Riders return to form with a 74-64 win over the Sharks
The cold weather outside the John Sandford Sports Centre may have cooled both teams shooting percentages (Riders 46%, Sharks 45%) but it didn’t stop the Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders from putting on a show against a battling One Health Sheffield Sharks side, winning the contest 74-64.
With that win, Paternostro’s men moved to 10-3 in the league while Lyons side dropped to below .500 at 7-8, a big surprise considering their off-season moves. But with the recent injury to guard Nate Reinking, the Sheffield depth was tested and following their Friday encounter with the Newcastle Eagles in the BBL Trophy semi-final, smart money was on the Riders to pick up the win over a tired Sharks side. And they didn’t disappoint.
Weathering an early first period assault that saw the visitors up 26-20 after one quarter, the Riders responded by utilising their athleticism to good effect, applying full court pressure on defence while breaking at speed on offense, eventually securing a 43-36 lead going into the half, a point from which they never looked back.
The stars of the second half and of the game were Riders rookies, Ayron Hardy and Cameron Rundles, who combined not only for 40 points and 12 assists but time and again a rejuvenated Rundles found a streaking Hardy inside for easy points. At the end of the third period, the score was 60-47 Riders.
With an understandably fatigued Sharks side trailing and with former Essex Pirate, Zach Gachette, fouling out of the game, the remaining 4:36 was a mere formality for the Riders as they saw out the game and won the contest 74-64.
Coach Paternostro said after the game that there were still some areas to work on but acknowledged the good work of his team so far this season:
“We’re looking to push the basketball. I think the concern for me is that when we do push the basketball we missed out on a few opportunities that we should have scored. In the half-court I’d be more concerned if we weren’t getting the looks. I thought we got some good looks, some open looks from beyond the arc, driving lay-ups that we didn’t convert. But hey, look, we won the game and right now we’re sitting at 10-3. We have to be happy with where we’re at and so far this year, it’s been a good time for us.”
