Category: Lboro

Loughborough Basketball is offering coaching opportunities to established and aspiring basketball coaches.

Coaching development programme

Loughborough University is excited to offer its Coach Development Programme for aspiring basketball coaches.

The programme provides mentoring, qualifications and coaching experience in a first-class sporting facility.

Apply here!

BUCS Coaching Opportunities

We have coaching roles open for our BUCS programme! We are recruiting five volunteer head coach positions across our Men’s and Women’s programmes.

We’re looking for Head Coaches with previous coaching experience, or a high basketball IQ and strong leadership skills, to run 1-2 sessions per week during term time and approximately 10 games across the season.

Coaches will be integrated into a system where they will receive mentorship from senior staff, and receive the opportunity to mentor novice coaches over the course of the season.

The full job specification is below.

Duties and responsibilities

• Involvement in running a 2-week pre-season for returning BUCS players
• Shared responsibility in the selection of players during the trials process
• Planning and running of two one and a half hour on-court sessions per week during term time
• Coaching 10 BUCS games over the course of the season, in addition to a cup run of 1-5 games
• Oppurtunity to attain Level 2 coaching qualifications
• Long-term potention to attain Level 3 coaching qualification
• Mentorship from professional coaching staff
• Development and progression opportunities in the Loughborough performance programme and Leicester Riders programme
• Coaching attire and coaching supplies
• Priority assignment of paid officiating opportunities at BUCS and NBL games

The following roles are available:

Apply here!

Officiating, coaching and events courses

For anyone interested in upskilling and gaining qualifications, Loughborough University are offering courses for officiating, coaching and event management in basketball.

Express your interest here!

From October 1, Loughborough University is hosting BUCS trials for both University and College students.

The trials will take place at the Holywell Fitness Centre. For more information, click the application links below.

Application links

Women’s Loughborough College Students

Women’s Loughborough University Students

Men’s Loughborough College Students

Men’s Loughborough University Students

Only college students eligible to play for Loughborough University in the British Universities and Colleges Sports League can apply.

Application closes on September 30 at 9 pm. Late applications will not be accepted due to the short turnaround between the Sports Bizarre and Open Trials.

For more information, please get in touch with the relevant email below.

Men’s: [email protected]

Women’s: [email protected]

Coach development programme

Loughborough University is offering our Coach Development Programme for aspiring basketball coaches.

The programme provides mentoring, qualifications and coaching experience in a first-class sporting facility.

Apply here!

BUCS Coaching Opportunities

We have coaching roles open for our BUCS programme! We are recruiting five volunteer head coach positions across our Men’s and Women’s programmes.

We’re looking for Head Coaches with previous coaching experience, or a high basketball IQ and strong leadership skills, to run 1-2 sessions per week during term time and approximately 10 games across the season.

Coaches will be integrated into a system where they will receive mentorship from senior staff, and receive the opportunity to mentor novice coaches over the course of the season.

The following roles are available:

Apply here!

Officiating, coaching and events courses

For anyone interested in upskilling and gaining qualifications, Loughborough University are offering courses for officiating, coaching and event management in basketball.

Express your interest here!

Loughborough basketball are delighted to confirm the retention of Harrison Gamble for his fourth and final year. 

The 6’10” Brit spent his seven-year professional career for the Leicester Riders, winning, three BBL Championships, three BBL Playoff titles, three BBL Trophies and a BBL Cup. 

Gamble is also an NBL Patrons Cup winner with Loughborough and averaged 11.2 points per game in the NBL D1 last season. 

Gamble commented: “I’m very excited to be back playing in Loughborough for my final year. It’s great to be back working with the core group of guys from last year and then seeing the new faces that will no doubt be a big part of the programme going forward.”

Head Coach Will Maynard added: “It’s great to have Harrison back for another year. His leadership on the court is excellent for our younger guys, and he has really brought into a veteran role. 

“The rest of the guys love having him on the team, and he is definitely someone the players will lean on an awful lot through the season.”

Loughborough Basketball is hosting the prestigious BIG MATCH! 3 of our top teams will play at the Sir David Wallace building at Loughborough University in front of a bumper crowd! We’ll have DJs, give-aways and much more!

Wednesday 25^th January
Doors: 15:30

• Adult Tickets: £8
• Concession Tickets (applies to: Students, Loughborough Staff, U18, Over 65, Blue Light and NHS.): £4

Tip-off: 16:00 M2 v Birmingham City M1
Tip-off: 18:00 W1 v Northumbria W1
Tip-off: 20:00 M1 v Northumbria M1

Loughborough Basketball welcome Emma Fee and Ashley Johnson to Loughborough University where they will be studying and competing in the British University and Colleges Sport competition. 

Fee, originally from Minnesota, has spent the last five years studying and playing at Winona State University. The 6’2 Forward will further her academic studies at Loughborough University this year by balancing a Masters in Sports Management alongside her playing commitments for the University’s 1^st team and the Riders professional Women’s programme who compete in the WBBL. 

“Extremely excited for this opportunity to play with the Riders program. The coaches and players have been so welcoming and I know we will do something special this year. Can’t wait to get after it!”

Johnson, joins Loughborough University from the University of Southern Indiana where she lead the team in points (14.1ppg), assists (4.04 apg), steals (2.33 spg), and FT (82%) in her senior year. Johnson was appointed captain twice in her time at USI and was named 1st team All-GLVC and Academic All-GLVC. The 5’7 guard who also has a background in rugby, will continue her academic studies in Clinical Exercise Physiology while joining fellow teammate Emma Fee in purple as part of the Loughborough University 1^st team. 

“I am so blessed and grateful to have the opportunity to play again. I can’t wait to see what the UK has to offer, and I look forward to being apart of the Loughborough/Rider family!”

On the recruitment of his newly acquired American talent, Head Coach Krumesh Patel is looking forward to the season ahead:

“Excited to be able to have Emma and Ash join us! They are a great addition for not only the team but for Loughborough University. Both embodied what a Loughborough student-athlete should be! So great to have them join us on the journey this year!”

Both the Loughborough University Men’s and Women’s 1^st teams will start their 2022-23 BUCS season at home tomorrow on campus at the Sir David Wallace Sports Hall. Spectators welcome!

4.00pm: Women’s 1^st vs Newcastle
6.00pm: Men’s 1^st vs Newcastle 

Loughborough Basketball announce the signing of 6’8 New Zealand-British Forward, Dion Collins to the 2022-23 roster for the Loughborough Riders Men’s programme. Collins, born and raised in New Zealand with British ancestry is the eleventh player to join the Division 1 team, led by Coach Will Maynard. Collins left New Zealand to attend college in the US, playing for the Culver-Stockton Wildcats in the NAIA. Collins then graduated from college and signed his first professional contract with the Lulea Steelers in Sweden where he continued his academic studies; a masters in International Business. Most recently Collins has be playing out in Australia in the NBL1 with the Goldfields Giants before moving across the globe to the United Kingdom. 

On his signing to Loughborough Basketball, Collins is ready to get started and is excited for the season ahead: 

“I love the vision Russell and Coach will Maynard have for the club and I am very much looking forward to being a part of it. From our very first conversations they have been extremely professional and welcoming. It was good to get down and meet they guys yesterday after just getting into the country – there’s a great bunch of guys running around who you can tell are eager to compete and from my understanding have played together for some time. Therefore, it’s up to us new guys to assimilate, get used to the team, the structures in place and trust that results will come from that.”

From his previous playing opportunities in the US, Sweden and Australia, Collins brings with him a wealth of experience which will be instrumental to the team over the coming months. 

 “I think the things you can expect from me are physicality, intensity, communication and leadership on court. Looking at our squad we have a good balance across the board and I’m excited to play with some talented players who I think will complement each other quite well. From there we just need to understand our roles then execute them within the structures that coach has put in place.”

Coach Maynard on his latest recruit:

“Excited to have Dion join us this year. He’s going to be a great addition to the group, not only on the court but also off the court too. He’s another player with some great experience over the last few years and we believe he can really help some of the younger players coming up through the pathway. He’s a big, physical player who adds some more firepower up front to what we already have in place and gives us more depth in the team. I think Dion will fit seamlessly into our style of play this year so we are excited to have him on board.”

Collins will make his debut for the Loughborough Riders this weekend in the Division 1 Kit King Trophy competition against Nottingham Hoods on Saturday evening.

Loughborough Basketball announce that young British talent, Lane Campbell and Edward Onyia are set to join the Division 1 Men’s side for the upcoming NBL season. Campbell, joined the Charnwood Basketball Academy in 2020 and has been a season regular for the Division 2 Men’s team and EABL side. Campbell joins former Charnwood Academy team mate, Ben Woog after a successful season in the EABL under Coach Maynard. Campbell will continue his academic studies within the Charnwood Academy while balancing his playing opportunity with the Loughborough side. 

“I’m grateful to be playing for the Loughborough side this season as there’s so much more knowledge for me to take from some of the more experienced players. I feel like I can have a great impact on the team and can’t wait for the season to get underway.”

Joining Campbell in purple is 16 year old Edward Onyia. Onyia who is new to the Charnwood Riders Academy programme this season, will balance his playing commitments within the academy EABL league and the NBL while studying at Charnwood College. 

‘’I am very pleased and excited to play for Loughborough Riders. I am proud to be involved in this team. I also think this will be a great opportunity for me to build up on my skills and get to the next level.”

On the addition of Campbell and Onyia to this season’s roster, Coach Will Maynard is excited for the opportunity to bleed young British talent into his team:

“Lane and Edward stepping up to the D1 group this season is awesome, not only for their development but also for the contributions they are going to make and the impact that they will have on the team this year. Lane has had a great two years with the club already; he’s ready to take on the next challenge of D1 and to be a leader for the rest of his peers over at Charnwood. Edward is a great prospect for all of us here at the Riders. He has some great natural ability and rawness that we don’t see walk through the door everyday. It’s a great experience for him to get the opportunity to practice with high level players everyday and I’m looking forward to see how far he can go over the next 2 or 3 years.”

The Loughborough Division 1 side will play this week in the opening round of the Kit King Trophy, against Charnwood College at 7pm on Wednesday 21^st September at Loughborough University. Visit www.eventbrite.co.uk and use the discount code KITKING to secure your tickets. 

Loughborough Basketball are pleased to announce that up-and-coming British talent, Ben Woog will be joining the Division 1 Men’s side this season in the National Basketball League. Woog has been with the Riders club for the past two seasons within the Charnwood College Riders Basketball Academy, under the development of Coach Will Maynard. The British 6’8 forward has a rich playing history to date with National team appearances for the Wales U16s and the Wales Senior Men’s programme. 

Woog, who was part of the 2022-23 winning EABL team before graduating, will continue his basketball career as part of the Division 1 Men’s programme alongside his academic commitments at Loughborough College.  While balancing his BsC in Sport Coaching, Woog will also be competing in the British Universities and Colleges (BUCS) league as part of Loughborough 1^st team. 

“I’m excited to be studying my degree in sports coaching at Loughborough and to being coached under Will again. I know it was the right decision to commit to Loughborough because Will has a great vision for this team and a great group of players within the squad. I can’t wait to get the season underway and push for playoffs.”

