The Riders fell on the road 109-93 to the Plymouth City Patriots.
A second-straight 35-point performance from Teddy Allen wasn’t enough to overcome a red-hot shooting night from the Patriots.
The hosts went 12-26 from three, led by 33 points from Tyrell Green who went from 8-10 distance on the night.
The Riders fall to 14-12 in the British Basketball League Championship, faltering in their pursuit of the Caledonia Gladiators and Cheshire Phoenix above them in the table.
The Riders came gunning out the gate, with Mo Walker and Allen combining for their first 17 points. Allen made the highlight of the first, pulling up from near the logo and banking in a three to make the score 17-10 with 4:20 left in the first.
The Patriots came into the game as the worst three-point shooting team in the League, but caught fire from deep to cut into their early deficit. They hit three straight to cut the difference to three points, Green connecting back-to-back.
The Patriots tied it up at the hands of Jules Dang-Akodo from deep with less than a minute left in the period, but Allen ended the quarter with his 12th points, making it 26-24 after one.
The hosts found their groove in the second, riding the hot hand of Green for 6 points and starting the quarter 14-5. Green hit his fourth three with a contest in his face, making it a double-digit advantage at 41-31.
The Riders came storming out of the following media timeout with eight straight points, Allen pulling up from deep once again for his 18th points to make it 41-39 within a minute.
It took another three minutes to tie the game up, and it was Shelton who did it with a putback layup. It was the last score of the half, and the sides entered the break tied at 46.
Allen got the second half underway with a finish at the rim to get Leicester the lead back. The sides exchanged buckets to start the third quarter, both attacking the rim relentlessly.
Both teams couldn’t miss to start the third. They combined for 36 points through six minutes, Kimbal Mackenzie making the last score before the media timeout to make the score 65-63 in the Riders’ favour.
But the Patriots were the team to find some separation, Green staying hot to knock down his sixth three from seven attempts. Dusha stole the following inbound and beat the buzzer at the end of the period to make it 82-73.
Green hit another to start the fourth to help build the host’s lead to 14. Allen then responded with a three in transition and a spin move in the lane to get five points back. Next time up the floor, he hit a stepback three to complete an 8-0 run on his own. Out of the following timeout, Allen drained yet another triple for 35 points.
The Patriots responded with two straight scores, Cam Copeland with the second at the rim. With the newfound momentum they scored eight straight points, Jacob Wiley’s fastbreak jam off a lob pass forcing a Riders timeout.
Green hit a three out of the timeout, making the difference 14. The Riders couldn’t overcome that deficit and fell to the Patriots on the road.
The Riders return to action after the international break, hosting the Trophy champions Cheshire Phoenix on March 1.
