The Leicester Riders were able to continue their great form in the British Basketball League, beating the Seriös Group Newcastle Eagles 92-85.
One of the biggest rivalries in the British Basketball
League, the Leicester Riders were able to win in one of the most hard-fought
games in the season.
Starting Five:
Newcastle Eagles starting five: Larry Austin Jr., Devin Whitfield, Jordan Johnson, Malcolm Delpeche, Tajh Green
Leicester Riders starting five: Miryne Thomas, Xavier Pinson, Caleb Asberry, Jaren Holmes, Braelen Bridges
First Half:
One of the most historic rivalries in the British Basketball
League, the Leicester Riders and Newcastle Eagles were ready to make this game
one to remember.
The first quarter showed this parity when they tied the
first quarter 21-21. The forward duo of the Riders in Braelen Bridges and
Miryne Thomas, combined for 11 points on 100% efficiency.
Newcastle were seeing their offence spread out with the likes of Jordan Johnson and Tajh Green leading the scoring, with the Eagles leading the points scored in the paint in the first quarter. Going into the second quarter, the Riders were ready to start taking over the game and were narrowly able to by the end of the first half.
Kimbal Mackenzie started to show his veteran leadership, scoring seven points to lead the Riders with 11 points by the end of the first half on 3-of-4 shooting. Tajh Green for the Eagles was starting to get hot, making 4-of6 from the field for nine points, to go with five rebounds as well.
The second quarter stayed incredibly close, but the Riders
were able to sneak the first half with the lead, to the tune of 42-37.
💥TO THE RACK!
Miryne Thomas showing his strength inside as he shrugs off the defence to SLAM home for @RidersBball!
📺 WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/l4K2YHOBXE#UNBEATABLE pic.twitter.com/HuVTAuSdIG
— British Basketball League (@britishbasketm) October 6, 2023
Second Half:
Starting in the third quarter, the rivalry between these two incredible teams started to show once more.
Jordan Johnson started to catch fire for the Eagles,
doubling his points in the third quarter and ending the quarter with 16 points
by his name. 28 points followed the Eagles in the third quarter and saw them
take the lead by the end of the quarter.
The Riders were still keeping in the game, with the forward
duo of Bridges and Thomas continuing to lead the Riders with another nine
points combined from the duo.
Newcastle were able to take the lead in the dying minutes of the third quarter, ending the quarter in front at the score of 65-64. The two historic teams were ready to leave it all on the floor in the fourth quarter, and we saw exactly that.
Jordan Johnson and Tajh Green continued their onslaught of offence, with the duo combining for 39 points on 25 shots. However, the Eagles weren’t able to keep up with the Leicester Riders, who saw Jaren Holmes light up the fourth quarter himself, scoring eight points.
Other Riders players, such as Bridges and Thomas, kept combining down low to score and were able to see off the very strong Newcastle Eagles, winning to the score of 92-85.
Player of the Game:
Tonight’s Player of the Game was Miryne Thomas. The Leicester Rider was able to log 17 points and six rebounds on 6-of-11 shooting.
Team | Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
Leicester Riders | Miryne Thomas | 17 | 6 | 1 |
Leicester Riders | Kimbal Mackenzie | 16 | 4 | 4 |
Newcastle Eagles | Tajh Green | 17 | 5 | 1 |
Newcastle Eagles | Jordan Johnson | 22 | 5 | 3 |
With the new season here, you can still get your British Basketball fix by following the League on social media or heading to our YouTube channel to relive all of the best moments from the current season.