Coach Will Maynard on Woog’s decision to stay within the Leicester Riders club and his progression to the NBL:

“Ben is an exciting project for us and we are super glad that he has made the decision to continue his basketball journey within the Riders pathway. We have seen a lot of improvement in his on-court ability during his time with the club already.  He has great size and strength; we also love that Ben has a high IQ on the court. His ability to pick things up quickly in conjunction with his physical presence is a strength of his that we will look to develop further. Having the opportunity early this year to practice with BBL team has definitely been a positive for Ben and something that we as a club are pleased to have been able to expose him to. He is going to be a great addition to the team and we are excited to see what he can do for us this year.”

Harrison Gamble, Justin Hedley, Conroy Hayden, Joe Bielak, Dwyane Orija and Milo Gordon are set to return for another season within the NBL Division 1 league, under the guidance of Coach Will Maynard. 

Harrison Gamble continues his playing career with Div 1, after many successful years within the Riders BBL team under Coach Rob Paternostro. With his wealth of professional playing experience, Gamble’s leadership is paramount to this season’s Loughborough Div 1 side. 

German born 6’4 point guard, Justin Hedley continues his NBL Division 1 career while studying Biological Science at Loughborough University. Hedley’s previous playing experience, including his time within the Leicester Riders BBL team, bolsters a compatible core of returning players for Coach Maynard’s Loughborough team in the NBL Division 1 league this season.   

Conroy (CJ) Hayden will continue his playing career alongside his academic studies in Sport Coaching at Loughborough. At 6’7, the British forward will be looking to progress with his on-court and off-court development as he has been within Loughborough Basketball over the last few seasons. Hayden will also return for another season within the BUCS 1^st team.

Joe Bielak returns to drop his signature 3-pointers for another season in the NBL. The British wing will continue to balance his BsC in Exercise Science at Loughborough University alongside his playing career in Division 1 and within the BUCS 1^st team.

Dwyane Orija is back for another season in purple. The 6’5, British guard will continue his student-athlete experience at Loughborough while he completes his BsC Sports Science with Management while balancing his playing commitments for Division 1 and the BUCS 1^st team. 

6’5 British wing, Milo Gordon, returns for another season with Loughborough Basketball. Gordon will join his student-athlete counterparts and continue his Sport and Exercise Science studies at Loughborough alongside his NBL Division 1 and BUCS 1^st team playing commitments. 

On his six returning players, Coach Maynard commented:

“Really excited to be bringing the core group back together, we have a great balance of personnel in the squad. We have some high-level experience and some exciting younger guys. This leaves us in a great place for development and for growth throughout the year. I’m looking forward to see what this year holds for us.”

Loughborough Basketball Division 1 open their season against USA Select today at 1.30pm at Charnwood College.

Loughborough Riders are pleased to announce the signing of American guard Elijah Bailey on a 2 year deal, who will be combining playing with the Riders while studying his MSc in International Business at Loughborough University.

The 6’3 guard joins the Riders with experience playing professionally in Armenia, Iceland and Maldives following his graduation from New Haven. In four seasons at New Haven, Bailey led the Chargers to back-to-back Northeast-10 Conference championship games, averaging 15.8 points per game for a total of 1,780 career points.

“I’m very excited to join the Riders. Feels good to be apart of the Riders winning program and playing basketball in the UK. I’m looking forward to combining my basketball career and also studying my Masters at Loughborough University” commented Elijah Bailey on joining the Riders.

Coach Will Maynard on his first signing, “I’m excited to have Elijah in the room with us this year. He had a great college career and gives us another option on the court. He has a great wealth of experience that he can pass on to some of the younger players. He also has the opportunity to continue to develop himself here at Loughborough, playing at a high level and also studying towards a world class degree from Loughborough university.”

It was an intense outing and heartbreaking loss for the D1 Loughborough Women, losing 63-59 to the Solent Kestrels in a down to the wire thriller. Both teams put on a phenomenal display of defense and team basketball. 

The Rider’s loss means they’ve been eliminated from the playoffs and their season is over. Though their season was nothing to hang their heads on. A phenomenal season by a phenomenal team. It’s just a shame it had to end so soon. 

The game started with Robyn Ainge (Riders) and Kristina Karpova (Kestrels) both hitting 2 quick three-pointers to open the game. No team led by more than three points in the first quarter and there were a total of 8 lead changes. 

Both teams continued to go back and forth, closing the first quarter out with a score of 22-20 for the Riders. The second quarter commenced and it became clear that the pace of this game was changing quickly. 

Both teams turned it up on the defensive end forcing turnover after turnover. Besides a Robyn Ainge layup to open the quarter for the Riders both teams went scoreless for nearly 3 minutes of play time. Both teams exchanged four to five point mini runs. 

However, in the last 3 minutes of the first half the Kestrels went on a 7-0 run to put them up 40-33 entering halftime. 

The second half was once again headlined by both teams’ ability to force turnovers and slow down their opposition. Though only holding the Kestrels to 12 third quarter points they were only held to 11 of their own and couldn’t manage to bridge the gap made at the end of the second. 

So the stage was set, Kestrels led 52-44 with one quarter left to play and the season on the line. The Riders played great. They fought their way back into the game. Robyn Ainge (16 points), Katie Januszewska (16 points) and Erin Powell (6 points 8 rebounds) were difference makers in climbing all the way back to a 3 point deficit, 62-59 with 44 seconds left in the game. 

The Kestrels held onto the ball up until the 15 second mark where Katie Januszewska came up with a clutch steal, the Riders ran in transition, dished it out to an open Robyn Ainge on the three point line to tie the game, but her shot didn’t fall. At that point they were forced to foul and free throws put them away. 

What a game. What an effort. The ladies truly left it all out on the floor and though it wasn’t the outcome they were looking for they should be proud. Congratulations to Team Solent Kestrels and best of luck to them in their playoff endeavours. Once again well done to the Loughborough Riders and their season. We’re all looking forward to seeing what comes next for this team. 

Well fought Ladies. 

Match written report by Rob Field

On Sunday the Loughborough Riders took on the CoLa Southwark Pride in London. The teams went back and forth exchanging leads in a gritty defensive minded battle. The Riders managed to pull ahead and run away with a win, tallying a final score of 63-47. 

CoLA began the game with a quick 6-0 run over the first 4 minutes, but was immediately answered by a 7-0 run from the Riders. The Riders used their ability to grab offensive rebounds to capitalize on second chance points.

Both teams exchanged defensive stops, layups and extra points at the free-throw line. They remained neck and neck and it was an even showing in the first quarter as they entered the second tied at 12-12. 

The second quarter was kicked off by Louise Rouse with 5 quick points. The Riders continued to keep up the defensive intensity, but CoLA weren’t going to go away quietly either. Though the Riders extended their lead to 6 in the second quarter, CoLA closed the gap to one with a score of 24-23 going into the half. 

Going into the second the Riders looked more composed, calm and ready to execute their gameplan. The third quarter was led by Katie Januszewska who poured in 12 points in just the third. The Riders were electric on offense as they scored 21 points in the third. 

They also held their own on the defensive end. Protecting the paint and stopping CoLA to only 14 third quarter points. Their combined efforts on both ends of the floor helped them to build their first sizable lead of the game as they led 45-37 going into the fourth. 

In the fourth the Riders did what they do best, remain calm and execute their gameplan. The Riders again smothered the Pride on defense, holding them to 10 points as they put up 18 of their own. The Riders were dominant on the glass and their hustle stats excelled them to win 63-47.

Louise Rouse, Katie Januszewska and Alia El Shabrawy all poured in 17 points in an excellent display of Riders basketball. They kept their composure and executed on both ends of the court. An excellent win for the team. Well done girls!

Match report written by Rob Field

Saturday saw the Loughborough Riders travel to Worthing to take on the Thunder. Both teams fought hard but it was the Thunder who pulled ahead in front of their home crowd and won 91-75. 

It was a rough first quarter for Loughborough as the Thunder came out on fire hitting shot after shot as the Riders struggled to find a groove offensively. The Thunder’s defense was clicking and the rim seemed like it had been widened as they stormed ahead to take a 27-9 lead after one quarter of play.

In the second, the Riders came out much hotter than in the first. They poured in 20 second quarter points, but though they were executing on offense the Thunder kept their foot on the gas pouring in 22 second quarter points of their own.

Going into the half the Riders trailed 49-29. 

The second half was a battle, both teams came out hot. Milo Gordon hit 2 quick three’s and led his team on a run that saw them bring the game back to an 11 point deficit. The Thunder though answered back with a run of their own.

Both teams poured in 25 points in the third quarter, once again the Riders found themselves behind by 20 points as they approached the fourth quarter. Thunder lead 74-54.

The fourth quarter commenced and again both teams went back and forth, hitting basket after basket. Unfortunately, the Thunder’s lead was too big for the Riders despite the Riders outscoring the Thunder in the fourth quarter.

It was a tough fought match, but the Riders slow start to this game dug them into a hole they couldn’t climb out of. They proved that they were on par with the Thunder as they outscored them from the end of the first till the end of the game. 

However, the Thunder’s 5 players with double digit figures and well played team efforts propelled them ahead to win this game. The Rider’s showed their heart and never gave up. Good game boys, onto the next one.

Match report written by Rob Field

Sunday saw the Loughborough Riders take on Team Newcastle in a tough contest headlined by defense, runs and three point shooting. The Riders were led by dominant performances from both Joe Bielak and Harrison Gamble who each had 23 points. But their efforts weren’t quite enough to overcome Team Newcastle who were able to hold the Riders off through a team effort. 

The Riders came out fast behind Joe Bielak’s two three’s in the first two possessions of the game. Another three by Harrison Gamble put the Riders up 9-0 two minutes into the first quarter. Newcastle was able to compose themselves and bounce back going on a 9-0 run of their own to tie the game

A common theme of this game began to take place as the Rider’s answered Team Newcastle’s run with another of their own to take a lead that was quickly taken back by Newcastle behind some deep three’s from Brandon Federici to put them up 29-25 at the end of the first quarter. 

In the second quarter both teams maintained their fast pace and high octane offense from the first quarter, going back and forth and keeping the lead for Newcastle within 4 halfway through the second. But behind a flurry of three pointers and some bad turnovers for the Riders saw them fall behind by 15 going into halftime with a score of 56-41 for Newcastle

Coming out of halftime the Riders came out ready and instantly began to climb back into the game. Behind a solid team effort the Riders went on a 19-6 run to bring the game back within 2 with five minutes to go in the third quarter. But once again one run was answered with another and Team Newcastle bounced back to extend the gap between them and the Riders, taking a 77-70 lead going into the fourth.

The Fourth commenced and the Riders had to begin to chip away at Newcastle’s lead. They went on yet another run and stormed all the way back to tie the game 81-81 with 3:44 left to play in the game. Unfortunately for the Riders they wouldn’t score a point for the rest of the game and were put away by Newcastle losing 90-81. 

It was a good game, the Riders displayed a lot of heart, Harrison Gamble scored 23 while playing through an injury and everytime the Riders fell behind they managed to close the gap. Though it was a tough loss there is nothing to be ashamed of, the Riders never gave up and showed their heart. Well played boys.

Match Report written by Rob Field

Sunday’s game saw the Loughborough Riders take on the Leicester Warriors in a high scoring, high octane match. Both teams gave it their all as the Riders pulled through and won the game 101-94. 

Right from the tip it was evident it was going to be an intense game. Both teams were quick to push the ball in transition and attack the paint in their set offense. It was a prime example of the phrase “good defense, better offense” 

Each team took turns exchanging the lead, but it was the Riders who pulled ahead by stellar three point shooting to take a 1 point lead as both teams displayed their dynamic scoring as they entered the second quarter 33-32 for the Riders. 

