A Thunder upset would have taken them into fifth place but, despite forging a 15-point turnaround in 12 minutes, from 65-51 down to lead for the only time 85-84, they lost 105-100. Sheffield, without bereaved player-coach Atiba Lyons and led by his assistant, veteran Todd Cauthorn, held on from 95-93 up.

Inside the last 75 seconds, Tafari Toney shrugged Worthing's Finn, Ville Makalainen, onto the floor and hit a jump shot. Vital forward Kadiri Richard then fouled out for Thunder and eight Sheffield free throws held off responses from Evaldas Zabas, Makalainen and a Reggie Bratton three-pointer that gave him 28 and the all-scorers leadership.

Sheffield had won here in October, 93-92, against a Thunder team without injured Sherrad Prezzie-Blue. With him back, and recent signing Zabas the latch into a new Thunder, Sharks and the rest of the BBL now know to visit Thunder is a tough ask.

After their shooting had suffered against a big defence, Thunder mounted another exhilarating comeback. Outsized, potentially out-battered, they had straightaway pinned faith in their new four-guard formula but paid a price with a 10-point deficit by first quarter's end. Restoring a second forward kept the status quo, taking the second period by a point, but big men Sam Cricelli and Richard began to enter foul danger.

Even so, a 9-0 run rushed Thunder into the third quarter break only 76-74 down with a 29-21 quarter to their credit. Bench guard Daniel Hildreth was the spark, brought on against his team-mate last year, Ryan Patton. Two Hildreth frees, three Makalainen points, another difficult Zabas finish, then a rash foul by Cauthorn, his fourth, that cost two Bratton penalty shots — and Hildreth drew a charging foul for league leading scorer Mike Cook's fourth.

The impossible looked feasible when Prezzie-Blue was freed by one of several Thunder ball movements that carved out room in a Sharks defence that failed to outrebound Worthing. He stroked a three-pointer for that 85-84 advantage.

But Sheffield's championship pedigree emerged with a 5-0 run within an 11-4 sequence that took them out to 95-89. Their match winner was Canadian-Briton forward Michael Tuck, with all his 18 points in the second half. Thunder's turnover count, though lower lately, bounced back up to 18 and from these Sharks garnered 24 points.

Kadiri Richard said: "Tuck was the X Factor for them. He got three big offensive rebounds, too. It was the top team against the up-and-coming top team and we can be proud that we competed. They're very beatable. If we'd halved the points taken from our turnovers . . .

"We're not discouraged. Our goal is to be the third, fourth or fifth team in the league and we're taking it one game at a time."

Ville Makalainen: "We gave away to many easy points and we took so many difficult shots — it's hard to score when it's one man against five defenders. But the season is long and we know we have the confidence to beat all the teams in the league."

Titmuss: "Daniel Hildreth had a fantastic game. I just felt he'd go on and lock Patton down — and he did. We want to be the most improved team in the BBL and by now having won more games than last season we've now achieved our first goal. People now see us as a dangerous opponent. But we've got to find a way of winning when Sam or Kadiri don't play well."

Worthing, and Leicester, with the only previous century against them, in the season's opening week, are the only teams to exceed 90 points against Sheffield in regulation time this season.

BBL (P W-L PTS): Sheffield 22 18-4 36; Newcastle 22 17-5 34; M.Keynes 17 12-5 24; Glasgow 19 12-7 24; Cheshire 19 11-8 22; Leicester 20 11-9 22; Worthing 21 11-10 22; Everton 19 10-9 20; Guildford 22 9-13 18; Worcester 18 6-12 12; Plymouth 19 5-14 10; London 17 3-14 6; Essex Pirates 21 3-18 6.

BBL Trophy, quarter-finals: Guildford v Cheshire; Milton Keynes 85, Worcester 71; Glasgow v Everton; Thunder v Reading (EBL) or Newcastle.

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