Riders get their revenge after Trophy loss

Leicester Riders gained instant revenge for their BBL Trophy Final defeat at the hands of the Sheffield Sharks with a thorough 85-63 win at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.

A fired-up Riders side kept up their status at the head of the BBL Championship table as a slightly crestfallen Sharks side were left to focus on play-off match-ups to come at the weekend against Cheshire Phoenix and London Lions.

Starting Fives

Sharks: Jemison, Bridge, Babalola, Holmes, Tuck.
Riders: Sullivan, Rowe, Couisnard, Anderson, Taylor.

The Sharks paraded the BBL Trophy prior to the commencement of the game but it was the Riders who came out of the traps fastest. Jay Couisnard opened proceedings, quickly followed by scores from Taylor, Sullivan and Rowe.

An Anderson throw down made it 4-13 and it was the Sharks who were the first to call for time, shellshocked at the intensity of the start Leicester had made. A run to the basket with a one handed hammer down by the experienced Olu Babalola hauled the Sharks back into the contest but to no avail as Leicester continued to work on the mantra of robust defense. A Connor Washington triple closed the period with the score at 27-14 in favour of the Riders, who were shorn of the services of Pavol Losonsky for the night.

A fired-up Babalola opened the second for the Sharks but Leicester stuck to their guns, a little too robustly at times. Zaire Taylor picked up an unsportsmanlike for a check on BJ Holmes, who failed to repeat his shooting performance of Saturday. Scores from Anderson, Couisnard and Sullivan were punctuated by an Andrew Bridge three as Sullivan marshalled his side with a much greater degree of success than the previous encounter. A Lamble tip-in on the buzzer gave Leicester a twenty point differential going into the locker rooms at half time, the score at 46-26.

The third period continued in much the same vein. Taylor and Couisnard found success from behind the arc before Demetrius Jemison took over from Babalola as ‘the man most likely to’ in the Sharks side. Sullivan completed a second huge block of the game, this time on Tuck, and moved his way to 13 personal as the quarter ended at 70-44. BJ Holmes sat for Sheffield from mid-way in the period; the Sharks possibly looking towards key games against Cheshire and London at the weekend.

Yorick Williams opened the final stanza from downtown as the game was largely over as a contest. Bridge and Holmes, at last, also pulled off big shots but Rowe and Anderson made several trips to the line as the Riders extended their lead to as many as 27 at one stage. Rob Paternostro allowed himself the luxury of running the bench, to good effect as Alex Angelakos announced his arrival with a three point shot. The Sharks gave court-time to George Brownell, who completed a neat putback and an Olu Babalola triple concluded proceedings with the score at 85-63. A defensive masterclass from the Riders, who can rightly award themselves the title of ‘Champions Elect’ after this performance. Almost inevitably a case of ‘after the Lord Mayors Show’ for the Sharks, who will be looking to re-focus and gain valuable wins over the sides in and around them, starting with the visit of Cheshire on Friday.

Leicester’s Yorick Williams didn’t really see the Riders win as revenge for their BBL Trophy defeat to the Sharks on Saturday: “It isn’t revenge, I see it more as the team getting back to winning ways. Sheffield were great on Saturday and us not so much. We plan for every game to go out and win and it was good to get back to that tonight.”

When asked if the Riders win had put them one step nearer the title, Williams explained: “We take one game at a time. We prepare thoroughly in practice and look to execute that on game day. That is what we will continue to do.”

Play of the Game

The one handed hammer down by Olu Babalola was a moment of individual brilliance, albeit hidden amongst a thoroughly professional and savvy display by the Riders. The Sharks big man cuts an imposing figure on court and was an effective outlet when distance shooting didn’t work as a tactic as it had done to such good effect in the Trophy Final. Sheffield will need all his experience to secure a playoff berth, given the gruelling schedule to come.

Game MVP

A great statline for Drew Sullivan of 13 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks underpinned a convincing Riders win. Running the point, pulling down the boards, making the big blocks and providing the cute assist to a team-mate, Sullivan showed his vast experience and was warmly applauded off court by the travelling Riders faithful. Even down to having a few carefully chosen words with the refs at half-time, Sullivan is the glue that allows the other Leicester players to go about their work as efficiently as possible.

Demetrius Jemison gained Sharks MVP on the night for another quietly efficient display, the likes of which will be greatly needed by the men from South Yorkshire with nine ‘Trophy Finals’ still to play.

Next Up

Cheshire Phoenix at One Health Sharks Sheffield, Friday 15th March, 7.30pm, English Institute of Sport.
Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders at Surrey Heat, Saturday 16th March, 7.00pm, Surrey Sports Park.

(Image: mphotography.org.uk)