28/03/2002
It's all over now

For the second season in a row, the reigning BBL Champions will not be at the play-off party. Nurishment Leicester Riders have been beaten to the final play-off berth in the Northern Conference by Edinburgh Rocks.

Rocks secured their place with a game to spare, surprising Westfield Sharks Sheffield with a come from behind to claim a 93-92 success. Ryan Huntley held his nerve to win the game from the line in the dying seconds.

With one game left each Edinburgh have a two point lead over the Riders, giving them the berth by virtue of the fact that they won the head-to-head 3-1 so even if Riders drew level the Rocks get the higher spot.

As a result of Sheffield's defeat, Chester Jets claimed their third title of the season adding the Northern Conference to their BBL Trophy and ntl:home National Cup triumphs - they're now just two play-off wins away from a clean sweep.

The Northern Conference is now finish with all six positions finalised, but the Southern Conference title and play-off race will go to the final weekend after Brighton Bears kept their title hopes a live with a win over Milton Keynes.

25/03/2002
Dream still alive as Rocks slip

You wouldn't put your mortgage on it, but Nurishment Leicester Riders could yet be at Coventry a week Sunday. The second of the five games that had to go Riders way following their 86-84 defeat to Edinburgh Rocks, did on Sunday.

Edinburgh were easily beaten by Southern Conference title chasers Brighton Bears 80-63. Bears enjoyed a 14-4 first quarter tear, helping them to a 20-10 advantage after the first period of play.

That lead was extended when Brighton scored the first eight points of the second quarter to put them 28-10 ahead. Rocks reduced the arrears in the third quarter as Ted Berry bagged 11 points as Rocks pulled the score back to 47-35, but Brighton re-established their dominance with a 15-2 fourth quarter run.

Game three of the five is at Edinburgh on Thursday when Sheffield Sharks pay a visit to the Rocks. Despite Edinburgh having beaten Sheffield at the 'Quarry' once already this season, it is widely expected that Sheffield will force Chester to win one more game in the Conference title race.

The last two take place on Sunday when Edinburgh host bottom-of-the-table Derby Storm who are 0-17 on their travels this season, whilst Riders travel to the best team in BBL this season, Chester Jets.

20/03/2002
Make or break as play-offs hang on Riders win

And now the end is near. Or is it?

Nurishment Leicester Riders go into Thursday's encounter with Edinburgh Rocks knowing that defeat is not an option. The 'survive and advance, lose and go home' mentality of the play-offs have been brought forward to the Riders to include their at least their next two games, if not all three remaining fixtures.

Sure, if Riders lose it won't be mathematically over, but then Dean Richards won't say Tigers have got the Premiership in the bag even with a 20 point lead and only five games left. And nobody at Leicester City has turned around and said 'Yep, it's the Nationwide for us'. In sport, some things don't need to be said, the tables tell their own story.

"It is make or break for us on Thursday, mathematics aside, if we don't win on Thursday we won't be in the play-offs!" admitted Head Coach Billy Mims, who knows the chances of Edinburgh losing to Brighton, Sheffield and Derby coupled with Riders beating Derby and Chester are slim - the only scenario that could see Leicester into the play-offs if they fail on Thursday.

Twelve months ago Riders finished their home campaign a 104-92 success against Derby, which earned them their first play-off berth in four years. Victory in their final Loughborough outing this campaign won't have such a decisive effect, but it would certainly put Riders in the driving seat.

A win would mean Riders would only have to finish level with Edinburgh to qualify. If the Rocks won their last three games (at Brighton and home to Sheffield and Derby), Riders would still have to beat Derby and Chester in their final two contests. If Rocks win two we need one win, if they win one or none, were in.

"We have guys who are desperate to get back to the play-offs," said Mims. "They know they have to step up. We are in a situation where, in the last five games, we have played the best defence that we have played all season. We have had to control the tempo of games if we are going to have a chance to win games. We have really competed well in recent games. The only problem is that the results haven't gone our way - it's very disappointing and frustrating, but it's expected in a way because we are undermanned."

Mims knows that by making the play-offs last season, Riders helped Manchester create some unwanted history by becoming the first Championship winner to fail to make the play-offs 12 months on. It's something he doesn't want to experience now.

"We only have three games left, so if we lose in this game, we will be like Manchester were a year ago, when they were the Wembley champions but they didn't make the play-offs the next year. We are desperately trying to guard against repeating that.

"Everybody knows that our backs are against the wall, because we are a foreign player short. Every game since Tim Moore left we have been underdogs. We are supposed to lose, but then again, that team that was supposed to lose beat a very good Sheffield team a couple of weeks ago."

