Leicester Riders are back at home for the first time in March, hosting Newcastle Eagles in the Super League Basketball Championship.
The Riders look to respond to a two-game slide in their recent road games with a win against their long-standing rivals.
Meanwhile the Eagles are flying high after their midweek win against Bakken Bears saw them through to the Semi-Finals of the ENBL.
Fixture information
Leicester Riders vs Newcastle Eagles
Super League Basketball Championship
Mattioli Arena Leicester
Friday, March 21, 7:30 pm
Riders return home
After a difficult three game road trip, the Riders are back in Leicester where they have been red hot all season. They hold a 9-1 home record in the league this season, and look to put their season back on track in front of their home fans in this one.
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) March 1, 2025
Both of the back-to-back defeats could easily have gone the other way. They were two points down with three minutes left on the road to Manchester, and had a four point lead in Sheffield with two minutes on the clock.
Neither result went their way, and the Riders fell to 14-6 – third in the SLB Championship.
This team-first Riders outfit have fundamentals to fall back on to get back in the win column. They lead all teams in assists per game (20.9), turn the ball over the second least (11.9), and on the defensive end block the most shots in the league (4.8).
And despite the losses, star big man Charles Thompson has moved into another gear. The league leader in blocks per game turned it up on offence in his last two. He averaged 22 points and 11.5 rebounds, putting the ball on the deck for drives to the rim, playing out of the post and finishing emphatically at the rim. There’s been no answer for the American.
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) March 16, 2025
Against the fourth placed Newcastle Eagles looking to keep their home court advantage for the postseason, Thompson and the Riders will look to get back to their strengths to improve to 15 wins on the season.
Eagles’ European euphoria
The Eagles made history midweek, knocking off reigning ENBL Champions Bakken Bears over two legs to progress to the Final Four for the first time.
De’Sean Allen-Eikins led the 93-73 second leg victory with 19 points as the Eagles wrote a new chapter in their storied history.
It was a welcome break from domestic action, where they are in the midst of a five game slide. A home 68-86 loss to Bristol Flyers was their most recent outing, after midseason injuries sent them into the losing streak.
They are still without the services of big man Malcolm Delpeche, but leading scorer Mike Okauru returned for the Bakken game, and will have shaken off some rust ahead of facing the Riders.
Okauru is the league’s leading scorer with 20.4 points per game, making his return to action a key factor in the outcome of this game.
Leicester Riders fell 77-76 in a battle against Sheffield Sharks. Leicester gave the Sharks a war in a building which they hadn’t lost in all season. They led by four with a minute and half remaining, but the Sharks made plays down the stretch to take the win.
Riley Abercrombie had a chance to send the game to overtime at the foul line with 0.8 seconds left, but made one out of the pair as the Riders fell just short.
Charles Thompson continued his dominant week with 16 points and 9 rebounds, scoring 8 straight points out of the half to give control of the game to his side. Ethan Wright was infectious with his energy on both ends to finish with 13 points, and Jaylin Hunter pulled strings from the point to log 12 points and 6 assists.
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) March 16, 2025
Meanwhile Prentiss Nixon scored 20 to lead the game for Sheffield.
The Riders fall to 14-6 on the season with a month and a half to play.
Hot Sharks start
A hot Sheffield start saw them jump out to an early lead. They went 6-8 from the field from the jump led by 7 points from Nixon, who found rhythm with a triple three minutes in.
Riders’ shots wouldn’t fall from the outside. They started 0-4 from beyond the arc in a tough offensive start. They battled inside to keep in touch, Duke Shelton coming off the bench for three scores midway through the period, but were down 20-14 with 2:30 on the clock.
Shelton ended the first with a right handed finish over Jacob Groves, making it 25-19 with one played.
Riders resolve shooting struggles through Wright
Shooting struggles continued to start the second, with Wright hitting the team’s only three through their first seven attempts. Wright was the one to snap the cold streak in transition, however, stringing one from the wing to make it a one score game.
Sheffield maintained their lead at the foul line, as their star scorer Rickey McGill earned charity shots consistently in the second period. The Riders momentum brought them a shot away from the lead on multiple occasions, but they couldn’t knock that shot down to get the edge in the fixture.
Wright’s triple earlier in the second took the lid off. He hit three by halftime, and Abercrombie’s corner triple kept the heat on the hosts. With a minute left in the half, Zach Jackson drained one from the top to give Leicester their first lead since early in the first.
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) March 16, 2025
Sheffield’s Donovan Clay ended the second at the rim, and the score was 42-41 in the Sharks’ favour at the break.
Thompson third quarter takeover
Thompson turned up the offensive aggression to start the third with 8 straight points. He attacked the rim with authority and found no answer at the rim, making an and-one play in transition to give Leicester a three point lead.
The Riders put on the style on the break, as Jaylin Hunter dished a flashy no-look to Thompson who rewarded his point guard with a throw down for the play of the game. Leicester rallied behind Thompson to build a lead, with Hunter hitting a tough three from the corner to make it a six point advantage.
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) March 16, 2025
James Reese V made the final play of the third for the Sharks, making it 56-60 going into the fourth and final stanza.
Sides exchange blows to set up thrilling finale
Wright made a momentous play to start the fourth, stripping it from Nixon and drawing an unsportsmanlike foul. His foul shots made it an eight point Leicester lead. Wright’s intensity threw the Sharks’ offence out of rhythm in a key moment in the game.
The Sharks bit back through Clay, however, whose post play earned him four quick points and forced a Riders timeout up four. The big man scored again out of the timeout to make it a one score affair with six minutes left.
The Riders’ response came from their in form big man, as Thompson hit a rainbow fadeaway over Clay. But Nixon’s three next time down cut it to one, and set up a tense finale.
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) March 16, 2025
Sharks make late plays
Abercrombie started the final four minutes with an and-one to give the Riders some cushion. Thompson reached from behind the backboard to lay in a circus shot next time down, but Clay and Nixon hit back with 1:30 left in the game to keep it within a score. Nixon drew an offensive foul next time down, giving the hosts a shot to tie.
Clay took that chance with a baseline drive and a jam, and after Hunter couldn’t get his mid range effort to go, Nixon drove inside to give the Sharks a 77-75 lead with 17 seconds left.
Shooting to send it to overtime, Spencer Johnson missed a fadeaway, but Abercrombie pulled down the rebound and was sent to the foul line. He made the first but missed the second, meaning Leicester fell in a heartbreaker.
The Riders return to action on Friday, hosting the Newcastle Eagles.
Leicester Riders are set for a colossal matchup against the Super League Basketball Cup Champions Sheffield Sharks in the SLB Championship.
It’s a top of the table clash in Sheffield, with the third placed Riders and second placed Sharks looking to hunt down London Lions at the top of the table.
It’s the Riders’ second trip to South Yorkshire this season as they prepare to take on formidable SLB opponents. Here’s all you need to know about the game…
Fixture information
Sheffield Sharks vs Leicester Riders
Super League Basketball Championship
Canon Medical Arena
Sunday, March 16, 4 pm
Riders look to respond to road loss
Leicester’s title chances took a slight dent last time out, as they fell short of an inspired comeback on the road to Manchester.
Leicester were down 20 in the second quarter and brought it back to a one-score game, and were down 16 with seven minutes left in the game and cut the deficit to three. But Makai Ashton-Langford’s deep three was the dagger in a game of which the Riders could never grab control.
Despite the loss, Riders rookie Charles Thompson went off for a career night. He scored a career-high 26 points, and logged a season-high 14 rebounds and 6 blocks, dominating wire-to-wire.
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) March 12, 2025
Meanwhile Zach Jackson led the late charge with 14 points in the fourth quarter, making it 22 on the game for the American star wing.
Leicester had uncharacteristic defensive struggles in Manchester, partially in the opening stages. They gave up 31 in the first quarter leading to their 20 point hole in the second, before locking down in the second half to climb back into contention.
They won’t be able to afford any defensive lapses in this one against the in-form team in British basketball.
A win would be momentous in the Riders’ season- seeing them move to a 15-5 record one loss behind the top of the table. With Sheffield playing in Surrey the night before this fixture, the fresh legged Riders will look to bring relentless energy to Sheffield in order to get one over their local rivals.
Cup Champions chase Championship
Sheffield Sharks have been nothing short of dominant in 2025. They enter this weekend having won eight straight games, including the Cup Final against Surrey 89ers where they exploded for 102 points.
They followed that with 101 against Cheshire Phoenix midweek,as the league looks for an answer to the hottest team in the country.
They’re 15-4, a game ahead of the Riders and level on losses with the league leading Lions with three games in hand. And led by their big three of Rickey McGill, Prentiss Nixon and Donovan Clay, they’ll be confident of chasing them down.
McGill has been a top three scorer in the league this season since his arrival in South Yorkshire midseason. Nixon stepped up from his role as the Sharks’ sixth man last season to prove himself as one of the deadliest scorers in the league, and Clay earned Final MVP with 23 points and 9 rebounds, ranking top five in the SLB in boards per game.
Sheffield’s biggest strength is it’s deep shooting. They come into this game as the best three-point shooters in the league at 37.4%, and with five players shooting over 40% from range on the season.
They went 9-22 from three in the Cup Final, which was the key differentiator between the sides in that matchup. The Riders will therefore need to lock in on their perimeter defence in all areas of the game to keep Sheffield’s shooters from heating up.
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.
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.
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) March 8, 2025
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.
Leicester Riders returned to Super League Basketball action with a bang, blowing out Cheshire Phoenix at home 110-87.
Leading the Leicester bench, which scored 52 on the night, Duke Shelton took home Player of the Game honours with 19 points and 8 rebounds, dominating the paint with his post play wire-to-wire.
Zach Jackson logged 19 points and 6 rebounds, meanwhile Ethan Wright went off for 17 in 22 minutes off the bench.
It was a big night from the foul line, with the Riders going 29-32 on their free throws, Shelton leading the team with 11-12 on his charity shots.
The win brings the Riders to 11-4 in their hunt for top spot in the standings.
Meanwhile Cheshire gave up 100 for the third game straight, struggling to find defensive resistance as they fell under .500 on the season. They were led by Cameron Holden’s 18.
Riders edge back and forth start
The game started with a long exchange of buckets, the Riders emerging 12-11 leaders midway through the period.
Charles Thompson had the highlight of the game early, throwing down a thunderous jam over Cheshire’s Holden after driving hard inside. He took the feed from Jaylin Hunter before rising over Holden’s contest and putting it through on his head.
That was one of two monster slams in the first ten minutes of action. With a minute left, Shelton drove an open lane before rising high for a right-handed stuff again over Holden. Shelton drew contact from his defender and was sent to the line for a three-point play.
On the other end, Holden had the best of the opening period, scoring 11 for the visitors. His play meant the Phoenix trailed by only two after one, following Conner Washington’s buzzer-beater to close it.
Shelton takes over second
Washington came into the game hot, scoring 7 off the bench in 5 minutes including two from the elbow to beat the buzzer. Leicester’s bench scored 23 of the team’s first 38 after Ethan Wright’s spin finish at the rim.
Shelton continued his rim rocking start with a carbon copy of his earlier jam, before Wright followed with a corner three to continue the bench dominance. That was in response to Skyler White’s three which had potential to spark life into the Phoenix cause.
The spark was lit with three minutes to go until half, however, as Holden and Nick Timberlake combined for five quick points, making it a single digit affair. But a Rob Paternostro timeout put that to bed, the Riders coming out of the huddle with Zach Jackson free throws and Shelton’s 15th points of the evening.
Shelton scored 13 in the second period, 9 coming at the foul line, to extend the Riders’ lead.
Paternostro brought out a small ball lineup to close the period. With five shooters on the court, Jackson hit from deep for the first time in the game. That was the Riders’ final field goal of the half, which ended 61-48.
Riders blow game open in the third
The Phoenix came gunning out the gate with a pair of threes to start the second half, chipping into their deficit. Leicester had a response through Abercrombie and Spencer Johnson from deep, but Cheshire were back within reach with a 10 point difference.
The Riders took firm control of the third shortly afterwards, however. Johnson hit from deep again to cap off a 7-0 run and put the hosts up 17. The run was then extended to 12 unanswered following a Phoenix timeout.
J’Raan Brooks ended the third with a three on the move to beat the buzzer, making it 32 on the quarter and 94 through three to give the Riders a 23 point lead with 10 minutes left. Defensive intensity sees out the game
Leicester locked down on defence to start the fourth, keeping Cheshire scoreless through four minutes with big blocks from Jackson and Wright.
