Leicester Riders lost 79-61 on the road to the Sheffield Sharks to fall to 1-2 in the Super League Basketball Championship.
After a hot start saw them take the lead, Leicester’s offence struggled in the second quarter allowing the hosts to take the advantage. Sheffield came out the half the hotter of the two teams, taking the game beyond reach in the third.
Jaylin Hunter led the Riders’ efforts from the point with 18 points, finishing with a +/- of -1 in an 18 point loss. He was backed by Abercrombie with 14 and Zack Jackson with 11.
Sheffield’s Rodney Chatman III led the game with 20 in an impressive Sheffield showing. Their bench outscored Leicester’s 25-7 in a well rounded effort.
Riders take the early lead
Sheffield looked to get big man Donovan Clay going early. He backed down Riley Abercrombie for a layup inside, and pulled up from midrange for the first 4 points of the evening.
Charles Thompson put an end to the Sharks’ success at the hoop quickly. He blocked Clay twice in a possession next time down the floor before Abercrombie hit back with a triple.
The Riders, in contrast to the reverse fixture, knocked down their threes from the jump. Jaylin Hunter, Ethan Wright and Abercrombie all connected from deep as Leicester burst out to a lead.
Leicester’s stars made emphatic plays, none better than Hunters to end the first. He drove to the hoop and pulled off a circus shot, plus the foul, and the score was 22-15 to the visitors come the buzzer.
Offensive struggles in the second
Sheffield came steaming back in the second quarter. They started 7-0, with EC Mathews tying the game at 22 on the fastbreak to trigger a Riders timeout.
Leicester’s hot offensive start cooled dramatically. They went scoreless through the first six minutes in the quarter, allowing a 12-0 Sharks run. Leicester’s defence kept them within touching distance before Thompson took the lid off the basket at the foul line.
Abercrombie drained the first field goal in the second with two minutes left, hitting a three from the top. He was followed by a Hunter turnaround with the Riders getting points on the board to close the half.
Thompson threw down a jam off a Hunter dish down low to chip into the lead, meaning Leicester survived their offensive drought to trail only 36-32 at the half.
Sharks stretch lead
The Sharks came out of the halftime break to take momentum back, building their lead to 13 with a Clay fastbreak jam.
Leicester again struggled to find the bottom of the bucket. They battled to the free throw line on a couple of occasions, but with the Sharks piling on the points at the rim, the deficit grew larger.
Deep in the third, Johnson hit an important three from the wing to keep Leicester in contention, making the score 58-44. It was vital the Riders kept the difference closer to 10 than 20 with one to play, and with Hunter’s free throws it was 62-48 at the end of the third.
Riders leave comeback too late
The Riders were unable to take the initiative in the final period of play, as the Sharks built the lead to 20.
Leicester again struggled putting the ball in the basket, dashing any hopes of pulling off a comeback late in the game.
They did find form in the final few minutes, Abercrombie adding to his tally with some tough makes at the rim, but it proved too little, too late, and the Riders took their second loss of the season.
The Riders return to action following the international break, hosting Manchester Basketball on November 29.
