Sheffield Sharks blow late, 15-point lead but Sheffield Hatters and Bradford Dragons are victorious

“It’s tough to win on the road in this league,” Atiba Lyons told The Yorkshire Post in the build-up to the game and he will be kicking himself that his team could not close out victory in Bristol.

Leading 19-10 after the first quarter and 50-41 after the third, Sharks moved 15 points clear at the start of the final 10-minute period on a Parker Stewart three-pointer before allowing the Flyers to score 25 points to tie the scores at 66 at the end of regulation.

With the momentum firmly behind them, Bristol edged out the shellshocked Sharks in overtime, claiming a narrow 78-76 victory.

The defeat drops Sheffield to a 9-7 record, a week after they had beaten the Flyers in their home arena. Centre Bennett Koch top-scored for the Sharks in Bristol with 15 points, while Kipper Nichols added 13 points and Jordan Ratinho and Prentiss Nixon 11 apiece.

Rodney Glasgow Jnr logged 13 minutes of gametime and Marcus Delpeche 11 as they continued their recovery from injury.

In the Women’s British Basketball League, Sheffield Hatters made it three wins from four with a thumping 92-54 victory at Cardiff Met Archers.

Hatters had five players tally double-figures in scoring, led by Shauna Harrison (18), Emma Eichmeyer (17) and Georgia Gayle (14). Both Sharks and Hatters are next in action on Sunday, December 10, in a double-header at the Canon Medical Arena.

In National League Division One, Bradford Dragons beat Worthing Thunder 85-81 after overtime.