It was a low-scoring period compared to the three that preceded it as the Riders killed the game off with killer intensity. Wright brought his game tally to 17 with five straight points, including a three from the wing.
Leicester Riders are set for a return to Super League Basketball Championship action, taking on the 8-8 Cheshire Phoenix in Thursday night action.
The Riders look to respond to the end of their Cup campaign last weekend, meanwhile the Phoenix need to bounce back from back-to-back league losses which brought their record to .500.
Leicester Riders are faced with an opportunity to respond to a disappointing loss on Sunday. They fell out of the Cup competition at the Semi-Final stage to Surrey 89ers over two legs. The sides entered the Second Leg locked at 93 each, and in a thriller in Leicester it was the Niners who had enough late in the clutch to hold off a Riders charge led by Zach Jackson.
Jackson scored seven straight down the stretch and had the ball in his hands with seconds left with a chance to tie. He lost his handle driving to the hoop, however, and Leicester fell short of a comeback.
The American wing led the team with 22 points and 7 rebounds in an impressive display.
Now the Riders can turn their attention back to the League, where they are locked in a three-way fight for the top of the table. The Riders, with a 10-4 record, are level on losses with London Lions and Sheffield Sharks ahead of them having played less games than their rivals.
This game, therefore, represents an opportunity to make up some ground with games in hand and climb up the standings with a win.
Cheshire look for bounce back
After winning four games in a row to improve to 8-6 on the season, the Cheshire Phoenix enter this game on a poor run of form after blowout losses to Bristol Flyers and Newcastle Eagles.
They found themselves down 22-0 to start the game at home against the Flyers, giving up 122 on the night and allowing Bristol to go 17-22 from deep, then fell 110-101 to Trophy Champions Newcastle Eagles, as the Eagles scored 31 in the final period in the North East.
The last two fixtures have contributed to the Phoenix allowing the most points per game in Super League Basketball at 94.2. On the other end, they lead the League in points per game, playing out some of the highest scoring games in British basketball this year.
Cheshire flies up and down the court each and every night, playing at a league-leading pace. Their midseason addition Larry Austin Jr, who came back to the Club after playing last season in Newcastle, is one of the catalysts for this, pushing the pace in transition at every opportunity.
Austin Jr was recently named SLB Player of the Month for his play in January, which saw him average 16 points and 8 assists per game.
This game, therefore, will feature push and pull between the flying Phoenix and the Riders, who are one of the slowest playing teams in SLB. Leicester will look to keep Cheshire in the halfcourt in order to play the game on their terms.
Previous meeting
These teams last faced to start December, playing out a nail biter in Cheshire.
Leicester looked to have sealed the game last, with Riley Abercrombie’s free throws putting them up 12 with 3:13 on the clock. But a late Cheshire surge, led by Cam Holden, meant Tyreek Scott-Grayson was at the foul line shooting three free throws for the tie.
He made the first two, but in dramatic fashion missed the third, allowing Charles Thompson to pull down the rebound for a Riders win.
Playing out a thriller in Cheshire last time we played Thursday's opponents…
Leicester Riders lost to Surrey 89ers 86-90 to fall out of the Super League Basketball Cup at the Semi-Final stage.
It was a hard fought affair wire-to-wire, leading to Zach Jackson having a chance to tie it at the rim with four seconds left. But he stepped on the line after losing control of the ball, and the Riders fell just short.
Jackson scored seven straight in the fourth to put Leicester in position to win it. He led the team with 22 points and 7 rebounds in an impressive display. Jaylin Hunter made big plays throughout the game to keep Leicester in it, finishing with 18 on the night.
Leicester suffered from missed shots in the game, finishing 6-30 from three. Meanwhile Surrey’s shooters were on point in key moments, Nedas Cholevinskas hit four threes in the final quarter to get the 89ers over the line. The young brit finished with 19 points.
Surrey bounce back from strong Riders start
Hunter, after ending Friday’s First Leg with a game-tying three, picked up where he left off with an assist to Thompson and a fadeaway and-one from midrange.
Leicester’s rim protection made a statement to start the game with three blocks, two from the league leader Charles Thompson and one from Riley Abercrombie, who pinned Cam Gooden’s layup to the glass.
Back-to-back threes from Spencer Johnson and Abercrombie meant Leicester had a 13-5 start.
Meanwhile the Niners missed on their first four three point attempts, but 10 points in the paint in seven minutes kept them in contention in the opening period. They stayed persistent against Leicester’s shot blocking threat.
Thompson, charging downhill on the break, scored the Riders’ final points of the first with an and-one finish, before Gooden ended the period at the foul line to make it 23-19.
Surrey end half hot to take lead into the break
The Riders couldn’t find separation in the second, despite their success driving to the hole. Jackson got Leicester going in the quarter, which started with four different Leicester scorers, but 4 points from Gooden kept Surrey within a score, and Mervin James tied the game at 31 with a mid range jumper.
The Niners’ shooters made tough shots throughout the second, swishing fadeaways at a high rate. They took the lead through a contested shot from Gooden. Surrey also found their way to the foul line consistently to keep the score ticking over.
But Leicester snatched momentum with two minutes left in the half. Duke Shelton escaped in the pick-and-roll with Hunter to throw down a two-handed slam, before Jackson snatched the ball from James and threw one down on the fastbreak.
Surrey had the best of the end of the half. They scored eight straight, including two threes, making it 48-55 going into the locker rooms.
Tough shooting quarter leaves Riders in fourth quarter hole
Thompson came out of the half on a mission. He was fouled on a jam, swatted James’ shot, then stole the ball on the next possession and went coast-to-coast for two.
Jackson followed with an open three but Surrey kept draining threes on the other end to keep their lead. Gooden hit one on the break to make it 58-68.
Meanwhile Leicester went cold from deep. They missed threes on four straight possessions in an attempt to get back in it, making it 4-20 from three on the night.
They found form as the clock ticked down in the third. A 10-3 run made it a five point game, with Jackson hitting from the midrange behind a raucous Riders’ crowd. The third ended with Hunter at the line, who made it 70-74 with one to play.
Cholevinskas builds Surrey lead
The Riders took the lid of the three ball to start the fourth, as Hunter hit from the corner. But Cholevinskas hit two big threes to keep the Riders at arm’s length.
Thompson fed Abercrombie for a throw down to bring it to a one point difference, and the Riders had two shots for the lead from three, but missed both. On the other end, Cholevinskas stayed red hot for another two triples from the wing to make it seven with 3:24 left.
Jackson takes over to give Riders a chance late
Jackson stepped up in response, hitting a three over a contest to cut it back to four. He then picked up Jalen Ray on the other end and forced a miss inside. James stepped up for Surrey a minute later and added two to the visitor’s score, however.
Continuing his takeover in the clutch, Jackson got to the line twice in response to cut it to a one possession game. His second trip was forced after Johnson rose high for a crucial offensive board.
The ball fell to Cholevinskas to seal it with 20 seconds left, but he missed, giving Leicester to tie or take the lead. Jackson drove to the hoop but stepped on the line, giving it back to the Niners.
Jordan Hunt was sent to the foul line, making both to end the game.
Report: Leicester Riders all square with Surrey 89ers after Cup Semi-Final First Leg
Leicester Riders and Surrey 89ers are locked at 93 each after the First Leg of the Super League Basketball Cup Semi-Final.
Surrey had a red hot start, and led by 28 points and 11 rebounds from Jalen Ray, had the lead for much of the game. But Riley Abercrombie caught fire for four straight threes in the third to get the Riders back into contention, and the visitors tied the game with seconds left through a three from Jaylin Hunter.
Charles Thompson’s 20 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks led Leicester- his dominance inside allowed the Riders to battle back late. Abercrombie finished with 19 and Hunter with 18 in a high-scoring affair.
The emphasis will be on rebounding for Sunday’s Second Leg. Surrey, led by Dame Adelekun’s 6 offensive boards contributing to 15 total rebounds, pulled down 19 offensive rebounds in the game leading to 17 second chance points.
Meanwhile Leicester will look to carry their hot hand back home, shooting 41% from three on the night led by a 5-8 night from deep from Abercrombie.
Slow start allows early Surrey lead
The start was breathless in an electric Surrey Sports Park. Both sides were red hot from the jump, exchanging constant jabs in the opening minutes.
Spencer Johnson drained a three at the end of the shot clock to get Leicester underway, meanwhile Adelekun scored six points to lead Surrey to a 15-9 start. The big man’s rebounding made an impressive impact on the opening stages as the Niners took the lead.
Zach Jackson battled down low to tie it at 15, but the three ball fell for Surrey as they took a 10 point lead in the first. Ray hit two from beyond the arc, and the hosts ended the period up 31-19.
Riders fight back to keep it close at half
Thompson started the second quarter fightback with a two-handed jam and a block on Adelekun, before Hunter took charge with a step in midrange and an and-one in transition.
The Riders upped the pace of the game to find buckets on the break. After stealing the ball from Nedas Cholevinskas, Ethan Wright threw a touchdown pass to Thompson at the rim who finished for two and cut the difference to three.
The Riders started the second on an 18-6 run to get straight back in the tie. Wright followed his assist with a turnaround, stepback three off an inbound pass to tie it up.
Surrey found themselves in foul trouble early in the second, which saw the Riders to the free throw line frequently. That kept the scoreboard ticking over as Leicester fought to snatch the lead for the first time since the opening minute.
They were unable to do so in the second quarter, with Surrey’s shooters making plays to maintain a narrow advantage. Ray sized up Thompson on the perimeter and connected from deep to give them a three point lead at the half.
Abercrombie third quarter takeover
A minute into the second half, threes from Jackson and Johnson took the lead for Leicester. The Niners’ response came from tough shot making in the midrange, as Cholevinskas and Ray banked in for two.
The hosts rebuilt a seven point lead with a three from New Zealander Jordan Hunt, forcing a Riders timeout with 5:15 left in the third.
After Surrey led much of the period, with red hot shooting from Ray, Abercrombie caught fire. He exploded for 12 straight points, draining four threes in a row to cut it to a one point game with one to play at 73-72.
Starting the fourth in close, Thompson took the lead for Leicester. An exchange of buckets followed, concluded by a monster Adelekun jam as the score swung back and forth. Thompson promptly responded in transition with a jam of his own minutes later.
Abercrombie, still on fire after this third quarter outburst, hit his fifth three of the game off an inbound, meaning the game was tied at 83 with five minutes on the clock.
Surrey seized control late in the game after Ray brought his tally to 28 with an and-one. Mervin James followed Ray with a putback next time out, and Adelekun finished in the post for another two.
Riders battle back in dying minutes
On the other end, Hunter hit a transition three, before Thompson battled for two offensive boards on one possession before making an and-one play of his own.
A series of misses down the stretch meant Leicester had the ball down three with six seconds left. Hunter caught the inbound, then hit a turnaround three to tie the game at 93.
Tayo Ogendengbe missed on the buzzer for Surrey, and the sides were all square after the first leg.
The Riders return to Leicester for the Semi-Final Second Leg on Sunday, at Mattioli Arena. A win would see them through to the Final at Motorpoint Arena Nottingham on March 9.
Tickets are still available for Sunday’s Second Leg at Mattioli Arena Leicester. Get yours here!
They will therefore bring confidence into this pivotal first game, having learned lessons from their Trophy Semi-Final against Newcastle Eagles in December.
The Riders got down big in the first half of the first leg, and therefore trailed going back to Leicester for the second. They put up a fight wire-to-wire, but the poor run in the first leg was too much to overcome, and the Riders’ Trophy journey ended there.
Riley Abercrombie, previewing the Semi-Final midweek, emphasised the importance of the First Leg: “We really focused this week on having a good start to Friday’s game. Having experienced this aggregate scoring game before, we know how important the First Leg can be.
“Getting down big to Newcastle really hurt us in the Second Leg, so making sure we go down to Surrey, put in a good performance and put ourselves in a position to come back to Leicester on Sunday and have a great game.”
The Riders enter this game with momentum behind them, putting on one of the most impressive performances of the season against Bristol Flyers last week.
They won 94-59, leading wire-to-wire behind Zach Jackson’s 20 points. The bench performed exceptionally, scoring 33, led by Duke Shelton’s Player of the Game performance which saw him log 15 points and 13 rebounds.
