They may not be humming like they were a month ago but Sheffield Sharks’ grit and a developing siege mentality is keeping them alive in the Super League Basketball title fight.

Five Sundays ago they were celebrating a 10th win in a row in the SLB Cup final in Nottingham and a first trophy in nine years.

A week later, a defeat at Surrey 89ers prompted a tirade of tweets against a referee from club owner Vaughn Millette that sparked a race row in the sport and forced the referees on strike.

Back in the Sharks’ Canon Medical Arena for the first time since, the refs were given the treatment by the home fans while head coach Atiba Lyons managed to sit on his hands - some of the time - in a nerve-jangling 90-79 win over Newcastle Eagles on Sunday.

Jamell Anderson rises to make a basket for Sheffield Sharks against Newcastle Eagles (Picture: Adam Bates)

It leaves Sharks - beaten 100-95 in overtime by Leicester Riders on Friday night to drop to 5-5 since the Cup final victory - still with a sniff of the title.

With two trips to Caledonia Gladiators to come and two visits from London Lions on Good Friday and Sunday, April 27, they need to win all four games and get help from elsewhere to be crowned champions.

It had the makings of a bad day at the office by the way Donovan Clay was unable to convert on three opportunities following his trademark bulldozing run to the basket.

Six points adrift a shade into the second quarter, Sharks needed someone to step up and it would be two of their former Newcastle Eagles players who did so.

Sheffield Sharks head coach Atiba Lyons during the game with Newcastle Eagles (PIcture: Adam Bates)

Reliable captain Rodney Glasgow Jnr had eight points in the second quarter while his fellow former Eagle, Rickey McGill scored 11 points in a row to help Sharks establish a 48-39 half-time lead.

Newcastle fought back in the third, primarily when McGill and his fellow conjurer-in-chief Prentiss Nixon were on the sidelines, but when they returned they helped Sharks cling to a two-point lead going into the fourth, a Nixon fast-break and ally-oop assist to Jacob Groves flying in off the wing, after McGill had done the same for James Reese, the obvious highlights.

Groves (19 points) gave Sharks a seven-point lead past the halfway mark of the final quarter and their defensive rebounding and stealing ensured they kept Newcastle - who had become the first British men’s team to reach a European final earlier in the week - at bay.

Earlier in the day, Sheffield Hatters beat Newcastle Eagles 111-106 in the highest-scoring game in women’s league history.

Sheffield Sharks' new siege mentality edges out Newcastle Eagles to keep SLB title hopes alive