Leicester Riders held on to take a crucial 80-71 home win against the league leading London Lions in the Super League Basketball Championship.
Leicester led from wire-to-wire, and were up as much as 18 points in the fourth. A late London run put a scare into Leicester, but they held on with a dagger from Zach Jackson to keep their Championship hopes alive.
TOGETHER ON 3
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) April 4, 2025pic.twitter.com/4aCJH1RZNh
Jackson led the game with 17 points- his three over Terrell Holloway putting Leicester up seven with 25 seconds remaining.
Ethan Wright backed Jackson with 15 off the bench, and Charles Thompson continued his defensive dominance as the league’s block leader, sending away seven shots on the night to earn Player of the Game honours.
It was a slow start for offence on both ends. The sides combined for only two threes in the first half, but a three point barrage started by Riley Abercrombie in the third, before the hosts hung on late.
London’s Holloway led their efforts with 19 points off the bench, hitting momentum swinging shots throughout the second half. The Riders win ended a 12-game Lions winning streak.
The win sees Leicester improve to 17-7 in their pursuit of London at the top of the table.
Thompson sets tone in physical defensive start
Thompson established his presence in the paint from the jump. He blocked three shots in the first four minutes as the Riders held London pointless to take an early lead. Thompson’s shot-stuffing was a theme of the half, seeing him enter the break with 6 rejections.
3 BLOCKS IN 4 MINUTES FOR CT
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) April 4, 2025
But with Leicester’s offence disjointed to start the affair they couldn’t fully capitalise. Four starters got on the board to build only a four point advantage eight minutes in, despite the dominant start on defence.
It was Wright who proved the difference. The American sank an and-one with an aggressive drive to the hoop to extend the Leicester lead- his second score of the game in three minutes off the bench.
Wright had nine by the end of the period, which he ended with a tough right-handed layup to make it 20-12.
Shelton poster highlight of second period
Duke Shelton started the second with a bang, putting Ciaran Sandy on a poster with a two handed jam over the Brit. That took the roof off, as the Riders continued to ramp up their defensive intensity with their second unit.
PUT HIM ON A POSTER DUKE
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) April 4, 2025
Leicester forced three straight turnovers out of the Lions in the second to keep their opponents at arm’s length. Shelton joined in on the block party by sending away Alen Hadzibegovic in the post, helping the Riders hold London to zero field goals five minutes into the second period.
The offensive struggles that plagued the Riders to start the game continued into the second, however. They scored three points in seven minutes- Shelton’s slam a rare Riders bucket.
Hunter takes the lid off
Jaylin Hunter hit the game’s first three with two minutes left in the half. That took the lid off going into the break, allowing Leicester to take a five point lead into halftime. Spencer Johnson hit the last shot- a fadeaway from the midrange on the buzzer.
After both sides combined for two threes in the first half, the Riders came gunning out the gates in the third period with back to back bombs from Aussie Abercrombie.
BACK TO BACK BOMBS.@Riley_Aber taking the lid off
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) April 4, 2025
Leicester snatched momentum in the tie to take a nine point lead. Jackson ran the break coast-to-coast for a tough finish at the rim, forcing a Lions timeout down 42-33. Jackson heated up in the Riders run for 7 Leicester points on the bounce after a scoreless first half.
London’s Holloway brought his game tally to 9 off the bench, hitting key shots deep in the shot clock to keep them in contention. But with Leicester’s offensive in rhythm and deep shots falling, the Riders opened up the difference.
Hunter made it a 14 point lead with a contested triple in the corner to stamp down Leicester’s authority on the tie.
Struckman sent to the sidelines
London threatened to cut into the Leicester lead at the foul line, with Aaryn Rai and Jaiden Delarie drawing fouls. They went 2-4, however, and Wright’s three on the other end got those points right back as the clock ticked down in the third.
An altercation between Hunter and London’s Tanner Strucman saw Struckman take an early exit from the game with two technical fouls. Jackson’s following free throw made the Leicester lead 16 with one to play.
Shelton staves off early London surge in the fourth
London started the fourth threatening to make it a game, holding Leicester scoreless in the first minute and a half and bringing the difference to 13. Shelton’s efforts on the offensive boards put a stop to that, however, pulling down a missed Wright triple to add two to the host’s tally.
Shelton’s energy gave London fits on both ends, as the American flew around the court to jump in passing lanes, contest shots and smother the boards. He scored Leicester’s first four points of the period.
When Shelton took to the bench midway through the fourth, Thompson picked up where he left off to grab a long offensive rebound immediately.
Riders survive Lions surge
An 8-0 Lions run in the dying minutes of the game breathed late life into London. The final points of the run were from Holloway from the foul line, who made it 73-63.
Holoway then hit for a long two, and following a Riders turnover, Tyler Peterson connected with an and-one play to cut it to a four point difference.
The score was 75-71 with 44 seconds on the clock, meaning Leicester needed a bucket to ensure an important win.
Jackson stepped up to sink the dagger, sizing up Holloway on the wing then hitting a three as the clock ticked to zero, putting the tie beyond doubt.
The Riders play the second of a doubleheader weekend this Sunday on the road in Caledonia, looking to keep pressure on London by picking up wins.
