Leicester Riders produced a huge second-half response to claim a dramatic 102–100 victory over long-time rivals Newcastle Eagles, after Donald Carey Jr hits a last second lay up to seal the win. Whilst Nate Martin was named MVP after a dominant performance on both ends of the floor.
Fast Eagles Start Sets the Tone
Newcastle struck first, but it was RaeQuan Battle who got the Riders on the board early. The Eagles came out fast and physical, racing into an early rhythm as they piled up points in the opening minutes. Battle lifted the Mattioli Arena crowd with a powerful dunk to spark a response, while Marc Loving and Travis Evee both unsung hero’s on the night combined to steady the offence. Despite the fightback, Newcastle led by Maceo Jack held the edge at the end of the first quarter, 24–18.
Credit: Leicester Riders | Dylan Maxim
Scrappy Second Keeps It Tight
The second quarter was a scrappy affair with both sides struggling to find consistent offence. Tomiwa Sulaiman set the tone defensively with a huge block, though tensions rose shortly after with a clash involving Darius Defoe. Riders continued to search for rhythm until Travis Evee knocked down a crucial triple, while Marc Loving grew into the game as a key scoring outlet. Nate Martin added a smooth fadeaway inside, but Maceo Jack continued to cause problems as the Eagles carried a 47–41 lead into halftime.
Credit: Leicester Riders Media
Riders Find Their Rhythm After the Break
Riders came out of the break with renewed intensity. Donald Carey Jr began to orchestrate the offence, while Battle found his rhythm with confident jump shooting. The momentum swung when Nate Martin hit from the baseline to give Leicester their first lead of the game. Battle followed with a deep triple, and Martin continued to impose himself inside already racking up rebounds and points. The ball movement improved, highlighted by Sulaiman finding Martin, who quickly kicked out to Flynn Boardman-Raffet for a big three. Riders closed the gap but still trailed narrowly heading into the final quarter, 78–75.
Credit: Leicester Riders Media
Evee Ignites, Martin Finishes the Job
The fourth quarter belonged to Leicester’s depth and resilience. Sulaiman opened with another big defensive stop before Evee finished on the break to tie the game. What followed was a decisive stretch from Evee, who knocked down a clutch three, fed Aaron Menzies for a powerful dunk, then drained another triple to put Riders ahead. Marc Loving added crucial breathing room, and the Mattioli Arena erupted when Nate Martin threw down a thunderous dunk to push Riders to 100 points.
Credit: Leicester Riders Media
Newcastle refused to go away, and the game was tied at 100–100 with 13 seconds remaining. Out of the timeout, Spencer Johnson inbounded to Carey Jr, who attacked the rim and finished calmly for the go-ahead layup. The Eagles had one final look, but their last-second three fell short.
Riders held on for a thrilling 102–100 win, powered by a huge second-half performance, a game-changing spell from Travis Evee, and a standout MVP showing from Nate Martin as Leicester once again proved their composure when it matters most.
Riders now turn their attention to the capital as they as they face top of the table London Lions on Friday 20th as the Riders make a charge with climbing up the table.
