Everton Tigers 101 (21,45,72)
(Midgley 24, Robertson 21, Davis 18)
Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders 99 (26,37,62)
(Woodyard 23, McKnight 22, White 20)

The Everton Tigers continued their push towards the BBL Championship's top four as they overcame the Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders by 101-99 on Merseyside.

GB international Richard Midgley led the scoring with 24 points, whilst backcourt partner Tony Robertson added 21. For the Riders, Terrence Woodyard (23), Chad McKnight (22), and Carlo White (20) all had big scores.

The visitng Riders had the better of the early exchanges and led by 21-26 after the first ten minutes of the game.

The Tigers stepped up their defence in the second stanza and held their visitors to just 11 points, whilst a 10-2 burst helped them to a 45-37 lead at the end of the half.

The Riders came back into the game after the break as an 8-2 run helped them to narrow the deficit and they were within striking distance at 72-62 going into the fourth quarter.

The Tigers looked as though they had the game won after they went on a 12-4 run over the first 5:00 of the final period, making the score 84-66. However, behind Woodyard and McKnight, the Riders came surging back with a 24-6 push that made the score 95-90. The game was concluded with both teams shooting free-throws; Richard Midgley ensured that the Tigers couldn't be caught, as Mindaugas Janiska scored 2/2 from the line with 2 seconds remaining to make it 101-99.

The British Basketball League (BBL) and Setanta Sports, in partnership with PA Sport, have announced an exclusive deal for the remainder of the 2008 BBL season. BBL games for the 2008 season will be broadcast each week exclusively live on Setanta Sports, commencing with the BBL Trophy Final between the Guildford Heat and Newcastle Eagles this Sunday, March 2, 2008.

After Sunday’s game, the new deal means Setanta’s subscribers will be able to see a live BBL Championship game every Wednesday evening at 7.30pm on Setanta Sports 2 for the remainder of the regular season. Live coverage of the post-season playoffs will include a selected BBL Championship Playoff quarter-final, and the BBL Championship Playoff Final on Sunday 4th May 2008.

Trevor East, Director of Sport at Setanta Sports, said: “Our exclusive deal with the BBL adds yet more value to our sports pack offering. This is an incredibly exciting season and we are delighted to be screening the concluding games live for British basketball fans.”

The BBL Chairman, Paul Blake, comments, “On behalf of the BBL, I would like to express our delight at having agreed a new television deal with Setanta Sports, and to have driven this deal in tandem with PA Sport.

“Setanta Sports is a highly reputable sports channel and this partnership is a huge boost for British basketball. Furthermore, we believe that we have a great deal to offer Setanta Sports in terms of the high-quality viewing that such a fast and exciting sport delivers. With the growing interest in basketball in the UK, we are confident that we can enhance Setanta’s admirable portfolio of sports coverage.

“This fantastic opportunity to showcase British basketball only adds to the excitement around the run-in to one of the closest BBL seasons I can remember.”

The schedule for the remainder of the season is as follows:
 

Date Sunday 2nd March 2008 Wednesday 12th March 2008 Wednesday 19th March 2008 Wednesday 26th March 2008 Wednesday 2nd April 2008 Wednesday 9th April 2008 Wednesday 16th April 2008 Wednesday 23rd April 2008 Sunday 4th May 2008

Game BBL Trophy Final Newcastle Eagles v Sheffield Sharks Everton Tigers v Cheshire Jets Scottish Rocks v Milton Keynes Lions Sheffield Sharks v Leicester Riders Guildford Heat v Worcester Wolves Plymouth Raiders v Milton Keynes Lions BBL Playoff Q-F BBL Playoff Final

Time 3.00pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 7.30pm 5.00pm

Venue Plymouth Pavilions Newcastle Arena Liverpool Arena Braehead Arena EIS, Sheffield Guildford Spectrum Plymouth Pavilions TBC NIA, Birmingham

Setanta Sports is available for £9.99 a month to satellite viewers, via a Freeview box or an iDTV viewing card adaptor (CAM) and on BT Vision and Tiscali. Virgin Media XL pack subscribers can see Setanta for no additional charge, whilst M and L pack subscribers can add the Setanta Sports Pack for just £9.99 per month.

