Game Report: B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 88-78 Bristol Flyers

In a battle between fourth and fifth, the B.Braun Sheffield Sharks protected their home court in the British Basketball League defeating the Bristol Flyers 88-78.

With this win, the Sharks improved to a record of 9-6, while the Flyers dropped to 8-8.

Starting Five:

Sheffield Sharks starting five: Devearl Ramsey, Jalon Pipkins, Kipper Nichols, Jordan Ratinho, Bennett Koch 

Bristol Flyers starting five: Tevin Olison, Trejon Jacob, Cj Jackson, Rowell Graham-Bell, Brad Greene

First Half:

The game started with the two teams neck and neck, exchanging baskets for the first five minutes.

A three-pointer from the elbow by Cj Jackson gave Bristol a slim 15-10 lead.

As the quarter progressed, the visitors extended their lead to double-digits when Tevin Olison laid the ball in following a eurostep.

Two free throws by Raphell Thomas-Edwards gave the Flyers a 27-15 cushion, their largest lead of the period.

The second quarter started similarly to how the first had ended, with Bristol extending their advantage to a game-high 14 points (17-31), after Leslee Smith found Thomas-Edwards all alone under the basket for the easy dunk.

This forced Coach Lyons into a quick timeout, which seemed to rejuvenate his team, going on a 16-2 run in the following five minutes, to tie the game at 33-33.

Sheffield’s excellent ball movement and patience on offence, coupled with their pressure on defence allowed them to bring themselves back into the game.

The hosts then took the lead when Rodney Glasgow Jr drained the triple on his return from injury.

The American guard put on a show for the home crowd, converting from downtown for a third time, leading his team with 13 points as they took a 44-40 lead going into the break.

Second Half:

The start of the second half saw Glasgow Jr pick up where he left off, hitting a mid-range jumper off the screen.

A side-step three by Devearl Ramsey was countered by an and-one from Smith, keeping the score tight at 55-51 with just under five left to play in the third.

That’s when the Sharks started to pull away, going on a 12-0 run, giving them their largest lead of the game at 67-51, when Marcus Delpeche laid the ball in.

The hosts went into the final 10 minutes firmly in control, up 69-55.

Bristol hadn’t given up the fight however and came out in the fourth quarter swinging.

The visitors went on a 9-4 run, closing the gap to seven (71-64), when Brad Greene converted a wide open layup following Trejon Jacob’s point perfect pass.

Just as it seemed like the Flyers were going to push on and pile on the pressure on their opponents, the Sharks found ways to keep scoring, with Kipper Nichols putting the icing on the cake following a crossover three (86-74).

Jalon Pipkins saved the best ‘till last, providing the game’s highlight with a reverse dunk to form the final score 88-78.

Player of the Game:

Tonight’s Player of the Game was Rodney Glasgow Jr. The Sheffield Sharks guard came off the bench following a lengthy spell out with injury and in 21 minutes of action scored 17 points, grabbed three rebounds and dished out three assists.

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