'Keeps his nerve' - Atiba Lyons hails Sheffield Sharks' gamewinner in double-overtime thriller
Patterson steals the show but defensive strength also key for Sharks
Atiba Lyons has hailed the ice-cool demeanour of late summer signing Lu’Cye Patterson after he stole the show in Sheffield Sharks’ dramatic double-overtime victory over Cheshire Phoenix on Sunday.
Jordan Ratinho with valuable threes and good defence, plus long shifts from Donovan Clay, Adrian Delph and Sean Bairstow all contributed to a fourth win of the Super League Basketball season, but it was Patterson who grabbed the headlines.
His two free throws capped a fourth–quarter comeback to send the game into overtime and then his driving lay-up forced a second extra five minutes before two free throws sealed the win.
Patterson - a 24-year-old guard from Minnesota who only arrived on the Sharks’ roster two days before their first game in late September - had 24 points overall and seven of Sheffield’s 11 points in overtime.
Lyons said: “He’s brought what I hoped he would but he’s definitely got a great demeanour and a great presence down the stretch of a game, especially one like that.
“He keeps his nerve, he plays and composes himself well and for that, he’s definitely exceeded my expectations.”
The win keeps Sheffield’s head above the .500 mark at a 4-3 (win-loss) record although Lyons knows full-well the Sharks were one missed basket here or there from losing a key game in front of their own fans at the Canon Medical Arena.
“That’s sport, you’re always one ball falling away from being a good or a bad team, or having a good or a bad season. That’s why we love it,” he said.
“It was definitely a battle, they’re obviously a strong team and playing well at the moment so it was a good win for us to pick up.”