxjNP6#UNBEATABLE #BritishBasketballLeague pic.twitter.com/Os0mWFgl3c
— British Basketball League (@britishbasketm) September 24, 2023
Second Half:
The second half started
in a similar vein, with Pipkins proving difficult to maintain for the Phoenix. The
Texas native scored three consecutive baskets in the opening minutes, putting
an exclamation point on the scoring burst with a crafty up-and-under finish.
Jack and Rai continued to
fight back for the Phoenix, while Christon returned with another make from
beyond the arc.
Sheffield staved off the
pressure through an offensive masterclass from Pipkins, who surpassed his British
Basketball League career high of 22 with fifteen minutes of play remaining.
Despite winning two of three
quarters played and holding Sheffield to just fifteen points in the third, Cheshire
still found themselves trailing 52-60 heading into the fourth.
Sheffield attempted to
slow the pace of the game, as they felt the Phoenix breathing down their neck,
but Cheshire wouldn’t go away.
The increased defensive intensity
forced some ill-advised shots and turnovers from Sheffield, as they tried desperately
to hang on to their advantage.
Devearl Ramey and Skyler White exchanged successive threes with five minutes remaining, ensuring a nervy final stretch for both teams.
Hard-nosed offensive
rebounds and smooth Jack jump-shots shrunk the Sheffield lead to just two with a
couple of minutes to go.
The panicked Sharks display
continued, as they wasted offences through needless travels and misplaced
passes, extending Cheshire multiple lifelines.
The Phoenix couldn’t make
the most of their chance to level the game in the final minute however and
after an unfortunate ‘wedgie’, Sheffield secured the win with an open Jubril
Adekoya lay-up and some level-headed free throws, to properly kickstart their season
with a 75-70 victory.
Tonight’s MVP was Pipkins, who scored 24 points while shooting at an 80% clip from behind the three point line and pulling down four rebounds from the guard position.
Team | Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
Cheshire Phoenix | Maceo Jack | 20 | 5 | 2 |
Cheshire Phoenix | Aaryn Rai | 17 | 9 | 5 |
B. Braun Sheffield Sharks | Jalon Pipkins | 24 | 4 | 1 |
B. Braun Sheffield Sharks | Devearl Ramsey | 18 | 6 | 2 |
With the new season here, you can still get your British Basketball fix by following the League on social media or heading to our YouTube channel to relive all of the best moments from last year