Riders Gain Control in Title Race – BBL Week 27 Recap

Leicester Riders seized control in the race for the league title after defeating Newcastle Eagles 64-80 at Sport Central, on Friday night. The victory secured the head-to-head between the two and saw the Riders inflict a third loss on the Eagles in the league. Leicester faced an eight-point deficit at half-time but stormed clear in the second half, winning the final quarter 31-13 in dominant fashion. TrayVonn Wright led the way with 22 points and 12 boards, while Drew Sullivan added 15 points and eight rebounds from the bench.

Neil Watson then landed a game-winning three to hand Leicester a narrow 77-76 victory against London Lions the following day. The American finished with 18 points and played a key role in his side’s 21st league win of the season. Leicester led by as many as 12 points in the third, but they were pegged back as a dramatic finish ensued. Demond Watt led the resistance with 23 points and 18 rebounds as the Lions fell short of a memorable road triumph.

Worcester Wolves recorded a 77-70 success at home to Plymouth Raiders to strengthen their grip on third place. Aaron Jordan and Perris Blackwell led the way with 17 points apiece as the Wolves virtually led from start to finish. Meanwhile, Glasgow Rocks left it late to defeat Leeds Force as Kieron Achara netted the game-winner to hand his side a 75-74 triumph at the Emirates Arena. The GB veteran finished with 12 points, while Will Hall top scored with 20 points and added 10 rebounds against his former side. For Leeds, Marek Klassen put up 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

There were more twists and turns in the race for the playoffs with key battles taking place over the weekend. Bristol Flyers started their double-header in style by closing the gap on Cheshire Phoenix with an 86-78 victory at the SGS Wise Arena. Tyrone Lee went 10-of-12 from the field to score 25 points, while Cardell McFarland dished out 10 assists to go with 23 points as the Flyers pulled away in the third with a 23-13 period. Akeem Ellis top scored with 20 points for Cheshire.

However, the Flyers then suffered their first BBL defeat against local rivals Plymouth Raiders as Daryl Corletto’s side bounced back from their loss on Friday with a convincing 91-72 victory. Cory Dixon had 19 of his 23 points in the first half, while Adrien Sturt added 20 points and Corletto finished with 18 points, nine assists and four steals. The visiting Flyers edged a high-scoring opening quarter, but things took a dramatic turn for the worst in the middle periods with Plymouth establishing a 20-point lead early in the third. Lee had 18 points for Bristol.

Cheshire had a bounce-back win of their own on Sunday after defeating Sheffield Sharks 79-77 in dramatic fashion. With seven seconds left, Jerrold Brooks – who a game-high 25 points for the Sharks – tied the game with a triple, only for Quincy Taylor to go coast-to-coast and lay the ball in for the win for Cheshire. Akeem Ellis netted six triples on his way to 22 points, while Danny Huffor continued his strong form of late with another 20-point haul. The visitors had battled back from 11 down in the third to set up a tense finale, and looked set for an extra period before going down at the buzzer.

Results: Friday- Newcastle Eagles 64-80 Leicester Riders, Glasgow Rocks 75-74 Leeds Force, Bristol Flyers 86-78 Cheshire Phoenix, Worcester Wolves 77-70 Plymouth Raiders; Saturday- Leicester Riders 77-76 London Lions; Sunday- Plymouth Raiders 91-72 Bristol Flyers, Cheshire Phoenix 79-77 Sheffield Sharks

Standings: Eagles 24-3; Riders 21-2; Wolves 18-10; Sharks 15-11; Rocks 15-12; Raiders/Phoenix 12-16; Lions 11-14; Force 10-17; Flyers 8-18; Giants 7-21; Scorchers 6-19

Star 5– Neil Watson, Quincy Taylor, Cory Dixon, Kieron Achara, Tyrone Lee

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