Report: Riders fall in Manchester despite heroic comeback attempt

Leicester Riders fell to Manchester Basketball on the road in the Super League Basketball Championship. 

A costly first quarter and a half saw them down 20 midway through the second, and despite climbing back into the game in the fourth through the brilliance of Zach Jackson, they could never get over the hump and take a comeback win. 

Jackson had 22 on the game, scoring 14 in the fourth. Meanwhile Charles Thompson logged his career-high in points with a game-high 26, and tied his career high in blocks with 6, and grabbed 14 rebounds in a dominant display inside. 

Meanwhile Manchester were led by DJ Mitchell, who scored 24 despite fouling out in the fourth. That forced Makai Ashton-Langford to make the game deciding plays. His deep three with under a minute left proved the dagger.

The Riders picked up their fifth loss of the league season, making their record 13-5 in third place in the Championship. 

Hot Manchester start leaves Leicester in early hole

The red hot Manchester offence was the story of the opening stages. Manchester’s Mitchell and Ashton-Langford combined for four Manchester threes through five minutes. 

They led 17-10, despite the two-way play of Thompson who logged 10 points and a monster block on Ian Dubose early.

Thompson played like a guard from the five man spot, taking defenders off the dribble, and hitting a fadeaway to bring him to double digits. 

But Mitchell lit up the game with four first quarter threes on his way to 12 points, and the hosts led by 14 after one. Dubose had the highlight of the quarter, throwing down a jam over Ethan Wright on the fastbreak. 

Leicester fight back from 20 point deficit 

Manchester made the lead 20 with their continued high powered offence in the second. They started the period 6-0, getting to the rim with elite ball movement. Leicester trailed the turnover battle 5-0 to start the game, falling into an early hole. 

J’Raan Brooks stopped the offensive drought with a triple, followed by Jackson at the rim who showed off delicate touch off the glass. Leicester went on a 10-0 run, with four points from Duke Shelton, to cut into the deficit to 11. 

After struggling to contain the Manchester offence early, Leicester locked them down on their run to open up transition opportunities. Jackson made an and-one play on the run following a Thompson block to make the score 43-36. 

Thompson finished the first half with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. 

Manchester had the best of the final minute of the half, Kyle Carey’s three making it 50-41 come the break, but Leicester were back in contention after the big second quarter deficit. 

Riders cut it close, but can’t take control

Thompson picked up where he left off in the first half to start the third, blocking Elijah Ifejeh to send Johnson on the fastbreak for two. Jaylin Hunter scored five quick points, and the Riders made it a one score game. 

Attempting to handle the Thompson dominance, both Manchester big men, Ifejeh and Marcus Delpeche, picked up their fourth fouls, leaving them in dire need of size on the floor. 

But Mitchell gave Manchester some breathing room with back-to-back threes, making it 22 on the night and giving his team an 8 point lead and stemming the Leicester momentum. 

Plays from Shelton, Spencer Johnson and Conner Washington saw the Riders knocking on the door, but Manchester kept them at arm’s length to close out the third, and they led by nine going into the fourth. 

Riders fall short of Jackson inspired comeback

In a key moment of the game, Manchester took control of the matchup in the fourth with two scores to force a Riders timeout. They started the quarter 7-2, giving the Riders a mountain to climb. 

Carey’s three made it 81-65 with seven minutes on the clock. 

Jackson and-one triggered the Riders comeback following a timeout. That was quickly followed by Thompson’s finish at the rim. Jackson then nailed a three with 4:52 left, cutting it back to eight. 

Jackson scored 13 on the Riders’ run to cut the game to one, and as he picked up fouls with his aggressive play, three Manchester players fouled out, including their leading scorer Mitchell. 

Carey’s play was the turning point late which kept the hosts narrowly ahead. He stole it from Johnson at halfcourt to add two to their tally. 

Thompson scored four quick points to cut the game to a possession, but Ashton-Langford hit back with a deep three to kill the hope of an incredible Riders comeback. 

The Riders return to action on Sunday, heading to Sheffield to take on the Sharks in a top of the table clash.

Preview: Manchester Basketball vs Leicester Riders

Leicester Riders take on Manchester Basketball on the road in midweek Super League Basketball Championship action. 

The 14-4 Riders face Manchester as one of their four games in hand against the league leading London Lions, who they will join tied at the summit of the Championship should they win all of those games. 

Meanwhile the 6-13 Manchester side cast their eyes up the table, having made significant strides since their midseason coaching change just two games ago. 

Fixture information

Manchester Basketball vs Leicester Riders

Super League Basketball Championship

National Basketball Performance Centre

Tuesday, March 11, 7:30 pm

Winning at all costs 

The Riders have one goal the rest of the way: win games, however they come. Four games back from the top spot and in the midst of a three game title race, the Riders are tasked with navigating a packed schedule on the back end of the season to keep pace with the Lions and Cup champions Sheffield Sharks. 

Leicester gritted their teeth to beat Bristol Flyers on the road in their last outing, winning 74-63 in a tense finale. The Riders led by 20 in the third, but scored one point in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter as the Flyers stormed back into contention. 

