Leicester Riders hit the road to get their Super League Basketball Cup campaign underway against Falkirk Fury tomorrow.
The Scottish Basketball Championship League leaders are one of seven non-Super League Basketball clubs set to face off against professional opposition in the first round of the Cup.
They will take on four-time British basketball Cup winners Leicester Riders, who have their sights set on the Finals in Nottingham to take back their title last won in 2022.
Here’s all you need to know about the fixture…
Fixture information
Falkirk Fury vs Leicester Riders
Super League Basketball Cup First Round
Friday, December 13, 7:50 pm
Due to the technical challenges with broadcasting from non-SLB team venues for the First Round, this games will not be broadcast live.
You can follow the game on our social media below, and by following the game’s livestats here.
Scottish treble winners set sights on SLB
Falkirk Fury are one of the most successful basketball clubs in Scotland, with 24 National and International titles to their name since their founding in 1992.
Falkirk won the SBC treble last season, winning the League, Playoffs and Scottish Cup in an immensely successful domestic season. It was the third treble in the club’s history, and their first since 2017.
They currently sit top of Scotland’s top division with a 7-2 record, and enter this game on a three game winning streak.
They have some familiarity with first-tier British basketball opponents, having entered the Trophy on three occasions. They suffered three defeats in the competition, however, falling twice to the Glasgow Rocks and one to Loughborough Riders in 2017.
Falkirk have produced a plethora of British basketball talent over the past decades, the most successful of which being former GB international Kieron Achara. Former Rider Ali Fraser, current Caledonia Gladiator Fraser Malcolm and recently retired Jonny Bunyan also suited up for the Fury in the past, meaning the Riders should be prepared to take on a talented group of potential future pros.
Riders set for unique challenge
The Riders travel to Falkirk in the midst of a crammed December schedule, and as part of a doubleheader weekend.
It’s a trip back up North for Leicester who come into this tie off the back of an intense Trophy semi-final first leg against Newcastle Eagles.
It was a hard-fought battle, with the Riders having to fight back from down 17 at halftime to bring the tie to within four come the final buzzer with the sides coming back to Leicester on the 22nd.
Now, the Riders turn their attention to the Cup, a competition which they have lifted four times in British basketball, most recently as part of their 2022 treble winning season.
A tough task awaits the Riders, who take the long journey north hoping to progress to the second round of the Cup against a Falkirk side not to be overlooked, before heading back to Leicester to take on the Eagles in Championship action on Sunday.
But it’s one game at a time for the team, who are locked in for part one of the doubleheader in Falkirk, and need to take care of business professionally.
