23rd Sept, 2007 BiG Storage Cheshire Jets 68 - 74 Sheffield Sharks

Game details:-

Venue: The Northgate Arena

Competition:- BBL Championship

Tip-Off: 5.30pm

Quarterscores:- 19-21, 38-38, 51-56, 68-74

Overtime periods:-

Final result:- 68-74

Officials:- Ian Pollard, Paul Walton, Paul Unsworth

Top Scorers:

Jets: Obazuaye 26, Pratt 12, Brown 10

Sharks: Virgil 21, Parillon 17, Graham 13

vs.

The Sheffield Sharks overcame perennial rivals BiG Storage Cheshire Jets 68-74 on Sunday to conclude a hugely successful opening weekend for Peter Scantlebury's team.

The win follows their opening night defeat of the SAMG Verve Scottish Rocks and sees the Sharks as early pace-setters in the BBL Championship.

In a cruel twist of fate, former Jet Alto Virgil, whom they fought so hard to keep over the Summer, did most of the damage for the Sharks as he led their scoring with 21 points. Forward Steve Parillon and guard Justice Graham added 17 and 13 respectively. Jayson Obazuaye paced the home side with 26 points.

A tight game throughout was decided within the last two minutes as Virgil made a three-pointer and a field goal in consecutive plays to give the Sharks a decisive 64-72 lead that proved too much for the Jets to come back from in the latter stages.

The Jets had a poor shooting display to blame for the defeat, they made one solitary three-pointer all night, from Chris Brown in the fourth quarter, and shot a paltry 2/11 from the free-throw line. In contrast, the Sharks were accurate from long range as Virgil and Graham had three triples each and Raymond McKeithan added a pair of treys.

Earlier in the game, the Sharks had edged a tight first-quarter to lead 19-21, and the teams were knotted at 38 by the half. After the Jets had scored the opening bucket of the third, the Sharks hit back with the next 5 points and maintained their lead from that point.

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