Leicester Riders continue their road trip against Caledonia Gladiators, in their first trip north of the border this season.
The team looks to turn their road form around after dropping their last three away games in the Championship.
Meanwhile for the Gladiators, showing some form on the back end of the season, this is an important game in their fight for the final playoff place.
Fixture information
Caledonia Gladiators vs Leicester Riders
Super League Basketball Championship
Playsport Arena, East Kilbride
Friday, March 28, 7:30 pm
Riders need to rebound
Leicester Riders are in need of a lift to their road form in Glasgow. They have fallen in their last three away fixtures, all close affairs in which the Riders fell just short.
They lost the games by an average margin of three points- losing by one against both Sheffield Sharks and Bristol Flyers with shots to take the lead or send it to overtime both rimming out.
Despite the close encounters, they now sit 10 points adrift of the top of the table with a 15-7 record, and need to build form in the final month of the season for a postseason push.
Three point shooting has been a challenge on the road in recent weeks. Their last three road games have seen the Riders shoot a combined 18-67 from distance, but impressively kept the games close despite the struggles.
The heroics of Zach Jackson have played a significant role in this. He scored 15 in the fourth quarter against Bristol Flyers to mount a late comeback, and 14 in the fourth against Manchester to give the team a chance in both of those fixtures.
Jackson is leading the team’s scoring this season- the American wing logging 17.4 points per game in Championship action. That makes him a top five scorer in the league, and the Riders will need Jackson to continue his top-tier form to bring their season back to an upwards trajectory.
Bunyan’s Gladiators finding form
Making their second coaching change of the season, bringing in former player Jonny Bunyan as Head Coach, the Gladiators have found late season form.
Bunyan’s Gladiators have won two of the last four to double their win tally on the season. Under his stewardship, they have proved a competitive outfit in recent weeks, and will prove a tough test for the Riders.
Midseason arrivals have also assisted the Gladiators’ form. Most notably, Jett Speelman has hit the ground running in British basketball, averaging 16 points in his last two outings. The American is a fifth year pro who suited up in Brazil last season, and whose best season came in the BNXT league averaging 15 points per game.
But as ever, the danger man remains former Riders Patrick Whelan. The GB sharpshooter is their leading scorer this season with 14.9 points per game, shooting a red hot 39% from deep.
Whelan has a 34 point game to his name this season, one of two 30 point outings in the Championship, his most recent a 31 point performance in Manchester on March 14.
Despite enduring a long and difficult season, a chance of making the playoffs remain for the Scots. They need to pick up wins consistently to do so, making them a motivated and challenging opponent for the Riders up North.
Where to watch
This game will be streamed live on DAZN. Watch it here!
