Leicester Riders are back on the road for Championship action against Surrey 89ers.
It’s the final scheduled trip to Surrey for the Riders, who have faced the Niners three times in competitive action already this season, winning on each occasion.
Leicester now take the trip South on a three-game League winning streak, having beaten Newcastle Eagles last Sunday.
Here’s all you need to know about the fixture…
Fixture information
Surrey 89ers vs Leicester Riders
Surrey Sports Park
Friday, December 20, 7:30 pm
Riders building momentum ahead of semi-final clash
The team is hitting full stride in a pivotal stretch of games.
Three league wins on the bounce has seen the Riders climb to third in the League standings with a 4-2 record, a record-breaking points tally for a Rob Paternostro side meant the Riders progressed to the second round of the Cup with a 130-61 win in Falkirk, and everything is still to play for in Sunday’s semi-final against Newcastle with Leicester needing a five point win to make the final.
Last time out, the Riders made a statement against their semi-final opponents with an impressive performance wire-to-wire. Led by 20 points from Zach Jackson, Leicester beat Newcastle convincingly 89-65 in one of the best team performances of the year.
The Riders’ bench outscored their opponent’s 32-20, with Ethan Wright’s fine form leading the bench effort with 12 points. Charles Thompson put on an impactful performance from the five-man position, achieving an index rating of 20 without shooting a field goal and blocking five shots, and Jaylin Hunter’s playmaking from the point led to jaw-dropping plays throughout.
The complete team effort showcased the Riders’ elite talent up and down the roster in order to hand Newcastle only their second League loss of the season.
Building on Thompson’s rim protection (the American is leading the League in blocks per game with 2.7) the Riders boast the best defence in the League. They’re the only team holding their opponents to under 80 points per game, and by averaging the most assists and fewest turnovers on the offensive end, they are proving to be a cohesive team unit on both sides of the ball.
Niners finding form
Surrey 89ers, sixth in the League with a 3-4 record, enter this fixture having won back-to-back games with a chance to improve to a .500 record against the Riders.
They fought off the NBL’s Derby Trailblazers in the Cup with a 93-88 win on the road, days after besting Manchester Basketball at home 86-79 led by 20 points and 10 rebounds from Dame Adelekun who didn’t miss a field goal on the night.
Adelekun, going 20/20 from the field over his last two games, made history last weekend. He is the first player in top-flight British basketball history to achieve this, the previous highest tally without a miss being 14 from Caledonia’s Patrick Tape.
Surrey have shown their ability to keep pace with every team in British basketball this season. After being blown out 66-82 against the Riders in their opening league fixture, every Niners game since has been decided in single digits, making their average points difference in league games 7.4.
Close encounters with the Eagles and Sharks, and a win against London Lions, shows that Surrey are ready to compete with the League’s best on any given night, and the Riders will have to be at their best to leave Surrey with a win.
Previous meetings
The sides have met three times in competitive action this season, having been drawn in the same Trophy group and playing one another in the opening game of the Championship season.
The Riders have come out double digit victors on each occasion, winning by an average margin of 13.7 points.
Zach Jackson has enjoyed success in their building, scoring 21 and 20 points in his two appearances at Surrey Sports Park this season. His 20 points and 6 assists last time out led the team to a convincing 82-66 win to kick off the team’s league campaign.
This is the last scheduled visit to Surrey Sports Park for the Riders this season, who will be ready for a battle against what has been a difficult test for every team in recent weeks.
Where to watch
The game will be streamed LIVE on DAZN. Watch it here!
