All square in game one
Leicester Riders 90 Newcastle Eagles 90
BBL Cup Semi-Final First Leg
Saturday 26th November 2011
After crumbling under a first half aerial bombardment from the visiting Newcastle Eagles, Leicester Riders made the greatest comeback since Lazarus in this pulsating encounter at the John Sandford Sports Centre. The much maligned two-legged Cup semi-final format pitched the two form teams in the BBL against each other and they didn’t disappoint a capacity crowd.
The preparations for the two teams could hardly have been more different with Leicester having a free week and the visitors coming off the back of a high octane battle with Plymouth Raiders the previous evening. Add to that an injury ravaged roster with Joel Madourie missing, Paul Gause battling back to fitness, Andrew Thomson and Fab Flournoy playing through pain and Joe Chapman recovering from flu, and it was no wonder that many felt this would be a game too far for the Eagles.
With such talent available to Flournoy, it shouldn’t surprise anyone to see his side sparkle but the intensity of the Eagles first half display stunned an initially boisterous home crowd into silence. The Riders, used to having their own way at JSSC so far this campaign, were blown off their own court by an Eagles side who continued where they had left off against Plymouth. BBL Player of the Month Ayron Hardy opening the scoring for the home side but that was as good as it got for them as the visitors scored time and time again to lead 28-15 at the end of the first period.
For all the offensive fireworks from the Eagles, it was their high pressure defensive that again caught the eye, continually frustrating the Rider’s star men. Rundles and Hardy struggled to make an impact whilst Eagles old boy Drew Sullivan was failing to live up to the pre-match billing. When the impressive Darius Defoe took the Eagles to a game high 42-21 lead in appeared that there was no way back for the Riders. The half ended with Eagles holding still holding a commanding lead at 58-40 despite the first signs of a Riders fight back.
BBL veteran Yorick Williams was spotted giving advice to Rider’s coach Rob Paternostro at half time and who knows whether his words of wisdom were taken on board but one thing’s for sure, the home side powered out of the dressing room like a juggernaut. Roared on by a crowd that could sense blood, the Riders went for the jugular from the off. With tired legs and in early foul trouble it was a case of trying to preserve as much of their lead as possible for the weary Eagles but as the third quarter progressed they saw it dwindle to a mere ten points at 65-55.
Far worse was to come for Eagles as the Riders, inspired by Brad Wierzbicki, piled on the pressure making basket after basket before finally taking an 88-86 lead of their own deep in the final stanza. It was the home side’s first lead since the opening score of the game and it capped a remarkable turnaround. The Eagles looked dead on their feet by this stage, yet they pulled the last ounce of resolve out of the bag and managed to end the game all square. It was a suitable finish to a game between two sides who are likely to be the dominant forces in the quest for BBL silverware this year. A blow out win at home to Plymouth Raiders in the BBL Championship and a drawn BBL Cup game on the road against the hot Leicester Riders amount to a very satisfying weekend for Fab Flournoy’s men.
So despite the best efforts of both sides to take an advantage into Friday’s second leg, we are now left with a one-off winner takes all game to reach the BBL Cup Final at Birmingham’s NIA on Sunday January 15th. There will be no better place to be in the BBL this month so why not give yourself an early Christmas present and make the trip to Sport Central. It’s going to be a hell of a night.
