Leicester Riders are gearing up for the biggest fixture of their season so far.
Tomorrow, they’ll hit the court for the Trophy semi-final first leg on the road against their British basketball rivals, the Newcastle Eagles.
They enter the tie in good form after a double-winning weekend, in a pivotal part of the season for the newly formed Riders group.
After suffering back-to-back losses to Sheffield Sharks early in the year, their league season was put back on track with victories against Manchester and Cheshire.
Before their losses to the Sharks, the Riders were 7-0 in all competitions after going undefeated in the Trophy’s South Group. The Riders had to prove their bounce-back ability, and they did so emphatically.
Jaylin Hunter, the player of the game in the second of the two wins last weekend, emphasised the importance of the results to this group.
“In those two games against Sheffield we realised we could be beaten, so that made us lock in that little bit more. We felt that people were doubting us a little so we wanted to prove that we can hang with the big dogs.
“It was big to know that we’re not just good in the south- we can compete with the whole League.”
The Riders dove into the film room following the losses to diagnose the issues from the games, and emphasised quicker ball movement and more urgency on the fastbreak to improve their results.
“Our ball movement wasn’t where it should have been against Sheffield- there were a couple of opportunities where we could have ran in transition. We did a much better job of moving it in our last two games, and finding those outlets a second or two earlier.
“Our bigs did a great job of getting their heads up quickly after getting a rebound and getting the ball in transition. That really helped us in winning those games.
Overcoming the road running Eagles
Newcastle enters this game as the League’s most efficient offence, generating their points on the run in transition. They score the most fastbreak points per game, making for an intriguing battle against the Riders who play at the slowest pace in the League.
Hunter believes the Riders, who turn the ball over the least of any team, can limit the Eagles’ fastbreak opportunities with their ball security.
“One thing we pride ourselves on is taking care of the ball, so if we continue to do that it will naturally limit their transition. A lot of it has to do with our offence not giving them the chance to run and generate fastbreak buckets which are impossible to guard.
“Taking care of the ball is the biggest thing in stopping their transition offence, which is what we know they like to do.”
The Riders haven’t yet faced the Eagles this season, but the team have been pouring over film familiarise themselves with their opponents, who they are set to face three times in 16 days.
Hunter has been impressed with their opponent’s strength in depth.
“They’re pretty deep- they have a lot of guys that can hurt you and win a game for them so they are not a one or two man show. They have a lot of players that can drive and shoot, so we have to really pay attention to the scouting report and know who we have to contest hard on and who guys we need to be wary of drives to the rim.
“Knowing the personnel is the most important thing going into these games, and once we’ve played them a few times we’ll feel more and more comfortable.”
The rivalry
Both of these franchises are familiar with facing each other on the biggest stages in British basketball, having established the fiercest rivalry over the past decade of the sport in this country.
But this will be Hunter’s first taste of that rivalry, and he is eagerly anticipating the playing environment.
“Over the last few days I’ve learned what this rivalry is all about. These games are fun when the crowd is into it and the energy is in the building then it ups the level of play from everyone. If that is going to be the environment then we’re ready for the challenge.
“This is what you play for. If the fans are excited that makes us excited. Both teams have been playing pretty well, so now it’s time to play, simple as that.”
The Riders welcome Newcastle to town for their next home game in the Super League Basketball Championship. Get in the stands to support the team in a pivotal game at the top of the table!
