Leicester Riders take on Manchester Basketball on the road in midweek Super League Basketball Championship action.
The 14-4 Riders face Manchester as one of their four games in hand against the league leading London Lions, who they will join tied at the summit of the Championship should they win all of those games.
Meanwhile the 6-13 Manchester side cast their eyes up the table, having made significant strides since their midseason coaching change just two games ago.
Fixture information
Manchester Basketball vs Leicester Riders
Super League Basketball Championship
National Basketball Performance Centre
Tuesday, March 11, 7:30 pm
Winning at all costs
The Riders have one goal the rest of the way: win games, however they come. Four games back from the top spot and in the midst of a three game title race, the Riders are tasked with navigating a packed schedule on the back end of the season to keep pace with the Lions and Cup champions Sheffield Sharks.
Leicester gritted their teeth to beat Bristol Flyers on the road in their last outing, winning 74-63 in a tense finale. The Riders led by 20 in the third, but scored one point in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter as the Flyers stormed back into contention.
READ MORE: Report: Riders battle in Bristol for gritty road win
Holding the Flyers to 63 was the key to the victory, becoming only the 17th team since 2008 to win a game whilst shooting below 40% from the field, 25% or worse from three and 3pt and below 60% from the foul line.
Charles Thompson sealed the win in the clutch with two denials at the rim, bringing his game log to 6 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks, meanwhile Jaylin Hunter was named Player of the Game for the second straight game with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.
“It wasn’t the prettiest game, but we were solid on the defensive end of the floor. We did a good job of making plays down the stretch. We took care of the ball late and our rebounding was excellent,” said Head Coach Rob Paternostro postgame.
Being able to lean on those fundamentals in big moments of the season is what makes champions, as the Riders seek to win games in any way they can in this crucial stretch of the season.
Manchester turn to Herman to change fortunes
After starting their Championship campaign 5-12, Manchester made a seismic change at head Coach to turn their season around.
Arginine Herman Mandole brings an impressive resume to the North West of England, arriving in Manchester from the Italian Serie A. His coaching career also includes stints as an Assistant Coach in Argentina, and as Head Coach of the Argentinian men’s national team.
The Club’s first two games under new leadership saw immediate improvement. They played the league leading Lions close in London, losing 73-78, before beating Newcastle Eagles 86-79 at home.
Star guard Makai Ashton-Langford led his team to the win with 21 points and 9 assists in a team performance which saw the hosts dish 20 assists in the game.
The Riders are now faced with a different Manchester side to the one they have beaten four times before this season, and will need to be at their best on both ends to take their fourth league victory on the bounce.
Where to watch
This game will be streamed LIVE on DAZN!
You can watch it here!
