Manchester Basketball fell 84-106 to the Sheffield Sharks in the Super League Basketball Championship.

Max Jones led Manchester’s efforts with 21 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds in 25 minutes of action, in a game where he went 5-10 from behind the three-point arc.

Kyle Carey had 14 points in 18 minutes off the bench, and Jordan Johnson, also off the bench, had 12 points and 4 assists from the backcourt.

It was a difficult night for Manchester on their home floor, as they ran into a red-hot Sheffield Sharks team who went 13-25 from three. Sheffield shot 60% from the field in a game that they blew open in the second half.

It was tightly fought through two quarters. Manchester held the lead with under two minutes remaining in the half thanks to a free throw from Matt Nicholson. But a 28-16 third quarter for the Sharks proved to be the difference on the night.

That came from a difficult spell at the end of the period, which allowed the visitors to build a 15-point advantage with one to play. Manchester weren’t able to bounce back in the fourth, and their record in the SLB Championship is now 8-5.

They have an immediate opportunity for redemption, as Manchester head to the East Midlands to face the Leicester Riders on Sunday, January 11. They return home to the National Basketball Performance Centre on January 18, hosting the Newcastle Eagles at 3pm.

You can get your tickets here!