That’s back-to-back impressive bench efforts for the Riders. They scored 22 in the Cup Quarter-Final against Manchester Basketball which earned them this matchup with Surrey- Ethan Wright leading them with 12.
Meanwhile Surrey bounced back from a three game slide in their previous fixture. They’ve been duelling out closely fought games all season long, and emerged 77-68 victors on the road to Caledonia Gladiators on February 2.
Talented wing Mervin James led the team with 17 points off 11 shots to improve the Niners to 5-10 on the year.
Key matchup
Big men Charles Thompson and Dame Adelekun have enjoyed battles down low in each of the matchups between these teams this season.
Thompson, the front runner for the SLB Defensive Player of the Year award at the midpoint of the season, has been his typically impressive self against Surrey in each of the four games. He’s averaged 11.5 points and 1.75 blocks, and thrown down some of his most explosive jams in Surrey Sports Park.
In his last trip to Surrey, Thompson put up 18 points and 4 blocks, finding no answer from the Niners on both ends of the floor. He leads the League in blocks per game with 2.9, and is second in rebounds with 8.8 per game.
The League leader in rebounds is his opposite number in this matchup, Adelekun, who is averaging 12.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. Adelekun also had 18 points in his last game against Leicester, and has stuffed the stat sheet for Surrey this year.
He put up double digit rebounds for five straight league games to start the New Year, including a 26 and 16 effort against Manchester January 24.
With his monster rebounding games and ability to create second chance points for his team consistently, Adelekun is a constant threat on any given night.
Report: Duke Shelton’s infectious energy leads huge win against Bristol Flyers
Leicester Riders took an impressive wire-to-wire win against Bristol Flyers to improve to 10-4 in the Super League Basketball Championship.
The Riders took a 9-0 lead from the jump and never looked back, leading by as much as 41 points in the fourth. Duke Shelton took Player of the Game honours with a high-energy performance off the bench, resulting in 15 points and 13 rebounds in 20 minutes of action.
His impact was felt on both ends, as Leicester’s lock down defence was impenetrable for 40 minutes. Charles Thompson was typically instrumental to this, blocking 2 shots on the night.
Zach Jackson led the team with 20 points on 9-14 shooting from the field, meanwhile captain Conner Washington scored 10 off the bench, to achieve the milestone of 2000 career Championship points.
Bristol’s Keddy Johnson led the team with 17 off the bench, battling throughout despite the big deficit. The Flyers shot 31% from the field against the Leicester defence, playing at the end of a packed schedule featuring three games in six days.
Riders roll to hot start
Leicester led with their league-best defence to start the game. The Flyers went scoreless against stifling interior efforts through the first three and a half minutes, as the Riders bolted out to a 9-0 lead.
Thompson put an exclamation point on the Riders run with a throwdown in transition- his second bucket of the night- forcing a Flyers timeout.
With leading scorer Keddy Johnson, on the sidelines to start the tie, checking into the game, Bristol made their first buckets. All Flyers starters found the bottom of the bucket with three minutes left in the first, big man Owen Mccormack connecting from deep to make it 16-8.
Leicester held them at eight, finishing the quarter up 23-15 after Shelton fought his way for a second chance bucket at the hoop.
Washington milestone highlight of second quarter dominance
Shelton’s score at the end of the first opened up the basket for the Floridian, who scored twice to start the second half. Washington followed up by putting Desmond Robinson on skates, the Bristol big finding himself in a mismatch as Washington blew by him for an and-one.
He followed up for an off the dribble three, his 2000th top-flight Championship points, another milestone in his illustrious career.
Keddy Johnson replied with a three for the Flyers, but it did little to stem the tide as Spencer Johnson then made it 36-21 with a finish for two. J’Raan Brooks then drained his second three of the night and Leicester’s fifth of the game.
Putting back a Brooks miss from midrange emphatically, slamming it down two-handed, Shelton brought his game tally to 10 points and 7 rebounds, leading Leicester to a 47-29 advantage at the half.
Leicester plant dagger in the third
The second half started as the first ended, with the Riders pouring in buckets. Jackson and Riley Abercrombie hit on contested triples, making it 55-31 in a matter of minutes.
Thompson’s interior dominance continued on the defensive end, his opponents seemingly fearful to pull the trigger against him in the paint. He matched up against former Riders Evan Walshe who tried to take him one-on-one, only to end up in a straight jacket and seeing his shot swatted out of bounds.
Meanwhile Hunter and Abercrombie went back-to-back for paint scores on the other end. Spencer Johnson brought his game tally to double figures with another three as the hosts piled on the points.
Jackson made the lead 30 with a minute left in the third, after Thompson battled for an offensive rebound against two Flyers inside. Thompson then finished the quarter at the foul line to make the score 73-45 with one left.
Young stars cap off big win
Shelton picked up from Thompson in the fourth, banking an and-one then blocking Kendall Lewis to restart the action. Jackson got to work, adding five more to his game log, and Washington got to the line for his eighth points to make it 86-47.
With 6:21 remaining, young star Victor Ndoukou checked into the game and instantly grabbed an offensive board to set up a pair of Shelton foul shots. Shelton knocked down to make it a 40 point lead.
Another promising young Rider Seth Wylie stepped into the game and drained a corner three, assisted by Ndoukou, to the delight of the home crowd.
That was the cherry on the performance- one of the most impressive team wins of the season for Leicester.
Leicester Riders are back in action next weekend in the Super League Basketball Cup Semi-Final! The two-legged affair starts on Friday, February 7 in Surrey, before returning to Leicester for the second leg on Sunday, February 9 at 3 pm.
The dates for Leicester Riders’ two-legged SLB Cup Semi-Final have been confirmed.
Leicester Riders have advanced to the SLB Cup Semi-Final after defeating Manchester Basketball on Wednesday to set up a two-legged encounter with Surrey 89ers.
The winner on aggregate will advance to the SLB Cup Final at the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham on Sunday, March 9, to face either Sheffield Sharks or Bristol Flyers.
Surrey 89ers will host the first leg at the Surrey Sports Park on Friday, February 7 (7.30 pm tip-off), before the return fixture at Mattioli Arena on Sunday, February 9 (3 pm).
Please note the SLB Cup semi-final is included for season ticket holders.
Tickets for the home leg of the SLB Cup Semi-Final are on sale now! Get them here.
Leicester Riders fell to London Lions 91-71 on the road in the Super League Basketball Championship.
The Riders, down 19 in the first half, cut into the deficit to make it a four point game in the fourth quarter. But London found form late to see off the attempted Leicester comeback.
Charles Thompson led Leicester with a 14 point double double, sparking the fightback in the third with buckets at the rim. He was backed by 11 points from Ethan Wright off the bench who hit momentum swinging threes throughout.
London’s Sean Flood made key baskets in the fourth quarter to bring the win home for London. He scored 15 off the bench including two triples. Aaryn Rai led the Lions with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
The game sees Leicester lose top spot in the League standings, falling to a 9-4 record.
Duelling out a tightly fought first quarter
London had the best of the opening stages with their interior presence, with Rai leading them to a 10-7 start with two buckets in close. The Riders, who struggled on the offensive boards on Friday against Caledonia Gladiators, suffered the same issues early by giving up four offensive rebounds in the first six minutes.
Leicester, whose leading scorer on the season Zach Jackson took an early seat with two quick fouls, bit back from range, as Spencer Johnson and Wright connected from three. The triples got the Riders in rhythm as they snatched the lead from London.
But veteran forward Ovie Soko found his way to the foul line continually in the opening period on his way to 8 points, and the Lions led 20-19 after one.
Stuckman leads London run in second
London took control of the tie in the second quarter. Soko started the run with another finish inside, and added another five to his tally in a 10-0 start to the period. Tanner Stuckman’s score made it 32-19 to the hosts.
Wright broke the scoring drought with a corner three for his 8th points of the afternoon, but that was met by Stuckman who hit a triple from the wing then a four point play on Thompson. The former Gladiator had 8 in the period.
Thompson fought back on the other end with an and-one play followed by a finish for two to try and inject some momentum into the Riders. They increased the pace in order to get looks earlier in the shot clock, but couldn’t connect frequently enough to chip into the London lead.
The first half ended 49-33, with Thompson scoring the final point of the second at the foul line.
Abercrombie four point play triggers Riders fightback
Riley Abercrombie came gunning out the break with a four point play to cut it to 12. Thompson followed with an and-one, and it was a single digit game one minute into the third.
Despite Soko’s continued aggression at the rim bagging him another 2 points, Leiecster got themselves back into the game, Abercrombie again drawing a foul from behind the line to make the score 52-45.
Ade Adebayo got London back on the rails with success down low. He led a Lions run to put them back up 8. Duke Shelton ended the third at the foul line, and the sides entered the final period with London leading 65-59.
London run up score late
Shelton got the fourth underway at the rim to cut it to four. But Ciaran Sandy’s corner three and a Flood and-one gave London the edge with 7:46 left up 10. Flood weaved his way to the rim next time down the floor for another two, forcing a Riders timeout.
Wright, again, was the one to try and swing momentum back into Leicester’s favour with a three, but Stuckman got to the line next time down to quiet the visitors. Flood hit another three from the wing to make it a 14 point affair.
The Riders kept grinding, but the deficit was too great late in the fourth, and Leicester fell to London for the first time this season.
The Riders return to action on Wednesday for the SLB Cup Quarter-Final on the road to Manchester Basketball.
Leicester Riders and London Lions are set to engage in a top of the table showdown in the capital tomorrow.
The 9-3 Riders, who snatched the top spot in the Championship on Friday, will take the floor of the Copper Box Arena to defend their pedestal in first position against the 9-4 London Lions.
Leicester are undefeated against the reigning British basketball champions in three games so far this season, but face the tallest task so far in this fixture.
Meanwhile London looks to bounce back from two straight defeats in order to get their season back on the rails.
Here’s all you need to know about this heavyweight clash…
Fixture information
London Lions vs Leicester Riders Super League Basketball Championship Copper Box Arena, London 4 pm
Table topping Riders
An 84-75 home win against Caledonia Gladiators saw the Riders go seven straight home games undefeated, and top of the table for the first time this season.
After Gladiators’ guards Patrick Whelan and Teddy Okereafor made tough shots throughout the first half, Leicester’s league leading defence locked in to hold Caledonia to 10 points in the third quarter and get out to a lead.
Charles Thompson’s defensive dominance continued with 3 blocks in the game, and Australian sharpshooter Riley Abercrombie won Player of the Game for the second straight game with a season-high 27 points.
Abercrombie’s shooting has been the difference in Leicester’s last two games. But like Thompson, his shot swatting has been equally impressive as the team continues to make its name as an intimidating interior presence.
Leicester head to the Copper Box having won eight of their last nine in the League- but only three of those games were away from home. They’ll look to carry their home form to London to take advantage of a London side which has been struggling for offensive output in their last two appearances.
Lions in need of bounce back game
London, who crashed out of the Cup last week to the Surrey 89ers in the Quarter-Final, lost their status as the league leaders by losing to Newcastle Eagles in the North East 74-67. It was a closely contested battle from wire-to-wire against a formidable opponent on the road, but cold deep shooting saw them go 3-17 from deep in the low-scoring affair.
Sean Flood hit all three off the bench, leading London with 14 points. Their leading scorer on the season, Aaryn Rai, hit big buckets late to keep it a game, but the Trophy Finalists got over the line against the Lions.
London’s defence kept them in the tie while in the midst of a tough shooting performance. Like Leicester, they’ve leaned on their defence all season to rank third in points allowed per game. Their big man pairing of Jaiden Delaire and Alen Hadzibegovic have been huge contributors to this, combining for 2.9 blocks per outing.
But offensively, they’ll need the shooters touch at home which went missing on the road last time out should they want to score on the best defence in Super League Basketball.
Previous meetings
These sides, who shared a Trophy group at the start of the season, have met three times so far with the Riders coming away with a win on each occasion.
The first meeting was in London, and Leicester dominated with an 89-66 win led by Jaylin Hunter’s 21.
The second game was a dead rubber at the end of the group, with neither side playing for anything tangible. But Leicester won to go undefeated through the group phase, this time Zach Jackson led the team with 16 in a 76-62 win.