In the Second the Riders managed to maintain a small lead over Leicester, not letting them get the lead once in the second corner, but Leicester was right there always within 2-3 points of the Riders. Both teams cut their rotation short knowing this was going to be a tight game.

The First half was all about tempo and being able to capitalize in transition. Though the Riders were outrebounded by the Warriors they forced 16 turnovers and was able to use those extra chances to gain an advantage come halftime where they led 55-53

Going into the third it was no time for the Riders to be comfortable, the Warriors were right at their heels and ready to pounce. The Riders remained calm, and opened the second half with a 12-0 run against the warriors. Holding them scoreless for the first 4 minutes of the third quarter. 

The Riders now held a modest 65-56 lead after the Warriors hit a three to end their drought, but the Riders continued to go basket for basket with them and maintain their lead. With an emphasis on team play and coordinated defense the Riders held a 78-63 point lead going into the fourth.

In the fourth the Warriors came out quick, needing to score quickly and gain momentum to try and have a chance to win the game. But the Rider’s defensive schemes held them back despite them still managing to close the gap from a 19 point deficit to only 10. 

Huge credit to the Riders for keeping a level head and remaining calm to hold their lead and ultimately win this game. The fourth was highlighted by brilliant perimeter shooting and smooth drives to the rim for the Riders along with their outstanding defense. Warriors’ Van Turner and Riders’ Evan Walshe both scored 26 points as the leading scores of the game. But with 5 Riders with double figures they won this game as a team 101-94.

The Riders proved themselves yet again on both ends of the court, leaving it all out on the court as they controlled the tempo of the game along and out playing the Warriors on the hustle stats. It was hard fought, and a well earned Victory for the Loughborough Riders. 

Match report written by Rob Field

Saturday saw a contested contest between the Loughborough Riders and Newcastle University. Both teams put on a gritty display of heart, but it was Newcastle that managed to get the edge and win 93-87. 

The first quarter was a battle between Newcastle’s ability to attack the paint and the Riders stellar perimeter shooting. Both teams took turns going back and forth at one another with a total 6 lead changes in the quarter. 

For the Riders, it was Milo Gordon who poured in 3 of his 7 3 point shots in the first quarter. For Newcastle it was a more balanced effort as they focused on attacking the paint and dishing to the perimeter for open 3 point shots. 

After a long back and forth quarter Newcastle sat on top with a 25-23 point lead, but the Riders were on their tail and didn’t plan on going quietly. Going into the second it again was high energy, quality basketball displayed by the two teams. Attacking each other inside, making their three’s and remaining competitive.

Big plays by Conroy Hayden and Greg Wild helped the Riders regain control of the game in the second. Now with a more balanced effort of attacking the rim and capitalizing from the perimeter the Riders were able to take a 4 point lead going into the half 44-40.

Coming into the second half both teams were looking to take an advantage and make a run to build a sizable lead. However both teams remained strong and continued their back and forth battle. Newcastle’s Brandon Federici and Riders Milo Gordon went at each other from beyond the 3 point arc knocking down jumper after jumper. 

But as the third quarter came to its end it was Newcastle who found themselves back on top behind the efforts from Brandon Federici and Ronald Blane. The Riders however were still in striking distance only trailing by four going into the fourth quarter. 65-61 for Newcastle, but it was still anyone’s game. 

The fourth quarter commenced and immediately the riders struck the first blow, a quick three from Dwayne Orija cut Newcastle’s lead to 1, but they managed to keep the Riders behind by 2-3 points until 6 minutes left in the quarter while the Riders stole back the lead. 

Both teams continued to go back and forth, trading layup for layup, three for three and both teams refusing to take their foot of the gas. But Newcastle had managed to pull ahead 6 points with 1:37 left to play. The Riders didn’t give up and hit two quick 3 pointers to once again tie with 49 seconds left to play.

Newcastle came down and hit a layup with 34 seconds to play, however the Rider’s couldn’t answer and were forced to foul to stop the clock. Newcastle went 4-4 from the free throw line in the final seconds of the game and managed to hold the riders off and win 93-87. 

A tough loss for the Riders but they continue to keep their chins up high and carry on after an honorable effort.

Match report written by Rob Field

British guard Evan Walshe has been added to the Loughborough University roster ahead of the NBL sides’ D1 game this Saturday.

Walshe who started this season in the Spanish third league with Aquimisa Carbajosa has joined the Riders programme and will be available to play for Will Maynard’s side this weekend.

The former Oaklands Academy players and Surrey Scorcher will join the programme and in the future he would like to study a masters at Loughborough University, and he arrives with a good pedigree having spent his college years in the NCAA with Barry University, Florida.

“We are really happy to add Evan to our roster. He is someone we have spoke to previously to join the programme and I believe he’ll be a great asset to the organisation and we are thrilled to be able to create a great situation where he can play Div 1 and BBL”, commented Managing Director Russell Levenston.

“I think what goes on here is special and something that I’ve always wanted to be a part of.”

“I grew up watching the Riders dominate in the BBL, it’s a great honour to be able to put on a Riders uniform.”

“Having the opportunity to play both D1 and with the BBL side for the remainder of this season will firstly allow me to still get plenty of game time but also be able to learn from the senior guys who have made such a footprint in the BBL like Geno, Conner and Zach. I’m looking forward to the challenge, and ready for the opportunity I’ve been given.”

Loughborough Riders faced off against the Leicester Warriors in the final game of the L Lynch Trophy group stage. As the top spot was already claimed by the Nottingham Hoods, it was between these two local rivals to fight it out for second spot, that would see the winning team proceed to the next round. 

After a closely contested game, the Loughborough Riders came away with a 77-73 thanks to a clutch shot from Joe Bielak in the last 24 seconds the game, putting the Riders up 75-73. 

Riders had a slow start to the game and failed to score for the first 5 minutes of the quarter, but Victor Ndoukou opened the scoring for the Riders with a 2-point jump shot, to make the score 2-10 Warriors. Leicester Warriors kept their flow going but Riders fought back to finish the quarter 13-19 down. The second quarter followed a similar pattern of the first quarter with Riders struggling to make shots stick allowing Warriors to extend their lead to 11 points going into the second half.

3 back-to-back three pointers by the Riders early in the 3^rd quarter shifted momentum their way and helped them to level the game at 40-40. Carl Pearson and Delaney Powell of the Warriors kept the pressure on the Riders. In the fourth quarter the Riders were able to disrupt the Warriors flow and get on top within the final seconds thanks to a 3 point shot from Joe Bielak.  

Head Coach Mark Jarram commented “A gutsy win from the group. Credit to Warriors they started the game very well, made everything tough and scrappy. We didn’t shoot the ball well in the first half but hung in there, stuck with our plan and got going in second half. Obviously, some vital stops and key scores in the fourth allowed us to come out on the winning side of this close one. Lots of learning for this group. We needed it.”

Scorers

Riders: J.Bielak 18, C.Hayden 11, J.Fakile 11, K.Gudza 11, V.Ndoukou 9, H.Gamble 8, D.Orija 5, D.Oputa 4

Warriors: D.Powell 21, E.Brownell 11, P.Chingombe 10, C.Pearson 10, H.Langton 6, E.Haggith 4, J.Pollock 4, K.Wright 3, T.Riley 2, B.Adjei 2

The Loughborough Riders are next in action on Saturday 2^nd October away to the Nottingham Hoods. You can follow updates from the game @lborobasketball 

Season so Far – Riders 

The Loughborough Riders started their L Lynch Trophy group stage with a loss away to the Nottingham Hoods but got back to winnings ways on Tuesday by beating Charnwood College Riders 86-62. The Loughborough Riders were able to keep momentum with them for majority of the game and finished the third quarter with a 20-point lead that the young Charnwood Riders were not able to overturn. 

Season so Far – Warriors 

The Leicester Warriors sit level on 2 points with Riders in the group, with the winner of this game going through to the next round of the L Lynch Trophy. Warriors were defeated 113-67 by the Nottingham Hoods and picked up a 78-70 win against the Charnwood College Riders. The game was very close for the most part but the experience of Powell and Pearson helped Warriors get over the line.  

Ones to Watch 

Joe Bielak had an outstanding performance in the last game against Charnwood College Riders with 19 points, 7 assists both career highs and 3 steals and 5 three points made out of 10 taken which were both tied career highs. Harrison Gamble scored 23 points against the Charnwood Riders and is another to who will no doubt be imp

The Leicester Warriors will look to utilise the experience of Delany Powell and Carl Pearson who have both established themselves in the roster. Powell scored 33 points for the Warriors in their loss against the Hoods and Pearson had a good performance against the Charnwood Riders scoring 14 points. 

Previous Meetings 

The Loughborough Riders last came up against the Warriors in April 2020 during the regular NBL D1 season beating them 70-67. From the beginning, we saw a close game, with both team’s neck and neck throughout and able to respond to each point made until the final quarter. With the Riders making it tough for the Warriors to get open shots, they led their opponent to a defeat that win will help them in the standings and positioning in the playoffs. Harrison Gamble led the Riders with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists, while the Warriors were led by Morakinyo Williams with 30 points, 9 rebounds and 1 assist

Buy Tickets 

Tickets are now on sale and can be bought by clicking HERE.

Loughborough Riders got back to winning ways in the L Lynch Trophy group stages by defeating the Charnwood College Riders  86-62. 

NBL Division Two side Charnwood College Riders were able to match the Loughborough Riders energy for most part of the match but a 20-point difference at the end of the third quarter took the game away from the young Riders. 

Charnwood College Riders graduate Joe Bielak had a game to remember with 19 points, 7 assists both career highs and 3 steals and 5 three points made out of 10 taken which were both tied career highs. 

Loughborough Riders Head Coach Mark Jarram commented “Obviously great to get in the win column. But we know there is a lot of room for growth with this team. That’s what this time is for. Figuring out the group and what needs urgent adaptation. We’ll be focused on taking that into the weekend.”

The young Riders will play their final L Lynch group match against Nottingham Hoods on the road this coming Saturday. You can follow their season on Social media via @CharnwoodBball

Scorers 

Loughborough Riders: H.Gamble 23, J.Bielak 19, C.Hayden 9, J.Fakile 9, D.Orija 7, V.Ndoukou 6, L.Jordan 6, L.Johnson 5, K.Gudza 2 

Charnwood Riders: L.Campbell 14, C.Hanson 14, C.Yapo 10, M.Diallo 6, B.Woog 6, D.Hadley 5, O.Curran 4, M.Grant 3 

The Loughborough Riders Men are next in action on Saturday 25^th September when they face Leicester Warriors at home with a 3pm tip off in the Netball Centre for their final group stage match in the L Lynch Trophy. Tickets are now on sale. BUY HERE 

As the new British University College Sport (BUCS) season approaches, this is your opportunity to be part of one of the leading basketball programmes within the UK. All players, new and returning are required to trial in order to get a place on a BUCS team. All players need to attend the Sports Bazaar on Saturday 2^nd October 10-4pm in the Sir David Wallace Sports Hall to register their interest and select a trial slot (men’s only) for Monday 4^th October. The Sports Bazaar will be a great opportunity for you to meet current players, coaches and as well get a feel of all the opportunities on offer within the basketball programme. 

-All trialists will need to download the Lboro Sport App. 