READ MORE: Report: Riders battle in Bristol for gritty road win

Holding the Flyers to 63 was the key to the victory, becoming only the 17th team since 2008 to win a game whilst shooting below 40% from the field, 25% or worse from three and 3pt and below 60% from the foul line. 

Charles Thompson sealed the win in the clutch with two denials at the rim, bringing his game log to 6 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks, meanwhile Jaylin Hunter was named Player of the Game for the second straight game with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. 

“It wasn’t the prettiest game, but we were solid on the defensive end of the floor. We did a good job of making plays down the stretch. We took care of the ball late and our rebounding was excellent,” said Head Coach Rob Paternostro postgame. 

Being able to lean on those fundamentals in big moments of the season is what makes champions, as the Riders seek to win games in any way they can in this crucial stretch of the season. 

Manchester turn to Herman to change fortunes

After starting their Championship campaign 5-12, Manchester made a seismic change at head Coach to turn their season around.

Arginine Herman Mandole brings an impressive resume to the North West of England, arriving in Manchester from the Italian Serie A. His coaching career also includes stints as an Assistant Coach in Argentina, and as Head Coach of the Argentinian men’s national team.

The Club’s first two games under new leadership saw immediate improvement. They played the league leading Lions close in London, losing 73-78, before beating Newcastle Eagles 86-79 at home. 

Star guard Makai Ashton-Langford led his team to the win with 21 points and 9 assists in a team performance which saw the hosts dish 20 assists in the game. 

The Riders are now faced with a different Manchester side to the one they have beaten four times before this season, and will need to be at their best on both ends to take their fourth league victory on the bounce. 

Where to watch 

This game will be streamed LIVE on DAZN!

You can watch it here!

Report: Leicester Riders beat Manchester through red hot Abercrombie third quarter

Leicester Riders put on an explosive second half display to take an 89-76 win against Manchester Basketball. 

A slow start meant Leicester trailed for much of the first half, but 13 straight points in the third from player of the game Riley Abercrombie including three consecutive triples gave Leicester a commanding lead.

Abercrombie finished the game with 15 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks- an impressive display on both ends. Zach Jackson led the scoring with 21, going off for 11 in the fourth, and Charles Thompson continued his dominant run with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks. 

Led by Abercrombie’s hot hand, Leicester won the third quarter 28-11 which ultimately proved the difference in the game. Manchester, led by Donovan Micthell’s 16 points and 8 rebounds, battled wire-to-wire and threatened to make a run back into it in the fourth. 

They fell victim to a poor deep shooting night, going 4-17 from three, and lost the rebounding battle 41-32. 

The Riders improve to 8-3 on the season, one win behind the first placed London Lions.

Riders start slow against physical Manchester play

Manchester applied full court pressure from the tip off, guarding the Riders for all 94 feet to make progressing the ball up court difficult. Jaylin Hunter received the brunt of the ball pressure from the point, but coped well to score the host’s first four points. 

The Riders fought to the foul line in a physical first quarter for most of their offensive output. But Manchester’s Nathan Cayo scored six quickly with an and-one and a triple from the top to take a 14-8  lead. 

Leicester tried to garner momentum on the fastbreak as Hunter fired in a bounce pass to Jackson after Duke Shelton forced a miss inside, but the visitors repeatedly found their way to the rim to extend their lead. Marucus Delpeche leaked out after a Riders score to end the quarter, and made one of two to make the score 21-13. 

Riders make it a game by the half

Shelton got the second started in style, throwing down a monster jam through traffic. He took the ball in the pick-and-roll from Conner Washington before rising over and throwing it down one handed.

Ethan Wright and Spencer Johnson followed with buckets, and Shelton put back Wright’s missed triple as the Riders clawed back into it. But Manchester kept Leicester at arm’s length with key shot making in spots throughout the second. 

Mitchell led the team with 10 points midway into the period, hitting a big three to stop the Riders run. 

As the half neared its close, Leicester’s rim protection stepped up for two monster blocks from Charles Thompson, Riley Abercrombie and Johnson. The defensive stands meant the Riders trailed only a possession at the break, with the score 35-38.

Abercrombie heater gives Leicester the lead.

Jackson leveled the score immediately out the break. He pulled up from three with no hesitation to make it 38-38 but despite multiple chances at the hoop on the next few possessions the hosts couldn’t take the lead straight away. 

That was until Thompson stepped up on both ends. He took the ball with his back to the basket for a score before sending Cayo’s dunk attempt away to set up a Hunter transition bucket to give the Riders the lead. 

Leicester’s paint was locked off from their rim protection. Abercrombie sent away his second shot of the game, emphatically blocking Makai Ashton-Langford’s layup. The Riders’ points came on the break after defensive stops, Thompson this time getting to the lane on the breakaway. 

Abercrombie caught a heater to close the third. He drained three straight triples and single handedly built the lead to nine- Leicester’s biggest of the game. He followed up with two scores for 13 straight points for the hosts. 

