Leicester Riders took an impressive wire-to-wire win against Bristol Flyers to improve to 10-4 in the Super League Basketball Championship.
The Riders took a 9-0 lead from the jump and never looked back, leading by as much as 41 points in the fourth. Duke Shelton took Player of the Game honours with a high-energy performance off the bench, resulting in 15 points and 13 rebounds in 20 minutes of action.
Come fly with me
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) January 31, 2025https://t.co/emFdnYstC0 pic.twitter.com/A04Z2mBspy
His impact was felt on both ends, as Leicester’s lock down defence was impenetrable for 40 minutes. Charles Thompson was typically instrumental to this, blocking 2 shots on the night.
Zach Jackson led the team with 20 points on 9-14 shooting from the field, meanwhile captain Conner Washington scored 10 off the bench, to achieve the milestone of 2000 career Championship points.
Bristol’s Keddy Johnson led the team with 17 off the bench, battling throughout despite the big deficit. The Flyers shot 31% from the field against the Leicester defence, playing at the end of a packed schedule featuring three games in six days.
Riders roll to hot start
Leicester led with their league-best defence to start the game. The Flyers went scoreless against stifling interior efforts through the first three and a half minutes, as the Riders bolted out to a 9-0 lead.
Thompson put an exclamation point on the Riders run with a throwdown in transition- his second bucket of the night- forcing a Flyers timeout.
With leading scorer Keddy Johnson, on the sidelines to start the tie, checking into the game, Bristol made their first buckets. All Flyers starters found the bottom of the bucket with three minutes left in the first, big man Owen Mccormack connecting from deep to make it 16-8.
Leicester held them at eight, finishing the quarter up 23-15 after Shelton fought his way for a second chance bucket at the hoop.
Washington milestone highlight of second quarter dominance
Shelton’s score at the end of the first opened up the basket for the Floridian, who scored twice to start the second half. Washington followed up by putting Desmond Robinson on skates, the Bristol big finding himself in a mismatch as Washington blew by him for an and-one.
Mr Speed
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) January 31, 2025
Blink and he's gone, Con for an and-onepic.twitter.com/hkS47KSAC5
He followed up for an off the dribble three, his 2000th top-flight Championship points, another milestone in his illustrious career.
Keddy Johnson replied with a three for the Flyers, but it did little to stem the tide as Spencer Johnson then made it 36-21 with a finish for two. J’Raan Brooks then drained his second three of the night and Leicester’s fifth of the game.
Putting back a Brooks miss from midrange emphatically, slamming it down two-handed, Shelton brought his game tally to 10 points and 7 rebounds, leading Leicester to a 47-29 advantage at the half.
Leicester plant dagger in the third
The second half started as the first ended, with the Riders pouring in buckets. Jackson and Riley Abercrombie hit on contested triples, making it 55-31 in a matter of minutes.
Thompson’s interior dominance continued on the defensive end, his opponents seemingly fearful to pull the trigger against him in the paint. He matched up against former Riders Evan Walshe who tried to take him one-on-one, only to end up in a straight jacket and seeing his shot swatted out of bounds.
GOT HIM IN A STRAIGHT JACKET
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) January 31, 2025
Don't try CT 1-on-1@CThompson_19 pic.twitter.com/JgUYpvFEXz
Meanwhile Hunter and Abercrombie went back-to-back for paint scores on the other end. Spencer Johnson brought his game tally to double figures with another three as the hosts piled on the points.
Jackson made the lead 30 with a minute left in the third, after Thompson battled for an offensive rebound against two Flyers inside. Thompson then finished the quarter at the foul line to make the score 73-45 with one left.
Young stars cap off big win
Shelton picked up from Thompson in the fourth, banking an and-one then blocking Kendall Lewis to restart the action. Jackson got to work, adding five more to his game log, and Washington got to the line for his eighth points to make it 86-47.
With 6:21 remaining, young star Victor Ndoukou checked into the game and instantly grabbed an offensive board to set up a pair of Shelton foul shots. Shelton knocked down to make it a 40 point lead.
Another promising young Rider Seth Wylie stepped into the game and drained a corner three, assisted by Ndoukou, to the delight of the home crowd.
Vic finds Seth for three
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) January 31, 2025pic.twitter.com/jBQXu7p2UT
That was the cherry on the performance- one of the most impressive team wins of the season for Leicester.
Leicester Riders are back in action next weekend in the Super League Basketball Cup Semi-Final! The two-legged affair starts on Friday, February 7 in Surrey, before returning to Leicester for the second leg on Sunday, February 9 at 3 pm.
You can get tickets to the second leg here!
