Evan Walshe of Bristol Flyers as Bristol Flyers play Leicester Riders in a Super League Basketball Trophy fixture on October 25, 2024 at the SGS Arena, England. (Photo by Will Cooper/Bristol Flyers)

Riders roll on, Cheshire, London and Manchester experience mixed fortunes in action-packed week

A busy round of Trophy basketball saw Leicester remain unbeaten, Surrey fall short and multiple teams split results.

Leicester Riders 89 – 76 Surrey 89ers

The unbeaten Riders welcomed a battling 89ers side to the Mattioli Arena on Wednesday evening, as another week of Trophy action tipped off.

Though Rob Paternostro’s team went into the contest as clear favourites, Surrey came out swinging. Jalen Ray attacked the cup with regularity in the opening quarter, matching every Leicester basket with a dynamic offensive play of his own.

The hosts then turned it on, moving the ball with assurance and finding open looks for Charles Thompson and Zach Jackson midway through the first period to jump in front. However, they were met by Mervin James, who converted a sequence of buckets to tie the game. Cameron Gooden then pushed back even harder, driving hard through the lane to put the visitors ahead by three points at the first break.

It didn’t take Leicester long to respond after the restart. Adding a scoring punch from the bench, Blake Bowman splashed home a shot from deep to regain the advantage, before Spencer Johnson made his own impressive contribution from the second unit, with a string of jumpers.  Surrey showed resistance, taking another short-lived lead just before the half, but back came Leicester’s Jaylin Hunter, who impacted play in just about every way possible and offered a scoring flurry, to secure a three-point gap at half-time.

Shortly after the midway break, Hunter continued his offensive onslaught to keep Leicester ticking. However, James and Ray sliced through the paint to earn yet another slim lead with 15 minutes remaining. Then, after a rough scoreless spell and seemingly endless Surrey turnovers, the Blake Bowman sank a pair of attempts to earn another lead heading into the final break.

From that point, Leicester didn’t let up. They shared offensive load with tremendous unselfishness and defending ferociously, holding onto a double digit advantage for a grand majority of the final quarter. When the final buzzer sounded, they had earned an 89-76 victory which strengthened their lead atop the South Group.

Most Valuable Player: Jaylin Hunter pulled the strings for Leicester, scoring 13 points and dishing out 12 assists.

Cheshire Phoenix 116 – 85 Manchester Basketball

Week 5 Trophy fixtures continued on Friday night, when lowly Manchester Basketball travelled to the Cheshire Oaks Arena to face a high-flying Phoenix team.

The hosts made a bright start, sharing the ball with fluidity and finding multiple scoring opportunities for the frontcourt, with TJ Atwood and Skyler White converting to jump out to an early lead for Ben Thomas’ side. Isaih Moore pushed back for Manchester, carving through the lane for easy slams and pulling up from distance to keep his team within reaching distance.

The visitors tied the game near the end of the opening period but an Atwood three ensured that the home side carried a slim advantage into the first break.

Donovan Mitchell put together a sequence of plays to push Manchester ahead shortly after the second quarter began, catching fire from beyond the arc. That’s when Cheshire’s second unit came into play; Tyreek Scott-Grayson and Larry Austin Jr made an impact from the bench to reaffirm their grip over the contest.

For the remainder of the half, the Camerons took over. Cameron Christon powered through the lane for multiple three-point plays and Cameron Holden shot with sure-fire confidence to earn the Phoenix a double-digit lead. When the teams split for the break, Cheshire were ahead by 15.

Much of the same, as the teams returned to the court. The home side swarmed Manchester on defence, forcing multiple turnovers and taking advantage in transition. While Holden and Christon continued to dominate the scoresheet, Cheshire shared the offensive load throughout the lineup, spacing the floor perfectly to stretch out Manchester’s defence and capitalising.

RJ Eytle-Rock pulled the strings from the guard position, as Cheshire punished their opposition. Heading into the final quarter, they created 24-point chasm.

Manchester suffered a brutal scoreless period through the opening minutes of the final quarter, with turnovers plaguing them throughout. Cheshire cruised through the rest of the final period and when the clock struck zero, the Phoenix had secured the 31-point win to strengthen their position at the top of North Group.

