Leicester Riders recorded a gutsy 91-78 road win on the second game of a back-to-back weekend in Cheshire.
Facing a rest deficit, having beaten Sheffield Sharks in overtime a day prior, the Riders dug deep and led the entire second half to take a momentous win in the SLB Championship title battle.
Jaylin Hunter impressed wire-to-wire, leading Leicester with 18 points and 6 assists off 13 shots. Seven Riders finished in double digits in a red hot three point shooting display, going 10-22 from deep.
Cheshire stayed in contention from wire-to-wire. Tyreek Scott-Grayson’s 19 points led them off the bench, but the Phoenix failed to match the Riders’ deep shooting fire power.
With London losing in Surrey, the league title is now in the Riders’ hands should they win their final five games.
Wright run gives Riders first quarter lead
The Riders kept pace with Cheshire’s typically high-octane start with triples from Spencer Johnson and Hunter. The long range bombs kept the game within a possession despite a hot shooting start for the hosts which saw Cam Holden score 7 points in 5 minutes.
Ethan Wright hit string with his first triple of the game with two minutes remaining in the first to give the Riders their first lead, before the American threw down a fastbreak jam off Hunter’s steal.
What a sequence for @ewright3862
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) April 12, 2025
Triple then the fastbreak jampic.twitter.com/07Ni6c0rU4
Duke Shelton, returning to the team after serving a one game suspension, finished the first at the rim to make it 14-20 and cap off a 10-0 run to end the quarter.
Plauntis finds range to cut Leicester’s lead
The Phoenix had taken 10 threes 12 minutes into the game. They hit on three, including one in transition from Bobby Planutis which helped the hosts get back into the tie. Plauntis followed up with another in the corner to make it 25-26.
Leicester maintained their lead, thanks to the theatrics of Shelton who threw down a windmill on the break, and Hunter who knocked down his second three of the night.
Cheshire found a way to narrow the Riders’ lead going into the break, however. Plauntis made his third triple, and Scott-Grayson scored four straight to make it 36-38 with two periods played.
Threes fall for the Riders
Riley Abercrombie came gunning out the break for five quick points, extending Leicester’s lead with sharpshooting from the wing. Wright followed with his second three, making him 2-2 from range, and the Riders led 54-45 four minutes into the third.
Leicester moved the ball fluidly to pile the points onto Cheshire. Charles Thompson finished off a free flowing move with a two handed jam, wide open off an Abercrombie assist. They outmuscled Cheshire in the third as well, pulling down five offensive rebounds in the third.
Scott-Grayson continued his hot run to bring his tally to 14 off the bench and keep the Phoenix in touch, but the Riders took a double digit lead into the fourth with a gutsy third quarter effort.
Riders stretch four quarter lead
Abercrombie started the final period with a bang, draining a second chance three to make the lead 13. Cheshire chipped away inside- TJ Atwood getting on the board twice- but the Riders had enough to keep them at a distance.
Shelton pulled up for his second career three (both coming this season) as the Riders tightened their grip on the game late. They led by 12 with five minutes on the clock.
Backing down from the midrange, Thompson pulled up for a fadeaway and foul string through contact, going to the line for one more. The big man scored five straight in an attempt to seal the win.
CT fadeaway through contact
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) April 12, 2025
A Plauntis three sparked life into the home crowd who sensed a comeback, but Johnson quickly quietened them with an and-one finish on the other end. Hunter closed it with a floated in the lane with a minute left, earning the Riders an impressive road victory.
The Riders return home on Thursday, hosting Surrey 89ers in the SLB Championship.
