BBL Cup Semi-Final Preview: Riders @ Sharks
Cup fever comes to Sheffield this Friday night as the Sheffield Sharks take on the Leicester Riders in the semi-final first leg with a place at the NIA Birmingham on 13th January beckoning. The two sides have had markedly different campaigns so far and it remains to be seen whether the cup format provides an added incentive to either team.
At the upper end of the spectrum, Leicester sit proudly at the top of the BBL Championship having lost a solitary game all season. Their 11-1 record commenced with a 71-55 win over the Sharks on the opening day of the season and the Midlanders haven’t looked back since.
The leading scorer from that night, John Fraley has had his season curtailed through injury but the Riders appear to have found a more than able replacement in the shape of recent recruit from Plymouth, Anthony Rowe. Forward Rowe contributed 21 points on debut in Leicester’s 91-68 win over the Durham Wildcats and looks tailor-made to replace American Centre Fraley, who was contributing a healthy 17.4ppg and 12.4rpg before injury.
Another Rider who has stepped up to the mark since the departure of Fraley is 6’ 8” Slovak, Pavol Losonsky. He led the way with 22 points against Durham and has provided valuable frontcourt presence in recent fixtures. Leicester can also turn to the invaluable experience of 42-cap GB skipper Drew Sullivan and 18-year BBL veteran Yorick Williams, so it is clear to see why Coach Rob Paternostro’s men are setting the pace this season. Rookie New York-born Point Guard Zaire Taylor has become the driving force for the Riders in recent weeks and with such a hot run of form, Leicester would appear to be favourites in the aggregate two leg format.
The Sharks will be hoping that Championship form counts for little as they look to overturn the high-flying Riders. Last Friday saw a disappointing defeat at home to the Plymouth Raiders, where the Sharks matched the men in green for three quarters only to fade badly in the fourth. Saturday saw a vastly improved performance on the road at Worcester although the outcome was the same; this time a narrow 68-71 defeat. Consistency appears to be the key. New Jersey native Gage Daye took the plaudits in the Plymouth defeat with a game-high 27 points, backed up by experienced bigs Olu Babalola (16) and Mike Tuck (14).
The following night, fellow American Micah Williams led the way with 17, Daye backing him up with 10 points. Supporting contributions from the bench have been scarce and it is here that Sharks problems lie. New recruit Demetrius Jemison gained more minutes under his belt over the weekend and will now have an idea what is expected of him in the BBL. One boon to the Sharks is their form in the BBL Cup so far this season. Their last outing in the competition saw a dramatic 72-71 win over the Glasgow Rocks and it is that kind of form against high-profile opponents (the likes of GB international Kieron Achara for instance) that the Sheffield side will need in abundance to gain an aggregate win over Leicester and reach the final. A large following from Leicester will make the journey up to Sheffield and the Sharks faithful will need to be in fine voice to inspire their team to further success.
For game tickets go to sharksbasketball.co.uk and click on ‘Shop’. Tip-off is 7.30pm this coming Friday 30th November at the English Institute of Sport, Coleridge Road, Sheffield and the game is being recorded for televising on Sky Sports on Tuesday 4th December.
For game tweets follow @billybadknees