-Log in using your university details

-Click on the AU Sports Tab and find the relevant trial slot

-You must book onto the trial slot you selected at the AU Bazaar 

-Entry to sessions will not be allowed without this 

We ask that you please complete the relevant interest form below prior to the AU Bazaar. 

Men’s Interest Form 

https://forms.gle/FZQKo6Cx77Jz4wiw5

Women’s Interest Form

https://forms.gle/V47dGmqbPrM9BVsf8

Women’s Trials – Sunday 3^rd October – New Victory Hall 

• 9am – 12:00 

Men’s Trials – Advance Sign up required  – Monday 4^th October – Sir David Wallace Sports Hall Zone B

• 7:30pm – 8:40pm 
• 8:40pm – 9:50pm 
• 9:50pm – 11:00pm 

Men’s Call Backs – Returners + Invite Only  – Tuesday 5^th October – Sir David Wallace Sports Hall Zone A 

• 7:30pm – 10:30pm 

Athletic Union Sports Bazaar (If you want to come and talk about the club some more!) – Saturday 2^nd October – Sir David Wallace 

• 10am – 4pm 

The Riders faced the Reading Rockets in the Play-off quarter finals on Saturday, 15^th May. They were looking to bounce back after their loss against the Rockets in April. Riders were able to overcome a tough match and go through into the semi-finals. 

A very close first quarter with a strong defence from both teams, led to a tied score going into the second quarter. The second quarter followed a similar momentum with both teams going back and forth. The Riders came out to be slightly stronger of the two teams by taking the lead by 2 points at 32-30. By the end of the third quarter, the Rockets were able to take the biggest lead of the game so far. Their strong defence, led the Riders to score only 6 points in the entire quarter, giving them the lead going into the final quarter at 45-38. An early start from the Riders saw them cover up the gap within the first 2 minutes of the final quarter. An impressive offence by the Riders of 24 points in the final quarter, gave them the win at 62-53 and put them through to the semi-finals of the play-offs. 

The Riders were led by Katie Januszewska’s and Makana Stone’s strong performance of 19 points each and Robyn Ainge’s 6 assists. The Rockets were led by Gaila Comesana with 19 points and Candela Nunez and Sitota Espinosa’s 6 assists. 

Scorers:

Riders: K. Januszewska 19, M. Stone 19, M. James 10, R. Ainge 6, S. Lecuyer 6, H. Bird 2 

Rockets: G. Comesana 19, S. Espinosa 7, C. Nunez 6, S. Francisco 6, M. Thompson 6, N. Martin 5, E. Luzon 4

We will now see the Riders next in the semi-finals

In the last encounter between the Loughborough Riders and Nottingham Trent University back in December, the Riders won in a close one-point game. The Riders were looking to take the win again and were able to do exactly that in another close match. 

The Rides came out stronger of the two teams and stayed in the lead throughout a very fast paced first half. Several rebounds and a strong performance from Makana Stone with 8 points in the first quarter, gave the Riders a 5-point lead going into the second quarter. The second quarter saw the Trent’s close the gap to the Riders with the Riders leading by only one point. The Riders fouled in the last few seconds and the Trent’s used that opportunity by scoring in both the free throws and started the second quarter at 33-34. 

An early start from the Trent’s in the third quarter, put them in the lead for the first time in the game. However, they were not able to maintain it for long as both teams kept going back and forth and kept the score on the board extremely close. Going into the fourth and final quarter, the Riders continued to stay in the lead but only by 2 points. An early start from the Trent’s again, tied the score within the first few seconds. Both teams kept the same momentum as the previous quarter and kept the score extremely close. With just under two minutes left, the Trent’s were leading by 5 points. However, a 3-point jump shot by Robyn Ainge and a free throw by Makana Stone helped them close the gap to just 1 point with just 30 seconds remaining in the game. Two successful free throws by Makana Stone put the Riders back in the lead with just over 10 seconds left in the game and eventually gave them the win in a thrilling 75-73 game. 

The Riders were led by Makana Stone’s 20 points and Hannah Bird’s 7 assists. While, the Trent’s were led by Mady Burdett’s 21 points and Brahe Ashton’s 11 assists. 

Scorers:

Riders: M. Stone 20, K. Januszewska 16, R. Ainge 13, H. Bird 7, M. James 7, L. Dabbs 4, S. Lecuyer 3, A. Shaw 3, K. Cox 2

Trents: M. Burdett 21, N. Campbell 16, E. Dekker 13, I. Bueriberi 11, A. Whitehouse 8, I. Hill 2, I. Guerreiro 2

We will now see the Riders next in the play-offs as this was their last game of the regular season.

After a great start to the NBL D1 Men’s play-offs, Loughborough Riders prepare to face Solent Kestrels in the play-off quarter finals on Saturday 1st May, 3:30pm away at Solent Sports Complex.

Season so Far – Riders

Hoping to secure a win this weekend, the riders have had quite a had quite a journey to become the 8^th seed this season. With last weekend’s match against the Reading Rockets being their 9^th win of the season, they have been fighting throughout to keep their plays strong, defensive strategies effective and offence efficient. Riders’ Kyle Jimenez has continued to impress us all this season! With last weekend’s results he performed with 21 points, 8 rebounds and 12 assists making that his  7^th double double under his belt for this season. With a further 3 triple doubles, Jimenez has become a force to be reckoned with and certainly able to help the Rider’s men put on a strong, impressive performance against the 1^st seed, Solent Kestrels.  The  Kestrels also have to key an eye out for  Harrison Gamble, who averages 16.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists whilst Jonas Dieterich averages 18.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists a game. Together with the strength and determination of the full Riders team, the men are looking to have a successful quarter final against the 1st seed. The Riders have proven to be a team that works well together, their talent has continued to impress the fans. Despite the unusual circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Loughborough Riders have kept their energy high, which has been reflected in their performance. We hope to see this shine through as they take on Solent Kestrels. 

Season So Far – Solent Kestrels

The Solent Kestrels have proven themselves to be a fierce competitor once again, with clenching their third consecutive win of the regular season this month making them the NBL D1 Champions.  The team have had a strong journey throughout the regular season, however, closed with an unfortunate loss to the Essex Rebels, in which Kestrels’ Orlan Jackman led with 22 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists. Averaging 14.7 points a game, Jackman is a player the Riders need to keep an eye on in the quarter finals. Both the team and fans will be looking to see them play strong and keep their last loss, their final loss as they take on Loughborough this weekend during playoffs. 

Previous Meeting 

The last time the Riders and Kestrels went head-to-head we saw a dominant performance from Kestrels who defeated the Riders 109-67. Eager to triumph this week, we hope we will see a different ending to the Riders path.

How to Watch

The quarter final will be live stream on Basketball England’s YouTube channel as well as the Team Solent Kestrels Facebook page at 3:30pm, Saturday 1^st May.

In the last encounter between the Loughborough Riders and Reading Rockets, the Riders emerged victorious and they were looking to do the same during their first playoff game this season. A tough game between the 8^th and 9^th seed led to the Riders securing a 75-68 win, putting them through to the next round.

The Rockets started the game extremely strong and pushed the pace throughout the first quarter giving them the lead 19-10. The Riders really ramped it up in the second quarter by opening up their offence and using the depth of their bench. They were not only able to cover up the gap but also managed to outscore their opponent by taking a 38-35 lead at the end of the first half. During a frantic third quarter, the Rockets struggled with both offence and defence while the Riders put up a phenomenal performance with a 24-14 quarter score and started the final quarter with a comfortable 13-point lead. The Rockets came back stronger and tried to battle back in the fourth quarter but were unable to get it over the line. The Riders were too persistent on the offensive end giving them the win and a place in the quarterfinals. 

Riders captain, Kyle Jimenez put up an impressive performance once again and led with 21 points and 8 assists. While, Samuel Toluwase led for the Rockets with 21 points and captain, Ben Dixon led with 7 assists. 

Scorers:

Riders: K. Jimenez 21, J. Dieterich 16, J. Bielak 11, V. Ndoukou 11, G. Wild 9, H. Gamble 7

Rockets: S. Toluwase 21, L. Francis 18, S. Williams 11, R. Pinnock 10, C. Duru 4, S. Grant 2, L. Kivuvu 2

The Riders will now face the number one seed, Team Solent Kestrels in an away game the following weekend. 

After a turbulent season, the Lboro Riders begin their playoff journey vs Reading Rockets at home, Loughborough University Netball Centre. Both teams will be fired up to win in the 8^th vs 9^th matchup; this being the first playoffs since COVID-19 hit, after last season’s cancellation of the season. Tip-off is at 2:30 PM in what promises to be a well fought and exhilarating matchup.

Season so Far – Riders

In a season unlike any other, the Riders have battled their way to a respectable 8th place in the NBL Division 1. With 8 wins and 11 losses to their name, the Riders have the potential to beat any team on their day, but come into the tie on the back of a well fought loss in their final regular season game vs the Derby Trailblazers. Fans will be hoping for a better result this Saturday. In a breakout season, Kyle Jimenez has led the way with 3 triple doubles and 6 double doubles over the course of the season. Rider’s coach Mark Jarram admits that he only played Jimenez in the position of point guard due to injuries within the team, and since he got his chance, he has been a revelation. Jimenez averages over 10 assists per game – nearly double that of any other player in the league. With a week 7 NBL Division 1 player of the week title to his name, he’ll be looking to secure greatness with some performances to drive the riders to a playoff run. His multi-season spanning partnership with Captain Jonas Dieterich is one to keep your eyes out for. Jonas leads the Riders with an average of 18.9 points per game, and fellow veteran of the team Harrison Gamble’s contributions both on and off the ball have been tenacious all season. Milo Sigmund will be looking to make an impact after a promising debut last week after his stint in the United States. What the Riders may lack in physicality they make up for in talent, and the game is likely to be a high scoring one. A win on Saturday would set the riders on their way to a successful end to the season.

Season So Far – Reading Rockets

Similarly, the Reading Rockets have endured a fluctuant season but possess more than enough quality within their roster to give any team a game on their day. They come into the game off the back of a ferociously fought 80-82 loss to the 3rd placed Hemel Storm. The Rockets finished the regular season in 9th place themselves, but followers of the team will know that doesn’t tell the whole story – the Rockets have lost many a game to a fine margin this season. O’Showen Williams will be a marked man, leading the Rockets in points scored, assists and steals, averaging 22 points per game.  In his last game, he indeed lead the scoring with 22 points, while Leome Francis impressed achieving a double double performance, who leads the Rockets in rebounds this season. Samuel Toluwase has also been a key player this season, important in all phases of play. Having come so close to clicking throughout the season, Rockets fans will be hoping everything comes together in time for the playoffs.

Previous meeting

In the previous meeting of the two sides, the Lboro Riders prevailed to an impressive 95-77 victory away from home, back in March. Kyle Jimenez scored 23 points on the day 0 his highest return all season.

How To Watch

Game will be available to watch on the Basketball England YouTube channel.

The last time we saw the two local rivals go head-to-head, the Loughborough Riders beat Leicester Warriors with a 2-point lead. This time, they were looking to bag yet another win and didn’t disappoint. 

From the beginning, we saw a close game, with both teams neck and neck throughout and able to respond to each point made until the final quarter. With the Riders making it tough for the Warriors to get open shots, they led their opponent to a defeat that win will help them in the standings and positioning in the playoffs.

