Rocks @ Sharks: BBL Cup preview

by UK American Sports Fans

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BBL Cup Preview
Friday 2nd November 2012
One Health Sharks Sheffield v Glasgow Rocks

Another tough week for those in Sheffield colours, put into perspective by events that happened on the Eastern Seaboard with ‘superstorm’ Sandy.

Hopefully, with the worst of the weather now over, the members of the Sharks team, with family and friends in the New York and New Jersey areas, can once again turn their attentions to matters on the court and the visit of the Glasgow Rocks in the BBL Cup quarter finals.

The Rocks benefited from a blank weekend as they were able to work on their preparation for the encounter with the Sharks.

Last time out, Glasgow went down by 84-78 away at Surrey Heat to register a 1-3 record and a relatively disappointing ninth position in the BBL Championship. A highlight of that performance was the 27 points accumulated by former West Virginia Tech guard, Donald Robinson and the Scots will be looking for more of the same as they aim to kick-start their season.

The Rocks have already proved themselves to be a capable Cup team with an impressive 88-85 win over Manchester, in which veteran guard EJ Harrison deposited 27 points, closely followed by Great Britain forward Kieron Achara, who weighed in with 18.

Coach Davis clearly has some talent at his disposal and will continue in the belief that his side will eventually light up their impressive new Emirates Arena home venue.

Another disappointing night for the Sharks last Saturday as they went down by 82-66 at Worcester Wolves.

Their 1-5 record is currently only surpassed by the fledgling Mersey Tigers and a break from league action may well come as a relief to the embattled Sharks. On a positive note, Micah Williams continued his superlative run of form with a further 24 points, backed up by another positive contribution of 19 from Gage Daye before he was fouled out of the game. Skipper Mike Tuck was another who hit early foul trouble, resulting in a contribution of just four points and highlighting the difficulty the Sharks have experienced in the front court the whole season long.

The Cup, however, may represent one of the best chances the Yorkshire side has for silverware this season and anything could happen in a one-off encounter.

Sharks rookie guard Nick Lewis spoke of his anticipation in the lead up to the game: “I’m very excited for my first BBL cup game. We’re planning on staying alive in the tournament cup so we’re going to go out there on Friday and do what we have to do to pull off with the win.”

Looking to revive the form that saw the Sharks claim two recent wins out of three, Lewis continued to say: “As a team, we’re looking at Friday’s game as a start to our winning streak.”

Undoubtedly, the winner-takes-all format will allow the Sharks to express themselves and it may prove to be just the fillip they need as they look to book a semi-final berth against either the London Lions or the high-flying Leicester Riders.

Tip-off takes place at 7.30pm at the English Institute of Sport, Coleridge Road, Sheffield this Friday 2nd November.