Thompson joined in on the block party to swat Ian Dubose for the Riders’ sixth block of the matchup. That ended the third with Leicester leading 65-49.

Jackson sees Riders home

Shelton started the fourth with a putback from Jackson’s miss to keep the Riders rolling. But Manchester’s intensity didn’t drop despite a disappointing third- Mitchell draining a three to lead a 7-5 Manchester start to the fourth. 

Jackson connected with his next attempt from three to keep Manchester at a distance on the scoreboard, before Conner Washington hit a signature pullup three to follow his teammate. However Junior Madut made tough shots on the other end to keep his side in contention. 

Dubose then broke out for an open dunk to force a Riders timeout up nine, with Rob Paternstro urging his side to slow the pace of the game late. 

Out of the timeout, Leicester’s leading scorer Jackson took over for back to back buckets at the rim to reestablish the Riders’ control of the matchup. Thompson hit on the buzzer next time down and Leicester led by 14. 

Jackson put the cherry on the performance with a stepback three, putting the result beyond a doubt with his 18th points. 

Rematch on Sunday

Leicester Riders head to Manchester for the second of a doubleheader against the Northwesterners on Sunday. They will face off in the Super League Basketball Quarter-Final at the National Basketball Performance Centre, with Leicester looking to progress to the Final Four. 

The Riders then return to Championship action at home next Friday against the Caledonia Gladiators on January 17. 

The Riders return to Championship action next Friday against the Caledonia Gladiators on January 17.

Get tickets here!

Weekend Preview: Leicester Riders vs Manchester Basketball

Leicester Riders are set for their first home game in 2025, taking on Manchester Basketball in the Super League Basketball Championship.

These are two of the in-form teams in British basketball, who both look to bounce back from win streak ending defeats last time out. 

Last weekend, the Riders lost on the road to the Newcastle Eagles to end a six game League winning run, and Manchester fell to Cheshire Phoenix in overtime to end a five game streak in all competitions. 

That leaves the Riders in third place with a 7-3 record, taking on the 4-6 Manchester in sixth. The teams will play each other twice this weekend in the League and the Cup Quarter-Final, the first of those games being played on Friday as the Riders host Manchester in League action, before they head to the North West on Sunday to play in the Cup. 

Here’s how the weekend is shaping up


Riders run halted in a thriller in Newcastle 

The Riders navigated a congested December schedule emphatically, going on a League run which catapulted them into contention for the top of the Championship standings. But after playing eight games in the month, the Riders ran out of steam for the final action of the festive schedule on January 3. 

They dug deep and fought Newcastle wire-to-wire, earning a shot for the tie after big clutch plays late. But Jaylin Hunter’s halfcourt heave didn’t go down, and the Riders lost 93-90. 

Leicester’s play before that result, in particular back-to-back wins on December 27 and 30 with the latter coming against the League leading London Lions, established them as one of the premiere teams in British basketball. 

Their defence ranks best of all teams, holding opponents to 77.8 points per game. They generate the most assists and turn the ball over the least; they won’t beat themselves while playing their team brand of basketball on both ends. 

Their stars delivered throughout the month of December. Big man Charles Thompson was named the League’s Player of the Month after averaging 14.5 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game.

He leads the League in blocks and rebounds per game, while star guard Hunter leads all players in assists with a 7.6 average.

They’ll need every ounce of performance this weekend against a Manchester side who found their groove in December. 

 Manchester find festive form

Manchester are the trending team in Super League Basketball, and heated up in December to pull out a run of five straight wins in all competitions. 

They battled out a win against the second placed Sheffield Sharks, put 106 points on the Phoenix and progressed through to the Cup quarter finals with a win against Hemel Storm. 

Manchester have rolled out one of the most explosive offences in the League over recent games. They scored 87.9 points per game in December, making them the second-highest scoring team on the season behind Cheshire. 

They’re led by Nathan Cayo, who like Thompson was nominated for the December Player of the Month award. The 6’7” former NBA G-Leaguer is putting up 16.4 points and 6.8 rebounds on the season, with impressive double doubles such as his 23 and 11 night against Caledonia Gladiators and 19 and 10 against the Phoenix.

Manchester’s success, like Leicester, comes from free flowing offence, making these two teams the two best ranked in assists per game. However unlike the Riders, they haven’t had the same success in limiting turnovers on the season, giving the ball away 13.4 times per game. 

But the red hot North Westerners, who knock down threes at a 36.6% rate, will need to be met with Leicester’s best defensive effort should they want to add another win to their League tally and progress to their second semi-final of the season on Sunday. 

Last matchup 

The Riders have faced Manchester Basketball once before, taking a 99-86 win in November. 

Riders Riders were a red hot 53% from the field and 43% from three on the game, led by Zach Jackson’s 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. 

Manchester had no answer for Leicester’s free flowing offence, losing the game despite shooting 55% from the field themselves. Cayo led them with 15 points in 29 minutes of action. 

Tickets

Tickets to Friday’s action are avaible here!