Leicester Riders vs Sheffield Sharks: Rundles bundles Sharks out of play-offs
Carrying a 16 point lead into the second leg of the BBL play-off quarterfinals, it would have been understandable to think that the Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders would treat Sundays game against the One Health Sheffield Sharks like a stroll in the park.
But anyone who thinks that the Riders would be complacent don’t know how disciplined a Rob Paternostro coached side is.
Holding the Sharks to 76 points in the first game at the EIS, the Riders went one better in the return leg at Loughborough University, limiting the visitors to only 65 points (a total of 141 points on aggregate). It was evident from the outset that the Riders were determined to extinguish the flame of hope that the Sharks had gained following their late fourth quarter resurgence only two days earlier.
Credit Coach Lyons’ team, they battled throughout three quarters, slowing the pace of the game with full court defence and at times, half court traps, to prevent the Riders athletic bigs from getting out and running. Their hard earned 11-9 lead was erased quickly though thanks to a two minute spell of brilliance started by Andrew Sullivan hitting back to back three pointers and punctuated by long serving Barry Lamble who showed the sold out University that white men can jump, as he stuffed a put back with authority.
Following that 180 second period, Lyons was forced into a full time-out to try to halt the Riders run which worked…..but not for long. Cameron Rundles matched his team-mates miniature scoring burst with one of his own, reeling off eight points in 44 seconds to give the home team a 27-15 lead.
Rundles finished the game with 29 points on 63% shooting from the field and 67% from three. His performances in the play-offs to date have been huge and have highlighted just how influential he is on this Riders team. Ayron Hardy may win multiple Player of the Month awards (three in one season for those not counting) and be touted as the 2011 Most Valuable Player (and rightly so because he’s superhuman – 16/9/8 against the Sharks) but if I were to bet on an outsider to win the MVP Trophy, I’d bet on Cam.
His emotion seeps through his skin and into his game and when he’s having fun out on the court (something Red to Green Therapist, Ken Hancott, talks about on the official Riders website) he’s free but still playing with an indomitable spirit. Just ask GB guard Nate Reinking who committed an unsavoury foul in the first half, tangling his arms dangerously around Cameron and causing him to hit the deck. But before the vocal Loughborough crowd could fully get on Reinking’s back for the hard foul, Rundles was back on his feet and shaking his head – a mixture of disappointment in the foul and a visual message to his team and coach to tell them that he’d got his emotions in check.
And while we’re on the subject of Cameron Rundles (a subject I could talk about all day long….try me), guess who hit the buzzer beater at the end of the first half?
As the ball landed, the score flipped to 47-30 ending the tie for the Sharks.
Skip ahead to the final buzzer and a 90-65 scoreline which accurately reflected the domination that Coach Paternostro’s side had exhibited over the Sharks.
A trip to Glasgow is next on the cards for the Riders as they march on to the semi-finals but for Coach Lyons and his team, an early summer beckons.
Side note: The Leicester Riders played a home game in Loughborough for the first time since 2003/4 and boy did they do a great job of making it a play-off atmosphere. Credit must go to all involved at the club.