ACTION FROM RIDERS v WOLVES DOUBLE-HEADER
LEICESTER Riders’ 11 game winning streak in the BBL Championship came to an end, as they split a pair of matches with the Worcester Wolves in dramatic fashion, winning at home 81-80 on Friday night, before losing on the road on Sunday in overtime to a last second shot, 84-82.
In both games, the Wolves had a last offence with under three seconds on the clock to win the game, but while they missed the shot in Leicester, American guard Lamarr Kindle hit the 15ft jumper to take the spoils at the Worcester Arena.
Riders struggled with their longrange shooting in Worcester, making just six of 23 three pointers and looked dead and buried in the fourth quarter, when talisman Geno Crandall fouled out of the game on a technical foul with six minutes and 24 seconds left in the game.
By the time the dust settled on the free throws for Worcester, Riders were trailing 72-60.
But Conner Washington then led an extraordinary comeback when Riders still trailed by 10 points with under four minutes left. He hit nine points in rapid succession to drag Riders back into the game, and Darien Nelson-Henry went to the free throw line with under three seconds left in regulation time with Riders down by one point.
Unfortunately, he could only convert one of two free throws, and the match went to overtime.
In overtime, Nelson-Henry scored six points and Washington made a driving lay-up to tie the scores and set up the final play for the Wolves to win.
Worcester had gotten off to fast start on Sunday, opening with a three pointer from their Dutch captain Maarten Bouwknecht and they went up 5-0. Geno Crandall quickly settled Riders down and threes from Jamell Anderson and Crandall got Riders five points ahead, 17-12.
But Wolves forward Jordan Williams started to impose himself on the game, drawing fouls and opening up the inside for fellow forward Mike Parks Jr, and they dragged the Wolves back into the game.
Dynamic guard Brandon Anderson came off the bench to hit five points in a row to give Wolves a 24-20 lead after the first quarter.
The defences stepped up their intensity in the second period and neither side could get their longrange shooting going. William Lee was back for the Riders but picked up a couple of quick fouls and spent most of the first half on the bench. Halfway through the second period each team had scored a paltry four points. Then Crandall fed Anderson for a huge dunk, Conner Washington snaked his way to the basket for a layup, but the Wolves scored the final four points of the half, to lead 36 to 33 at the break.
Riders could not impose themselves in the third quarter as their shooting was awry and with the Wolves scoring regularly the home side had a 58-51 lead with 10 minutes left.
Crandall threatened to take the game by the scruff of the neck early in the fourth before the fouls sent him to the bench for good.
In spite of playing under 19 minutes, Crandall top scored with 20 points and dished out six assists, but Washington was the star man with 15 points and five assists.
In the home match, Riders had two new starters, Jamell Anderson covering for injured big man Lee, and new arrived Mustafa Heron in place of Zach Jackson, who had returned to the US for surgery.
Riders took charge early, courtesy of a Corey Johnson three and some good inside moves by Darien Nelson Henry, to ease to a 7-2 lead. But Worcester big man Jordan Williams was causing Riders problems with his clever passing from the low post and moves to the basket.
An Anderson three pushed Riders 15-11 clear, but frustratingly Wolves were making shots late in the shot clock and by the end of the first quarter the scores were tied on 23 points.
The defences were on top early in the second quarter, but the Wolves then had their best spell of the game, fired by a three from their diminutive point guard Brandon Anderson.
He scored five points in a 7-0 Worcester run, including a three pointer, forcing Riders to a timeout. Crandall tried to turn the tide with a couple of drives to the basket, but the Wolves kept coming, and opened up a nine-point lead with 27 seconds left in the first half.
A late Conner Washington three left Riders trailing 46-40 at half-time.
As so often this season, Riders came out fired up on defence in the third quarter and they held the potent Worcester attack to just nine points. With Heron tiring, and Crandall not making the inroads he is usually capable of, the Riders offence was sputtering but Leicester still had a 60-55 lead with a quarter left.
An Aaron Falzon three gave Riders a 67-59 lead with six minutes, 40 seconds left in the game, but the Wolves hit back as Lamarr Kindle caught fire.
However, an Anderson three for Riders had them up 75-67 with four minutes left, but still Wolves kept coming. They hit three threes in quick succession under pressure, giving them a 77-75 lead with just under two minutes left.
The lead went to four before Riders Anderson delivered a huge dunk with 54 seconds left.
Riders still trailed by two with one final offence left, and Johnson stepped up to hit a huge three with 2.4 seconds left to edge Riders ahead. The Wolves had the one shot to win the game but it rimmed out.
Nelson-Henry led the way for the Riders with 16 points on 70 per cent shooting, along with nine rebounds and three assists.
Crandall was his usual all-action self, finishing with 13 points, three rebounds, 11 assists and four steals, and Corey Johnson top scored with 17 points, including five three pointers, with five rebounds and five assists. On his Riders debut, Heron added six points and four rebounds.