Tigers @ Sharks: BBL Championship preview
Another tumultuous week in the life of the Sheffield Sharks ended on a high with a vital BBL Championship win over the Durham Wildcats and with another crucial game on the horizon, this time at home to bottom side the Mersey Tigers.
The Merseysiders will also view this fixture as within their capabilities, having taken a significant lead against the Sharks at Knowsley Leisure & Culture Park early in November before eventually succumbing to a 94-67 on the back of a controversial ejection. The Sharks also have the small matter of a BBL Cup semi-final second leg as the second part of a weekend double-header.
The Tigers remain firmly rooted to the bottom of the Championship standings having lost all twelve of their games. Clearly this season has been a journey into the unknown for the majority of what is a very young squad with very little experience at BBL level. However, Mersey have gained plaudits country-wide for their spirit and the feeling is that the first win for Tony Walsh’s charges isn’t too far away. The road trip to the ninth-placed Sharks may represent a decent opportunity for the enthusiastic Tigers with the bottom section of the table already having one eye on the race for playoff places. Stand-out performers for Mersey this season have been local-born forward Chris Bigley and Belgian swingman Gael Hulsen. Bigley, well-known amongst fans for his forthright and entertaining internet presence, has been putting up 12.3ppg with a respectable 5.3rpg and leads the way for Mersey’s homegrown contingent. Hulsen currently contributes 10.7ppg and along with Martin Calvo, brings European experience to what is essentially a young, developing team. The Tigers went down by 92-65 last Friday to the newly-monikered Cheshire Phoenix; Bigley leading the way with 25 points.
Where to start with the Sharks? A controversial roster change began the week with Point Guard Gage Daye being released and Texas A&M alumnus BJ Holmes jetting in to take his place. Holmes had just one practice to learn the Sharks’ plays but managed to contribute 10 points and 7 assists as Sheffield dipped by 90-70 at home to Leicester Riders in the BBL Cup semi-final first leg. Eleven late points from an injured Micah Williams narrowed the gap in a tie where the Riders led by as many as 34 at one stage and was a sign of what was to come as the Sharks made a Sunday road trip up to Newton Aycliffe to take on the Durham Wildcats.
Shorn of the injured Williams and improving forward Demetrius Jemison, who was serving a one match suspension, Sheffield came away with an 88-73 win and the series over Durham. Skipper Mike Tuck served up a huge 27 points with 7 rebounds and 4 assists but particularly pleasing was the contribution of the Sharks bench. With BJ Holmes hitting early foul trouble, young Canadian point guard Nick Lewis played 28 minutes adding 16 points and 7 rebounds with fellow Sheffield Hallam University student Zach Gachette stepping into the fray for 32 minutes and 10 points. Not that Holmes was to be outdone as he added a tidy 16 points of his own and a further 5 assists to boot.
Speaking to UKAmericanSportsFans.com, BJ appears to have settled into his new surroundings pretty quickly: “I’m ok and England is a nice place. I like it!” began the native of Alief, Texas.
Turning to the Mersey game, BJ had this to say: “Friday’s game will be another tough one due to the fact that anything can happen in sports. We will have to be ready to play.”
Clearly wins over the teams around them in the table are vital to the Sharks, and Mersey will be no exception. The Sharks face a mountain to climb in their second leg tie at Leicester on Saturday and so Friday’s home fixture will be paramount in Coach Atiba Lyons mind as his side look to stamp their authority on the season before the Christmas period.
Tip-off is 7.30pm this Friday 7th December at the English Institute of Sport, Coleridge Road, Sheffield and discounted tickets can be booked by going to www.sharksbasketball.co.uk and clicking on ‘Shop.’
