Month: March 2025

Leicester Riders continue their road trip against Caledonia Gladiators, in their first trip north of the border this season.

The team looks to turn their road form around after dropping their last three away games in the Championship. 

Meanwhile for the Gladiators, showing some form on the back end of the season, this is an important game in their fight for the final playoff place. 

Fixture information

Caledonia Gladiators vs Leicester Riders

Super League Basketball Championship 

Playsport Arena, East Kilbride

Friday, March 28, 7:30 pm 

Riders need to rebound

Leicester Riders are in need of a lift to their road form in Glasgow. They have fallen in their last three away fixtures, all close affairs in which the Riders fell just short. 

They lost the games by an average margin of three points- losing by one against both Sheffield Sharks and Bristol Flyers with shots to take the lead or send it to overtime both rimming out. 

Despite the close encounters, they now sit 10 points adrift of the top of the table with a 15-7 record, and need to build form in the final month of the season for a postseason push. 

Three point shooting has been a challenge on the road in recent weeks. Their last three road games have seen the Riders shoot a combined 18-67 from distance, but impressively kept the games close despite the struggles. 

The heroics of Zach Jackson have played a significant role in this. He scored 15 in the fourth quarter against Bristol Flyers to mount a late comeback, and 14 in the fourth against Manchester to give the team a chance in both of those fixtures. 

15 AND COUNTING IN THE FOURTH https://t.co/x6tha7ZJNC pic.twitter.com/q9PIuShs3o

— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) March 23, 2025

Jackson is leading the team’s scoring this season- the American wing logging 17.4 points per game in Championship action. That makes him a top five scorer in the league, and the Riders will need Jackson to continue his top-tier form to bring their season back to an upwards trajectory. 

Bunyan’s Gladiators finding form 

Making their second coaching change of the season, bringing in former player Jonny Bunyan as Head Coach, the Gladiators have found late season form.

Bunyan’s Gladiators have won two of the last four to double their win tally on the season. Under his stewardship, they have proved a competitive outfit in recent weeks, and will prove a tough test for the Riders. 

Midseason arrivals have also assisted the Gladiators’ form. Most notably, Jett Speelman has hit the ground running in British basketball, averaging 16 points in his last two outings. The American is a fifth year pro who suited up in Brazil last season, and whose best season came in the BNXT league averaging 15 points per game. 

But as ever, the danger man remains former Riders Patrick Whelan. The GB sharpshooter is their leading scorer this season with 14.9 points per game, shooting a red hot 39% from deep. 

Whelan has a 34 point game to his name this season, one of two 30 point outings in the Championship, his most recent a 31 point performance in Manchester on March 14. 

Despite enduring a long and difficult season, a chance of making the playoffs remain for the Scots. They need to pick up wins consistently to do so, making them a motivated and challenging opponent for the Riders up North. 

Where to watch

This game will be streamed live on DAZN. Watch it here!

Leicester Riders fell in heartbreaking fashion, falling short of a fourth quarter comeback on the road in Bristol to lose 68-67. 

Zach Jackson scored 15 in the final period on his way to 24 on the night, leading the Riders charge from down 12 to up two points with nine seconds remaining. 

Desmond Robinson hit the game winner for Bristol from three, and Jackson’s attempt on the buzzer hit rim to send Leicester home empty handed. 

The Riders struggled on offense throughout, shooting 6-23 from three. Despite the difficulties, they kept it close through to the final buzzer.

The loss makes the Riders record 15-7 in the SLB Championship, a month from the postseason.

Slow shooting start

It was a difficult offensive start for both sides. They started a combined 3-10 from the field, managing nine points between them through five minutes. 

The Riders, struggling with their outside shooting, turned to their big man in the paint as Charles Thompson got going with back-to-back scores. Two blocks on Keddy Johnson and Owen Mccormack a steal were his defensive contributions in the first quarter- the bright spark in a tough start to the game. 

Thompson finished with a career-high 7 blocks on the night. 

The Flyers’ defence held Leicester to looks deep in the shot clock as the visitors couldn’t click into gear, meanwhile a 7-0 Bristol run gave them an advantage in the period, which ended 13-9 to the hosts led by 6 points from Raphell Thomas-Edwards, making his return from injury. 

Zach SOMEHOW beats the buzzer pic.twitter.com/n1VPxKU6KX

— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) March 23, 2025

Shelton run brings Riders back

Bristol’s shooting struggles kept Leicester in contention. They started 3-11 and 1-5 from deep despite their five point lead. 

