'It's happening too often': Drake Jeffries identifies Sheffield Sharks' key deficiency in SLB

With a 23-point lead at Cheshire Phoenix midway through the second quarter on Sunday, Sharks were on their way to a memorable two-win weekend having won at Leicester Riders two nights earlier.

But point by point, Cheshire clawed their way back, taking the lead in the fourth quarter and winning the game by a point after Rodney Chatman III missed the second of two free throw attempts - although the point guard was the Sharks’ top scorer on the night with 23 points.

Third-year pro and summer recruit Jeffries contributed eight points but admitted: “we’ve got to find ways of closing games out. That’s happened to us too many times this year. I vividly remember the first game up at Newcastle, they came on a run, then Cheshire at home two days later, we’re up and they came on a run.

“It’s happening too many times and we can’t keep allowing it if we want to be a championship-winning team.”

Worryingly it has happened twice now against Cheshire.

“You never think it’s in the bag against anyone,” said the University of Wyoming graduate, “especially not with that Cheshire team because they’re a team that can get it going at any time, they turn up the pressure defensively and we struggled with that and got away from our game.

“You can feel it when it’s happening, you just need to be better in staying together as a team, making sure you’re not turning the ball over and are still getting stops.

“Do what we do best, that’s play defence and be disciplined.”

The split weekend mirrors Sharks’ season so far, a 2-2 (win-loss) record in the Championship following a 4-4 outcome in the SLB Trophy group stage. If squandering leads is becoming an Achilles heel, how do Sheffield – trophyless since 2016 - combat it?

“You can’t really work on it, it’s hard to replicate in practice, but it’s a mindset thing,” said Jeffries, 25, as they at least get a week of training in which Mike Ochereobia is back after the birth of his child alongside Jamell Anderson following a twisted ankle and five minutes against Cheshire.

“Mentally we just need to realise when things are going south and reel it in and get better.”