The most recent meeting was the Riders’ last outing of 2024, and the sides battled out a nail-biter in Leicester. Abercrombie’s late three from the top was the dagger in an 84-75 win, which saw Ethan Wright go off for 21 off the bench.
Report: Abercrombie season-high earns Riders hard fought win against Gladiators
Leicester Riders battled out for an 85-74 win at home to the Caledonia Gladiators, led by Riley Abercrombie’s season high scoring night.
He went off for 27 points, going 5-8 from three in a red hot shooting night. He and Spencer Johnson went off from deep late, in what was a closely fought contest until the fourth.
Leicester trailed in the third quarter as Caledonia’s veteran backcourt of Patrick Whelan and Teddy Okereafor hit big shots all night. Whelan played 40 minutes and scored 17, but Trevond Barnes led the visitors off the bench with 22 points in 25 minutes.
Leicester shot 52% from the field and 46% from three in an efficient offensive display. Zach Jackson backed Abercrombie with 16, and Charles Thompson continued his defensive dominance with 3 blocks and 14 points.
They went top of the League with the win and London Lions’ loss in Newcastle, ahead of the Riders facing the Lions on the road on Sunday.
Riders hot start met with Gladiators response
Abercrombie, fresh off his Player of the Game performance last time out, got the Riders going with five points out the gate. He was fouled on a three for a trip to the line, then slammed one down on the break after a Jaylin Hunter steal.
The Riders were on target early, scoring 10 in three minutes, but the Gladiators kept pace through the sharpshooting veteran Okereafor. He drained two early threes to get Caledonia on the board.
But Leicester found separation on the scoreboard midway through the first at the foul line. Abercrombie and Jackson attacked the hoop to earn free throws and put the hosts up 16-8. Abercrombie owned the first, scoring 13 in the quarter.
Caledonia found some form through Trevond Barnes off the bench, who scored 11 in the first 10 minutes. His scoring brought it back to a four points game, as the first ended 27-23 in Leicester’s favour.
Thompson jam takes Riders lead into half
The Gladiators came back to take the lead early in the second. Patrick Whelan, Okereafor, Theo Hughes and Princeton Onwas got to hoop for four buckets and a 32-28 lead. The Caledonia run forced a Rob Paternostro timeout.
Ethan Wright turned the tide after the timeout with a stepback three from the wing. Charles Thompson followed up with a finish inside, before Abercrombie hit a fadeaway to snatch the lead back for Leicester.
But it was a back and forth second quarter, as the visitors responded through Whelan. He hit a tough three for his 12th points, still hot following his career-high 34 points in his last outing. He hit contested buckets all period, at the rim and from range, on his way to 14 by halftime.
The Gladiators spend much of the second in a defensive zone, forcing the Riders to find answers on the offensive end. And they found success against the zone as the clock ticked towards the half with a barrage of buckets in close.
Thompson scored four quick points at the hoop, followed by Jackson who again fought to the foul line to take the lead. Thompson ended the half in style, throwing down a two-handed jam, and Leicester led 44-43 at the half.
Whelan’s hot hand carried into the second half, as he hit a turnaround three from the wing. Leicester’s defence did step up internally, however, as Abercrombie and Thompson sent away shots emphatically at the rim.
With Leicester’s league leading defence clicking into gear, it was a low scoring start to the third. The teams combined for five points in as many minutes. The Riders forced two shot clock violations out of their opponents before taking the lid off the basket through Spencer Johnson.
The American sniper lined up his sights for a triple against Whelan to get the Riders going offensively. He followed up with another three, this time on the fastbreak following Thompson’s third block, to make it 59-51 with 1:23 left in the third.
Abercrombie ended the third with a tightly contested three, making it 62-53 with one to play.
Riders see out win despite Gladiators resistance
Abercrombie and Johnson’s hot hands led to two threes to start the fourth, giving Leicester a platform to see the game out. Wright drove hard to the hoop for an and-one play three minutes in with the Riders having found the keys to unlock the Caledonia zone.
Barnes kept the Gladiators in contention however, pulling out big baskets throughout the fourth as the difference remained around ten points.
The game hung in the balance with the Caledonia resistance, and Wright and Fraser Malcolm traded threes in the pivotal moment of the game.
Wright’s energy forced a huge play in the clutch. He missed a three short but battled for the offensive board, then found Abercrombie at the top of the arc who drained a three over the contest.
Abercrombie’s three blew the game open, as Hunter hit out of a Caledonia timeout, before dishing a lob pass to Thompson who finished for two. That was the final Riders score of the night, who held on for the win.
The Riders are back in action on Sunday, taking on the London Lions at Copper Box in Championship action.
Leicester Riders are back at home on January 31, taking on Bristol Flyers!
Leicester Riders Basketball Club can provide the following update regarding Blake Bowman’s injury status.
We regretfully announce that Blake Bowman will miss the remainder of the season due to a knee injury.
Blake sustained the injury during the Riders’ game against Newcastle Eagles on January 3.
After undergoing an MRI scan and evaluation by the Club’s medical staff, the results confirmed that an extended recovery period with the Club will be necessary.
Leicester Riders extends their best wishes to Blake for a speedy and full recovery.
Leicester Riders are ready to go head-to-head with Caledonia Gladiators for the first time this season.
The Riders opposition currently prop up the Super League Basketball standings, but have shown signs of finding form in their previous two fixtures. They will look to rally after recent roster changes have left them with a six man rotation for tomorrow’s action.
With the League’s top three teams all playing at the same time on Friday night, the round of fixtures could see a significant swing at the top of the table.
Here’s all you need to know about the game…
Fixture information
Leicester Riders vs Caledonia Gladiators Mattioli Arena, Leicester Super League Basketball Championship Friday, January 17, 7:30 pm
Riders’ continue to flex their defensive prowess
Leicester Riders are hunting down London Lions at the top of the Championship standings, moving to within one game of the League leaders with last week’s win against Manchester Basketball.
They held Manchester’s red hot offence, which averaged 87 points in December, to 76 at the Mattioli Arena, their League-best defence continuing to set the tone in games.
The Riders blocked seven shots on the night. Charles Thompson, the League leader in blocks, sent away three, and Riley Abercrombie who took home player of the game honours after bagging 13 straight points in the third, had two emphatic rejections.
The team allows 77.6 points per game, making them the stingiest outfit in the SLB. Their 5.2 blocks per game is the most of all teams, and they close possessions effectively by pulling down 73.74% of their defensive rebounds, again the most in the League.
Leicester come into this game having won seven of the last eight Championship games, and have held their opponents to under 80 points in six of those fixtures.
Another shot-stuffing defensive performance would go a long way to securing another League win for Leicester, keeping the pressure on the top of the table as we approach the midway point of the season.
Caledonia look to rally after departures
The Caledonia Gladiators currently sit last in the League standings with a 2-10 record.
Having already made changes to their roster earlier in the season, seeing the departure of Tanner Struckman who has since signed with London Lions, Ian Budose who now suits up in Manchester and Head Coach Gareth Murray, Caledonia were forced into two more changes with leading scorer Jared Wilson-Frame and Malik Dunbar leaving due to a breach of club discipline.
With Fahro Alihodzic, Elijah Cain and Prince Onwas sidelined through injury, the Gladiators are set to roll out a six-man rotation for tomorrow’s action.
They have made additions to the squad throughout the year in the way of the experienced backcourt duo of Teddy Okereafor and Nick Tomsick, and the hiring of coaching veteran Robbie Peers.
Unlike the Riders, who enter this tie on a good run of form, Caledonia have lost six of their last seven in the League, despite showing some promise in their last two games.
They beat Bristol Flyers at home in a low scoring battle, and last time out the Gladiators almost took back-to-back wins for the first time in the League, taking Cheshire Phoenix to overtime. They lost in the extra period 101-98 despite former Rider Patrick Whelan’s incredible 34 points and 8 rebounds,
They led the game 53-44 at the half, but Larry Austin Jr led Cheshire with 26 points and hit the shot to send the game to overtime in the clutch.
Larry Austin Jr forces overtime in Scotland! 🔥🤯 @CheshireNix
Generating offence has been a difficulty for Caledonia all season, leaving them with the fewest points per game in the SLB with 75.3. They hit on only 45% of their field goals and turn the ball over a league-high 17.9 times per outing.
Taking a short rotation into Leicester, the Gladiators will look to rally together and pull out a hard-fought win against the Riders.
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.
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 Thompsonwas named the League’s Player of the Month after averaging 14.5 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game.
December belongs to CT! 😤🔥
Charles Thompson is the @SprLeagueBballM Molten Player of the Month for December! 👏
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) January 3, 2025
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.
Battling for the dub last time we took on Manchester 💪
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) January 8, 2025
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.
Leicester Riders fell just short in a thrilling battle against Newcastle Eagles, losing 93-90.
The Riders, down 9 in the fourth, pulled the game back to within a possession with a shot to take the lead late. But Newcastle hit tough shots throughout, and despite Leicester forcing the game to be fought until the final buzzer with big shots from Riley Abercrombie and Charles Thompson, they ultimately ran out of clock.
Zach Jackson led the team with 24 points and 7 rebounds, going 12-12 from the line and making key free throws throughout the final quarter. Abercrombie logged 15, including a clutch three to keep the team alive with 8 seconds left.
After Newcastle’s Cole Long missed a foul shot which would have put the Eagles up 4, the Riders required a prayer on the buzzer to send it to overtime. Jaylin Hunter fired from halfcourt, but couldn’t get it to go.
Mike Okauru led Newcastle against Leicester for the second straight game, bagging 22 points and getting tough baskets to go in the biggest moments of the tie. As did Seneca Knight, who finished with 21.
Leicester fall to 7-3 in the League, two wins behind the London Lions who top the table.
Riders lead through mistake ridden first quarter
A scoreless first minute of play saw the Riders turn it over on their first two possessions, and the Eagles blew two good looks at the rim. Leicester took the lid off with a transition lob pass from Spencer Johnson finished off by Abercrombie, but it was a combined 1-6 start from the field for the teams.
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) January 3, 2025
Thompson, fresh off being named the SLB Player of the Month for December, scored 5 of the team’s first 7 with his elite finishing ability in the post. Jackson involved himself early with two trips to the line, including an and-one finish with a floater, and Leicester led 12-11 with 3:44 left in the first.
The scoring in the period picked up as the clock ticked down. Josh Ward-Hibbert, after putting up 30 last time in Leicester, hit two threes, while Ethan Wright scored five with a coast-to-coast layup and step back three.
Wright’s triple was the final score of the first, which ended 21-18 to Leicester.
Thompson takeover gives Leicester lead
Ethan dropped De’Sean Allen-Aikins to start the second, beating him with a spin move and finishing in an open lane. The Riders were relentless in their attack of the rim with Jackson, Abercrombie and Hunter all finding joy in close.
Newcastle’s Will Neighbour, back in action after being sidelined with injury, hit back-to-back threes to get Newcastle back into it. Knight got to the line with an and-one next time up, and the hosts took the lead back.
Thompson took advantage of his matchup with Neighbour by backing down in the post, scoring possession after possession inside. He took over the game in the second on both ends, swatting Knight’s layup attempt and forcing a miss from Long on defence.
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) January 3, 2025
His block on Knight led to a Conner Washington triple, meaning Leicester led 44-38 at the half.
Slow start to the second half puts Riders in a hole
The Eagles stormed back into the lead of the game to start the second half, going 11-0 out of the break. Okauru started it with a triple, and Knight ended it at the foul line after drawing a block on Hunter.
Jackson was the Rider to end the run, stealing it off Darius Defoe and finishing off on the fastbreak. Thompson then took it coast-to-coast after a missed Long three, meeting no resistance in transition.
But the Riders’ form only halted Newcastle temporarily. Ward-Hibbert threw down a fastbreak slam through contact, and Okauru hit from midrange to make it a nine point lead for the hosts.
With Leicester struggling for open shots and the shot clock winding down, Jackson hit a prayer on the buzzer by finding string with a turnaround three. Okauru and Neighbour hit from midrange and the corner respectively, but Wright took it hard to the hole for an and one to keep in touch.
A back-and-forth end to the third finished with the score 69-60 to the Eagles.
Eagles hit tough shots to keep Riders at arms length
The Riders started the fourth from the free throw line, with three trips from Jackson and Wright chipping into Leicester’s deficit. Wright’s foul shot made it a six point game two minutes in.
J’Raan Brooks stepped up for a big shot, making a triple on the wing through contact for a four-point play cutting the game to a possession.