Harrison Gamble led the Riders with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists, while the Warriors were led by Morakinyo Williams with 30 points, 9 rebounds and 1 assist.

Head Coach Mark Jarram commented “An important win and a gutsy performance. Warriors do a great job of making games scrappy and physical and we dealt with it well. This time of year is about getting ready for playoffs and where every possession matters. It was good for the group to experience a game like that in preparation and find a way to win.” 

He added “We move on with the same mindset this week and look forward to another test to finish out the regular season vs a good Derby team.”

Scorers

Riders: Gamble 23, Dieterich 18, Ndoukou 12, Wild 6, Jimenez 5, Hayden 3, Bielak 1, Ntifo 1, Oputa 1

Warriors: Williams 30, Gayle 16, Henry 13, Haggith 2, King 2, Turiccki 2, Wilian 2

Next, Loughborough Riders take on Derby Trailblazers at 5:30pm on Saturday 17^th April.

Loughborough Riders Men were looking to bounce back from their loss against the Bradford Dragons from their previous match in February and they were able to do exactly that by securing a 86-70 win at their home game on 27^th March. 

Both the quarters of the first half got off to a very slow start. The first quarter remained close throughout with the Riders leading 22-21. However, in the second quarter, the Riders strong performance in both offence and defence gave them a 20 point lead, ending the second quarter at 48-28. They continued to dominate the game in the third quarter and started the last quarter with a comfortable margin at 73-43. The dragons came back very strong in the final quarter but were unable to close the gap, giving Loughborough Riders the win at 86-70. 

Joe Bielak led with 15 points and Kyle Jimenez led with 13 assists for the Loughborough Riders, while Andreas Lycoudis led with 23 points and Ricky Fetske as well as Rihards Sulcs led with 4 assists for the Bradford Dragons. 

Scorers:

Riders: J. Bielak 15, H. Gamble 13, J. Dieterich 12, K. Jimenez 10, V. Ndoukou 9, D. Orija 8, 

G. Wild 5, L. Johnson 5, C. Ntifo 4, C. Hayden 3, C. Reilly 2

Dragons: A. Lycoudis 23, G. Osobor 15, D. Walsh 8, R. Sulcs 7, E. Walsh 7, J. Laing 5, E. Gutmanis 3, R. Fetske 2

The Riders will now face Essex Rebels on Sunday , 28^th March at Essex Sports Arena at 3:30 pm. 

Loughborough Riders picked up another valuable away win 95 – 77 against the Reading Rockets on Sunday 14^th March.

Riders proved too hot to handle for the Rockets as they took control of the game from start to finish. Rockets only led for the first two minutes of the game, thanks to a tip in from Sam Grant, followed by another lay up from Samuel Toluwase . Riders drained three triples in the first quarter which left Rockets feeling deflated and trailing 26 – 21 going into the second quarter. The second quarter saw the Riders extend their lead, using the paint to score most of their points through Gamble and Jimenez. 

Both teams came out in the second half, looking to tighten their defence. This resulted in a lower scoring quarter, 14-15 in favour of the Riders. Loughborough Riders were sitting on a comfortable 17-point lead going into the final and fourth quarter. Rockets were given some hope in the fourth quarter when Williams scored his fifth treble of the game, reducing the Riders lead to single figures with less than 3 minutes into the quarter played. However, the Riders kept pushing with a three-point shot from Greg Wild who ended the game with a valuable 9 points. The Rockets ran out of steam in the end and were unable to keep up with the Riders who stormed to a 95 – 77 win. 

Head Coach Mark Jarram Commentated “A fantastic win. We continue to improve every week, which is what it is really about and is our definition of success. We are trending in the right direction for this time of the year and that continues to be our focus.’

He added “Great contributions again throughout the roster but another positive all-round team performance. Good to hold onto a lead and extend it, which is something we have struggled with previously in the season. We get back to work this and continue to get better.” 

It was an overall great team effort from the Riders with four players in double scoring digits, Kyle Jimenez earned another team of the week honour (23 points, 6 rebounds, 11 assists, 33 efficiency) and registered a personal NBL D1 season high in points, field goals made and one of his best field goals percentages, taking 15 shots with a 60% success rate. 

Scorers 

Riders – K.Jimenez 23, H.Gamble 21, J.Dieterich 19, C.Hayden 15, G.Wild 9, D.Oputa 6, C.Ntifo 2 

Rockets – O.Williams 28, C.Duru 14, S.Toluwase 8, R.Pinnock 6, S.Grant 6, B.Dixon 5, R.Oguekwe 4, L.Kivuvu 4, L.Maitland 2

Riders are back in action on the 27^th March at the Netball Centre, Loughborough University against Bradford Dragons, 1:30pm Tip off. The game will be live on the Basketball England YouTube channel.  

The riders are on a roll, as their hosted game against the London Lions adds to their winning streak! 

With a final score of 76 -42, the Riders started and finished strong. Leading with 47-19 at half time, the ladies did not get too comfortable, instead continued a high level of intensive play, adjusting to their defenders and continuously keeping their opposition on their toes. This attitude created a gap that could not be filled in the remaining half.

The riders continue to go from strength to strength throughout the season, constantly building on past games and staying focused on improving each game. 

Head Coach Antonio Quintero commentated “We played a consistent defence from the beginning of the game. As always, we are trying to make this our main philosophy. Our players worked hard in order to pressure on the ball and we were smart in most of the defensive rotations. This is reason behind our big lead at half-time.” 

He added “I’m delighted to see how we are improving in every game; we know that we need to be better if we want to be 100% competitive in the playoffs. I also enjoyed watching the full roster, including academy players playing a decent amount of minutes. That will for sure 

Loughborough were led by Robyn Ainge’s 13 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists, closely followed by Erin Hikin and Makana Stone with 12 points each this game. London were led by Ann Sheaia’s 9 points and 3 rebounds.

Scorers:

Riders: Ainge 13, Hikin 12, Stone 12, Bird 9, James 9, Cox 8, Dabbs 5, Lecuyer 3, Cox 2, Shaw 2, Harry 1

Lions: Sheaia 9, Fournillier-Onadeko 5, Fakunle 5, Gibbins 5, Ijelu 4, Somoye-Unstui

4, Brydson 3, Puzule 3, Abdelaziz 2, Millar-Opongntim 2

Next, Loughborough Riders face Reading Rockets on Saturday, 10^th April, at 2pm.

Riders grabbed a 92-71 victory at home over the Oaklands Wolves with four players scoring double digits. 

After the narrow defeat last weekend to Hemel Storm, Riders were looking to bounce back and get back to winning ways. This is exactly what they did with a controlled performance on both ends of the court.  Young Charnwood academy players Greg Wild, Kanu Gudza and Victor Ndoukou showed their worth by creating and scoring points to help the Riders finish the Riders to Victory. This energy carried on throughout the game and the Riders kept the Wolves at an arm’s length from the cutting the lead, which at one point was 21 points, the biggest of the match. 

Head Coach Mark Jarram commentated “Good performance, a step in the right direction and contributions from throughout the roster. We play this same team again Wednesday so is a rare but good opportunity for us to see if we can make quick turnaround adjustments. We look forward to it and getting to play again.” 

Jonas Dieterich and Greg Wild led the Riders with 17 points each    meanwhile Jordan Santiago of the Oakland Wolves had a standout performance finishing with 26 points. 

Scorers: 

Riders: J.Dieterich 17, G.Wild 17, H.Gamble 15, K.Jimenez 14, V.Ndoukou 7, K.Gudza 6, C.Hayden 5, D.Orija 5, C,O’reilly 3, D.Oputa 3

Wolves: J. Santiago 26, A.Roberts 15, O.Egbunike 9, K.Daley 8, N.Powdrell 6, A.Ketiri 5, T.Hughes 2 

Riders will once again face the Oakland Wolves in an away fixture on Wednesday 3^rd March, 6pm Tip Off. 

Loughborough Riders Women were looking to recover from their loss in the previous match against Solent Kestrels. With their strong performance in both offence and defence, they were able to secure a 81-55 win against COLA Southwark at their home game. 

Riders got off to a very strong start and were able to maintain the promising lead throughout the game. At the end of the first half, they lead by 22 points and started the second half with a comfortable margin at 45-23. The prides came back even stronger especially with their defence however, the riders played to their strengths and defeated the prides by 26 points. 

Head Coach Antonio Quintero commentated on the win “The key of the game was to play a consistent defence during the whole match. That must be our main philosophy and we had shown that when we are focused enough and in the proper shape to do it we are capable of performance in a very decent level.”

He added “We are also very happy to be able to play home games again after a long time, and also to see many players from the academy enjoying minutes on the court.”

Molly James led with 18 points and Robyn Ainge led with 8 assists for the Loughborough Riders, while Emilie Black led with 12 points and 6 assists for the COLA Southwark Prides. 

Scorers:

Riders: M. James 18, M. Stone 15, R. Ainge 13, K. Januszewska 12, S. Lecuyer 9, L. Dabbs 7, H. Bird 4, K. Davies 3 

Prides: E. Black 12, I. Momodu 11, M. Lavin 10, E. Connell 7, S. Henshaw 5, A. Campbell 5, F. Amode 4, E. Egbirika 1 

The Riders will now face Worcester Wolves on Saturday, 6^th March in an away game at 2pm. 

Hoping to keep their winning momentum in play after their last game, Riders put on a show against Hemel Storm.  

With a slow start, the Riders fought hard against Storm , who battled throughout the game to clam their victory. 

Working to close the gap, Riders edged closer to Storm, ending the first half with 33-37.  They continued to push throughout the final half, being incredibly strong in the final quarter. However,  at the final hurdle it just wasn’t enough to pip Storm to the post losing the game by just 3 points in the final seconds. 

Jonas Dieterich and Greg Wild led with 21 points each for Loughborough Riders, with  Kyle Jimenez leading the assists (9). 

Head Coach Mark Jarram commentated “Another great competitive game with lots of teachable moments. We have to focus on being more consistent for the duration of the 40 minutes, at the moment we fluctuate too much which creates different runs on both sides of the ball. We look forward to working on this.” 

Scorers

Riders: Dieterich 21, Wild 21, Jimenez 10, Ndoukou 6, Bielak 5, Ntifo 4, Gugza 3, Hayden 2, Morrell 2, Oputa 2.

Storm:  Poleon 22, Adeluola 20, Williams 18, Oyefusi 13, Abdul 4, Lewis 2.

Riders were looking to bounce back after their narrow 80 – 79 defeat against Bradford dragons the day before. They certainly put things right with a convincing 96 – 63 win over the Nottingham Hoods. 

Riders used the depth of their bench well, rotating regularly, allowing them to maintain their high level of play and were rewarded by 47 points from the bench. It was an overall great team performance from the Riders who moved the ball well, finding good shots and making them count throughout the game. The Riders worked well together on offense and defence, opening up a 33-point lead at one point, their biggest of the match. 

Hoods guard Victor Olarerin had a standout performance, keeping his team in the game. Olarerin finished with 21 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals. Riders had five scorers in double-digits, led by the returning Carl Ntifo who had 19 points and an impressive 88% on FG. 

Head Coach Mark Jarram was very pleased with the performance and commentated “A solid win and bounce back performance from Saturday. We were better in the areas of focus that we set out to be. Becoming more relentless and consistent in our approach and commitment to what matters most is a priority for us.” 

He added “Great to have contributions from throughout the roster. It’s usual routine for us, back to it this week as we continue to build and grow.” 