For information on how to subscribe, go to: setanta.com or call 08712 10 20 30. Virgin Media, BT Vision and Tiscali customers should contact their operator.

For tonight's away game against the Everton Tigers you can receive live scores and updates via the Riders Mobile channel.

To sign up for the new service simply text MEMO [space] RIDERS to 82055* and follow link that is sent to you. You will then have access to all the latest news, player profiles, wallpapers, photo galleries and special offers.

Texts to 82055 cost £1 each and give 30 days unlimited access to Riders Mobile and its content. For more information about Riders Mobile please click here.

The Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders will be at the VUE cinema from 2pm to 5pm on Saturday 1st March. Players will be signing autographs and running basketball competitions. There will be lots of prizes to be won, from 6 month cinema passes to riders merchandise. The event is to launch Riders  partnership with the VUE cinema and the release of Semi Pro the movie.

Will Ferrell stars in Semi–Pro, an outrageous comedy set in 1976 against the backdrop of the maverick ABA – a fast–paced, wild and crazy basketball league that rivalled the NBA and made a name for itself with innovations like the three–point shot and slam dunk contest. Ferrell plays Jackie Moon, a one–hit wonder who used the profits from the success of his chart–topping song "Love Me Sexy" to achieve his dream of owning a basketball team. But Moon‘s franchise, the Flint Michigan Tropics, is the worst team in the league and in danger of folding when the ABA announces its plans to merge with the NBA. If they want to survive, Jackie and the Tropics must now do the seemingly impossible – win.

General Manager Russell Levenston commented "We are glad to be working with the Vue cinema and the launch of our partnership this Saturday will be fun for all the family. The players will be down at the Vue Cinema, Merdian Leisure though out the afternoon signing autographs and running competitions".

VUE CINEMA
Meridian Leisure Park, Lubbesthorpe Way, Leicester LE19 1JZ
Tel: 08712 240240

The Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders away fixture against the Everton Tigers, originally scheduled for 21st March 2008, will now take place this Friday 29th February 2008.

The reason for the change will become apparent later this week with major news to follow.

Please see the full fixtures for clarification.

The Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders have teamed up with Memogo to launch the brand new Riders Mobile website. To access the official mobile phone service simply text MEMO [space] RIDERS to 82055* and follow link that is sent to you. You will then have access to all the latest news, player profiles, wallpapers, photo galleries and special offers... with lots more to come!

Texts to 82055 cost £1 each and give 30 days unlimited access to Riders Mobile and its content.

Along with the launch of Riders Mobile you can now text vote for your Riders 'MVP' and win a prize! This new service means that Riders fans can SMS text vote their 'MVP' from their mobile phone at all future home games this season. Fans who are at the game, can vote for their 'MVP' right up until 2 minutes before the end of the 4th quarter of the game when lines will close. If you text after this time, the votes will not count and you may still be
charged. Each home game there will be a prize for a winning mobile number - the number will be sent a text
shortly after the lines have closed informing the person of winning and of course the prize.

This weeks winner of the text vote was Fergus pictured above with his signed basketball and game 'MVP' Russell Jordan. For more information about Riders Mobile please click here.

The Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders Easter Basketball Camp is proving very popular with only 20 spaces remaining. So if you are a boy or girl aged between 8 and 16 years old book your place now to avoid disappointment.

The camp will take place on the 25th - 27th March at the Soar Valley Leisure Centre in Mountsorrel, Leicestershire.

Coaching will be 10am to 4pm daily and provided by star Leicester Riders players Steve Vear, Carlos White and Terrence Woodyard. The cost of this exciting opportunity is just £45 and is not to be missed with lots of prizes to be won. Also every entrant will receive a free camp t-shirt.

Click here to download the camp leaflet or you can book your place online at the Riders Shop.

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders 61 (19,29,47)
(McKnight 10, Jordan 9, White 9)
Marshall MK Lions 74 (13,36,56)
(Windless 17, Williams 15, Spinks 10)

The Marshall MK Lions forced themselves back into the top four, whilst avenging a defeat in the East Midlands that effectively knocked them out of the BBL Trophy competition last month, as they beat the Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders by 61-74.

