Riders edge out Rocks in final quarter

Leicester continued their fine start to the season at the expense of Glasgow on Sunday at the Emirates Arena, defeating the hometown Rocks 85-73.

Anthony Rowe, so often the scourge of the Rocks in his days at Plymouth, led the Riders with 25 points, while Robinson led all scorers for Glasgow with 26.

The game was a tight affair until the final quarter, during which Glasgow managed a solitary basket in nearly nine minutes of play. That barren run saw the Riders continuously increase the five point lead they took into the last ten minutes.

The loss brought an end to the Rocks five game winning streak, but still sees them with a health 6-4 record.

Starting Fives:

Glasgow – Davis, Robisnon, Ringgold, Harrison, Murray
Leicester – Couisnard, Sullivan, Taylor, Losonsky, Rowe

Both teams came out strong in the opening exchanges, perhaps not surprising given that the Riders were atop the table and the Rocks were on a five game win streak.

Donald Robinson was the key for the Rocks in the opening stanza, with his speed and agility proving too much for a solid Riders defence. The 23 year old guard reached double figures before the quarter was out.

It was a back and forth first period, which ended at 26-26. Leicester claimed the largest lead of the quarter at 12-16 just past the 5:00 mark only for the Rocks to fight right back with a 9-2 run.

The next two quarters saw Leicester continually keep their noses just about in front of the Scots.
The Riders were dominating on the boards and in the paint all day, as was reflected on the box score as they out-rebounded their opponents 37-22, including a staggering 15 offensive rebounds. Paternostro’s men also out-scored the Rocks convincingly in the paint, 46-30, proving, if indeed it were needed that the Rocks will certainly miss the departed Kieron Achara. Mike Ringgold’s tip-in at the buzzer reduced the Leicester lead to 47-44 at the half.

As has often been the case this season, the Rocks came out all guns blazing after the interval, scoring the first seven points of the third quarter thanks to an E.J. Harrison three pointer and twos from Davis and Robinson. From that point on, however, it was all Leicester, with Rowe and Sullivan, in particular, causing the surprisingly slack Rocks defence problems.

The Riders went on an 14-5 run to lead 61-56 before Rocks guard E.J. Harrison went down injured, seemingly injuring his ankle. The Rocks captain played on after receiving treatment but didn’t look fully fit. Glasgow pulled the deficit back to a single point following Davis’ court length pass to a wide open Fantazia on the breakaway who completed the play with an easy basket.

Going into the final quarter it was all to play for in an intriguing contest as the Rider led by five.
That, however, was as close as the game was to get.

With 1:19 left in the game, the Rocks had added just one basket, a Robinson dunk. Through a combination of bad luck, bad rebounding and bad shooting, the Rocks played themselves out of the game with a ten minute display that must have infuriated coach Davis. Leicester surprisingly eased to an 85-73 victory in a game that nobody could call for three quarters.

Play of the game: Not for the beauty, but it certainly seemed to change the entire momentum of the game. On the last play of the third quarter, Harrison slipped and Calvo scored an uncontested lay-up at the buzzer to give the Riders a five point lead going into the final quarter. The Rocks heads went down and stayed down for the rest of the game.

Game MVP: Anthony Rowe