Scorers: 

Riders: C.Ntifo 19, H.Gamble 15, V.Ndoukou 15, D.Orija 11, C.O’reilly 10, K.Jimenez 6, J.Bielak 5, G.Wild 5, D.Oputa 4, C.Hayden 2, C.Morrell 2, L.Johnson 2 

Hoods: V.Olarerin 21, D.Powell 10, K.Wright 8, M.Ward-Hibbert 7, M.Parker 5, I.Patrick 4, P.Ellery 3, T.Babalola 2, B.Adjei 1 

Riders are now preparing to face up against Hemel Storm, who will be visiting on Saturday 20^th February with a 2:30pm Tip off. The game will be live to watch on the Basketball England YouTube Channel. 

Riders picked up a 77-62 win on the road against BA London Lions in their first game of 2021 after the WNBL pause. Makana Stone once again had a strong performance, coming close to a triple double. Stone ended the game with 18 points, 15 rebounds and 9 steals. 

Head Coach Antonio Quintero commentated “We were really keen to comeback playing after stopping for a few weeks. The team performed very well, considering that were missing some players due to a WBBL game on the same day. It was a successful performance and a big effort from the roster taking into account that some players were not able to practice properly during the week.”

He added “I think that the key to the game was how we defended intensely and were clever with our shot selection. We were struggling to rebound the ball especially at the beginning of the second half, but we quickly fixed this and got back to playing at a good level. It was a great team performance.” 

Scorers: 

Riders: M.Stone 18, S.Lecuyer 13, M.James 12, R.Ainge 11, K.Cox 10, L.Dabbs 8, H.Bird 3, E.Shadrick 2 

Lions: L.Edwards 21, A.Sheia 12, P.Puzule 7, J.Quinn 6, F.Abdelaziz 6, C.Mushore 6, W.Ijelu 2, T.Fournillier-Onadeko 2 

The Riders are once again on the road, facing Team Solent Kestrels Women this Saturday with a 2pm Tip off. 

Following the Riders impressive win against Bradford Dragons which saw them into the final four of the L Lynch Trophy, Riders were looking to pick up their third win in the league against top of the table team Derby Trailblazers. 

Riders had a strong game and led for most part of it, with young Charnwood graduates Victor Ndoukou, Greg Wild and Kanu Gudza getting some valuable playing time. However, a fight back from Trailblazers led by Blake Bowman who finished the game with 27 points saw them clinch the victory in this narrow game. 

Kyle Jimenez once again led the assists table (13), with Jonas Dieterich the leading scorer for the Riders (17). It was not the result the Riders were looking for, but it was a highly competitive game that showed the best from both teams. 

Head Coach Mark Jarram said the following on the game “Disappointed in the outcome of this one but another positive performance. We continue to improve and put better performances in weekly so that’s success.”

He added “We have to do a better job of converting scoring opportunities and eliminate some easy scores for opponents. We tip the balance in that way and we’d feel a lot different. But we will continue to learn and build as the season goes on.”

Scorers:

Riders: J.Dieterich 17, K.Jimenez 16, H.Gamble 14, C.Hayden 13, G.Wild 8, D.Orija 3, J.Bielak 3, V.Ndoukou 1

Trailblazers: B.Bowman 27, M.Smith 15, O.Stanley 12, J.Conway 12, C.Brown 6, A.Ugo 3, J.Chilver 2 

Loughborough men’s Riders put out one of their best performances of the season to see off Bradford Dragons  91 – 68 in the Quarter Final of the L Lynch Trophy. 

The Dragons came out stronger of the two teams, gaining early momentum to open an early 7-point lead, but a 3-point jump shot from Jonas Dieterich got the Riders into their flow going into second quarter 17-15. Riders carried on in the same fashion in the second quarter with valuable minutes and points from Joe Bielak who insured the Riders maintained the lead. 

Riders controlled the second half not allowing the Dragons to get too comfortable. Moving into the fourth quarter Riders were very much deservingly in control of the game and had a comfortable 23 point led to finish the game, thanks to an impressive 62% 2-point conversion percentage. 

Harrison Gamble led the scoring for the Riders finishing with an impressive 28 points and Kyle Jimenez led the assists again with 16. 

Head Coach Mark Jarram commented “Obviously very happy with the result and to advance to semi-finals but more importantly proud of the performance. Over the past couple weeks, we’ve really tried to focus in on some of the things we can control and becoming better versions of us. It’s nice to see that translate to games a little. 

He added “This game, with a depleted roster, was a gusty and brave performance but another step in the right direction for us collectively on this year’s journey. There were some standout performances for sure, but I thought there were contributions throughout roster in order to put together 40 minutes like we did. Excited to get back into practice this week to keep growing and improving.” 

Scorers

Riders: H.Gamble 28, J.Dietrich 20, K.Jimenez 18, J.Bielak 12, D.Orija 10, C.Morrell 3

Dragons: R.Sculcs 21, A.Lycoudis 20, R.Fetske 13, A.Margai 6, J.Laing 4, T.Regent-Bascombe 2, D.Walsh 2 

The Riders now prepare for league action against Derby Trailblazers at home on Saturday 30^th January. 

Following the decision that WNBL D1 will be on pause until the 30^th January when fixtures are due to restart, teams will now only play each other once, either home or away. Riders will travel to BA London Lion on the 30^th January for their first game in 2021. 

Once all teams have played their allocated remaining round of fixtures, places 1-6 will form pool A, places 7-12 will form pool B. Pool A will then play for seeds 1-6 in the playoffs, pool B will play for seeds 7-8 in the playoffs. 

Head Coach Antonio Quintero commentated “We are just excited to get back playing and competing again. I am really pleased with how the team is performing at the moment and we will look to carry this on in the rest of our fixtures. I am certain that the players will take the league restructure in their stride and keep performing well.” 

Here are the Riders remaining fixtures before the pool fixture begin on the 10^th April

Saturday 30^th January Vs BA London Lions (Away 2:00pm Tip off) 

Sunday 14^th February Vs CoLA Southwark Pride (Away, 3:00pm Tip off)

Sunday 21^st February Vs Anglia Ruskin University (Away, 4:00pm Tip off)

An unfortunate loss to Loughborough Riders as Thames Valley Cavaliers started strong, ending the game undefeated in the league: 92-79.

For the first three quarters the defensive play from the Cavs disrupted the riders’ offence giving them a lead. Although the Riders Men changed momentum after and saw a quick catch-up, it wasn’t enough to beat the Cavs in the end.

Jonas Dietrich led the scoring for the Riders with 19 points with Kyle Jimenez and Greg Wild both adding 13 to the Riders side. 

Head Coach Mark Jarram quote “A good fight from our guys and a much improved performance. We had a good week and we talked about having a performance we were proud of, the guys never gave up and made an excellent comeback and made a game of it in the fourth quarter despite being down.”

He added “A couple made shots and it could have been a different ending. Credit to Thames Valley, that is an extremely talent roster that really score in multiple different ways and will be one of the top teams on everyone’s schedule. We hope to keep the momentum from last week and have another focused and intentional week here to keep developing in the right direction.”  

Scorers:

Loughborough Riders: Dieterich 19, Jimenez 13, Wild 13, Hayden 11, Gamble 9, Bielak 8, Orja 3, Morrell 2, Emejuru 1

Thames Valley Cavaliers :  Johnson 23, Hehetro 16, Hawley 16, Sylla 13, Freckleton 8, Williams 8, Champion 5, Acquah-Davis 3, 

Loughborough Riders let a 13-point lead slip against Team Newcastle University going into the fourth quarter, losing the game 77 – 74. 

Riders looked to be in control for most part of the game with valuable points from Jonas Dieterich (19) and Harrison Gamble (18) with Kyle Jimenez leading the assists (16) but a strong fourth quarter performance from Newcastle University handed the Riders their 3^rd loss of the season.     

 Mark Jarram commented “Disappointing loss, but a good one for the teachable moments. Credit to Newcastle for making the momentum plays when it counted but it was very self-inflicted mistakes that they rightfully capitalized on. There are a number of clear things we can’t afford to do, in the manner that we did, especially with a lead.  

He added “We are far from the finished product with this group and we need to use these games maturely with an urgency to adapt for the rest of the season.”   

Scorers:

Riders: J.Dieterich 19, H.Gamble 18, K.Jimenez 13, K.Gudza 8, C.Hayden 6, J.Bielak 5, G.Emejuru 3, D,Orija 2

Newcastle: D.Moya 26, R.Blain 25, B.Federici 9, C.Smith 9, N.Urli 6, E.Kabengele 2 

The Riders are now back in action on the 9^th January against Bradford Dragons. 

Loughborough Riders defeated top of the league Ipswich 77 – 76 with a big bucket by Makana Stone with 2 seconds left on the clock. 

Ipswich started the better of the two teams opening an early 10-0 lead, their biggest scoring run of the game. Molly James got the Riders going with a 3-point shot which got the Riders into their flow, ending the first quarter 19 – 19. Once again Ipswich looked to get away from the Riders, creating an 8-point lead but a 3-point shot from Robyn Ainge and two lay-ups followed by a brilliant 2 point turn around jump shot from Makana Stone put the Riders in front by 1 point. Ipswich replied with a lay-up from Esther Little, followed by a free throw shot from Harriet Welham giving them a 30 – 32 lead going into the half-time break. 

The Riders came out for the third quarter with unmatched energy from Ipswich, creating a 14-point lead (their biggest of the game) with Molly James hitting three 3-point shots. Harriet Welham kept Ipswich in the game and left them trailing by 4 points heading into final quarter. The final quarter turned into a 3-point shootout with Ipswich’s Susannah Rafiu getting hot and connecting with three 3-point shots giving her team a 1-point lead with 60 seconds left on the clock. Both teams failed to make shots and a foul on Robyn Ainge, forced Riders Head Coach Antonio Quintero into a timeout with 5 seconds left to play. Makana Stone put Riders up by 1 point after a successful lay-up with 2 seconds to go which gave the Riders a win in this exciting game. 

Head Coach Antonio Quintero was delighted with the performance commentating “We believed from the start we could win the game; it was an incredible win. Ipswich are for sure the toughest team in the league, so to win against them in manner we did will give the team a great confidence boost. 

He added “Everyone is adapting to the league well and we are building a good base to be a strong side for the season.”  

Loughborough Riders now prepare to play away to Nottingham Trent University on Saturday 19^th December. 

Scorers:

Riders: M.James 24, M.Stone 20, R.Ainge 16, H.Bird 7, K.Januszewska 7, S.Lecuyer 3 

Ipswich: H.Welham 18, E.Little 15, S.Rafiu 15, C.Ka Yin Leung 9, C.Redhead 6, E.Pearson 6, D.Cazey 3, C.Taylor-Willis 2, B.Hardwood-Bellis 2 

Riders made it 2-2 in the league after closely beating the Warriors, Hayden led the scoring with an important 24 points and an impressive 75% field goal percentage. Riders knew that they were in for a close game as they were left trailing by 3 points at half time. However, a dunk by Hayden at the start of the third quarter set the Riders off for a strong quarter, finishing with a 13-point lead.     

After a tense fourth quarter Loughborough Riders came away with the win as Kyle Jimenez continues his incredible form with 15 points, 4 rebounds and 16 assists. Jimenez commented on the team performance saying “We have been playing a better brand of basketball in the last few performances. Leicester are always a tough team to play against especially at their court, I thought we had multiple guys make a big impact today.” 