History, for what its worth, is on Riders side as they head in to the crunch contest. Riders haven't lost the final home game of the regular season since 1998 (albeit that cost us a play-off berth). And two of those final game wins have been against Edinburgh.

The home team has won the last six contests between these sides and Edinburgh have yet to win in three attempts at Loughborough. Billy Mims has never lost a home game to the Rocks as Riders coach.

All the omens are good, but it's the result that matters.

14/03/2002
Riders host Schools Finals

There will be more than just one big game at Loughborough University this Sunday as the Nurishment Leicester Riders play host to the Leicestershire Schools County Championship Finals.

Riders take on Thames Valley Tigers in a vital BBL Championship match-up at 6.00pm as they bid for a play-off berth in the Northern Conference, but prior to that three Schools Finals will take place.

The County Championship Finals in three different age categories will precede the Riders' game, with local Burleigh Community College well represented.

The Loughborough-based school are in all three finals, taking on Rushey Mead School of Leicester, Rawlins Community College of Quorn and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College of Leicester.

The full timetable of events is as follows:

12.30pm U16 Boys Leicestershire School County Championship Final
Burleigh Community College v Rushey Mead School

2.00pm U19 Girls Leicestershire School County Championship Final
Burleigh Community College v Rawlins Community College

3.30pm U19 Boys Leicestershire School County Championship Final
Burleigh Community College v and Wyggeston and QE I College

6.00pm BBL Championship
Nurishment Leicester Riders v Thames Valley Tigers.

Tickets for the Riders game can be purchased in advance by calling the Riders office on 0116 262 9979.

06/03/2002
Rocks drop advantage game

Edinburgh Rocks are now level with Nurishment Leicester Riders in the all-important loss column, having slipped to their 17th defeat of the season at Birmingham.

The Rocks went down 96-80 but will have felt hard done to by the scoreline. Rocks turned a six point arrears at the end of one, into a six point lead at the break.

Bullets were soon back level in the third and led 62-55 late on. Rocks pulled back to four at the end of three, but a 9-2 run at the start of the last period by the Bullets gave them an unassailable 75-64 advantage.

Rocks got back to 83-77, but could do no better. Edinburgh could have headed into the crunch meeting between themselves and the Riders with the psychological advantage of occupying fourth spot had they won the game.

04/03/2002
Down to the wire?

After 32 games, it could all come down to a couple of points. A basket here, a basket there, that could be all that separates Nurishment Leicester Riders and Edinburgh Rocks when the dust settles on the regular season.

The two rivals for the final play-off berth might be thinking maths when they meet both this Sunday at Meadowbank and in the final game at Loughborough this campaign.

It would certainly be a first for the BBL if it does get that far, but there is a possibility.

If the two sides have the same record at the end of the season, the first 'splitter' would be the head-to-head record, which could potentially be tied at 2-2. If that were the case, then the Conference record of the two clubs would come into play.

At the moment Riders lead the way with a 7-9 record compared to Edinburgh's 5-11. If they are level in that department - and that's a big if given the fixtures remaining and Riders' two-game advantage - the next factor to split the sides is basket difference in the four meetings between the sides. At the moment Riders lead in that category by six points.

In reality it probably won't get that far. For it to get to basket difference means the sides would have to split their remaining two games. If that happened, then for the sides to have a level Northern Conference record, Rocks would have to win their other games against Northern Conference sides (Sheffield and Derby) and Riders would have to lose theirs (Derby and Chester). If that happened (are you still with me?) Rocks would have to be 0-3 against Birmingham, Towers and Brighton and Riders would need to beat Thames Valley so that the sides finished level on points.

That's a lot of ifs, buts and maybes, but you never can tell what will happen. One thing is for certain; a victory for the Riders on Sunday would go an awful long way to securing the final play-off berth.

Not only would it give them an unassailable 2-1 lead in the head-to-head, but an unassailable 8-9 v 5-12 Northern Conference record which Edinburgh could only draw level with. The point's difference would be in Riders favour as well.

Rocks boss' Kevin Wall has tried to play down the importance of the meetings by saying today; "Up to this point, everybody has been saying that those games we have with Leicester are going to be it, but we are trying to not make that the scenario. If we can continue to win games then those games against Leicester take on slightly less significance."

His point is somewhat valid, but if they lost both to Riders they would need to win at least four of their other five games to make it (assuming Riders didn't win another game).

This Sunday's game won't decide who makes the play-offs, but it's fair to say a Riders' victory would be a bigger dent to Edinburgh's hopes, than an Edinburgh success would be to Riders'.