Match report: Sheffield Sharks 73 London Lions 63

London halted Sharks’ winning run at ten matches in early February but Sheffield hit back last night with a brilliant 73-63 triumph following consecutive defeats.

Brandon Hogg scored 21 points and Jerrold Brooks added 20 more plus seven assists as Sheffield held on in a competitive contest.

The game started at a fast pace but with little scoring as Sheffield took a 6-3 lead midway through the first quarter. Hogg grabbed early assists, rebounds and points as both sides tested each other out in the early goings.

Hogg continued to endear himself to Sharks fans as the new 2016 recruit converted a brilliant and-one with four seconds left in the first quarter to give Sheffield a 18-14 lead at the period end.

TJ Robinson then increased Sheffield’s lead early in the second before Lions came roaring back. Led by Demond Watt, London hit a 13-2 run to go up 22-27 four minutes into the quarter.

The Sharks stemmed the Lions tide brilliantly however, keeping them scoreless for over four minutes as they came back to take a 36-31 lead of their own at halftime.

Sheffield then carried on that momentum as they scored six unanswered points in the first two minutes of the second half, forcing London to call timeout.

The timeout worked as they once again went on a run to cut Sharks’ lead to a point. Both sides exchanged baskets before the impressive Watt scored five points for Lions to tie at 52-52.

Guard Hogg converted an and-one in the quarter’s final four seconds for the second time, putting Sharks up 57-52 at the end of the third.

Hogg and Watt traded points at the start of the fourth before Brooks hit a three to put Sharks up 64-57.

Watt finished with 20 points and nine rebounds but it was not enough for Lions who were finally put away by a Brooks score with two minutes left.