The Riders return from their winter break to tip off their Women’s British Basketball League Betty Codona Trophy campaign on the road against the Essex Rebels.
They enter the competition at the quarter-final stage- last year’s finalists received a BYE for the first round of the competition.
Here’s how the teams shape up…
Fixture information
Leicester Riders at Essex Rebels
Essex Sports Arena
Saturday, January 13, 4 pm
Back after the break
The Riders last played on December 9, and are now set to take on the same opponents in the same building.
They concluded their pre-winter campaign with a 79-70 win on the road to Essex, led by 20 points from star guard Taylor O’Brien.
The Riders are one of two teams with a single loss in the Championship this season, their only defeat coming on the road to the undefeated London Lions. They’re 5-1, with the second-best points production in the League.
Tay leading the way
O’Brien has hit the ground running in Riders red, leading the team in scoring on the season. She’s scoring 19.7 points per game, the second-highest scorer in the League through six games, getting her points on 46.4% shooting from the field.
Her efforts in November saw her named Women’s British Basketball League Player of the Month, averaging 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists on 61.7% shooting from the field.
The American guard signed from Flordia State, having averaged 6.7 points for the Seminoles last season.
She has established herself as one of the stars of British basketball and will look to lead the team to the Trophy final this year.
Want to see Taylor in the British Basketball League All-Star game?
Battle in the backcourt
Facing off against O’Brien is fellow American Katherine Tudor, who went off for a game-high 23 points last time out against Leicester.
Tudor signed in Essex in the offseason and leads the team’s scoring with 18.3 points per game.
The 25-year-old signed from Australian NBL1 West side Mandura Magic, where she averaged 15.6 points per game last season across 22 NBL games, the second-highest points average amongst the team.
Her best scoring performance of the season came against the Riders, and the ever-consistent scoring threat will look to match O’Brien in this one.
Want to see the Riders in action?
Get tickets to our next home game against Cardiff Met Archers on February 10!
