After a disappointing defeat last time out against title rivals Leicester Riders, Sheffield Sharks responded with a comfortable win over Surrey Scorchers in front of the Sky Sports cameras.
Rodney Glasgow Jnr was the star man on the night, scoring 19 points with a season-high efficiency of 29. The Point Guard’s dazzling display was the highlight in a Sharks display which lacked concentration until the final quarter when the Sharks pulled clear of the visitors who sit at the bottom of the BBL table.
In front of a packed Ponds Forge crowd, the home side started slowly with Tayo Ogedengbe providing an early highlight with a slam dunk which saw his side take the lead.
The Sharks twice failed to capitalise from good positions at the end of the first quarter with Bennett Loch missing from the free-throw line which ensured the game was poised at 16-16 at the first buzzer.
After edging in front as the game approached half-time, Scorchers head coach Creon Raftopoulos will have been bitterly disappointed to let the Sharks get back into the game. Two quick scores followed by another two points from the enigmatic Glasgow Jnr made the score 27-27.
But in a final twist, Stanley Davis Jnr netted a sublime three-pointer on the buzzer to give the Scorchers a 35-34 lead going into the break. Davis Jnr, who netted 19 points on the night, was a constant threat for the Sharks and he helped to stretch the southern club’s lead to 34-41 just after the interval.
Falling further behind seemed to kick Atiba Lyons’ side into life with first Jordan Ratinho and then Delpeche scoring in quick succession to put the Sharks in front at 44-41. Cheered on by a raucous home crowd, the home side seemed to re-discover their attacking mojo in the final quarter.
The Scorchers’ intensity began to drop in the final ten minutes, perhaps not helped by the fact they could only name nine players in their squad for the game. Whilst the Sharks subs netted 30 points from the bench, their opposition failed to score a single point from the replacements bench.
Heading into the closing minutes with a thirteen point lead the Sharks showed good game management to run down the clock.
Scorchers were unable to provide a response as the hosts avoided an upset to secure a 77-66 win. Next up for the Sharks is a game on the road in Glasgow on Sunday where they will be looking to keep the pressure on leaders Leicester.