Head Coach Mark Jarram was glad to be on the winning side of a close game “Another close, grind it out win. It’s good to be on the winning side of these close games but it is being done whilst we continue to learn and grow. We just want to adapt during the phase of the season. Continued key contributions from some guys but also great to see players off the bench chipping in.”

Scorers: 

Warriors: Langton 24, Henry 17, Pearson 14, Gayle 10, King 9, Willan 9, Chingombe 8, Holland 4, Lewis 2

Riders: Hayden 24, Dieterich 23, Bielak 16, Jimenez 15, Gamble 11, Gudza 4, Morrel 2, Oloke 2, Emejuru 2

Riders are next back in action away to Team Newcastle University on the 12^th December. 

Loughborough Riders success as they defeat Thames Valley Cavaliers at their Saturday afternoon home WNBL Division 1 game.

Dominating on the court with a final score of 72-53, the team began with a promising lead which they kept from start to finish. The women created a 32 point advantage at half time, and were able to confidently start the second half at 47-15. 

The Cavaliers pushed through with resilience, showing no signs of giving up anytime soon. Adjusting their game play and returning to the floor with a strong defensive final quarter, we saw great work from the team. However, Riders played to their strengths, keeping the game fast paced and triumphed in the end.

“We played with a very high pace which we have been aiming for the whole week, and we did it. We were leading in the half time because we were able to collect the rebounds and move quick which was the key thing”. Explained Riders’ Head Coach Antonio Quintero.

He added “ We had a very good game as a group. We started practising very late due to the Covid restrictions, and I think that week by week we are going up, and that is the goal as a coach”.

Ainge’s led with 21 points for Loughborough Riders, followed by James at 14, whilst  Thames Valley’s Cavaliers’ Goldsby dropped 21 points on the court.

Scorers

Riders: Ainge 21, James 14, Stone 12, Dabbs 8, Lecuyer 5, Shaw 4, Januszewska 4, Bird 2, Cox 2

Cavaliers: Goldsby 21, Okwuosa 9, Dela 6, Lisk 6, Bush 4, Bishop 3, Sironi 2, Abramova 2,

Next, Riders face BA London Lions with an away game on Saturday 5^th December.

Loughborough Riders continue their good form with a strong showing to beat the Nottingham Hoods 85-56 in this Lynch Trophy matchup, confirming their 1^st place seed in the tournament. 

Riders’ Jonas Dieterich led the scoring with 22 points on the night, but it was captain Kyle Jimenez who stole the show with a classy performance. A worthy MVP, he controlled the tempo of the game, clocking in 35 minutes with 16 rebounds, 13 assists and 9 points, leaving him just a point away from a 2^nd triple double in his last 2 games. From setting up baskets and bringing each player into the play, to slowing the game down in the final quarter to manage the game, his unselfish play was a joy to watch from start to finish. 16 points off the bench, a notable dunk and a big block to deny Nottingham in the 4^th quarter, demonstrated an impressive showing from Carl Ntifo likewise.

The Riders moved the ball extremely well all game, picking the right passes and taking the higher percentage shots, with 48 points in the paint to Hoods’ 26. Loughborough’s 47% field goal shooting to Nottingham’s 34% and 30 points off the bench to Hoods’ 17, it’s clear to see the wealth of quality Loughborough carry throughout the roster. Despite a lively showing from Victor Olarerin with 20 points, Nottingham couldn’t escape the Rider’s defensive press, and were forced to shoot the tough shots – a testament to the game plan set out by Rider’s coach Mark Jarram today. With a young team of nearly entirely new players this season, we can expect to see better games ahead for Nottingham; tonight being only their 2^nd game back since Lockdown. 

Head Coach Mark Jarram commented of the win saying “Great win. It’s nice to again get contributions throughout the roster, but more importantly to play the same team 3 days apart and get such a different result, guys were much better at following game plan and scout. A much more mature and composed performance but still so much room for growth ahead. We will continue to focus on being better every game.” 

Next up for the Riders is a game against the Leicester Warriors away on Saturday 28^th November with a 3pm tip off. 

Loughborough Riders came out on top in a very tough game against the Nottingham hoods.  

As the game tipped off Riders opened up an 8-point lead, their biggest of the game but a few poor turnovers and efficient offence from the Hoods left them trailing by just 1 point at the end of the first quarter. Riders edged the Hoods with an impressive 93% conversion rate from the free throw line by making 15/16 and also making 19/33 2-point shots resulting in a much needed 57% conversion rate. Once again Jonas Dieterich, 25 and Harrison Gamble 12, led the scoring for the Riders. 

Head Coach Mark Jarram commented on the win saying  “Really positive to have an improved performance and contributions from throughout the roster. It was a tough grind it out win. We still have plenty of areas of growth, but it’s since to get a win whilst we continue to look to improve as we go!” 

He added “We shift our focus to Tuesday where we again simply pursuit an improved performance on our areas of focus.”  

Scorers: 

Hoods: Olarerin 20, Powell 15, Parker 9, Juffer 9, Adjei 8, Ward-Hibbert 7, Babalola 6

Riders: Dieterich 25, Gamble 12, Jimenez 9, Hayden 8, Bielak 6, Emejuru 6, Ntifo 4, Orija 4, Johnson 3 

The Riders will once again face the Hoods on Tuesday evening in the L Lynch Trophy with a 7pm Tip off at Loughborough University. 

Loughborough Riders fell a hard-fought overtime defeat at home against Worcester Wolves in their 2nd competitive game of their WNBL Division One season. 

The game was end to end throughout, with both teams applying full court pressure all game. The Riders ended the 1^stquarter in the lead, but the Wolves ended the 2^nd quarter strong, with 3 consecutive threes to put the Wolves ahead going into the 3^rd quarter. Makana Stone stood out with her physicality, especially late in the game, ending with a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds, helping the Riders to pull ahead late in the game. 

Riders Head Coach Antonio Quintero commented “We played a very even game, where both teams were able to win. We made too many mistakes in our offensive transitions and had problems against the good pressing of Wolves. For sure this is something we will fix for our next fixture. Without any doubt they arrived with more gas than us to the overtime and deserved the victory, so all credit to their work.” 

He commented on the team’s development by saying “For us, it was a new situation that will surely make us grow as a team and gain experience. We are gradually building a strong group and I am sure that we will see improvement every week, I think that’s extremely important for us that our young players acquire this type of experience in key moments of the game where the pressure is high to keep themselves as competitive players.”   

Christina Gaskin of the Leicester Riders on commentary singled out Marques as her MVP for the game, with a game high 27 points showing her offensive prowess and drove the Wolves to a late comeback. The Wolves tied the game with a three in the last 20 seconds forcing overtime and carried their momentum into overtime ending the game 82-67. Their defensive intensity was relentless and this and their field goal shooting percentage of 36% to the Rider’s 32% ended up being the difference between the two sides. 

The Riders will now prepare to play at home against the Thames Valley Cavaliers on Saturday 28th November with a 1pm tip off. Livestream details to follow.  

Riders Women clinch their first win of the 2020/21 season, at home against Reading Rockets in second league game.

Women grabbed a 64-61 victory in a game which they led from start to finish. Katie Januszewska opened the scoring for the Riders with a driving layup, marking the beginning of the Riders scoring 30 points in the paint. Rockets stayed in touching distance of taking the lead in the game but were outdone by the efficiency of the Riders who scored 17 second chance points.

Makana Stone had an outstanding debut performance with a huge 18 points and 25 rebounds, earning her the spot as WNBL Player of the week. The American forward took down an impressive 11 offensive boards, with a huge block in the first quarter and three steals across the ball game.

Head Coach Antonio Quintero was pleased with the win and commented on Makana’s performance saying “Makana had an amazing performance, showing leadership and full effort during the whole time she spent on court. She adapted very well and incredibly fast to our playing philosophy and I am very sure that as the season progresses Makana will improve adding more value to the team week by week.” 

He added “Getting our first win of the season is a great motivational boost which will help us to continue working hard and building our game philosophy as well as evolving as a team. By the end of the game, we were able to solve some trapping and pressing situations and it was encouraging to see us calm the pace of the game to our advantage.”

Scorers

Riders: Stone 18, Bird 11, Hikin 9, Ainge 7, James 6, Januszewska 4, Dabbs 4, Morris 3, Cox 2.

Rockets: Hermida Nunez 17, Gines Espinosa 14, Comesana 14, Thompson 6, Burgess 6, Ford 2, Luzon 2.

The Riders next test will be on the 21^st November with a home game against the Worcester Wolves. Livestream details to follow.

A game that the Riders were in control of, slipped away from them with 5 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Jonas Dietrich led the scoring for the Riders with 20 points, meanwhile in his second game for the team, youngster Kanu Gudza added a valuable 16 points with a 60% field goal percentage.

Head Coach Mark Jarram was disappointed by the loss “We were in control and let that one get away. Credit to Barking, they played their tails off and created some momentum and maintained that momentum.”

He added “We have to look after the basketball better for us to improve as a team and become more clinical. It will be a major focus moving forward. But it is all part of the process. We learn, adapt and we move on. This season is going to be full of teachable moments for us to grow.”

Scorers:

BA London Lions: Harrison 21, Eze 18, Hayes 16, Vijber 14, Okunola 11, Adedo 9, Carmichael 2

Loughborough Riders: Dieterich 20, Gudza 16, Gamble 15, Jimenez 15, Orija 9,  Emejuru 7, Johnson 4

Riders now prepare to get their first win of the 2020/21 season away to Nottingham Hoods on the 21^st November.

It was a tough opening day at home for both the Men’s and Women’s team who fell short against two very good Solent Kestrel sides.

First game of the day saw the Men’s side which included three new faces step up to the roster, from the Charnwood Riders; Giovani Emejuru and Kanu Gudza and from Loughborough University second team last season, Conor O’Reilly took the floor for the first time. Loughborough faced off against a powerhouse Solent side who made the most of getting into the paint. Jonas Dietrich (19 points) and Harrison Gamble (11 points) led the scoring for Loughborough Riders but a 63% 2 point conversion rate saw the Kestrels seal the victory.

Men’s Head Coach Mark Jarram commented “Credit to Solent, the roster they have complied this year and the brand of basketball they are playing is impressive.”

He added “We are looking forward to the growth over the course of the season and are very intrigued to what type of team we will become as we settle into the season.”

Next up the Women’s team put up a good fight but were out done by an experienced Kestrel sides that controlled the tempo in the second half and took advantage of the Riders being unable to stop them in the paint by scoring 48 points in the game.

Erin Hikin led the scoring for the Riders with 26 points, followed by Hannah Bird who scored 12 points.

Women’s head coach Antonio Quintero said, “We have a very young roster and most of the players will be gaining valuable experience game by game; this will help us to build the chemistry we need to grow as a team and get the right results.”

Loughborough Men will now prepare to face off against Leicester Warriors on Tuesday night at 8pm at Loughborough University in their second game in the L Lynch Trophy. The game will be live to watch on Basketball England’s YouTube Page.

The Women will look to get back to winning ways against the Reading Rockets in their second league game on Saturday 14^th November with a 4pm tip off.

Nottingham native Milo Sigmund joins the Loughborough Riders following a season overseas at Vincennes Trailblazers.

Sigmund produced an impressive EABL season with the Canterbury Crusaders earning Most Improved Player honors before being ranked 20th by the Deng Top 50 and then heading oversas.