— Leicester Riders | Basketball (@RidersBball) January 3, 2025
But Knight had the response for the Eagles. He hit a tough fadeaway over Brooks for two, and hit a contested three from the top to rebuild the Newcastle lead once again.
Every time the Riders looked likely to climb back into contention, the Eagles hit big shots. Okauru found the bottom of the bucket multiple times through tight contests to keep Leicester at arm’s length.
Riders rally to give themselves a chance
Jackson stepped up in the closing minutes and hit a midrange pullup on the left elbow brought the Riders back to within one score with two minutes late. Needing a stop to give themselves a chance to tie, Leicester allowed an offensive rebound and a Allen-Aikins second chance bucket to fall back into a five point hole.
Hunter found a quick score in response, but they couldn’t foul on the inbound allowing Long to finish an open layup for two.
Out of a resulting Rob Peternostro timeout, Abercrombie hit a quick three to breathe life back into Leicester. They sent Okauru to the line, but he made both to make the difference four.
Thompson got straight to the hoop on the indound and hit a layup straight away with four seconds on the clock. Long was then sent to the line and made one, giving the Riders an attempt at a miracle buzzer beater. Hunter couldn’t get it to go at halfcourt and Leicester fell just short.
Leicester Riders return to action next Friday, hosting Manchester Basketball in the SLB Championship.
Season series: Leicester Riders vs Newcastle Eagles
Leicester Riders start 2025 with a trip to Newcastle on Friday January 3, taking on the Eagles for the fourth time this season.
The historic rivals have shared the floor in some of the most enthralling matchups of the inaugural Super League Basketball season, fighting wire-to-wire over two legs in the Trophy semi-final and facing off at the Mattioli Arena in league action.
Vertu Motors Arena will now host the latest iteration of the tie, with the Riders looking towards the top of the table after six league wins on the bounce.
Here’s everything you need to know about the season series so far…
Riders defence
Despite the season series being tied with a win each, and a tie in the Trophy semi-final second leg, the Riders are winning the matchup by a points difference of 20 after an 89-65 win in the League.
Leicester held Newcastle to 31% shooting from the field and 14% shooting from three in an impressive performance to continue the Riders’ league winning streak.
The Riders defence has been a defining characteristic of their season so far, allowing the fewest points of any team, but allowed a season-high 95 points in regulation in Newcastle for the Trophy Semi Final first leg.
The Eagles caught fire from three, shooting 40% from deep behind three triples from Cole Long. However, after allowing 59 in the first half, the Riders solved their defensive puzzle in the second half to come back from 19 points down.
The Eagles average 83.9 points per game this season, but scored an average of 74 points in their games in Leicester against the League’s leading defence. Have the Riders cracked the code for slowing Newcastle down, or will the Eagles’ find their shooting form on their return to the North East?
Okauru vs Jackson
Newcastle have a top five scorer in their ranks in Mike Okauru, who is putting up 17.6 points per game in the League this season. He showed off the full force of his scoring powers last time out in Leicester with 34 points in the semi-final, leading Newcastle through a nail biting finish.
The game was a reminder to the Riders of the American guard’s scoring potential, after holding him to 12 points per game in the prior fixtures. He shouldered the scoring load in 37 minutes of action, taking 24 shots, making them at a 60% clip and hitting them from all over the floor.
Okauru is 53% from the field and 40% from three this season- his best three point shooting season since his Freshman year in college with the Florida Gators. He averaged 18.4 points per game in his rookie year in Czechia, and looks to be in the midst of another high-level scoring season this year.
Meanwhile the Riders possess their own elite scoring threat, who has enjoyed success against the North Easterners in the season series between these teams. Zach Jackson is averaging 19.3 points per game against the Eagles in his three appearances, scoring 24 to lead a comeback in the first leg of the Trophy Semi-Final.
Jackson is the Club’s leading scorer on the season with 17 points per game, and has scored double digit points in every game. The biggest moments of the year have seen Jackson step up in the fourth quarter for clutch buckets, including late scores in both Semi-Final legs.
The Riders have one of the most reliable all around performers in British basketball in Jackson, and someone that can go bucket for bucket with anybody in the League.
Riders suffer slow starts
In both semi-final legs, the Riders were forced to dig themselves out of a sizable hole after starting slowly in the tie. They were down 19 at the half in the first leg after allowing a 38 point second quarter for the Eagles, and down 20 in the second leg going into the final period.
The first leg saw a second half fightback giving the Riders a shot for the lead in the final minute, and in the second leg the Riders nearly pulled off a miracle fourth quarter comeback to battle their way into the final. But on both occasions they fell short, and fell victim to their slow starts to the games.
This is something they remedied against London and Bristol after Christmas. Leicester led by 12 in the first period against London last time out, and 14 in the first quarter against Bristol, holding out for the win on both occasions.
Report: Riders win thriller against London Lions led by Charles Thompson dominance
Leicester Riders ended 2024 by taking down the table topping London Lions in a thriller at the Mattioli Arena.
Charles Thompsons’ 16 points, 14 rebounds and 6 blocks led the team to an 84-75 win, as he continued his dominant end to the calendar year. Ethan Wright led the scoring with 21 off the bench, and Riley Abercrombie finished with 11 points, 12 rebounds and the game sealing three in the clutch.
The Riders’ defense sealed the win the the fourth, holding London scoreless for four minutes late with emphatic rejections from Thompson and Wright. In a game between the two best defences in the league, Leicester led by anchorman Thompson proved an immovable object when it mattered most.
Jaiden Delaire was the one to end the scoring drought for London, but it was too little, too late for the visitors. He led London with 16 points and 8 rebounds, backed by Arryn Rai’s who had 14 points, 10 coming in the fourth quarter.
The win saw the Riders take a dent out of the Lions at the top of the table, moving to within one win of them with a 7-2 record.
Riders bolt out to early lead
Two buckets at the hoop started the Riders’ scoring on the night, with Spencer Johnson drawing an and one on Michael Brisker. Abercrombie pulled up from midrange for his second score with three minutes played, making it an 8-2 Riders start.
Everything dropped early for Leicester, including Jaylin Hunter’s pull up triple from the wing. Johnson followed from the perimeter after Zach Jackson was doubled on his drive, and London called timeout down 16-6.
Following the break, Hunter fired a laser into Thompson in the lane who finished for two, before Jackson drew a foul on the inbound to steal a possession.
As the end of the first neared, the Lions gathered themselves to chip into the Riders lead and cut it to five. Ovie Soko battled down low for two scores, and star guard Michael Brisker showed off his handles before adding to his tally from the midrange.
But Ethan Wright stopped the London run with a triple on the buzzer, and the period ended 24-17. And Wright started the second with a bang, drawing an and one play after taking it to the rim with authority.
Lions gather form to take halftime lead
London’s Delaire got going in the second with six points and the Lions cut the Leicester lead to two. The visitors went on a 6-0 run with back-to-back baskets from Delaire as they continued to grow into the contest.
With 7:25 on the clock in the second, Tyler Peterson tied it up with an and-one by scooping in a layup through contact. The sides engaged in a back-and-forth battle with the score locked up.
Peterson bettered his season-high in the second quarter alone, bringing his game tally to 11 with his play in the paint. Meanwhile Wright and Thompson found joy inside to keep pace with the league leaders.
The Lions looked to be building separation in the scoreline as the half closed with Brisker and Soko combining to make a five point lead. But they lost Johnson on the perimeter, who hit a three from the corner to bring it back to a single score.
London had the final shot of the period which fell to Brisker, who airballed a three to send the sides into the half with the score 45-46 to London.
Riders lock down to lead with one to play
The closely fought affair in the first half carried over to start the second as Leicester battled in an attempt to snatch the lead back. Hunter fired a deep three at the end of the shot clock to do exactly that, making it 52-51 in the host’s favour.
The lead was exchanged between the teams with Delaire drawing a goaltend from Thompson and Jackson scoring twice at the foul line. The Riders were in the bonus five minutes into the period, giving them chances at the stripe in the third.
Jackson took advantage of the London foul trouble by drawing a foul on Ade Adebayo, then Spencer connected from the corner to put the Riders up 61-53- their biggest lead of the second half.
London made a charge after Delaire threw down a monster jam on the drive. Peterson followed with an and-one play and the Lions were back in it quickly.
Again, it was Wright to stem the momentum with a triple from the wing off a Johnson offensive rebound. Thompson grabbed an offensive rebound on Wright’s three on the final possession of the third and laid in a hook shot, and Leicester led 66-58 with one to play.
The Riders began to lock down, holding the Lions to 12 points in the third.
Lions muster comeback to start fourth
The Riders continued to get to the foul line to fend off the Lions early in the final period. Wright and Abercrombie had perfect trips to the stripe to nullify Rai’s three straight buckets for London.
The Lions were the first to go on a run in the fourth, however, making it a one possession game once again with a three from Brisker and second chance points from Rai, forcing a Riders timeout.
The break didn’t slow Rai, who came out of the break and got straight to the foul line to cut it to one. Peterson then took the lead at the line with five minutes left.
Riders find late form to see out win
Trying to take hold of the game in the clutch, Wright drove baseline for a layup against Delaire, who on four fouls couldn’t risk fouling. Jackson then took the mantle, drawing a tough and-one make with 2:29 on the clock to make it 77-73.
Next time up, with the clock winding down, Abercrombie hit a deciding three on the buzzer to make it a seven point affair. Blocks on the other end from Thompson and Wright locked down London until Delaire made it to the line and hit both.
The Lions applied full court pressure with less than a minute on the clock, but Hunter found Abercrombie who was sent to the line and made both. Thompson then sealed it with another swat on Delaire, and Hunter finished the game with a pair of foul shots.
The Riders return to action on January 3, taking on Newcastle Eagles on the road. They then return home on January 10 to host Manchester Basketball.
Report: Leicester Riders bounce back to beat Bristol Flyers
Leicester Riders got back to winning ways, beating Bristol Flyers 83-74 to improve to 6-2 in the Super League Basketball Championship.
A red hot first quarter saw the Riders run out to a big lead in the first, which they held until the final buzzer. Zach Jackson led the team with 20 points, going 8-12 from the field, and Riley Abercrombie hit big shots from three to go 14 and 8.
Bristol fought back from 19 down to cut the Riders lead to 5 points in the fourth, before Leicester refound form through the rim protection of Duke Shelton and Charles Thompson, and the three point shooting of Abercrombie to rebuild a big lead.
Thompson logged 12 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks, and Shelton went off for 9, 5 and 2 on the game.
The League’s leading scorer Keddy Johnson led Bristol with 20 points, but the Flyers made only four threes on the night as they fell to 2-4.
Riders get off to a Flyer
Thompson, off the back of two straight Team of the Week mentions, got going with a hook shot inside and a big block on Corey Samuels in the opening two minutes. The first three Riders scores came in close as they established themselves in the paint from the tip.
A lob from Jaylin Hunter laid in by Jackson made it 11-5. Abecrombie followed with an and-one on the break, and the Riders built a solid foundation early. Abercrombie drained his first three of the game midway through the first to make it 19-5 and force a Flyers timeout.
Out of the timeout, the League’s leading scorer Keddy Johnson got to work with two straight scores to breathe life into the visitors.
Leicester’s response came from deep, with Ethan Wright coming into the game after his 23 point night last time out to connect from the corner. His triple meant the Riders took a 28-13 lead into the second.
Bristol bombard Riders rim to close half
Wright got the second period underway by pulling up from midrange to keep the Riders rolling. Blake Bowman followed up from the wing before getting a physical defensive stop against Bristol big man Leslee Smith at the rim, and Wright added to his tally inside to make it a 19 point lead for Leicester.
Keddy Johnson continued to go to work, making his tally 10 with an and one. A turnover in transition then gave Bristol an easy two, and the Riders called timeout with their advantage cut to 13.
Leicester locked down defensively to stem the run, before Jackson put four more points on the board. But the Flyers were aggressive to close the half, bombarding the bucket in close to keep in contention. Kendall Lewis and Desmond Robinson combined for eight points near the end of the second quarter, and the sides went into the locker rooms with the score 51-37.
Shelton and Thompson end Flyers run of form
After a successful end to the first half, Robinson started the second with five quick points as the Flyers fightback continued. A three from the top from the 6’9” American cut the lead to single digits for the first time since the first quarter.
