Sharks defeated by full strength Rocks
BBL Championship – Friday 13 April 2012
One Health Sharks Sheffield 76 Glasgow Rocks 83
Some entertainment for the Sky TV cameras at the EIS as Glasgow went a long way to securing their best possible playoff berth.
The navy suited Rocks forced the homesters into their away strip of all yellow as GB Olympic hopeful Nate Reinking made his comeback in front of home fans for the first time in several months. Glasgow made the initial forays; the barrel-chested DeAundre Cranston making the first score as the Rocks went on to dominate the first twenty minutes.
Glasgow commanded the first quarter by 14-22 and led by 32-51 at half time. It was a concerted team effort by the side from Kelvin Hall. A stand-out player was hard to pick, although the shooting of E J Harrison took the eye for the most part. Sheffield kept vaguely in touch on the back of Reinking three pointers towards the end of the second but the full array of the Glasgow roster looked an intimidating prospect with twenty minutes still to play.
The third quarter was a different prospect altogether. Ryan Patton and Nate Reinking took centre stage as Sheffield rattled in maximums from all angles to take the game to the visitors. Only some shrewd play by Glasgow coach Sterling Davis kept the men from north of the border in full command as the Sharks threatened to steamroller their way into the lead.
The final stanza saw the game revert to type. The momentum gained by Sheffield dissipated at the beginning of the period, the triumvirate of Langhurst, Patton and Reinking being deemed too adventurous for such a nip and tuck situation. The team ethic displayed by Glasgow was never more apparent when the individual scorers were considered; Davis (10), Green (18), Wedemire (12), Harrison (15), Cranston (12) and Murray (13) all played their part steering the Rocks to a win that was greater than the sum of its parts. Sheffield had a fine second twenty minutes but were left to rue a disjointed opening twenty. Mike Tuck continued an exemplary spell with 20 points and 10 rebounds but it was telling that a far-from –fit Nate Reinking had to play 28 minutes contributing 12 points as Ryan Patton (18) and Olu Babalola (17) provided the major contributions behind the in-form Canadian.
76-83 was a just outcome from an exciting encounter with signs that Glasgow may be a good bet to provide an upset in the playoffs. For Sheffield, potential playoff opponents in Plymouth are the visitors to the EIS next Friday, providing the clearest indication yet as to whether the South Yorkshire side can retrieve something from a relatively wretched 2011-12 season.
