Wednesday 2nd April, 2008
BBL Championship
Sheffield Sharks 83 (29,51,65) (Niesler 24,
Virgil 13, Whyte 12)
Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders 66 (14,34,53)
(McKnight 14, Burns/Wellington/White 11)
The Sheffield Sharks confirmed their spot in the BBL Championship
Playoffs after they beat the Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders
83-66 live on Setanta Sports 1, and recorded their third consecutive
win.
Australian guard Nathan Niesler put in his best performance
in the BBL as he hit five three-pointers on his way to 24
points. Chad McKnight led the Riders with 14.
The Sharks led from the outset as a James Whyte triple made
it 5-2 and set the tone for the first half. The Sharks rattled
off a 12-2 burst shortly afterwards including two further
triples from Nathan Niesler and one from Alto Virgil. The
teams traded baskets before Rangy George came from the bench
to make back-to-back baskets for a score of 25-11 and the
Sharks led 29-14 after ten minutes.
Sheffield continued their fine shooting in the second stanza
and posted an early 8-3 run comprising of two further three-pointer
from Virgil and another George score. Chad McKnight and Carlos
White carried the load for the Riders, but the lead was stretched
on another 8-2 burst as Niesler hit back-to-back threes, the
Sharks were 9/15 from beyond the arc in the first half, and
the score peaked at 51-28. White and McKnight kept it up for
the Riders as they combined to score the last 6 points of
the half to keep them in it at 51-34.
The Riders chipped into the lead in the third quarter as
former Shark Joel Burns hit two early three-pointers. McKnight
and White combined once more with consecutive baskets to cut
the deficit to 61-47 midway through. The Riders stepped up
on defence before Russell Jordan and a Mindaugas Janiska triple
closed out the quarter and set up the decisive period at 65-53.
The Riders got as close as 10 points with 2:30 to go after
Terrence Woodyard and Rod Wellington baskets, before the hosts
posted the run that won the game. Whyte made an old-fashioned
three-point play, before Niesler stole the ball on the inbounds
and finished with a lay-up to ignite an 8-0 burst that made
it 80-62 with 1:42 left, and there was no way back for the
visitors.
BBL CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE
No Team P W L Pts
1 Newcastle Eagles 29 25 4 50
2 Kularoos Plymouth Raiders 30 22 7 44
3 Guildford Heat 27 20 7 40
4 Marshall MK Lions 28 18 10 36
5 SAMG Verve Scottish Rocks 29 16 13 32
6 Sheffield Sharks 29 14 15 28
7 Everton Tigers 27 13 14 26
8 Worcester Wolves 28 12 16 24
9 BiG Storage Cheshire Jets 29 9 20 18
10Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders 30 9 21 18
11PAWS London Capital 29 8 21 16
12Team Birmingham Panthers 27 5 22 10
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