Hunter stemmed the momentum with an open three from the wing, but Lewis snatched it right back with a putback jam off a Keddy Johnson miss.
Working inside for Leiceter, Shelton drew an and-one play in the post, finished for two in the pick and roll and emphatically blocked a driving Samuels. But Bristol climbed back into it at the rim through Smith and Keddy Johnson, cutting it to five with an 8-0 run.
After being sidelined through injury for some of the third, Thompson checked back into the game to get four straight points and rebuilt the Leicester lead. Jackson closed the third with a tough floater and a pair of foul shots, and the Riders were up 69-60 going into the fourth.
Abercrombie shot making seals win
The Flyers remained in contention to start the fourth with big shot making. Robinson brought his tally to 15, before Lewis connected from three to stay within single digits.
But a Thompson takeover lit a spark for Leicester, as he swatted Evan Walshe’s attempt out of bounds for his third block, before finishing for two next time up. Jackson connected from midrange, and Abercrombie from three to follow their big man, and the Riders led 80-67.
Abercrombie hit again from the top- his third three from that spot on the night, to make it a 16 point lead for the hosts.
Report: Leicester Riders fall just short of semi-final comeback against Newcastle Eagles
Leicester Riders fell heartbreakingly short of a comeback win in the Super League Basketball semi-finals, losing 174-178 over two legs.
The team were 20 down on aggregate going into the final quarter, but a spirited fightback led by Ethan Wright saw them cut the semi-final to 3.
But Leicester ultimately ran out of time, missing key opportunities down the stretch to get over the line.
Wright led the team off the bench with 23 points, scoring 14 in the final quarter. He was backed by Charles Thompson who continued his dominant run with his second straight 18 point game and 11 rebounds.
The difference in the game was the foul shooting, with Leicester missing nine on the night and losing by four points.
Newcastle’s star man Mike Okauru scored a season-high 34 points to get the Eagles through to the final. He and Josh Ward-Hibbert put up 56 combined points, and no other Eagle scored in double-digits.
Slow start leaves Riders in hole
The game started with a defensive battle, both sides locking down in the opening minutes to allow nothing easy for the other. Thompson continued his dominance from the past few outings with a block on the driving Okauru and the score was 2-3 through three minutes.
Okauru did find early success however, scoring five in the opening stages including a tightly contested three from the wing. The Eagles led 6-12 early, taking a 10 point aggregate lead.
The Riders came roaring back, with Duke Shelton working on Cole Long in the post and Riley Abercrombie connecting with the host’s first three.
But a run started by Ward-Hibbert, into the starting lineup for the game, and ended by Okauru’s transition three, forced the first Riders timeout down 13 on aggregate. The first quarter ended with the Riders down 15-25 on the night.
Riders get back in the game late in half
Leicester started the second quarter aggressively, scoring back-to-back at the bucket to cut into the deficit. But with Ward-Hibbert and Okauru still scoring, they couldn’t make significant inroads.
Wright attacked the entire second quarter to bring his tally to six points five minutes into the period. The Riders got the Eagles in early foul trouble to get themselves to the line throughout. They struggled from the line however, leaving points on the board through continual missed free throws.
But the Riders rallied to end the half to climb back into it. Abercrombie and Hunter combined for three triples in the midst of a 13-2 run which saw Leicester make it a one point game on the night.
The defensive end saw Thompson wall off the paint, sending back Malcolm Delpeche’s shot with seconds left in the half, making the score 127-132 on aggregate by the break.
Third quarter sees Eagles take big lead
The Riders came gunning out the break to take the lead on the night, as Spencer Johnson fired from the corner for three. The Eagles crashed the glass to retake the lead with Ward-Hibbert as their primary bucket getter to score 11 points, and Newcastle rebuilt their advantage to 14 on aggregate.
Conner Washington checked in to breathe life into the Riders with his relentless energy, getting himself and Thompson to the line with his playmaking. Wright drained a triple off the dribble, and the Riders kept within touching distance.
But after an Eagles timeout and three buckets to end the third, Newcastle carried a 20 point lead into the final period.
Riders rally but fall just short
The sides went scoreless in the first two minutes of the fourth, the Riders offensive struggles continuing. Wright scored the first points of the period with a triple then a layup with 7:40 on the clock, igniting the Riders run.
Wright hit again from deep to make it a 13 point game. Thompson fought inside for an and-one play with Leicester showing fight throughout.
Wright, after Thompson missed the resulting foul shot, put it back with a layup, then Jackson got in the lane for two to cut it to 12 on aggregate. Following a Thompson block, he drew an unsportsmanlike foul on Long and hit both.
Down the stretch, Leicester missed a plethora of open threes which would have sliced into the Eagles lead. But they kept battling away to give themselves an outside chance. Seneca Knight turned it over in the backcourt, and Wright hit again from two to make it a 5 point deficit on aggregate.
Okauru hit a layup to extend Newcastle’s lead, but Jackson connected again from three to tie it. Wright then stole the inbound to send the crowd into raptures.
The ball went to Thompson next, who couldn’t connect inside. After a scramble for the ball, Long was fouled by Abercrombie and he went to the line. Long rattled one out of two home.
With seconds left, Thompson rebounded Jackoson’s missed three to make it a three point aggregate game, but the Eagles got the ball in and De’sean Allen-Eikens hit one to end the tie.
Report: Riders take dominant win against Newcastle Eagles
Leicester Riders made it three league wins on the bounce with a 89-65 victory against Newcastle Eagles at home.
It was a start-to-finish dominant display for the Riders, who had contributions up and down the roster to win the bench battle 32-20. Zach Jackson led the way with a 20 point performance. He was backed by 17 from star guard Jaylin Hunter and 12 off the bench for Ethan Wright.
The game marked 500 wins for Head Coach Rob Paternostro, who became the fastest in British basketball top-flight history to the tally. It was a fitting way to make the milestone against the Riders’ historic rivals.
It was a tough outing for the Eagles, who suffered only their second league defeat of the season. They were led by 13 from Mike Okauru, who went 6-15 from the floor.
The win means the Riders leapfrog the Eagles into third place in the standings with a 4-2 record, and the tiebreaker against Newcastle. It’s three league wins on the bounce for the Riders who are making a surge up the standings during their packed December schedule.
Leicester will take confidence from the game ahead of a rematch with the Eagles next week in the Trophy semi-final second leg in Leicester.
Eagles fightback to keep it close after one
The games started at an electric pace, with buckets pouring in in the opening stages in a back-and-forth exchange. The Eagles drew first blood with a triple from their leading scorer on the season Okauru, but the Riders came up with a string of steals which led to a corner three from Hunter giving the hosts a 7-5 lead.
Leicester’s leading scorer Jackson got in on the action midway through the first for five straight points, including a putback and-one from a Hunter missed triple. Jackson, who led the team last time out against Newcastle, continued to prove too physical for their defence down low.
The Riders’ defence suffocated Newcastle, leading to four turnovers in six minutes for the visitors and only seven points.
However, Christian James took the lid off the basket to get the Eagles back in contention. He scored 5 points, including a corner triple, to make it 20-18. The Eagles comeback made it close after one, the score 23-20 in Leicester’s favour.
Riders bench blows game open in the second
Wright made his impact felt to start the second with a pair of buckets at the hoop. He was followed by a Blake Bowman triple to rebuild the Riders’ advantage to eight.
With momentum in their corner, Leicester blew the game open through scores from Aussie forward Riley Abercrombie. His three gave the hosts their first double digit lead of the game at 39-28.
The Riders second unit stepped up in the quarter to maintain Leicester’s lead. 8 points for Wright and 5 for Bowman at the half meant the Eagles couldn’t climb back into the game.
Hunter checked back in with two minutes left in the half and came up with two scores in succession, before Jackson finished the period with a triple for Leicester to lead 49-40 at the break.
Sharp shooting Riders build dominant lead
Hunter, driving on the fastbreak, made the play of the game to get the Riders going in the second half. He drove hard to the hoop before dishing a no-look, behind-the-back pass to Jackson who laid it in for two.
Jackson cooked out of the break, hitting two triples on his way to eight points in three minutes and a 57-46 lead. Leicester held a double digit lead through the third quarter, despite the Eagles chipping away with buckets at the basket.
The threes poured in for the Riders with Spencer Johnson, Hunter and Jackson heating up to keep Newcastle at distance. Baskets from Conner Washington on the fastbreak and Bowman at the rim made it 74-59 with one left, the Riders in firm control of proceedings.
Leicester see it out in defensive fourth quarter
The Riders stamped their authority on the final quarter early to leave little doubt. Bowman and Wright again combined for back-to-back buckets to make the score 80-59 with 8 minutes on the clock.
Leicester’s defence locked down Newcastle, who went scoreless in two minutes in the fourth. Meanwhile offensively they pounded the paint, with Duke Shelton mucking his way to an and-one inside.
Sprinting through the final line, Hunter put the cherry on top of the game with a fastbreak finish for two.
A low scoring fourth concluded the action for Leicester to get it over the line. The final period was won by the Riders to finish off an impressive victory, and a statement ahead of next week’s semi final.
Key takeaways from the Riders’ semi-final vs Newcastle
Leicester Riders played the first of three December fixtures against their rivals, Newcastle Eagles, in the first leg of the Super League Basketball Trophy semi-final last Friday.
It was a hard-fought battle, with the Riders having to fight back from down 17 at halftime to bring the tie to within four come the final buzzer.
Fighting back on Tyneside 👊
📹 Relive the action from our Friday night battle against Newcastle Eagles!
With the teams facing off a further two times in the coming weeks, both encounters taking place at the Mattioli Arena, learning from previous games becomes a pivotal part of the Riders’ hopes of December success.
Here’s what we can take from Friday’s game…
Newcastle’s strength in depth
Newcastle proved to possess a talented roster from top to bottom, with weapons in the starting and second unit able to knock down shots at a high rate.
Jaylin Hunter spoke on Newcastle’s strength in depth ahead of Friday’s highly anticipated clash.
“They’re pretty deep,” said Hunter. “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.”
Hunter’s assessment was accurate, with the Eagles’ bench outsourcing the Riders’ 47-18 led by 18 from former Rider Josh Ward-Hibbert. Three players scored double digit points tallies on the Eagles second unit, with that unit playing a pivotal role in a 38 point second quarter for the hosts.
The Eagles bench was red hot from deep, shooting 7-15 from behind the arc, three of those triples coming in the second. The Riders will have to be locked into their perimeter defence through 40 minutes in the upcoming fixtures to keep Newcastle’s second unit in check.
Riders’ experience proves vital
Down 59-42 at the half, Leicester were forced to fight out of a hole and get themselves back into contention for the semi-final.
The experience of Head Coach Rob Paternostro paid dividends in calming the team at the half, and instilling belief that they could make it a game going back to Leicester.
Paternostro reminded the team that there was plenty of basketball to play in the two-legged semi-final.
“We played poorly in the second to give them the lead, but there weren’t just 20 minutes left, there were 60 left, and that was the message at halftime,” said Paternostro post game “There was plenty of time to just keep chipping away.”
With those words echoing in their ears, the Riders came galloping back into the tie out of the half, going on an 8-0 run in the third quarter to cut it to single digits, and making it a one point game with an incredible sequence late in the fourth.
Ethan Wright epitomised the Riders’ never say die attitude with an incredible chase down block on Christian James, before dishing it to Hunter for three to cut it to one. A late three for Newcastle rebuilt their lead to 4, but the Riders’ fightback has made it a game going into the second leg.
“We did an excellent job in the second half to get back into the tie. Defensively we learned a lot for the second half which is really important in these types of games,” concluded Paternostro.
Big moments, big players
With the team’s back against the wall, Coach Paternostro leaned on his star power to get the Riders back into the tie. Hunter, Zach Jackson and Charles Thompson came up huge down the stretch in the second half to play big minutes and make important plays.
Jackson got the comeback rolling with a 10 point third quarter, battling to the free throw line with physical play at the rim. He led the game with 24 points, shooting 8-8 from the foul line in the game.
Jackson combined with Thompson, who had 8 points in the period, to snatch momentum back and establish themselves in the paint. Then as the clock ticked down in the fourth and the game hung in the balance, Hunter stepped up to drain a pair of crucial threes and chip into the Riders’ deficit.
Leicester’s star trio stepping up in the highest leverage moment of the season means all is to play for when the Eagles come to Leicester for the reverse fixture.