Most Valuable Player: Cameron Holden headlined a tremendous team performance, recording 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 82 – 84 Newcastle Eagles

Fans at the Canon Medical Arena anticipated a competitive affair, as the Sharks prepared to face the Eagles. The teams came into the game with identical records, sitting at 4-2 in the North Group.

Sheffield raced out of the blocks, with Jacob Groves spearheading the offence with multiple lay-ups in the opening minutes to earn a health advantage. Newcastle found an answer in De’sean Allen-Eikens, who drove aggressively to shrink the gap, before Cole Long joined the party to pull Marc Steutel’s team back into the tie.

The Sharks’ second unit then entered play and Rodney Chatman III converted a string of buckets toward the end of the first quarter to earn a one-point lead.

Seneca Knight stepped up for the visitors in the second, pushing Newcastle ahead, before Prentiss Nixon kicked back for Sheffield with a converted three-point play. Mike Okauru then added to the impressive bench contribution, packing a punch for the Eagles, showcasing his versatile offensive bag.

Chatman III and Okauru went head-to-head through the rest of the second period, as the momentum shifted both ways. Teams traded baskets heading into half-time and when the players departed for the locker rooms, Sheffield led by three points.

Nixon made a positive restart for the Atiba Lyons team, as the teams returned for second-half action. The Sharks pushed back with precise shooting from beyond the arc. Then midway through the third quarter, Okauru struck from deep to tie the game at 59. The teams then swapped buckets for the rest of the period, heading into the final quarter level at 63.

As the final instalment tipped off, E.C. Matthews packed a punch from the pine and nudged Sheffield ahead with a mid-range jumper, before then converted a pair of three-pointers to widen the gap with seven minutes remaining. Okauru and Long made lay-ups to shrink the deficit, then Allen-Eikens brought Newcastle within a point of the hosts.

With two minutes left on the clock, Allen-Eikens stepped up once again to push the Eagles a point ahead on multiple occasions, responding to every Sheffield lay-in with one of his own. Sheffield couldn’t find an open shot as the clock ran down and at the close of play, the road team had cemented the two-point W.

Most Valuable Player: In a game dictated by incredible bench play, Mike Okauru played the starring role. He logged 25 points, four rebounds and three assists to inspire victory.

Bristol Flyers 101 – 105 Leicester Riders

Down in the South Group, Bristol welcomed Leicester to the SGS College Arena, as first place faced second.

In their second game of the week, the unbeaten Riders made a poor start. They combined multiple turnovers with poor shot selection and the Flyers capitalised. Bristol shared the offensive load, as they came out of the blocks to earn an early lead. Ethan Wright tied the game midway through the first, before Trey Tennyson made a lay-up to push Bristol back in front.

Continuing an amazing week of form, Jaylin Hunter then entered the fray, converting at the charity stripe to move the teams level, before Charles Thompson and Riley Abercrombie combined to edge the visitors ahead. Bristol fought back however, helped by a pair of transition makes from Evan Walshe, who ensured a four-point advantage at the close of the opening quarter.

Blake Bowman offered an additional scoring burst from the bench in the second, tying the game and eventually earning a four point lead for the Midlands outfit. Demond Robinson responded, dominating the boards and scoring to edge Bristol back in front. Bowman and Robinson then traded baskets for a few minutes, as the teams swapped leads through a highly competitive spell of play.

Heading into half-time, Zach Jackson took over for the Riders, combining a pair of contested threes with a mid-range jumper to earn a five-point lead at the interval.

After a well-earned rest, Bristol sprung into life after the restart. Tennyson and Robinson joined forces shrink the deficit, followed Keddy Johnson, whose three-point play tied the game for Bristol. Jackson and Bowman then combined to respond, regaining superiority through confident shot making. However, when Kendall Lewis drove to the cup and slammed it home, the Flyers held a one-point advantage heading into the final period.

Jackson came out for the fourth quarter with serious ‘big game player’ energy, scoring six consecutive points to nudge Leicester back ahead. Johnson offered resistance for Bristol to pull it back to a single point but Hunter answered by splashing from deep to remain on top. Jackson and Hunter controlled the pace for a short period and with just four minute remaining, the Riders found themselves up by double-digits.

