BBL: Victory for Sharks over Giants

One Health Sharks Sheffield moved themselves into seventh position on their own in the BBL Championship table thanks to a 94-87 victory over the Manchester Giants at the EIS, Sheffield on Friday evening.

The visitors started the game strongly and a David Aliu basket midway through the opening period allowed the Giants to open up a 6-13 lead.

The Giants managed to keep themselves on top of their hosts for the remainder of the period, but baskets from BJ Holmes and Nick Lewis inside the final minute of the opening quarter helped the Sharks reduce the deficit back to just two points at 21-23 at the end of the opening stanza.

In the second quarter, back-to-back three-pointers from James Jones and David Watts helped the Giants extend their advantage out to 26-31, but the Sharks stormed back into the contest as they rattled off a 17-4 tear to overhaul their opponents and take the score out to 43-35 inside the final minute of the half.

A Nicholas George free-throw for the Giants was the final action of the first half as the teams headed into the locker room with the home side on top 43-36 at the half.

In the second half, a Jones three-pointer brought the visitors back to within four points at 45-41 early in the third period, but that was as close as they would get for the remainder of the quarter as the Sharks continue to edge themselves in front and a 10-4 burst from the home side helped them take the score out to 67-54, and despite Jones’s three-pointer for the visitors, Mike Tuck’s basket at the end of the period saw the Sharks take a 69-57 lead into the final stanza.

In the final quarter, the Sharks kept their foot on the gas for as long as possible as a Lewis basket opened up a 13 point lead at 73-60, but another Jones three-pointer trimmed the deficit back to eight points at 73-65.

The Sharks kept their noses in front for the remainder of the quarter and despite the Giants getting back to within seven points at 94-87 inside the final minute of the game, but it wasn’t enough as the Sharks held on for the all-important victory.

Tuck led all scorers in the game with 22 points for the Sharks, while James Jones led the Giants with 20 points personal.