Newcastle next at home
The Riders take on the Eagles in their next home action in a crucial game in the Championship season on December 15.
Report: Riders climb back to make for close Trophy first leg vs Eagles
Leicester Riders pulled off a second half fightback in the Trophy semi-final first leg to keep their Trophy final hopes alive.
Down 17 points at the half, the Riders made it a four point game at the final buzzer. The final score was 95-91, and the sides will go back to Leicester with the tie in the balance for the second leg.
Zach Jackson led the game with 24 points and 5 rebounds, backed by Charles Thompson who was pivotal in the paint, going off for 18 points and 14 rebounds, making big buckets in the fourth.
After giving up 38 points in the second quarter, the Riders’ defence locked down in the second half to climb into the game. Turnovers proved costly against the roadrunning Eagles side, the Riders losing the battle 17-7, but Leicester’s second half shot making meant all is to play for in the second leg.
Newcastle’s Seneca Knight led their efforts with 23 points and 4 rebounds, but the bench was the difference in the game. The Eagles’ bench scored 47 to the Riders’ 18, with former Rider Josh Ward-Hibbert bagging 18.
Riders overcome slow start to lead after one
Riders’ star duo of Jaylin Hunter and Thompson found themselves on the same page from the jump to combine for two highlights in the first period.
The first score of the game saw Hunter sling a pass through traffic to Thompson, who threw down the first points one handed, then two minutes later Thompson found another lane to the rim from a Hunter feed and threw down another.
The Eagles were in rhythm early, however, to take a 12-6 lead. They entered the game leading all teams in fastbreak points, and took advantage of early Leicester turnovers to get easy scores in transition led by 10 points from Knight.
The Riders clawed back from the foul line, shooting seven free throws including a Duke Shelton and-one, who then took the lead for the visitors from the midrange. Hunter ended a breathless first period with a triple, meaning Leicester led 23-21.
Newcastle take charge in the second
Newcastle took charge early in the second quarter with a relentless flow of buckets. They started on a 13-2 run capped off by a Knight three which forced a Riders timeout down nine points. Josh Ward-Hibbert scored five straight out of the break, with Leicester in need of a response.
Hunter stopped the bleeding with a finish at the rim with six minutes left in the half, followed by Wright on the fastbreak. Leicester’s offence clicked into gear, but couldn’t stop the Eagles on the other end to cut into the deficit.
Knight built on his hot start to bring his tally to 14, and Jordan Spencer got in on the action with a triple from the top. Hunter hit back with four points, and he finished the second with 13, but Cole Long’s three made it a 17 point deficit for the Riders at the half.
Newcastle scored 38 points in a red hot second quarter, putting themselves in firm control.
Fightback begins in the third
Jackson and Spencer Johnson got to work early in the third to chip four points off the Eagles lead immediately. Thompson found joy inside for back-to-back buckets, and Leicester trailed by 11 after three minutes of the second half.
Newcastle, through another Long three, bolstered their lead in response to the Riders run. But the Riders were a different side to the one seen in the second quarter, forcing the Eagles’ possessions to run deep into the shot clock.
Jackson’s hustle turned what appeared an open layup for Spencer into a chasedown block, before Thompson scored on Long and blocked Christian James on the other end to make the score 71-61.
Leicester make it a game
Jackson took over the game to close the third. He scored six straight points, battling to the rim and fighting through contact to put the ball in the bucket, and keep the Riders in contention going into the fourth. The score was 76-67 with one left.
They remained at arm’s length to start the fourth with Riley Abercrombie scoring on the break, and Jackson draining a three. Jackson hustled for a loose ball after a Riders turnover, leading to another Thompson jam, and it was quickly a six point game.
On the next run up, James was fouled on a triple to add three points to the Eagles tally. Long scored on a drive to the hoop to make the hosts’ lead 11 and force a Riders timeout.
But out of the break, Wright and Hunter found string on threes to snatch back momentum and make it a game late on. Wright, again fighting for space down low, made it a one possession game with three minutes left.
With the tie in the balance and James driving to the hoop, Wright rose high for a monster chasedown block. Wright then ran the break and found Hunter, who drained a triple in a huge sequence for the Riders.
Wright had a chance to take the lead with a triple, but hit iron on his shot. Knight then drained a corner three with less than a minute left to build the Eagles lead back to four. Leicester held on for the final shot, which Jackson took and missed, and the Riders now go back to Leicester for the second leg down just four.
The return leg of the semi-final will be played in Leicester on December 22, with both sides vying to progress to the final in the Utilita Arena Birmingham in January.
Trophy semi final preview: Leicester Riders vs Newcastle Eagles
Leicester Riders turn their attention to Trophy action, heading to Newcastle to take on the Eagles in the first leg of the semi-finals.
The sides have shared the stage for some of the most consequential battles in British basketball over the past decade, as they now prepare once again to suit up in the biggest games of the season thus far.
The Riders and Eagles have established a reputation as not only two of countries’ premiere clubs in recent history, but this season as well.
Here’s how this mammoth fixture is shaping up…
Riders back on track
After going undefeated through the Trophy group phase in October, the Riders suffered their first two defeats of the season back to back against Sheffield Sharks three weeks ago.
The losses meant last weekend was pivotal for getting the season back on the rails ahead of a packed Christmas schedule, and a Trophy semi-final awaiting the team the following week.
The Riders responded emphatically with a 2-0 weekend, beating Manchester Basketball at home before holding on for an impressive win against Cheshire Phoenix on the road. The Riders look back to their best with the back-to-back wins, and their star power shining through in the weekend’s action.
Charles Thompson and Zach Jackson earned Super League Basketball Team of the Week honours from their performances.
Jackson led the team to a 99-86 win against Manchester with a 20 point performance, and Thompson’s efforts at the rim set the tone against Cheshire, logging 14 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks and a monster jam over Skyler White for the play of the game.
Now the Riders turn their attention to the red hot Eagles, with only one League loss to their name so far this season.
Eagles flying high
Newcastle progressed through their Trophy group with a 5-3 record, earning them second place in the North Group and a semi final against the Riders.
But since then, the Eagles have gone 4-1 to start their League campaign, with a number of impressive European victories in the ENBL to accompany their League record.
Newcastle enter this tie having won three Championship games on the bounce, most recently hanging on to beat the Cheshire Phoenix as the Riders did.
The win put them second in the League behind the London Lions, the only team to take a League win against Newcastle so far this season.
The Eagles’ success early in the year has come from ruthless efficiency from turnovers, leading the League in fastbreak points and field goal percentage. They play lock down defence in order to generate this offence, holding their opponents to the lowest field goal percentage in the League, and have generated the highest offensive rating on the other end.
Meanwhile Leicester, who play at the slowest pace of any team in British basketball, turn the ball over the least in the League, setting up an intriguing battle between a potent, halfcourt offence and highflying roadrunners.
One to watch
Newcastle’s Mike Okauru has shown his ability to take over games single-handedly in his introduction to British basketball this season.
He has a 35 point game to his name this season, draining 8 threes on his way to a season-high performance, and is averaging 18.4 points per game making him a top five scorer in Super League Basketball.
Okauru, a third year pro after spending his first two professional seasons in Czechia and France, has proven himself as an efficient scorer, and is knocking down his field goal at a 54% clip, and he’s a career best 40% from three.
The American guard’s threat is predicated on his drives to the rim, both in transition and the pick and roll. Leicester’s rim protection will be pivotal in slowing down his threat driving to the hoop.
His finishing ability opens up the three ball, which he is knocking down at a consistent rate this season, meaning the Riders will need to be locked in on 6’3” Okauru for all 40 minutes.
Leicester Riders held on for a nail biting 86-88 win on the road to Cheshire Phoenix.
Leicester led by 14 in the fourth after some hot three point shooting, but Cheshire made it a one possession game and had a chance to tie it from the foul line.
Tyreek Scott-Grayson missed the third of three attempts, and the Riders got the win over the line.
Riley Abercrombie led the game with 16 points, backed by double doubles from Jaylin Hunter (16/12) and Charles Thompson (14/13).
Six players finished in double digits, and the Riders dished 24 assists to Cheshire’s 11 in a complete team effort.
Despite the clutch miss, Scott-Grayson led the game with 24 points and 5 rebounds. Cheshire shot 47% from the field on the game, catching a heater late to make it a game.
The Riders improved to 3-2 on the Championship season after a two-win weekend.
Riders fightback from hot Phoenix start
Playing trademark Phoenix basketball, the hosts made it a track meet from the tip-off getting buckets on the fastbreak. They took a 13-7 lead led by 7 from Cam Christon flying down the court.
Spencer Johnson’s corner three stemmed the early momentum and cut it to a one score game, however, despite the relentless Cheshire start. The three turned the tide of the game as Leicester heated up.
They went 4-6 from deep in the opening period to snatch the lead. A late surge from Cheshire, finalised by Greg Wild’s three, tied it at 24 after one, but the Riders were in rhythm and on-target.
Riders grind out the second quarter
Blake Bowman broke the deadlock in the second quarter with a tough make inside for one of two baskets in three minutes. His play meant Leicester led by five to start the second.
The back-and-forth game swung towards the Phoenix through an Atwood three, however, forcing the first time out of the game for Rob Paternostro with the game tied at 33.
Neither side were able to form a significant advantage through much of the second, until Charles Thompson made the play of the game. Jaylin Hunter found his cut to the rim before he rose high on the drive and threw it down over the rim-defending Skyler White.
This set off an 8-2 Riders run to put the visitors up 44-37, capped off by Hunter’s free throws. Leicester carried this advantage to the half, leading 48-41 going into the locker rooms led by Thompson’s 8 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks- a dominant half for the American.
Battling out the third
Leicester’s lights out shooting translated to the second half, with Hunter pulling up off the dribble to put the Riders up 10.
They were forced to battle, however, to keep Cheshire at arm’s length, as they hit big shots in an attempt to cut into the deficit. Scott-Grayson made the breakthrough from three to cut it to six, the score 53-59.
The Phoenix played full court, physical defence, forcing the Riders to fight through contact and get to the rim. Riley Abercrombie made big plays inside to bring his tally to 11 and keep the visitors ahead.
After Cheshire’s efforts had been subdued for the time being, Zach Jackson got to work down low for his trademark tough finish in the post. Johnson and Hunter put four more on the board, and the lead was back to 10.
Jackson finished off the third at the line for Leiecster, and the sides went into the fourth with the score 64-72.
Leicester catch fire in the fourth
The Phoenix drew first blood in the fourth, with RJ Eytle-Rock sinking a breakaway and-one to start it. After a tough offensive spell to start the quarter, Abercrombie took the lid off to respond to the Phoenix form with a contested three on the top.
Ethan Wright followed up with a finish inside, and Leicester had built a solid foundation late. But Scott-Grayson hit back with an and-one play, ensuring a tense finale for both sides.
With the game in the balance and both sides exchanging blows, the Riders connected with a big blow. Charles Thompson, driving baseline, kicked to Johnson in the corner who hit string and made the lead 81-72.
The Riders caught fire at the key moment in the game. Hunter fired a ball to Wright at the top who again hit from deep to make it a 14 point game.
Riders survive late Phoenix fightback
Cheshire never said die, and fought back to make it close. Skyler White and Holden got points on the board, and a Christon corner three brought the difference to seven. Holden then broke away after a Phoenix steal to lay in another.
Thompson was sent to the line next time down, missing both with 24 seconds left. Eytle-Rock then pulled down White’s miss and put back and and-one play, sinking the resulting free throw to make it a one score game.
Jackson was sent to the foul line next, making one and giving Cheshire a chance to tie with a three. Scott-Grayson had the shot, and was fouled on a three by Johnson sending him to the line.
The first two went down, but dramatically he missed the third, and the rebound was pulled down by Thompson. Thompson was rewarded with another pair of foul shots, this time making one, and Johnson intercepted a full court heave to seal the win.
Report: Riders fall just short against Sheffield to take first loss of the season
Leicester Riders lost for the first time this season, falling in a heartbreaker 79-82 against Sheffield Sharks.
The Riders led by as much as 10 in the fourth, but the Sharks caught fire from deep to fight back into the lead. Zach Jackson scored eight straight late to tie it, but another Sharks three was the difference, with Jackson unable to tie it on the final buzzer.
Jackson took player of the game honours with 20 points and seven rebounds going 8-16 from the field.