Tony Windless scored 17 points, whilst former Rider Yorick Williams had 15, and Dru Spinks added 10 points and 11 rebounds. The Riders could not rely on anyone for a big score as Chad McKnight was the only player to score in double figures with 10 points.

Windless opened the game with the first 5 points, before the Riders hit back-to-back buckets and the teams remained close. That was broken by a McKnight triple that made the score 13-9, before the hosts finished with a 6-2 run for a 19-13 first quarter lead.

However, the Riders scored just 2 points in the first 7:00 of the second period in what was a 21-2 burst; Windless added a further 7 points during that period. Leicester found their range late in the quarter as McKnight and Joel Burns made a three-pointer each, but they found themselves trailing by 29-36.

A pair of triples from Kevin Griffin contributed towards a 15-2 push in the third quarter as the Lions stretched the lead out to 31-51. The Riders would not lie down as they rattled off 11 consecutive points late in the quarter, and soon afterwards Burns hit a triple on the buzzer to give his team a chance at 47-56 going into the fourth.

Further long-range shooting sealed it for the Lions as Yorick Williams connected twice from beyond the arc early in the fourth quarter, and with the lead at 52-64, the Riders never threatened down the stretch.

Guildford Heat 110 (26,60,88)
(Dorsey 26, Martin 23, Harrison 20)
Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders 97 (16,34,71)
(Vear 19, Burns 17, Wellington/Woodyard 16)

The Guildford Heat strengthened their position in second place in the BBL Championship, whilst extending their winning run to four games in the league, as they beat the Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders 110-97 at The Spectrum.

Tony Dorsey had another big game with 26 points and 12 rebounds, whilst fellow forward Mike Martin added 23 and EJ Harrison scored 20. Steve Vear posted his highest-scoring game in the BBL with 19 points for the Riders.

After the home side opened the game with the first 5 points, the Riders hit back to take their only lead of the game at 9-7 after 4 points from Terrence Woodyard. It didn't last long as the reigning league champions responded with a 15-2 burst, including 5 for Dorsey, to take a commanding first quarter lead.

That was extended in the second stanza as the Heat notched a further 17-5 run and went into the locker rooms 60-34 to the good.

The teams traded baskets in a high-scoring and high-tempo third quarter. Then, with 2.00 remaining, the Riders scored 11 unanswered points, 5 from former Heat player Rod Wellington on his way to 13 in the quarter and two three-pointers from Vear, as they narrowed the gap to 85-71.

The visitors followed that up with an 8-2 tear to open the fourth period that was capped by a further Vear triple, to make the score 90-79. However, EJ Harrison scored 6 points as the Heat settled the game with a 12-3 surge to stretch the lead to 102-82. The Riders finished strongly behind 6 points from Carlos White, but could get no closer than 11 before Mike Martin put the icing on the cake with a thunderous dunk with 12 seconds remaining.

Worcester Wolves 67 (27,42,48)
(Paez 23, Life 18, Harker 12)
Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders 66 (10,28,47)
(White 16, McKnight 16, Burns 11)

In a crucial game where playoff positioning is concerned, the Worcester Wolves beat the Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders by 67-66. The win saw the Wolves draw level in ninth place with the Riders, but vitally it sees them win the season head-to-head.

After the Wolves cruised through the first quarter and finished it with a 7-0 run, they led 27-10. Anthony Paez was on the end of an alley-oop to open the second stanza and the Wolves soon led 33-14, which then became 42-16 after Ivan Brosko was forced off with an injured ankle. However, a drastic turnaround ensued from that point forward as the Riders scored the last 12 points of the first half and a Rod Weelington three-pointer on the buzzer had the score at 42-28.

The visitors carried that momentum into the third period as they opened with the first 7 points and after seven minutes they were down just 46-41. Riders then scored the next 6 points to take the lead and complete their comeback from a 17-point deficit – in what was an amazing 31-4 run across two quarters. Paez ensured that the Wolves ended the quarter in front as he stole the ball and ran clear to finish with a dunk.

