The Sheffield Sharks held off a late fightback from the Cheshire Jets to win the BBL Cup at the National Indoor Arena yesterday.
The Sharks led by 16 early in the final quarter but the Jets, inspired my MVP James Hamilton, cut that lead to three with under two minutes to go.
The Sharks’ Perry Lawson held his nerve amid a cauldron of noise to sink four frre throws and close out the game.
The win means the Sharks claim their first trophy since 2004 when they last won this competition.
The Jets had the better of the early moments, opening up a five point lead midway through the first quarter, but a devastating 17-2 run at the end of the first gave the Sharks a lead they didn’t look like losing until the dramatic final minutes.
The Sharks offence overpowered the Jets for most of the match, led by Mike Cook with 19 points.
However, nerves appeared to creep in and Sheffield started to turn the ball over at alarmingly regular intervals as the clock ticked down. The Jets fans sensed a comeback and the volume swiftly increased to near deafening proportions.
However, Paul Peterson missed two free throws for the Jets before Lawson showed him how it was done at the other end.
Sheffield player-coach, Atiba Lyons said: I feel great. I probably wasn’t expected to win something so quickly in my tenure as head coach.
“A year and a half into it, it gives me more confidence as a coach. You’re always unsure if you’re doing the right things.
He went on to pay tribute to the fans who had made the journey down from South Yorkshire.
Sheffield is a great basketball city. They support the team through thick and thin. I’ve been here for four years – we’ve had some good seasons and some bad seasons and you see the same faces.
“When you stay here long enough, you want to win it for them. They go to all the away games – Worthing, Plymouth. We don’t even want to do it and we’re playing. To win something for them, I’m speechless.”
The Sharks also sit top of the BBL Championship and will aim to make this trophy the first of a very successful season.
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