Rob’s Reflections on a tough visit to Bristol and an opportunity to bounce back this Weekend

Leicester Riders Head Coach Rob Paternostro was left frustrated after Riders let another game get away, as Bristol Flyers came from behind to beat Riders for the second time this season 73-69 on Friday night.

Riders had a first half lead of 13 points, and were still up 9 points at halftime, and were 6 points to the good entering the final quarter, but failed to execute down the stretch.

Josh Ward-Hibbert led the way for Riders with 13 points and 7 rebounds and Darien Nelson Henry added 12 points and 7 rebounds.

“We let another game get away from us and it really should not have happened.”

“We controlled most of the game, but struggled to execute when it mattered.”

“This has happened a couple of times too often this season, and we must address it as a team.”

“It was not a matter of their defence, because we got the openings we wanted, and very few of our misses were poor shots which is a positive on the offensive end.”

“We still have a lot of work to do, to get this team to its potential and I will be looking for a reaction this week.”

“Fortunately everyone is dropping games at the minute as the league is so competitive, so we have the chance to recover.”

“The guys now have the perfect opportunity to bounce back this Friday.”

Riders now look to get back to winning ways in the BBL Championship when they take on Manchester Giants this Friday night in an 8pm Tip at the Morningside Arena. Riders have already beaten the Giants twice in the BBL Cup, 96-57 in Manchester, and 102-70 at home. CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets!

Rob’s reflections on 500 games in charge and a busy last weekend

Leicester Riders Head Coach Rob Paternostro had a mixed weekend, as he went through the milestone for 500 games in the BBL as a coach, splitting a pair of games in the BBL Championship.

Riders had to work very hard for their sixth straight league win over Sheffield Sharks 87-80 on Saturday night, but then struggled to recover on the road on Sunday afternoon against the London Lions, going down heavily 99-65.

Against Sheffield, Riders led from the middle of the first quarter and had a twenty point lead midway through the third quarter, but the Sharks got back within a single shot in the final thirty seconds, before a Kyron Cartwright steal sealed the result.

Cartwright scored 10 points and dished out 11 assists, and Andy Thomson had a double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds. Namon Wright finished with 20 points on 67% shooting along with 5 assists.

Against the Lions Riders scored the first basket of the game, but the Lions scored the next 21 points and never looked back. Only Darien Nelson-Henry troubled the Lions with 17 points and 6 rebounds.

“It was disappointing on Sunday for sure, because we never got going.”

“These back-to-back games with so little recovery time are a mental as well as a physical challenge, and we did not handle it well.”

“The Sheffield performance was excellent at times, but they are always tough, physical affairs, and this one was no different.”

“The win took a lot out of us, because we were hanging on at the end.”

“But we know the Championship is going to be tight this year and we are still sitting on just 3 losses, as good as anybody.”

“it is about quickly putting that loss behind us and getting back on the horse.”

Riders now go on the road to Bristol Flyers this Friday night in the BBL Championship.

The Riders return to the Morningside Arena on Friday March 13th when they take on the Manchester Giants, CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets!