Riders react: USA Select

The Riders took the win in their final pre-season game, beating USA Select 105-62 in their return to the Morningside Arena Leicester.

Here’s what the team had to say after the game.

Rob Paternostro 

“I loved the way we jumped on them early. We moved the ball well, defensively, we were in gaps, and we had a huge lead. Once we were up big, the game was played a little differently.

“Our conditioning needs to get better. because I thought at the end we were a little gassed. But all in all, we were good.”

Coach Rob was cautious with Xavier Pinson to start pre-season as he recovered from an injury sustained in the CEBL over the summer, but he made his return to the court last night.

“I liked Xavier out there. He’s a natural point guard and he’s so slick with his dribble. His head is always up because he’s such a good ball-handler who doesn’t need to look at the ball. He can get in gaps and make plays, and tonight he did that.”

“The injuries hurt us at the start of pre-season. Losing Xavier and Caleb hurt us because we haven’t got a good look at who we are with a full roster.

“But overall, I like our depth. It’s been great having Mo and Conner back out there, and I also thought Blake has been great this pre-season. He’s been playing consistently well. We’ve got a lot of good guys, and come Friday, we’ll be able to utilise them.

“We’re happy to be home, and we’re looking forward to having a good crowd for our season opener. It’s always exciting on opening night.”

Blake Bowman

Young star Blake Bowman has impressed in his second Riders pre-season, scoring in double-digits in every game.

“I’m feeling great. It’s a good opportunity to get out there and put on a show for the fans. I’ve been working on the three-point shot, and my dribble pull-up to add some range to my game.”

“As long as Coach Rob trusts me, I’m going to be out on the floor. I just need to make winning plays to force him to keep me out there.”

Bowman was perfect from the field in the game, going 7-7 and 1-1 from three.

Xavier Pinson

Upon his return to court, Xavier Pinson impressed. He had 12 points, three rebounds and three assists in 19 minutes of action.

“It was great to be out there with my teammates. I thought we controlled the pace better than we had throughout the pre-season, and we were sharper as a team. For the most part, I was just happy to be on the court.

“I know the level of competition is set to increase, but after the game, I feel like I’m in great shape. I’m ready to show the fans what we can do.

“I feel like we learned a lot about each other, and what Coach Rob wants from us as a team. It’s a great starting point for us to build going towards the season.”

Miryne Thomas

Miryne Thomas once again showed his scoring ability against USA Select, leading the Riders with 19 points and seven rebounds despite only playing 19 minutes.

After picking up fouls battling inside, Thomas says his biggest focus is staying on the court.

“The biggest thing for me is to play without fouling. I got into foul trouble tonight, so I couldn’t play for long stretches.

“I’m in good shape and feel like I can play hard for 40 minutes, so I want to be in a position where I can play big minutes.”

In his first game in front of the Riders’ home crowd, Thomas fed off the energy.

“I loved the energy here at the Morningside Arena. I liked how the fans reacted to everything we did out there, and after the game, they stayed to give us love.”

Sam Idowu 

Also making a return to action this pre-season was American/British big Sam Idowu, who sat out the previous season.

“I had a lot of fun tonight, and it was great to meet all the fans. It’s nice being on the court again because it’s been a long year and some change sitting out.”

“I feel good. I’m in the best shape I’ve been in a long time. The preparation going into the season has been good, and I’ve played consistent minutes.

“Now I’m impatiently waiting for the season to start. I can’t wait to get going!”


Want to see the Riders in action?

Get tickets to our season opener against the Cheshire Phoenix!

Riders react: Red vs Purple

The Riders got their first 40 minutes under their legs last night, in their annual “Red vs Purple” pre-season outing. 

They took a 99-64 win against Loughborough University, and look to build as a newly formed team going into the season.

READ MORE: Riders take Red vs Purple win

Here’s what Head Coach Rob Paternostro and Player of the Game Myrine Thomas had to say:

Miryne Thomas

“I feel like I could do it all again!” said Thomas, after a stat sheet stuffing 17 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. He got 20 minutes of game time, filled with high-flying action.

“I wanted to show the fans, team and organisation that I’m the guy they needed to help win a championship. I just try and prove I’m that guy every day.”

These were important minutes for the team, with seven new players added to the roster this offseason, looking to gel with the returners. 

“I really like the team. Every time we made a mistake, we all just wanted to move on to the next play. 

“Loughborough scored at the bottom of the shot clock a few times, and that’s what we focused on at halftime. The leaders in the locker room told us we’d be fine if we locked in on our guys and closed out possessions. We did that in the second half, and we were able to increase the lead up to 30.

“Now, we need to look at our game today, fix the mistakes, and take it inch by inch.”

Rob Paternostro 

Entering his 16th season as Head Coach, Rob Paternostro has rarely faced the challenge of a significant player turnaround to the extent of this offseason. He recognised the importance of these minutes. 

“I thought it was good for us. We’ve only had three minutes in practice 5-on-5 this week, so we really benefitted from the conditioning.”

It was the first look at his new team in a competitive environment, and Paternostro liked what he saw. 

“I love the way the guys competed. Defensively, we were really aggressive, and we were able to play a lot of guys and throw a lot of bodies that them.”

Health is key going into the season, and early signs are promising for the Riders. Mo Walker and Conner Washington returned to the floor after sitting out much of last season, as well as Sam Idowu, who looked fresh after recovering from his knee injury. 

“It was great to have them back. 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.

“Sam has been out for 16 months, so him being out there and making an impact was nice to see. That’s what these games are all about: letting guys get some rhythm and get the feel for being back on the floor.”

On the Riders’ opponents, Loughborough were faced with a mammoth task of professional opponents and put on a good showing. They fought wire-to-wire and held their own for long stretches. 

“Loughborough were competitive tonight. Our defence was tough for them at times, but they played hard, and they came right at us. I know Coach Maynard will have them ready to go for the season.”

Paternostro was asked what the focus is for the rest of the pre-season:

“Conditioning, we really need that. And beyond that, putting in some of our sets. We haven’t been able to put in much of our stuff,  so we’ve got to keep building and try and get healthy.”

American guards Caleb Asberry and Xavier Pinson sat out as a precaution, to minimise any injury risk ahead of the season. 

“We’re missing Caleb and Xavier,  and they’’ll certainly make an impact when they come back. We’re excited to see how they can push the pace and impact the game.”


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!

Top 5 Miryne Moments

Riders’ new man Miryne Thomas is entering his first professional season following a five-year college career.

The 6’8” Cleaveland native made a name for himself as an elite scorer during his time in the NCAA D1.

Get to know him with some of his top performances!

11/3/23: 24 points in MAC Championship semi-final

Kent State played in the MAC Tournament Championship in early 2023, attempting to book their place in the NCAA Tournament. 

In the semi-final, they came up against the Akron Zips, the third seed in the Mid-American Conference. Thomas came up huge in the game, a 16-point second half seeing Kent State to a 79-73 win.  

He attacked the game with killer efficiency, getting his 24 points on 54% field goal shooting, 66% three-point shooting and going 10-10 from the free-throw line.

They went on to win the championship, beating the number-one seed Toledo 93-78. The championship is the seventh in program history and gave the Golden Flashes an automatic bid into the 2023 NCAA Tournament. 

 1/11/23: 22-point double-double vs number one seed

The Golden Flashes went into the championship game with supreme confidence against Toldedo, having beaten them in the regular season back in November. 

Thomas led them to the win, stuffing the stat sheet with 22 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks, shooting 7-15 from the field, 4-10 from three and 4-4 from the foul line. 

His play saw them beat the Rockets 75-63, the 6’8” forward grabbing seven offensive boards. After halftime, he put the game beyond much doubt, draining three threes early in the second half against the eventual first-seed.

26/1/22: Dominance at Ball State

Thomas played for Ball State before transferring to Kent State for his final year of eligibility, putting up 11.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. 

His highest-scoring game of the season: a 26-point outing against the Miami Redhawks. Thomas led Ball State to a dominant 81-64 win, blowing the game open in the first half. 

Thomas had eight rebounds and two blocks in the win, as he went 9-12 from the field, 4-5 from three and 4-6 from the free-throw line in a red-hot deep shooting performance. 

Ball State finished up as the six seed with an 9-10 record in the MAC Conference. 

2/12/17: Dominant from the jump

As a freshman, it didn’t take long for Thomas to show his full potential as a dominant forward. Six games into his college career, he led the University of Maryland Eastern Shore to a 74-70 victory over the American University Eagles with a 17-point double-double. 

Thomas averaged 11.1 points and led the team in rebounds with 7.8 per game, and was named to the MEAC All-Rookie Team. He Recorded double-figures in rebounds in nine games with a season-high 16 later in the year. 

He put up a season-high 21 points in October before transferring to Ball State at the end of the year. 

13/12/20- Miryne can’t miss

Having already established himself as an efficient scorer in his three college seasons prior, Thomas’ ability to put the ball in the basket was on full display against the Northern Illinois Huskies in his final season with Ball State. 

He led the team with 20 points and seven rebounds, his shooting efficiency number through the roof. Thomas shot 6-7 from the field, 4-4 from three and 4-5 from the free-throw line, missing only one field goal on the way to his points tally. 

It was a 78-58 blowout, Ball State taking a 15-point lead into the half and never looking back. Thomas went on to averaged 49.5% from the field and 44.6% from three in a red-hot year. 


Want to see Miryne in action?

Get tickets to our home preseason opener against USA Select!


Photo credit: Kent State Golden Flashes

Riders sign Thomas

Leicester Riders are delighted to announce the signing of Myryne Thomas for the 2023/24 season. 

The 6’8” forward is set to play in his rookie year after averaging 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds for Kent State in the NCAA Division One last season.

Thomas, a Cleveland native, averaged double-digit points in his final two college seasons, transferring from Ball State to Kent State for his final year of eligibility. 

He averaged 9.3 points and 5.3 rebounds over his five-year college career. 

“I’m really happy to be part of the Riders,” said Thomas.

“I spoke to Coach Rob, and it sounded like the team was building something really special! I’ll be bringing lots of friends and family to the arena, and I hope to light it up with some dunks and threes!”

“I can’t wait to see you all!”

“We are excited to work with Miryne next season,” commented Head Coach Rob Paternostro. 

“He is a very talented all-around player who combined athleticism with skill and plays with great confidence and energy on the floor.

“He has great length and is a versatile defender who can defend in the paint or on the perimeter and play in multiple positions on the floor.

“We really enjoyed watching him play. He is a competitor who plays hard and has played in big games for a very good team last season.”


Want to see Miryne in action?

Click here for tickets to our home preseason opener against USA Select!


Image credit: Kent State Golden Flashes