Riders @ Wildcats – BBL Championship preview

by UK American Sports Fans

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Sunday 21st October
Durham Wildcats vs Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders

The Durham Wildcats return to Newton Aycliffe LC today (tip-off at 16:00), looking to stop their season spiralling out of control following their third straight defeat of the season on Friday, a 74-58 defeat to fellow early season strugglers, the One Health Sheffield Sharks.

The 16 point defeat dropped the Wildcats to 9th in the league on only two points and highlighted the area the Wildcats need to improve upon: first half scoring.

The Wildcats are currently averaging 33.5 points in the first half (second worst in the league – Mersey Tigers average 27.5 points) and against the Sharks, an eight point first quarter put them on the back foot and trailing by 11 heading into the second period, a deficit they were unable to overcome.

Coach Elderkin will be hoping that his side are facing a fatigued Leicester Riders today, with the Riders having played on Saturday night against the Worcester Wolves, a 79-61 victory.

That victory was the Riders fourth straight and was a demonstration of the depth of the Riders with a number of bench players seeing time in both the first and second half.

Following his sides win over Worcester, Coach Paternostro praised his squad and highlighted why depth was so important in the BBL: “We feel like we can go to the bench; Connor Washington, Jamell Anderson, Barry Lamble, Jorge Calvo, Emile Hopkins, all those guys day-in and day-out in practice they’re showing us what we can do. And I think with the long season and the fact that we have more back-to-backs than anybody in the league it’s going to be important that we get contributions from those guys.”

Offensively, Durham have been receiving solid contributions from Paul Elderkin and Brad Guinane this season but it has been the hot shooting of wingman Mike Baldarelli that has caught the eye, shooting 52.4% from three (4th best in the league in players with 10 attempts or more).

Baldarelli, though, will be facing one of the toughest defences in the league at Newton Aycliffe LC with the Riders giving up only 70ppg thanks in part to Paternostro’s ability to choose from Sullivan, Taylor, Couisnard, Washington, Calvo and Anderson for the wing spots.