The Riders started the decisive quarter strongly and after a James Life triple tied the game at 51, the Riders pushed it back out to 51-55. Paez then made 1/2 at the line before taking another steal and finishing once more with a dunk to narrow the gap to one. The teams then traded runs as the Riders rattled off 5 points before a James Life free-throw capped 7 unanswered points and saw the hosts regain the lead at 61-60. With 10 seconds left, Life kept his cool at the free-throw line after being fouled on the inbounds, and the Riders tried to get off the final shot but Joel Burns failed to do so under defensive pressure from Paez.

It was Paez who was the hero as he notched 23 points, with Skouson Harker contributing a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds. Chad McKnight and Carlo White led the resistance with 16 points each.

The Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders are pleased to announce the Easter Basketball Camp for boys and girls between 8 and 16 years old. The camp will take place on the 25th - 27th March at the Soar Valley Leisure Centre in Mountsorrel, Leicestershire.

Coaching will be 10am to 4pm daily and provided by star Leicester Riders players Steve Vear, Carlos White and Terrence Woodyard. The cost of this exciting opportunity is just £45 and is not to be missed with lots of prizes to be won. Also every entrant will receive a free camp t-shirt.

Click here to download the camp leaflet or you can book your place online at the Riders Shop.

We understand that it's important for your team to look and feel coordinated on the basketball court, and that local league clubs have budgetary constraints; that is why the Riders Shop is pleased to be able to offer a brand new range of reversible kits at a special introductory prices:

The P1aymaker Pro Performer is available in four colour combinations and a range of sizes. These uniforms boast the 'PMR Dazzle' material on one side and the 'GamePro' mesh on the other and are ideal for a game uniform. Lightweight and baggy fit design for extra comfort and style.

Set of 12 (numbered) - £299.95
Set of 12 (no numbers) - £249.95
Individual strip - £25

The P1aymaker Mesh Vests are lightweight, soft and are ideal for training and for scrimmage games, helping you to maximise performance on the training court and translate that into 'Ws' come game time.

These vests are also perfect for individual training and outdoor action due to their lightweight and breathable nature. The reversible vests come in four colour combinations and are amazing value at just £15 per vest. For team practices, you can get a set of 10 vests for just £120.

These new kits are now available to order online via the Riders Shop.

The Health on Hand Chiropractic Clinic’s open day on the 19th of January 2008 was a great success. There were many visitors and several of the players, the coach and the General Manager from the Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders were present to enjoy the day.

Dr Jeppesen & Barton were answering any questions on how Chiropractic can help various problems ranging from Back/Neck Pain to Sports Injuries, repetitive strain and Arm/Leg pains.

The Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders were there to speak to fans and explain how chiropractic were benefitting them and helping keeping them injury free.

To help promote better care for the spine and to help prevent Back Pain the Health on Hand Chiropractic Clinic is offering FREE spinal checks.

Please call on 0116 2101619 or visit www.healthonhand.co.uk

Kularoos Plymouth Raiders 73 (22,33,51)
(Lasker 25, Martin 18, Moore 14)
Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders 70 (23,39,59)
(Woodyard 22, McKnight 15, White/Mills 11)

Kularoos Plymouth Raiders pulled off an improbable victory to move into joint second place in the BBL with Marshall MK Lions.

The Raiders scored the final seven points of the match to see of Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders 73-70 at The Pavilions to keep the pressure on league leaders Newcastle Eagles.

It looked as though the East Midlands club would come away from Devon with a much needed victory though when they led 22-23, 33-39 and 51-59 at the end of the first three quarters.

However, after falling behind 66-70 the Raiders pegged it back to 68-70 with a two by Gaylon Moore and then went ahead with free throws by Anthony Martin and Andrew Lasker to complete the victory. Lasker led all scorers with 25-points.

Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders 58 (10,25,50)
(McKnight 14, Mills 11, White/Woodyard 7)
PAWS London Capital 67 (13,31,51)
(Bradley 18, Ataha 14, Perkins 11)

The PAWS London Capital snapped a seven-game losing streak in the BBL Championship, and scored a crucial win in the chase for a BBL Championship Playoff place, as they beat the Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders by 58-67. Vitally, the win also tied the season series with their positional rivals.

The visitors opened the game with three points from Tayo Ogendengbe, before Chad McKnight and Darren Mills responded for the Riders. The hosts held a 10-7 lead, before Pierre Henry-Fontaine sank a three-pointer and an old-fashioned three-point play to see his team 10-13 to the good after ten minutes.

The teams traded baskets through the second period as London still led at 20-24 with 3:00 left. On a Barry Lamble deuce and a triple from Mindaugas Janiska, the Riders took the lead at 25-24. Yet, once again, an individual stepped up for the Londoners as Sam Bradley scored the last 7 points of the half to keep them in front.

That lead was maintained during the third stanza until the visitors got in foul trouble. The Riders shot 6/6 from the line to narrow the gap to 44-47 and then, after a Bradley three-pointer, they hit the next 5/6 from the charity stripe for a one-point deficit at 50-51 going into the decisive stanza. They shot 13/15 from the free-throw line during the third quarter.

Darren Mills gave the Riders the lead with the first 4 points of the fourth quarter, before the visitors took control. Bradley and Ogendengbe scored baskets before Santa Ataha hit back-to-back three-pointers for a 54-61 lead. The Capital then managed to close out the last two minutes with foul shots.

Bradley led all scorers with 18, whilst Ataha added 14. Chad McKnight led the resistance with 14 points.

Sandicliffe Motor Group, the East Midlands family-owned car retailer, has become an official sponsor of the Leicester Riders and of Leicester Tigers Centre and Winger Seru Rabeni, in a deal designed to raise its profile within the sporting community.

The deals include 4 Kia Picanto’s and 2 Kia Rio’s for the Leicester Riders and a Kia Sportage for the Leicester Tigers.

As Sandicliffe continues its support of the Leicester Riders for a second year, General Manager Russell Levensten and Forward Rodderick Wellington will be driving new Kia Rio’s, whilst Point Guard Steve Vear and Forwards Chad McNight, Russell Jordan and Terrance Woodyard will enjoy driving around town in Picanto’s.

The Leicester Riders have been established for 40 years and play in the British Basketball league, the premier league for Basketball. The team are all involved in community work including coaching in local schools. Chad joins the team from the USA where he is at Mainland State University and Terrance is a student at Western Carolina University. Both have joined the Leicester Riders in their Rookie Year.

Over at the Leicester Tigers, Centre and Winger, Seru Rabeni has been given a liveried Kia Sportage, a spacious yet compact SUV with more than enough room for the player and his kit bag.

Born in Bua, Fiji, Seru Rabeni was recently selected in Fiji’s squad for the Rugby World Cup tournament in France. Prior to the start of that competition, Seru, born on 27th Dec 1978, had won 22 international caps for his country, as well as six for the Pacific Islands and had already competed in the World Cup in 2003. Seru made his Tigers debut against Sale Sharks in September 2004 and scored tries in each of his first three games.

The players were all presented with the Sandicliffe branded cars by Director Paul Woodhouse. Paul said: “We are proud to be sponsoring the Leicester Riders and Leicester Tigers player Seru in a deal which highlights the strong connection between driving and sport. We fully support both teams and we hope this deal will improve the visibility of both brands.”

Sandicliffe Motor Group was voted the UK’s best Large Retailer by AM in 2007 and is one of the country's largest Ford Retail Groups, with a total of ten dealerships in the East Midlands, plus Suzuki, Mazda, Kia, Fiat, Chevrolet and servicing for MG Rover owners.

The Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders would like to offer 20 spaces on the coach for the away game against Plymouth Raiders on Sunday 10th February. As usual the 20 spaces will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

The coach will depart from the Leicester Campanile Hotel at 9.15am on 10th February 2008. The cost is £25 per person and includes your match ticket making it excellent value.

To reserve your place please email Russell Levenston at info@leicesterriders.co.uk