Meanwhile Sheffield’s EC Mathews led the visitors with 18 points and 5 rebounds, and a clutch three to win it.
Tight start sets the tone
Ethan Wright got the game going with a bang, his three representing one of the first five Leicester points of the game, all from Wright. He and Riley Abercrombie drained the first two threes of the night for the hosts to make it 10-8 to the hosts.
But the Sharks, entering the game as the League’s premiere deep shooters, drained three triples early in the game to ensure a back and forth start to the action. Former Rider Jamell Anderson knocked down a three, his first shot of the game, to tie it up at 16.
For Leicester, Duke Shelton threw down the highlight of the first quarter after receiving a flashy pass from Jaylin Hunter, and Zach Jackson closed the period with a steal on EC Mathews, the Riders leading 22-21.
Blake Bowman, checking into the game, grabbed the Riders’ ninth offensive board for an and-one play to get the second underway. But three straight triples from Sheffield saw them snatch their first two-possession lead of the game, the final from guard Prentiss Nixon.
Nixon drove the lane next time up to put Sheffield up six with a euro on the run. While Leicester knocked on the door, a three from Spencer Johnson cutting into the deficit, they couldn’t get over the hump to snatch the lead back in the second quarter.
Riders star defensive big Charles Thompson amassed only seven minutes in the first half after getting into foul trouble. Despite his absence, Abercrombie’s sharpshooting saw Leicester cut the game to one with back-to-back hits from distance. The Aussie had 13 points at the half time break, but the Riders trailed 46-49.
Hunter lights Leicester spark
The Sharks, after shooting 50% from deep in the first half, hit their first in the second through Javon Groves. With Leicester in need of a spark, Jaylin Hunter caught fire.
He chased down Rodney Chatman on the break for a swat out of bounds, then rebounded his following missed three and took off coast to coast. He drove hard to the lane, before reaching out to throw one up and the rim and sinking an emphatic and-one play to tie the game.
Hunter then pulled up from the top for his first three of the night, and stole the ball from Anderson on the next play and layed it in for his seventh straight points. Abercrombie followed up with a three from the wing, and Leicester led 62-57.
Donovan Clay ended the third with a pair of foul shots for the visitors, making it a four point affair with one to play.
Sharks respond to Riders run to set the stage
Spencer Johnson got the fourth going underway with a tough make from deep, beating the shot clock buzzer for three. He was backed by Conner Washington’s three which made it a ten point lead.
The Sharks bit back immediately to make it a one possession game. Groves drained a three to start the run, before Mathews’ and-one and Jordan Ratinho’s finish at the rim made the score 71-69. Groves then gave them the lead with another triple with six minutes left.
Sheffield were red hot in the fourth. Ratinho connected with their third triple of the final period with four minutes on the clock to make the lead six.
Falling short in a thrilling finale
With the game slipping away from Leicester, Jackson stepped up to nail back to back threes and tie the game at 77. Clay found a bucket for Sheffield to reclaim the lead, but Jackson, with his eighth straight points for the Riders, put Abercrombie’s miss back in to tie it again.
With 1:11 on the clock, Mathews stepped up for Sheffield from behind the line to drain another triple and snatch the lead.
The Riders had 18 seconds on the clock to find a response and send it to overtime, but Jackson’s three hit back iron and the Riders fell just short.
The Riders are back in action next week, heading to Sheffield to face the Sharks on the road on Sunday, November 17.
They then return back home on Friday, November 29 to face Manchester Basketball.
Super League Basketball, the new elite basketball competition in the UK, has announced the iconic American sports brand Reebok, as the official kit supplier and basketball sneaker of the league with a multi-year partnership.
A dominant force on the court, Reebok’s legacy is rooted in innovative designs and iconic endorsements by some of the game’s greatest players. The brand has made strides in its re-entry to the sport and appointing basketball legends Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson as President and Vice President of Basketball, respectively.
Partnering with the Super League Basketball reinforces Reebok’s rightful place in the sport.
“We are thrilled to partner with the newly established Super League Basketball,” said Todd Krinsky, CEO of Reebok. “This collaboration represents a perfect synergy between Reebok’s storied basketball heritage and the vibrant future of the elite league in the UK. We are excited to bring our innovative designs and high-performance gear to the court, and we can’t wait to see the players and fans embrace the new kits this season.”
Starting in September with the 2024/25 season, all the Super League Basketball teams will be equipped with elite Reebok-designed playing kits, training kits, travel attire and basketball sneakers. Fans will also have the opportunity to purchase replica kits for the 2024/25 season, with the unveiling of the new kits scheduled for early September.
Paul Blake, owner of Newcastle Eagles commented: “Speaking on behalf of all the basketball clubs competing in our newly launched Super League, I’m delighted that we’ve been able to secure this partnership with Reebok. It’s been a challenging few months for our sport, but to attract a brand of Reebok’s status, heritage and association as we launch our new league is fantastic.”
“It is perfect timing for this partnership as Reebok relaunches its performance basketball division and we embark on new future as Super League Basketball. Seeing stars like Shaq and Allen Iverson involved in a project that touches our League is incredibly exciting and with them on-board, we look forward to achieving great things both on and off the court.”
Nick Woodhouse, President and CBO, Authentic Brands Group, owner of the Reebok brand said: “We are delighted to witness Reebok’s renaissance in the basketball arena through this collaboration with the Super League Basketball. This partnership blends Reebok’s legacy with the energy of the league’s future, creating a fusion of style and performance that will echo through the courts.”
John Carden, CEO of Sports Hub Group, UK distributor for Reebok said: “Being able to bring two amazing brands together in Reebok and the League is a real personal achievement, and I can’t wait to see this pairing brought to life when the kit is launched next month.”
Super League Basketball announces four competition formats for debut season
Ahead of a hotly anticipated debut campaign, Super League Basketball announced the four competitions that will make up the inaugural season, which is set to tip off on Friday September 27.
The SLB have introduced four formats for the 2024/25 season which pay homage to the storied history of top-flight British basketball, with Championship, Cup, Playoff and Trophy competitions set to keeps fans on the edges of their seats throughout the year.
Getting underway in late September, the Trophy tournament takes centre-stage from the tip-off as five weeks of group stage action will see SLB fans to the start of November, when the Championship campaign commences.
Utilita Arena Birmingham will host the first major Final in SLB history on January 26, 2025, as the Trophy title will be up for grabs, representing the first in a trio of showpiece events taking place before the end of the season.
Continuing the history of one of British basketball’s most storied competitions, the SLB have established a Cup competition which will take place over six weeks from February ahead of a Final in March at a venue to be confirmed, before the road to the Playoffs resumes with the Championship action concluding on April 27.
The top eight teams in the SLB will qualify for the post-season, battling in two-legged quarter- and semi-finals for a place in London on May 18 in the Playoff Final to compete for the biggest prize in British basketball. Venue information for the Cup and Playoff Finals will be announced in the coming weeks.
Speaking following confirmation of the competition formats, SLB Interim Chair Vaughn Millette said:
“We’re delighted to be launching our inaugural season with four fantastic competitions for our fans to look forward to. British basketball has a rich history and we’re pleased to pay tribute to that heritage with these competitions, setting the stage for a spectacular SLB season.
“The excitement for the return of elite level British basketball is evident and we’re delighted to be able to give the fans what they want from September 27, with a full fixture list for all of our competitions to be released in the coming days.”
Leicester Riders prepare for Super League Basketball against USA Select on September 6.
Leicester Riders basketball club are excited to welcome J’Raan Brooks to their 2024-25 roster.
The 6’9” American signs from UC San Diego Tritons, where he played his final two collegiate seasons.
Brooks averaged 5.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in his final year with the Tritons. He was named to the Winter Big West All-Academic Team, named Academic All-District by College Sports Communicators for his work in the classroom and on the court and earned NABC Honors Court academic recognition.
Prior to joining the University California San Diego, Brooks played his freshman year at USC, before transferring to the University of Washington. A 2018 graduate of Garfield High School in Seattle, Brooks led Bulldogs to a state championship in his senior year.
Brooks is a versatile offensive threat, able to step outside and shoot from distance (hitting on 38% of his looks in his final collegiate season), pass and score out of the post and finish at the rim.
He is the 11th member of the Riders’ 2024-25 roster, and the sixth American, ahead of the Super League Basketball season.
Brooks said: “I’m beyond excited for the opportunity from the Riders and Coach Rob for allowing me to be able to achieve my dream goal of playing ball at the pro level.
“I’ve heard nothing but great things about the Club and city, can’t wait to get out to Leicester to meet the team and staff, and as well as play in front of the Riders fans. I’m ready to get to work!”
Head Coach Rob Paternostro added: “J’Raan is a versatile big who can play either the 4 or the 5. He has a skill set that will add something different to the frontcourt players we have on our roster
“He is versatile defensively: he is a player who can guard multiple positions and who plays with a high IQ. We’re looking forward to having him on our team this season.”
Your first chance to see J’Raan in action is September 6, as Leicester Riders get their pre-season underway against USA Select.
Franchises confirmed for Super League Basketball’s debut season
Super League Basketball (SLB) is pleased to confirm the line-up for its inaugural campaign:
Bristol Flyers
Leicester Riders
Newcastle Eagles
Cheshire Phoenix
London Lions
Sheffield Sharks
Caledonia Gladiators
Manchester
Surrey 89ers
Nine teams from England and Scotland will take to the court on the opening weekend of SLB action at the end of September, with further franchises expected to join this exciting cohort for the 2025/26 campaign.
Speaking on behalf of SLB, Interim Chairman Vaughn Millette said: “We are pleased to be able to welcome new ownership into the league with Sherwood Family Investment Office securing the Manchester franchise; and Lithuanian tech-group Tesonet, shareholder of leading EuroLeague organisation Žalgiris Kaunas, successfully completing the purchase of London Lions.
“Our focus is to strategically grow this league with sustainable and secure partners. The consortium of clubs has been impressed by the international attention we have attracted since being awarded the men’s professional licence by our governing body, the British Basketball Federation.
“The process for securing franchises for this inaugural season is now complete. We are delighted that there is further competition for franchises for the 2025/26 season, and we will be announcing the formal franchise expansion process during the forthcoming season.
“All ownership groups have now signed up to SLB’s operating terms and we are delighted that we’ve been able to secure the partners that we have thus far. Our clubs are looking forward to getting the new season underway with fixtures and the competition formats to be released in the coming days.
“Thank you to all the fans for their patience. We can’t wait to welcome you to Super League Basketball.”
Former Great Britain captain, current all-time GB men’s record cap holder, and co-owner of the Surrey 89ers Dan Clark added:
“It has been an extremely busy off-season and has taken a huge amount of work to get the new league ready for September.
“There’s a great mix of continued long-term ownership and new investment into the league. I’ve been hugely impressed by the commitment from all the club owners to work collegiately and collaboratively alongside the British Basketball Federation to bring a sustainable and elite offering to the court in the coming weeks.
“I personally can’t wait for top-flight basketball to resume. The level of passion and support for our sport is higher than ever and it will be great to see British basketball fans cheering their teams to success.”
Leicester Riders get their pre-season campaign underway on September 6 against USA Select.
To see the Riders 2024-25 roster in action for the first time, get tickets here!
The consortium of clubs awarded the licence for men’s professional basketball in Great Britain has today revealed the official trading name as Super League Basketball.
Just two weeks ago the group of clubs were successfully awarded the playing licence by their governing body, the British Basketball Federation, allowing elite level men’s professional basketball to continue in Great Britain this September.
Chris Grant, Chair of the British Basketball Federation commented: “The arrival of Super League Basketball represents another significant step forward. Considerable credit must go to the clubs for their unified approach and clear focus on delivering the best possible league for fans, players and everyone with an interest in the future of top-level British basketball.”
Speaking on behalf of the clubs, Steve Timoney, owner of Caledonia Gladiators said: “There has been much speculation over what our new league name would be, and we have unanimously decided that a fresh approach is needed.
“We hope all our fans are looking forward to the clubs taking to the court in September as part of this new league and we are excited for our future together. It has been a turbulent time for the clubs and our supporters, and we thank all the fans for their continued support and enthusiasm.
“There is a lot still to do before the season starts, but we are looking forward to sharing news with our fanbase and followers as we count down to the opening weekend of Super League Basketball this September.”
Information on clubs, competition, fixtures and commercial partners will all be revealed in the next few weeks.
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