Surrey Scorchers pulled off an impressive 91-71 win against the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks to start their British Basketball League Trophy campaign with a bang.
Saiquan Jamison impressed with a season-high 18 points off the bench, stepping into the Scorchers’ lineup after Jordan Hunt went down injured on the game’s first play to lead the hosts to the victory. He followed Abdul Mohamed, who scored 16 in the first half.
The Sharks struggled for offensive rhythm throughout Head Coach Atiba Lyons’ 700th game with the club. They shot 38% from the field and 21% from three, despite Bennet Koch and Devearl Ramsey both putting up 17 points.
The win puts the Scorchers joint-top of Group A with the Cheshire Phoenix following their overtime road victory against the Caledonia Gladiators last night.
Starting Five:
Surrey Scorchers: Abdul Mohamed, Cameron Gooden, Padiet Wang, Jordan Hunt, Justin Robinson
B. Braun Sheffield Sharks: Devearl Ramsey, Prentiss Nixon, Kipper Nichols, Jordan Ratinho, Bennett Koch
First Half
The game began in an unfortunate manner as Surrey’s Jordan Hunt suffered an injury to his leg on the first play, which saw him out of the game. The New Zealand-born forward was applauded by both teams and fans as he exited the court and the Scorchers have since confirmed that Hunt is receiving medical attention in hospital. We wish him the very best in his recovery.
After the game restarted, the Sharks made the first highlight of the game with an emphatic dunk by Kipper Nichols. The American wing slashed to the hoop, took off on one leg and jammed it in one-handed over Jamison. Nichols led the Sharks with six points to open the game, tying the score at 11.
It was the hosts who built the first significant lead, however, created by the hands of the sharpshooting Abdul Mohamed. He owned the early stages with a 3-3 start from behind the arc, and the Scorchers made it 19-11.
Luke Okosieme then made a highlight of his own for Surrey. He was challenged at the rim by the high-flying Jalon Pipkins, but the former high-jumper met Pipkins’ in the sky and sent his attempted poster back with a monster block.
As Okosieme stamped his authority at the rim, the Scorchers stamped theirs on the game. Sheffield had no answer for Surrey’s second unit, which accumulated 15 first-quarter bench points. Surrey led 30-19 after one.
Following the restart, it was 38-23 three minutes into the second, thanks to an and-one play from Mohamed. He drew a foul from Nichols, who was lured into the air by a pump fake, and finished at the hoop.
In contrast to Mohamed’s hot start from deep, the Sharks started 1-7. Ramsey made their first triple in the second quarter to cut the deficit to 38-28.
Pipkins exploded for his second electric play of the night at the midpoint of the second quarter. On the fastbreak, he rose high to throw down Rodney Glasgow Jr’s lob pass to make the score 42-31.
Following up his teammate, fifth-year Shark Koch went to battle with Okosieme in the post. The Sheffield star earned trips to the foul line on three straight possessions after battling the young brit, using his experience to draw contact. Koch took over the game to log 13 first-half points.
Despite the big man’s play, Sheffield could not breach Surrey’s double-digit lead in the second quarter. With 43 seconds remaining in the quarter, Mohamed ran the break to throw down a two-handed slam and snatch back momentum. The Canadian led the game with 16 in the first half, which ended 53-39.
Second Half
Jamison took the initiative to start the second half to log eight points in five minutes. He found success rolling to the rim following double teams at the perimeter, bringing his game tally to 16 by the midway point in the quarter.
On the other end, Ramsey’s offence for Sheffield kept the scoreboard ticking over. However, turnovers cost the Sharks, and the Scorchers remained in control. Koch was called for his second travel of the third with 5:00 left in the third, with Surrey leading 63-45.
Jamison then made his impact felt on the defensive end, helping from the weak side to block Jordan Ratinho at the rim. He muscled for the rebound on the following miss from Koch to close the possession.
With 2:11 remaining, two-time British Basketball League MVP Justin Robinson made it a 20-point Surrey lead with a pair of foul shots, making the score 67-47.
Sheffield did close the quarter the stronger of the two sides, Ratinho sinking a three followed by Glasgow Jr’s fastbreak two to chip into their deficit. But the Scorchers entered the fourth in full control, up 70-54.
As Sheffield looked to pull off an improbable fourth-quarter comeback, Okosieme had other ideas. Nichols was next to take on the challenge against the towering center, after his teammate Pipkins was denied earlier in the game, driving baseline and rising high. But he was met by the big man who swatted it away with authority.
Okosieme made the paint his own to start the fourth. Nichols drove to the hoop again a minute later, on this occasion thinking better of attempting a throw down. But Okosieme extended his arm and sent Nichol’s floater back for his fourth block.
But despite the interior threat of Okosieme, the Sharks cut the game to 11. Ratinho knocked down another three to conclude an 8-3 run and make the score 77-66.
Padiet Wang was the man who found the Scorchers’ response. His deep three stopped the visitor’s burst of momentum, just as Surrey’s offence had stalled. Wang then got to work on the next play, weaving to the rim and dropping off a pass to Jamison, who made an easy two.
Wang’s late efforts brought his game log to 11 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. He led the burst of Scorchers offence that gave them enough of a platform to see the game out, and they moved to 1-0 in Group A.
Player of the Game
Saiquan Jamison was named Player of the Game for his game-leading 18 points and 10 rebounds, going 9-12 from the field in a double-double performance. His efforts set the tone in the paint, and led Surrey’s second-half charge.
| Team | Player | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Surrey Scorchers | Saiquan Jamison | 18 | 10 | 1 |
| Surrey Scorchers | Abdul Mohamed | 18 | 3 | 2 |
| B. Braun Sheffield Sharks | Bennet Koch | 17 | 10 | 1 |
| B. Braun Sheffield Sharks | Devearl Ramsey | 17 | 5 | 3 |
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