Riders leave Sheffield with the win

In the first of a weekend double header, the Riders looked to keep their unbeaten league record intact as they travelled to Sheffield to play the Sharks who were looking to kick-start their own season.

For the first time since their departures from the Mersey Tigers in the off-season, Andrew Sullivan and Nate Reinking came head-to-head in what was to be a fiercely contested battle between two proud ball clubs aiming for a crucial win. Come the final buzzer though, it was Sullivan who had played the better game as he had 21 points (including shooting 80% from three), 4 rebounds and 4 assists while Reinking could only muster 13 points and as many turnovers as assists (3).

As important as the numbers the two men tallied in the box score, was the ability of both men to make big plays. Sullivan and Reinking played huge parts in the end result of the contest but only one would do so in a positive way. The two moments that Reinking will look back on in frustration happened on half-time and at the final buzzer and both were game changers.

At the end of the first half and with time winding down, the Sharks had the ball and a chance to take the lead heading into the second half after recovering from a six point deficit.  But with the ball in his hands and a chance to make the big play, Reinking crumbled, turning the ball over under pressure. From that turnover, Paternostro called a time-out and designed a play that would eventually see Reinking’s GB team-mate, Sullivan, score to give the Riders a narrow 51-49 advantage at the break.

And lightning struck a second time when Reinking turned the ball over again, this time with only 1:09 remaining in a fourth quarter tussle. The resulting possession for the Riders saw Cameron Rundles sink a three and ultimately allow the visitors to see the game out.

Up until that moment the game had been on a knife-edge with the Sharks Justin Dobbins (34 points including 12/19 from the field and 10/10 from the line, 7 boards and 5 assists) having his way with the Riders defence, scoring almost at will and showing the opposition big man, Brett Royster, what to expect if he wants to play in the BBL (Royster ended up with five fouls – most of which were on Dobbins – in a little over 10 minutes).

While that was happening on one end, Leicester were responding on the other with their own attacking onslaught – a finely balanced offense in which Hardy (18 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals), Rundles (25 points and 4 assists), Sullivan  and Wierzbicki (23 points including 4/5 from 3 point range) were all able to make excellent contributions. It’s such a shame that a game in which both team’s offense were at their best, the contest would be decided by two simple mistakes.

The Riders have now extended their winning streak to seven games, leaving them unbeaten in the league. And while Coach Rob Paternostro will deny any talk of title contention at such an early stage in the season, BBL fans understand that silverware winning sides gel quickly and make strong starts.

For Sheffield and Reinking however, it’s been a difficult beginning to their year.  Both experienced their own successes last term and yet both are now struggling to find their stride in this campaign. But while all may not be rosey in the Sharks garden, one thing is for certain – come the end of the season, both Reinking and Sheffield will be in top form and ready for play-off time. After all, winners don’t lose the winning habit easily.