Riders maul the Wolves
HOME SIDE UNABLE TO BREAK LEICESTER’S STRANGLEHOLD IN DOMINANT AWAY WIN
LEICESTER Riders dominated the Worcester Wolves on the road, winning in emphatic fashion 75-57, to take a step closer to the BBL Championship.
Riders took the lead early in the second quarter and then gradually put a stranglehold on the game, never allowing the Wolves to threaten a comeback.
They forced 20 Worcester turnovers as Leicester’s defence also held the home side to a paltry 23 secondhalf points.
The teams traded baskets early on, with Mustapha Heron and Corey Johnson getting on the scoreboard, but from the scores being tied on 4 points apiece, the Wolves went on an 8-0 run to open up a 12-4 lead, forcing Riders to a time-out.
Johnson got Riders going out of the break and Geno Crandall hit another jump shot, but Riders were struggling to contain the Worcester big men inside, Jordan Williams forcing himself to the basket and Worcester’s lead increasing to 21-10.
Three foul shots at the end of the first quarter by Aaron Falzon saw Riders cut the lead to 21-13 after the first quarter.
Riders came out with more intent at the start of the second quarter with Crandall making a couple of early scores and a three-pointer by Falzon reduced Worcester’s lead to 23-22.
That was followed by a threepointer by Johnson again, and a score inside by Ali Fraser, which finally got Riders’ noses in front.
Riders captain Darien NelsonHenry started to impose himself around the baskets and six points by the big centre saw Leicester gradually build a lead as their defence
started to dominate. Riders’ lead peaked at eleven points but a late fightback by the home side left Riders with a deserved 40-34 half-time lead.
Wolves came back hard at the start of the second half, with Jordan making a typical three-point play, as he forced himself inside.
The scores were momentarily level on 41 points, but then five points in a row from Jamell Anderson, including a three-pointer, turned the game Riders’ way.
Falzon and Fraser got into the act scoring wise, and a three-pointer by Conner Washington, who had a quiet overall shooting night, gave Riders a 55-46 lead with one quarter left.
Crandall immediately got the scoring going, followed by a threepoint play by Heron, and a follow-up basket by the same player forced Worcester to a time-out as they trailed 62-46 with eight minutes left.
Crandall continued to torture the Worcester team offensively, but Riders also forced more turnovers, preventing any sustained comeback from the home side.
Worcester were racking up the fouls, putting Riders on the free throw line and ensuring their dominance was never threatened as the lead increased to 21 points.
Loughborough youngster Greg Wild delivered the coup-de-grace with a three-pointer from the corner and Wolves gave up the chase.
Crandall continued his return from injury, coming off the bench to play 23 minutes and scoring 12 points, along with six rebounds and six assists.
Nelson-Henry had another solid contribution with 14 points and seven rebounds, while Washington had a solid seven points, six rebounds and seven assists.
But it was the Riders bench that made the decisive contribution, outscoring their Worcester equivalents by 39 points to 16.
Riders also dominated inside, outscoring Worcester 44-26 in the paint.
Meanwhile, Plymouth Raiders and London Lions both had home wins to continue their pursuit of the Riders at the top of the BBL table.
Lions thrashed bottom-placed side Glasgow Rocks 110-73 to move into third while second-placed Raiders remain 10 points behind Riders after a 74-65 win over Bristol Flyers.