12th October, 2007 Sheffield Sharks 87 - 83 Marshall MK Lions

BBL Championship Match Preview

Game details:-

Venue: EIS, Sheffield

Competition:- BBL Championship

Quarterscores:- 18-20, 47-46, 65-68

Overtime periods:-

Final result:- 87-83

Officials:- Roger Harrison, Neil Wilkinson, Mac Callendar

Top Scorers:

Sharks: McKeithan 30, Graham 27, Virgil/Parillon 8

Lions: Windless 17, Heizer 16, Griffin 15

vs.

The Sheffield Sharks scored a crucial 87-83 victory over the Marshall MK Lions at the top of the BBL Championship on Friday. The win ensures that the Sharks remain atop the league with a 5-1 record.

Ray McKeithan led the way as he scored 7 of his team’s last 9 points in the crucial run that decided the game on his way to 30 points for the night; Justice Graham added 27 for the victors. Veteran Tony Windless led the Lions with 17 points.

The Sharks struggled to get going in the first half and soon found themselves 11-18 down before a 7-2 burst closed the first quarter and kept them in touch. After the Sharks had a 5-0 start to the second stanza to take the lead, the visitors hit back with a 21-6 surge, on the back of Windless and Yorick Williams, for a 29-41 lead. The Sharks caught fire at the end of the half as they had the last 9 points and on a Justice Graham triple they snatched back the lead at 47-46.

Back-to-back threes from Peter Heizer opened the third quarter for a 47-52 advantage for the Lions. In a quarter of runs, Graham netted 5 points to tie the game before the Lions responded with the next 8 points. Sharks got back to within one at 65-66 before a pair of Kevin Griffin free-throws made it 65-68 going into the decisive stanza.

A Ray McKeithan dunk lifted the Sharks at the start of the fourth and they soon led 69-68. After the Lions had re-captured the lead, baskets from McKeithan, Graham, and Anthony Virgil put the Sharks back in front at 78-73. Terrell Brown hit back with two three-pointers as the Lions led for the last time at 78-80 with 3:30 remaining.

From that point McKeithan took over with 5 straight points, the Lions responded but it was all in vain as McKeithan sealed it with a basket with 8 seconds remaining.

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