The drama wasn’t over however, Tennyson and Robinson rose to the occasion, sinking from three-point land and carving through the lane to make a crucial run down the stretch. Then – with just two seconds left in regular time – Johnson converted a clutch jumper to take the clash into overtime.

The bonus period got underway with Charles Thompson immediately earning a Leicester lead. Due to the experience of Jackson and big-time shot making from Spencer Johnson, the Riders would not surrender the advantage again.

When the thrilling contest came to an end, the visitors had won by four points and extended their perfect start to the season.

Most Valuable Player: Zach Jackson starred for Leicester, adding seven rebounds and four assists to his 27 point scoring display.

London Lions 81 – 69 Surrey 89ers

The scene was set for an interesting game at the Copper Box Arena, with the 89ers pulling up to face the London Lions.

With both teams battling through rough Trophy campaigns so far, both sides attempted to gain some momentum from the opening minutes of the contest. Michael Brisker cut through the lane to convert a lay-up and get the Lions rolling early.

A brutal couple of minutes, plagued by turnovers and needless fouls then unfolded, before Alen Hadzibegovic put together a sequence of plays to push the hosts ahead, only met by Jalen Ray, who offered resistance for Surrey in the shape of aggressive drives to the cup. Ray was then joined by Dame Adelekun, who attacked the basket to give the visitors a temporary advantage. Ovie Soko answered back near the end of the first quarter, scoring a pair of lay-ups to pull the Lions within two points of the leading ‘niners.

Brisker built on his tremendous start in the second, splashing a pair of threes to nudge the Lions ahead. Midway through the period, Jaden Delaire converted at the line to widen the gap. Surrey struggled enormously to get through London’s industrious defence and when Brisker sank a three just before half time, the home side were up by double digits.

Soon after the teams returned to the court, Adelekun and Ray attempted to lead a charge back into the game, but back came Delaire to reaffirm London’s grip. Surrey showed no lack of effort, as they put together a run that pulled the lead back down to seven, heading into the final period.

Sean Flood converted at the free-throw line in the first moments of the fourth quarter, before Delaire went on a six point run within two minutes and stretched the lead for London once again. The 89ers tried to chip away at the deficit, but never really got close enough to trouble the Lions down the stretch.

At the buzzer, London had won by 12, while Surrey would now look forward Championship action.

Most Valuable Player: Jaiden Delaire led the Lions, scoring 20 points, pulling down 10 rebounds and dishing out three assists.

Manchester Basketball 87 – 68 B. Braun Sheffield Sharks

The National Basketball Performance Centre faithful saw Manchester take on their second opponents of the week on Sunday evening, as the Sharks came to town in search for their fifth Trophy win.

The tone was set by the hosts in the opening minutes, with Makai Ashton-Langford stretching the floor with steadfast shooting and Nathan Cayo attacking the visitors relentlessly on the offensive side of the floor.

Though Manchester had gained an early lead, E.C. Matthews stepped up from the bench, inspiring a run that pulled Sheffield level near the end of the opening quarter. Then, as the period came to an end, Rodney Glasgow Jr’s effort from deep pushed Sheffield temporarily ahead.

The home side looked to their own second unit as the second quarter began and found positive results through Nicholas Lewis, who packed a scoring punch when he entered the game and regained the advantage for Manchester.

Matthews went toe-to-toe with the entire Manchester offence, taking it upon himself to trade a multitude of buckets with his opposition, keeping them in the game by offering a threat from just about everywhere on the court. Then, in the closing moments of the half, the Sharks snuck ahead once again, through a contested Matthews three which created a three-point gap at the break.

Upon restart, it was time for Donovan Mitchell to take control for Manchester, pulling up for a pair of threes that nudged his team back in front. Cayo offered a secondary option for the North-West outfit, while Isaih Moore commanded the paint with authority, to take the lead once more.

Matthews didn’t let up, attempting to penetrate the Manchester offence at every opportunity, but the points started to dry up. Moore and Mitchell took advantage of some sloppy Sheffield play and at the final break, the hosts were up by eight points.

