On Friday, the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks took on Newcastle Eagles in their sixth match of the 2022/23 season.
The teams last met on 25th March in a match that saw the Sharks take home the win with a 20-point lead. Since then, the Newcastle Eagles have changed all but two of their squad members.
The team are learning from each match as they look to perfect their roster.
Picking up the pace in the third quarter, the Sharks won 66-59, sealing their sixth victory in a row against the Eagles.
The match was the Shark’s second win of the season, bringing the South Yorkshire team up to fifth in the BBL Championship.
From the start of the game, it was clear that the new Eagles side has potential. However,
fortunately for the Sharks, Bennett Koch dominated the third and fourth quarters, and the Eagles’ fans left the Tank disappointed.
The scoreboard at 15-15 after the first quarter summed up the events of the first half.
Hensey Sako netted his first basket for the Sheffield Sharks, but neither side could fully break the other’s defence.
After the second quarter, the Eagles finished holding a one-point lead as the board showed 30-31. However, an impressive period of paint domination from Bennett Koch saw him score 13 of the Sharks’ points in that quarter.
The victory for the Sharks appeared to be won in the third quarter as Jordan Ratinho scored a three-pointer for the home side and the team scored the last six points of the third.
Javion Ogunyemi was also lucky enough to earn his first points of the season as he and Ratinho brought the third quarter to a close with the scoreboard at 49-41 to the Sheffield Sharks.
In the final period, the Newcastle Eagles hoped to reduce the Shark’s twelve-point lead, with Darius Defoe and Hamlet bringing the score to 57-50 but Sa’eed Nelson scored another three-pointer for Sheffield, denying the Eagles’ chances.
The damage was done for the Eagles, who have now lost all of their games so far this season in their worst start for almost 30 years in the BBL Championship.
Free throws from Kipper Nichols finalised the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks’ victory, and the final score totalled 66-59.
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Starting fives:
Sheffield Sharks: Nelson, Nichols, Ratinho, Glasgow Jr, Koch.
Newcastle Eagles: Hamlet, Varner, Defoe, Kennedy, Cohn.
