Leicester Riders suffered defeat to the Newcastle Eagles at the Mattioli Arena Friday night after the visitors produced a strong second-half display, beating Riders 101-80.
Riders faced an uphill battle through the first two quarters, trailing 48-38 at half-time as the Eagles took firm control. Trevond Barnes proved influential from the outset, scoring 9 in the first quarter for the visitors alone, while Riders’ Bernard Pelote’s 8 points kept them in touching distance with several strong finishes around the rim.
Neither side found much success from beyond the arc early on, with both teams shooting just 20% from three-point range in the opening quarter.
Newcastle continued to build momentum with Adam Hamilton imposing himself in the paint at both ends of the floor. Riders responded through the efforts of Pelote and JJ White, who helped to reduce the deficit after a difficult second quarter stretch. However, turnovers continued to be costly for Leicester, allowing the Eagles to continue their charge through valuable points in transition and efficient off-the-bench scoring.
Riders emerged from the interval with renewed energy, showing signs of a potential comeback. However, Newcastle consistently found answers whenever Riders threatened to close the gap, with Adam Hamilton continuing to be the anchor for the Eagles’ defence.
Impressive scoring from Cole Long and Blondeau Tchoukuiegno saw the Eagles pull away late in the third, with the decisive moment being back-to-back threes for the away side, extending their advantage to 67-53. Despite Riders’ best efforts with a buzzer-beater layup from TJ Hurley, the Eagles went into the fourth 71-58.
Any hope of a Riders comeback was short-lived, with the Eagles continuing to showcase impressive efficiency from beyond the arc. JJ white knocked down another three from deep, while Mackey produced consecutive buckets, and Tomide Akinsiku produced one of the highlights of the night with an emphatic dunk at the rim.
Nevertheless, Newcastle kept firm control of the game, with leading scorer Tavis Smith leading the scoring effort finishing on 19 points as the visitors closed out the victory.
Riders now look to their next fixture with an away trip to the capital as they face top of the table London Lions, still looking for their first win of the season.
Written by Cameron Johnson.