“Loughborough is a great programme with high quality coaching, great facilities and championships,” opened Sigmund.

“I think it’ll be the right environment for me to develop in. With players who will push me everyday on my team it will definitely help me grow individually.”

Head Coach Mark Jarram is looking to Sigmund to add value in a number of ways whilst developing through his time in Loughborough.

“Milo is a swiss army knife of a player who can contribute in multiple different ways. We are eager to see how he embraces this next step in his journey and look forward being a part of it.”

Loughborough Riders welcome back to the UK Newcastle native Chris Linsley following a year overseas in Portugal at Sunlive and Sangalhos.

Linsley returns to the UK following one season with Sangalhos in Portugal as part of Sunlive Basketball academy after developing through the Newcastle Eagles junior programme, earning a Deng Top 50 invitation.

“I chose the Loughborough Riders programme because I believe it will be the best play for me to develop,” commented Linsley.

“This season will be the first time I have committed to a team long term outside of Newcastle. I’m excited to learn and adjust to a new culture and methods.”

Head Coach Mark Jarram is looking for impact on the defensive end to compliment the sharp shooting of Linsley in the upcoming seasons.

“Chris joins us after a year in Portugal. We hope to see Chris make an impact at both ends of the floor as a 3 and D guy and we’re really looking forward to supporting him through his journey over the coming years.”

Linsley and Loughborough take the floor against the Nottingham Hoods as the L Lunch Trophy gets underway in Loughborough this weekend and games will be available to watch online.

Loughborough University will play host to the group stage of the inaugural Lynch Trophy starting this weekend. The opening group stage will feature 24 high-quality games for British basketball fans to watch online over three weekends.

The competition sees all 14 NBL Division One clubs, together with invited academy sides Myerscough and Charnwood, competing in four regional groups of four. Playing each other once, the top two sides in each group will progress to the quarter-finals.

All games in the group stage will be played in central bubbles and will be livestreamed.

“We’re delighted to introduce the Lynch Trophy at part of our campaign to improve the profile of Division One,” said Leicester Riders’ MD Russell Levenston, who represents the top-flight clubs on the Basketball England working group along with Thames Valley Cavaliers’ Robert Banks and Dave Ryan of Oaklands Wolves.

“Our partnership with L Lynch is exciting for us and we hope that the competition will help get basketball back in front of supporters after the problems Covid-19 has caused.”

Group one will be hosted by Solent Kestrels at their impressive new venue and will see the all-conquering Division One and National Cup champions joined by old rivals Worthing Thunder along with BA London Lions and division new-boys Essex Rebels.

Oaklands Wolves have a top-flight team for the first time following their merger with one of the most famous names in the British games, Leopards, and the St Albans-based side will host Group Two. They will be joined by neighbours Hemel Storm along with old rivals Reading Rockets and Thames Valley Cavaliers.

Midlands pride is on the line in Group Three as Loughborough Riders host Nottingham Hoods and Leicester Warriors along with Charnwood who will look to cause an upset.

Myerscough will stage Group Four, and they will be joined by Division Two champions Newcastle, Bradford Dragons and Derby Trailblazers.

The group stages will be played over three weekends, the 10/11, 17/18 and 24/25 October.

Check out the Loughborough Riders fixtures in the competition.

• Oct 10th – 6.45pm – Loughborough Riders vs Nottingham Hoods
• Oct 17th – 6.45pm – Loughborough Riders vs Leicester Warriors
• Oct 24th – 6.45pm – Loughborough Riders vs Charnwood College Riders

Newcastle native, 6’10 forward Jeremy Lievin joins the Loughborough Riders from Oaklands College ahead of the upcoming NBL and BUCS Seasons.

The EABL Northern Conference Most Improved Player two seasons ago moves north from Oaklands College to continue his basketball whilst studying sport, noting Loughborough developmental reputation as a primary reason for the move.

“I chose Loughborough because of their reputation and development of talent, it’s a good programme to develop my skills on court and to test myself on a higher level over the coming years.”

“I look forward to working with my new teammates and just competing every game and training session.”

“Looking forward to this new chapter for Jermey,” said Coach Jarram on the latest addition to the roster.

“His size and length is something special, whilst coming off a positive EABL season we’ll be looking for more of the same from him as he transitions to a new level of basketball. Excited to support his journey with us.”

Loughborough Riders are in action this weekend against the Nottingham Hoods in the opening game of the L Lynch Trophy at Loughborough University at 6.45pm. The game will be available to watch online, watch out for announcements and stream links at @lborobasketball.

Freshman duo Chester Morrell and Jonathan Fakile have joined the Loughborough Riders ahead of the upcoming NBL and BUCS seasons after time spent at Kent Crusaders last season

The Deng Top 50 duo will start the season with the Loughborough Riders later this month following an uncertain period for British Basketball due to the COVID-19 pandemic however with the NBL Division One season green lit for now duo will provide assistance to the new look Loughborough roster.

“A fiery competitor and an offensive threat,” said Coach Jarram on Morrell as he starts his time at Loughborough.

“We have been watching Chester closely for the last couple of years. We are excited to have him join our programme and supporting him on the next steps of his basketball and academic journey.”

Brighton native Chester Morrell joins from Kent Crusaders, being names All-EABL Second team for the 2019 season and impressive performances at the Haris Tournament this past season.

“The university and basketball team is one the elite and leading programmes in the UK,” commented Morrell, “I could see myself representing Loughborough and am looking forward to the new teammates, atmosphere at practice and on campus and coaching styles, as all will push me to develop and be my best.”

Coach Jarram is excited for the future of Fakile following preseason action with the Loughborough team.

“Jono is a player with a tonne of potential as a floor general and leader and has shown glimpses in pre-season that have us excited for his time with us in the programme. He fits our playing style well and has made a great first impression so far.”

Fakile will have a familiar face in Morrell following time together at Canterbury and Kent Crusaders, where Fakile was named the team’s MVP for the U18 season alongside achieving academic awards at the college for his outstanding commitment to his studies.

“I feel this programme is a step in the right direction in helping me to get a degree and pursue competitive basketball,” reflected Fakile.

“I am looking forwards to getting to learn from the returning players and getting to wear the Loughborough purple.”

For more news from Loughborough basketball be sure to follow @lborobasketball on all social media platforms.

Loughborough Basketball’s Men’s and Women’s trails have been confirmed ahead of the first week of term as students have returned to campus.

Places on rosters of the four Men’s teams and three Women’s teams as well as the Men’s Development Squad will be up for grabs.

Women’s Trials

Women’s trials are confirmed for Sunday 25th Oct starting at 1pm.

Due to COVID protocols capacity of 12 students per court will be in place and as such players should book on to one of three slots, 1-1.50pm, 2-2.50pm and 3-3.50pm.

• Download the Loughborough Sport App
• Register on the app
• Click Trials and Taster Section
• Select the trial session you wish to attend and press book
• Your details will automatically be recorded, ready for your arrival at the session

Be sure to arrive on time and ensure you are ready to play at the start of the session to avoid delays.

Men’s Trials

If you missed trials, drop an email to [email protected]

Loughborough Basketball has named it’s student committee ahead of the upcoming season with students returning to Loughborough University this week.

The student committee play a key role in the Loughborough basketball programme, working with the professional staff in a multitude of areas to ensure the programme continues to grow, as well as the student voice represented in decisions on all things basketball.

Please feel reach out to @lborobasketball on social media for answers on any questions related to the basketball programme.

Get to know this year’s student committee here.

• Tegan Hargreaves – Women’s Club Chair
• Studies: Geography and sport science
• Fun fact: Grew up in Germany

• Elliott Walker – Men’s Club Chair
• Studying: Geography
• Fun Fact: Only started playing basketball after fracturing his spine and ended up loving it.

• Niall Waring – Men’s Vice Chair & IMS Chair
• Studies: Graphic Communication and Illustration 
• Fun fact: Nearly failed Art in High school but still went on to study it in University

• Meg Palmer – Women’s Vice Chair
• Studies: Sport and Exercise Science
• Fun fact: Can do a backflip

• Astrid Reece – Women’s Welfare and diversity
• Studies: International relations
• Fun fact: Tegan Lucy and I all played against each other in international tournaments in high school. 

• Carl Ntifo – Treasurer
• Studies: Computer Science
• Fun fact: I can sing and play the violin and guitar

• Jack Osmond – Social Sec
• Studies: Sports Coaching
• Fun fact: I have played sport all around the world, including USA, Finland and Germany

• Ruby Coutts – Social Sec
• Studies: Sports Management
• Fun fact: Can quickly recite the alphabet backwards

• Lucy Carton – Social Sec
• Studies: Business Psychology
• Fun fact: Can name every single country in the world

• Miharu Ramanayake – Kit Sec and Treasurer
• Studies: Computer science and management
• Fun fact: Trilingual and born in Japan

• Charlotte Rainton – Media Rep
• Studies: Sport and Exercise Science
• Fun fact: I can touch my nose with my tongue

Jozef Bielak is set to return to the UK next season following a stint at Sheridan College, after graduating Charnwood College in 2019 as an EABL Champion with the Riders programme.

Bielak featured in the 2019 edition of the Deng Top 50 and the Hoopsfix All-Star Classic before earning a scholarship to Sheridan College to play and study in the US last season.

Back in on home soil, the Liverpool native is looking forward to the upcoming season studying within the Elite Player Pathway at Loughborough University, despite the uncertainty around the sport due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m really looking forward to being around great people and other athletes who have competed at the highest level.” commented Bielak.

“I chose Loughborough because of the winning environment and high standards of education. It’s one of the few places in the U.K. that can provide a similar experience to a number of places in the states.”

Loughborough Head Coach Mark Jarram is pleased with the roster addition of Bielak ahead of the upcoming NBL and BUCS seasons with a 3-4 year journey ahead for the talented shooting guard.

“A graduate of Charnwood College and someone very familiar with our programme, Joe will come in to our group and add shooting and great determination to win. We are really intrigued to see how his game can translate and grow over his time here.“

Be sure to follow @lborobasketball for further roster updates coming soon ahead of the NBL season in October.

Leicester Riders have secured the services of American big Darien Nelson-Henry on a two-year deal.

Nelson-Henry had a successful spell with Leicester last time out averaging 13.3 PPG and placing amongst the league’s leaders for field goal percentage.

“We are happy to have Darien back. He was a great guy to work with and was a very effective player for us last season,” commented Head Coach Rob Paternostro.

“He is a big guy who can really impact the game with his size and strength. He plays with skill and intelligence on the court.”

“Darien is a tough guy to guard, you can see that by looking at his FG% (63%). He was top 2 in that category last season. He does a great job at getting position and can score either way, he also passes the ball very well and was a very effective screener for us.”

The Penn graduate will also be studying for his Masters at the Business School at Loughborough University while representing the Riders.

“I couldn’t be happier that I’m getting to do two things that I’ve always wanted to do… play professional basketball and study to get a masters and further my learning. I’ve always been somebody who’s wanted to better myself,” reflected Nelson-Henry.

“Returning to play for Leicester is amazing. We get treated like family immediately. The guys are so welcoming.”

“I was excited to come here before signing last year as I have heard great things, it lived up to the expectations and the hype. I’ve had an amazing experience so far.  

Darien becomes the third signing announcement for the Riders following British duo Conner Washington and Jamell Anderson. Be sure to follow the Riders on social media at @RidersBball for updates throughout the season.