J’Raan Brooks took the lid off from three for Leiecster in the second, allowing them to battle back into the lead. They won the first three minutes of the quarter 10-3, snatching the lead with a Duke Shelton three- the first of his British career. 

BIG MAN TRIPLE!!! pic.twitter.com/SfJ7vds9iR

— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) March 23, 2025

Shelton’s three injected confidence into the American big man, who scored eight straight Rider points to build their lead, making him the team’s leading scorer at the half. 

Offensive boards costs Riders lead

Kendall Lewis, also making his return to action for the Flyers, made an and-one play on the third time of asking to swing momentum back into their corner. They retook the lead in a low-scoring half through Robinson at the rim with two minutes remaining in the half. 

Offensive boards were a theme of the end to the period to maintain the Flyers’ narrow lead. They grabbed four in as many minutes, and finished the half with a drive to the rim from Keddy Johnson to take a 32-29 advantage into the break. 

Leicester continued to struggle for good offensive looks to start the second half. They started 0-4, again forced to throw up shots deep in the shot clock, and scored their first points on the fastbreak three minutes in through Jaylin Hunter. 

On the other end, a Lewis three and Keddy Johnson’s fastbreak jam forced a Riders timeout down 38-31. 

Riders down double digits going into fourth

Leicester got the scoreboard ticking over on the offensive glass, as Spencer Johnson and Shelton bagged second chance points to fight back into it. Shelton then took it hard to the hole for a two-handed throw down for his 12th points.

But Leicester couldn’t make inroads, and Evan Walshe made it a double digit deficit from three. Leicester entered the fourth down 52-40.

Jackson brilliance sparks comeback

Thompson sparked life into Leicester at the beginning of the fourth with an and-one play at the rim. Thomas-Edwards hit back with a three to dent hope of a comeback, but a Jackson three and Ethan Wright finish at the rim brought the Riders back into the game. 

Jackson stepped back for two with seven minutes remaining to cut it to six, and force a Flyers timeout. 

All the shots that rimmed out before started to go down in the fightback. Hunter was the next to hit from three over a tight contest on the wing, followed by Jackson who stringed another. 

Thompson’s defensive dominance continued with his sixth block of the game, this time spiking Keddy Johnson’s layup out of bounds, before Jackson made it 13 on the quarter with an and-one finish. Riders led by one score. 

15 AND COUNTING IN THE FOURTH https://t.co/x6tha7ZJNC pic.twitter.com/q9PIuShs3o

— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) March 23, 2025

The finale

The game was decided in the final minute. Jackson missed a chance to make it a three point Riders lead, but next time down Keddy Johnson missed a three in insolation. The Flyers fouled Hunter intentionally with 20 seconds left, and he made one of two. 

That proved costly, as Alain Louis drove to the hoop and kicked it out to the open Robinson on the top of the three point line, who hit what would prove to be the game winner. 

Jackson was given the opportunity to win it for Leicester at the buzzer, but after he drove to the midrange, his attempted fadeaway fell short and the Flyers took the win. 

Leicester return to action on Friday, heading to Glasgow to take on Caledonia Gladiators.

Leicester Riders take the trip South West for the second game in a doubleheader weekend. 

They face Bristol Flyers on the road for the second time this month, hoping to continue to pressure the top of the table with their second straight win. 

Meanwhile the Flyers look to bounce back from a loss in Caledonia, as they’re locked into a fight for the final playoff place with the Gladiators. 

Fixture information

Bristol Flyers vs Leicester Riders 

SLB Championship

SGS Arena

Sunday, March 23, 5 pm

Riders red hot on return home

Leicester Riders played their only home game of March on Friday night, and were scorching hot from deep to beat the Newcastle Eagles 99-81. 

Three straight triples from Aussie sharpshooter Riley Abercrombie set the tone as the Riders hit nine first half threes. They finished with 17 on the night, led by Abercrombie’s 18 points. 

It was an emphatic team display on both ends to see off the visiting Eagles. Five players scored 15 or more, and the team dished 22 assists on the night, moving the ball fluidly for 40 minutes. 

Back at home with a bang

Check out the highlights from last night's win pic.twitter.com/lp0Vumzxf8

— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) March 22, 2025

“We were ready to go. You saw a team that was happy to be home- it’s been a while since we’d been here, so it was nice to shoot at our own rims. 

“You could see that early on. We came in here with confidence shooting the basketball so that was the catalyst to get us going.”