The Sharks tried to bite back, but every time they put a run together down the stretch – mostly spearheaded by Matthews – Manchester hit back, punishing them in transition and shooting with superior precision.

Nobody outside of Matthews could reach double figures in scoring for Sheffield and it appeared to fall from their grasp.  As the final quarter developed, the deficit only widened and when the clock ran down, Manchester had outrebounding their opposition by 18 boards and won the contest by 19 points.

Most Valuable Player: Donovan Mitchell impressed the home crowd with a 20 point, seven rebound and six assist star performance.

Caledonia Gladiators 86 – 81 Cheshire Phoenix

At the Playsport Arena, Caledonia played host to a North Group-leading Cheshire team on Sunday night, as they looked to put their inconsistency behind them.

All things considered, it wasn’t an ideal start for the hosts. Tahjai Teague and Tyreek Scott-Grayson splashed a sequence of threes in the opening minutes, propelling Cheshire to an early advantage.

Isaiah Hill pushed back for the Gladiators however, making a scoring run of his own to dampen the Phoenix’ hot start. When Hill carved through the lane near the end of the first quarter, he converted a lay-up to earn a two-point lead heading into the second.

When play resumed, Skyler White made a pair of threes, edging the Phoenix back in front. The teams then went blow for blow for much of the second period, with Cheshire holding the lead throughout. Princeton Onwas chipped away at the deficit for the Glad’s, but when the teams departed for the break, the Phoenix had opened up a seven-point gap.

The second half got off to an exciting start, as Hill combined with Theodore Hughes to convert a run of lay-ups and make it a one basket game. Big man Fahro Alihodzic then entered the game, scoring a pair of buckets inside to keep Caledonia within touching distance but Cheshire kept rolling, as RJ Eytle-Rock offered a new dimension under the basket. Heading into the final quarter, the ‘nix were again up by seven.

The fourth period began with Patrick Whelan taking command on offence, combining a steady hand at the guard position and shrinking the deficit once again for Caledonia. David Ulph answered back for Cheshire however, working hard on the glass and scoring buckets to hold onto the advantage.

Teague cut brilliantly for Cheshire and converted a pair of drives for the visitors, but Hill and Trevond Barnes tied the game twice midway through the fourth. Then with around 90 seconds remaining, Fraser Malcolm sank from three-point land to dramatically regain the lead. Onwas piled on the points, before Hill finished from the charity stripe, to secure the five-point victory for Caledonia.

Most Valuable Player: Isaiah Hill made a major contribution for the home team, adding four rebounds and seven assists to his 21-point scoring performance.

Leicester Riders 76 – 62 London Lions

The week’s Trophy action wrapped up with a clash between Leicester and London, at the Mattioli Arena on Sunday night.

The Lions made the brighter start; Jaiden Delaire forced his way through the lane for a pair of early buckets and Michael Brisker followed suit, as the visitors pushed ahead. It didn’t take long for Leicester to respond however, as Zach Jackson tied the game with a hook-shot midway through the first quarter.

Duke Shelton earned Leicester their first lead with some bolstering interior play, but back came Ovie Soko, who slammed home four points to regain the London advantage, which they held until the close of the opening period.

Shelton pushed back again for Leicester, converting a pair of inside attempts to tie the game moments into the second quarter, before a dynamic scoring run from Conner Washington widened the gap for Leicester.

A game of cat and mouse then unfolded. Brisker and Aaryn Rai scored to equalise twice, but then Rob Paternostro’s team turned it up a notch. Jackson and Riley Abercrombie led the offence, as they opened the gap to double-digits as the half came to a close.

Soon after the restart, Charles Thompson took the baton for Leicester, commanding the boards with tremendous authority and packing a scoring punch to open the lead up to 20. Just when their chances started to dissipate however, London found an answer in Soko, who drove relentlessly through contact to give the Lions a fighting chance.

Delaire put together a sequence of makes as the final period began, valiantly scoring five unanswered points and pulling the visitors within 11. Back came Jackson, who combined with Abercrombie once again down the clutch, ensuring that they pulled Leicester over the line with a 14-point W, continuing their unbeaten start to the season.

Most Valuable Player: As part of a solid team performance, Zach Jackson proved crucial with 16 points, four rebound and an assist.

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