DBL Sharks Sheffield: Lyons hoping timely win over Surrey will be platform for cup success

DBL Sharks Sheffield head coach Atiba Lyons is hoping his side can build on a morale-boosting overtime win against Surrey Scorchers last weekend when they face ESH Group Eagles Newcastle in a BBL Trophy quarter final on Friday night.
Dirk WilliamsDirk Williams
Dirk Williams

The Sharks claimed a 99-94 win against a red-hot Scorchers side at EIS Sheffield last Friday - a win which, following a three-game losing streak, will be priceless going into another tough road game, according to head coach Lyons.

“Surrey are playing really well at the moment - they’ve really hit a hot streak - so it’s definitely a confidence booster,” said Lyons.

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“Those wins are important - nobody has really pulled away at the top of the league yet, so it’s going to come down to who can win their games in hand and who can make the best plays.

“So we’ve got to start building some confidence to help us down the stretch.”

One particular moment - a spectacular dunk from the Sharks’ Dirk Williams - has gone viral on social media, being viewed millions of times around the world.

But Lyons insists the focus has now turned to the big knockout game in the north east following an important win.

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“I think we enjoyed the moment but we’re focused now on Newcastle,” said Lyons.

“We’re not surprised he [Williams] could do something like that. We definitely enjoyed it and took in the moment, but now we’re fully focused on the next game.”

And Lyon hopes his side fare better than their last encounter with Newcastle - a single-digit home defeat owing mostly to a lacklustre third quarter.

“We’ve played Newcastle twice this season - and last time we played really well in the first half, but then in the third quarter we really struggled, execution-wise,” he said.

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“We’ve got to be stronger and more confident, and we’ll be looking for a quick start.

“We’ve got to be careful we don’t take too long off scoring - you can have a few possessions when you perhaps don’t execute that well but we have to play smart and play well for a large part of the game.

“It’s a knockout - it’s definitely important for us to give it all on the court, it’s the only game we have so we’ve got to make the most of it.”