Leicester Riders are back at home for the first time in March, hosting Newcastle Eagles in the Super League Basketball Championship.
The Riders look to respond to a two-game slide in their recent road games with a win against their long-standing rivals.
Meanwhile the Eagles are flying high after their midweek win against Bakken Bears saw them through to the Semi-Finals of the ENBL.
Fixture information
Leicester Riders vs Newcastle Eagles
Super League Basketball Championship
Mattioli Arena Leicester
Friday, March 21, 7:30 pm
Riders return home
After a difficult three game road trip, the Riders are back in Leicester where they have been red hot all season. They hold a 9-1 home record in the league this season, and look to put their season back on track in front of their home fans in this one.
A highlight packed night
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) March 1, 2025
Check out the highlights from yesterday's winpic.twitter.com/bISb7u0ubR
Both of the back-to-back defeats could easily have gone the other way. They were two points down with three minutes left on the road to Manchester, and had a four point lead in Sheffield with two minutes on the clock.
Neither result went their way, and the Riders fell to 14-6 – third in the SLB Championship.
This team-first Riders outfit have fundamentals to fall back on to get back in the win column. They lead all teams in assists per game (20.9), turn the ball over the second least (11.9), and on the defensive end block the most shots in the league (4.8).
And despite the losses, star big man Charles Thompson has moved into another gear. The league leader in blocks per game turned it up on offence in his last two. He averaged 22 points and 11.5 rebounds, putting the ball on the deck for drives to the rim, playing out of the post and finishing emphatically at the rim. There’s been no answer for the American.
Against the fourth placed Newcastle Eagles looking to keep their home court advantage for the postseason, Thompson and the Riders will look to get back to their strengths to improve to 15 wins on the season.
Eagles’ European euphoria
The Eagles made history midweek, knocking off reigning ENBL Champions Bakken Bears over two legs to progress to the Final Four for the first time.
De’Sean Allen-Eikins led the 93-73 second leg victory with 19 points as the Eagles wrote a new chapter in their storied history.
It was a welcome break from domestic action, where they are in the midst of a five game slide. A home 68-86 loss to Bristol Flyers was their most recent outing, after midseason injuries sent them into the losing streak.
They are still without the services of big man Malcolm Delpeche, but leading scorer Mike Okauru returned for the Bakken game, and will have shaken off some rust ahead of facing the Riders.
Okauru is the league’s leading scorer with 20.4 points per game, making his return to action a key factor in the outcome of this game.
Tickets available
Tickets are still available for this game! You can get them here!
