BBL Playoffs (Quarter Final)
Q1 33-21
Q2 60-53
Q3 79-75
Q4 104-93

Sheffield Sharks - Cook 37, Gorman 23, Toney 21
Marshall MK Lions - Harrison 29, Williams 24, Morris 21

The BBL League runners-up joined the League Champions, the Newcastle Eagles in the semi-finals of the BBL Championship play-offs thanks to a 104-93 victory over the Marshall MK Lions at the EIS, Sheffield on Friday evening. 

Both sides traded baskets in the early going, even after the Sharks' Mike Tuck and Robert Youngblood were ejected, but it was the Lions who held a slender 19-20 lead midway through the period.  The home side however took control of the closing stages with a 14-1 finish to the first quarter to lead 33-21 at the end of the period. 

In the second quarter, the Sharks continued to hammer home their advantage and lead by as many as 15 points at 54-39, but the Lions finished the half the stronger side as they netted nine of the last 12 points in the second quarter to trail by just seven points at 60-53 heading into the locker rooms at the interval. 

In the second half the Sharks extended their lead to 13 points at 73-60 off the back of an 8-2 burst midway through the third quarter, but the Lions were not to be outdone as three three-pointers from Yorrick Williams helped the visitors close the gap to four points at 79-75 heading into the final stanza. 

In the final quarter both sides traded baskets, and leads, in the early exchanges and the game was tied up at 88-88 before a 7-0 burst from the home side gave them a slight advantage at 95-88 midway through the final quarter.  The Lions valiantly tried to get themselves back into the game and trimmed the deficit to just four points at 97-93 with less than 90 seconds remaining, but the Sharks secured the victory with a 7-0 finish to the game to claim their semi-final berth. 

Mike Cook led all scorers in the game with a highly impressive 37 points for the Sharks, while EJ Harrison led the scoring for the Lions with 29 points personal.