The Riders will look to bring that shooting form on the road, to a place where they have had success so far this season. Leicester are 2-0 in Bristol this year, and look to make that three from three in this one. 

Flyers in playoff fight  

Bristol Flyers’ recent form has seen them dragged into a fight for the final playoff place with Caledonia Gladiators on the back end of the season. 

They’re currently two wins ahead of the Gladiators with three games in hand, and need to start picking up victories to secure their spot in the postseason. 

It’s a tall order for Bristol, who haven’t won at home since January 11. Offence has been difficult to come by, managing over 70 points on only one occasion at home since their last win in the South West, seeing them fall to a 6-12 record in the Championship. 

Bristol has been a difficult place to play for Leicester in previous seasons however, as evidenced by the overtime battle in this arena in the Trophy group phase. 

A fully motivated Flyers side fighting for postseason contention will prove a difficult task for the Riders as they hunt down the top of the table. 

Where to watch 

This game will be shown live on DAZN. You can watch it here!

Leicester Riders battled out a win on the road, beating Bristol Flyers 74-63 in a physical, defensive affair. 

The Riders led by 20 points in the third, but scoring only 1 point in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter meant Bristol stormed back to make it a ball game late. 

They found enough offence late to see the Flyers off, and dug their heels in on the defensive end led by Charles Thompson heroics to take their 14th win of the season. 

Zach Jackson’s 17 points led the team, backed by 16 from Riley Abercrombie who sealed the game with a dagger in the final minute. 

Unguardable.@Zach_Jackson15 pic.twitter.com/7aDeYAaMxt

— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) March 7, 2025

Thompson dominated the paint with 10 rebounds and 2 blocks, meanwhile Jaylin Hunter muscled his way to 7 boards to complement his 13 points and 5 assists from the point. 

For Bristol, they continue their tough run of form which has seen them winless at home since January 11. Keddy Johnson led the team with 14 points and 7 rebounds. 

 Flyers take early lead through Sherfield 

Offense was hard to come by from the tip off, as the Riders fell in a 7-1 hole through three minutes. They missed their first six field goals before Abercrombie drained a three from the wing to get them underway. 

The lid was off the bucket from there, however, as the Aussie went back-to-back from deep. 

Back back from @Riley_Aber pic.twitter.com/NV93zXbQI6

— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) March 7, 2025

But Bristol’s Jared Sherfield was feeling it early to build the Flyers’ lead. He scored 7 in the first five minutes of play with two shots from three point land. 

Riders crash glass to take lead

Leicester shot their way into the lead from three, as Hunter’s rainbow over close contest gave them a 19-16 advantage after Wright’s triple tied the game at 16. 

Their three point shooting opened up the paint, where they found joy to start the second quarter through Wright and Duke Shelton, the latter making an and-one play after grabbing his own miss. 

That was the theme of the second, as the Riders dominated the glass to grab 10 offensive rebounds with 5:22 left in the half. 

Thompson jam caps off scorching second

The Flyers fought to the foul line in the second to keep in touch, but started the game 7-13 from the stripe. Sherfield kept piling in the points to finish the half with 14, and star scorer Johnson’s jumper started to fall to give him 9 points. 

But the Riders’ leading scorer on the year Jackson found his rhythm with a corner triple late in the second, kicking off a 7-0 Jackson run to put the Riders up 34-27. 

Thompson made the highlight of the half, dropping Leslee Smith in the post with a spin move before jamming one in, and Conner Washington ended the second at the foul line to give the Riders a 40-32 lead at the break. 

Man down

CT drops him for the jam pic.twitter.com/1uQD7NFl2S

— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) March 7, 2025

Hunter leads Leicester to big third quarter lead

The Riders were red hot to start the third. They were 4-7 from the field out of the half, pounding the ball inside with physicality led by Hunter. 

The American was all over the stat sheet, pulling down rebounds, snatching steals and finishing hard at the rim to extend Leicester’s lead to 14. 

Got 'em on strings

8 in the third for JH12 pic.twitter.com/S68BZQNXYv

— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) March 7, 2025

Hunter scored 8 points in the third as the Riders blew the game wide open. They scored 20 in seven minutes, as Jackson made it 60-42 at the hoop for his 12th points. 

Flyers fightback starts in third

The Flyers found form late in the third to breathe life into the building. Alain Louis put down an acrobatic and-one against Washington, before Desmond Robinson found Evan Walshe with a full court heave who cut it to 14 with 1:16 left. 

