Tag: Donar Groningen

The Riders beat seven-time Dutch champions Donar Groningen 104-75, to start their pre-season campaign 2-0. 

It was an impressive win against established European opponents, as this newly formed Riders outfit appears to have gelled quickly. 

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Kimbal Mackenzie led the team with 17 points, backed up by his backcourt teammate Jaren Holmes’ 16.

It was a confident display throughout. Donar’s only led the game for 15 seconds early in the first quarter, as the Riders took control of the tie. They won all four quarters, and after a Groningen surge to make it 52-51 to get the second half underway, the Riders blew the game wide open. 

Their points total, surpassing a century, came from only five three-point makes. The Riders play style leant into their youth and athleticism, outscoring Donar on the fast break 27-4. 

An eight-point quarter from Mackenzie got them over the line, the newly named captain continuing his hot form from last season which saw him named to the BBL British Team of the Year. 

Following up a 15 point game in the Riders’ pre-season opener, American rookie Jaren Holmes caught the eye once again with another impressive scoring display. 

As was the case in Leicester’s pre-season opener against Loughborough University, forward Myrine Thomas led them out the gate with his infectious energy. His seven-point first quarter set the tone from the jump. 

Meanwhile, after a 13 point showing against Loughborough, young forward Blake Bowman continued to show the promise of his potential. The East Midlands native had 12 points and five rebounds, leading the game with a +/- of 22.

“I thought we did a really good job,” commented Head Coach Rob Paternostro.

“Our depth has been impressive. We played 10 guys, and all of them made a great impact. We know we have a long way to go, but I like where we’re going.

“These are the types of trips where you learn a lot about your team, and because we have so many new players this season, it’s a great opportunity for them to bond on and off the court.”

Want to see the Riders in action?

Get tickets to our season opener against the Cheshire Phoenix!

Get tickets to our preseason home opener against USA Select here!

The Riders head to the Netherlands to take on Donar Groningen over two games.

Here’s all you need to know:

Fixture information

Leicester Riders at Donar Groningen

Sporthal Wildervanckhal, Wildervank, Netherlands

Friday, September 1, 6:30 pm GMT

Familiar opponents

The sides face off in their annual pre-season meeting, providing a stern test for both outfits ahead of their respective seasons. 

Like Leicester, Donar enters this year after falling just short in the BNXT playoffs, losing game five of a best-of-five series to ZZ Leiden in the Finals. 

The prestigious organisation has won seven Dutch Championships, seven Dutch Cups and three Dutch Supercups in their history, most recently winning the Cup in 2022. 

Last pre-season, the Riders took back-to-back victories against their Dutch opponents, winning 80-75, then 69-61 two days later. 

There were two tightly contested games, with a late surge seeing the Riders take a win in the second fixture. 

Positive strides in pre-season opener

The Riders enter this game after a win in their first pre-season outing against Loughborough University. 

It was a 99-64 win in the annual pre-season “Red vs Purple” fixture. Miryne Thomas led the Riders with 17 points, in a game, backed up by 15 from Jaren Holmes. 

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Thomas impressed throughout, making highlight plays and showing early aggression to build his points tally in the opening stages. 

Another positive was the return of Mo Walker and Conner Washington following their injuries last season. Both put on good showings in positive minutes. 

“It was great to have them back,” said Head Coach Rob Paternostro post-game. 

“Conner missed a lot of time with a back injury last season. I gave him a lot of minutes tonight, and he was the same old Conner. Mo also missed almost all the season, and he played really well today.”

Played for both: Carrington Love

Former Riders guard Carrington Love joined the team mid-season, after playing the 2019/20 season for Donar. 

There, he averaged 13.4 points and 5.8 assists and 2.3 steals, helping Donar to a 17-5 record in his 22 games. 

Love played another season in the Netherlands and spent a year in Germany before coming to the Riders in January 2023. 

Love went on to drop the second most points in the BBL Playoff Final vs London Lions with 17, behind teammate Zach Jackson’s 20.

Want to see the Riders in action?

Get tickets to our season opener against the Cheshire Phoenix!

Get tickets to our preseason home opener against USA Select here!