Bristol brought all out pressure to the ball handler to force turnovers out of the Riders, swinging the game’s momentum. 

Washington’s experience saw him navigate the new defensive look expertly to steady the ship for Leicester. He drew a foul next time down, then weaved his way out of a double team and finished at the rim to rebuild the Leicester lead going into the fourth. 

Offensive struggles makes for late game drama

The Flyers’ kept their intensity in the fourth to cut the game back to single digits. Leslee Smith got to work down low as Bristol started the quarter 6-1, making the score 67-59 in the Riders’ favour. 

Leicesters’s offensive drought opened the door for a Flyers comeback, as the visitors scored only one point in six minutes. Thompson’s hook shot was the team’s first field goal of the fourth with four minutes remaining in the game. 

As the game neared its conclusion, Hunter flew in for a monster offensive board to set up a Jackson bucket, making the score 71-63 with three minutes on the clock. 

BIG BOARD. BIG BUCKET. LET'S GO. pic.twitter.com/16S2ACB67i

— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) March 7, 2025

Defensively, Thompson came up with two emphatic blocks at the rim, one on Lewis to stop a certain fastbreak bucket, to stuff any Bristol hope of a win. 

Thompson then found Abercrombie wide open for three, who hit the dagger to earn Leicester a gritty win. 

Leicester Riders look to build on their three-game winning streak with a trip to the Bristol Flyers.

The 13-4 Riders continue their hunt of the top of the table, level on losses with their two competitors for the Championship. 

Too good. Just too good.@Zach_Jackson15 pic.twitter.com/IaUmoqBGyf

— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) February 16, 2025

Meanwhile the Trophy Finalist Flyers are 5-10, and hope to bounce back from a three-game slide in league action. 

Fixture information

Bristol Flyers vs Leicester Riders

Super League Basketball Championship

SGS Arena

Friday, February 7, 7:30 pm

Riders rolling in title fight

Leicester Riders, London Lions and Sheffield Sharks and engaged in a three way fight for the top of the SLB Championship table. 

The Riders have three games in hand on the first-placed Lions, who are 17-4, making it crucial for Leicester to keep the win column ticking over in the second half of the season. 

Convincing wins against Cheshire Phoenix, Manchester Basketball and most recently Surrey 89ers have done exactly that for Leicester in their last three outings. 

The 91-81 win against Surrey, led by 20 points and 7 assists from Jaylin Hunter, was a tie game going into the fourth, but Leicester’s team ball saw them over the line, winning the final period 27-17. 

A highlight packed night

Check out the highlights from yesterday's win pic.twitter.com/bISb7u0ubR

— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) March 1, 2025

The Riders lead the League in assists with 21.4 per night, with 7.3 coming from star guard Hunter. 

Defensively, the League’s best shot blocker Charles Thompson was at his brilliant best, sending four shots away on the night. Thompson averages a block more than any other player in the country with 2.8 per game, meaning the Riders send away a league leading 5 a night. 

Hunter’s playmaking and Thompson’s defence will be essential ingredients if the Riders are to have league-winning success on the back end of the year.

Flyers playing league leaders tough

Reaching the Trophy Final in January has been the peak of the Flyers’ success this season, and have since lost form to fall to eighth in the standings. 

They’re 2-5 since the Final, but played the top two in the league standings close in their last two outings, falling in single-digits to the Sharks and the Lions. 

The Flyers led in the third in London, but despite hanging around wire-to-wire, couldn’t overcome London once they snatched the lead back. 

The electric Kedrain Johnson, who has scored double digit points in every league game this season, is the second leading scorer among all players with 19.4 points per game. He’s always a threat from anywhere on the court, and with two 30 point games to his name this season, Leicester will be locked in on Johnson from the jump. 

Having played the Sharks and Lions tough in their last two outings, Leicester will have to be at their best to maintain their winning run and keep the pressure on the teams above them. 

Previous meetings

These familiar foes have met four times so far this season, the Riders possessing a 4-0 record against the South Westerners. 

Leicester have won the games by an average margin of 17.3 points, and took a dominant 35 point win against the Flyers in January led by 20 points from Zach Jackson. 

This is only the second trip to Bristol for the Riders this season, however, a place where the Club have endured hard-fought battles in the past. That includes an overtime war in the Trophy Group phase this season in which Leicester escaped as four point winners. 

The Riders should therefore expect to have to overcome an energy-filled Flyers side in front of a raucous home crowd to take a win back to Leicester.

Where to watch

This game will be streamed live on DAZN. You can watch it here!