RIDERS OUT, BUT NOT DOWN
- Updated: November 21, 2018
Leicester Riders concluded their European campaign without a win.
But the BBL champions came so close at pulling one out of the bag at the final attempt before falling to an 84-81 loss to Szolnok at the Morningside Arena.
Twice in the dying seconds, shots to force overtime from Andy Thomson and Conner Washington missed their mark.
But it was a tenacious farewell for the hosts, who led 30-20 in the second period before the Hungarians drew level at 38-38 at half-time.
An upset looked on when Wayne Martin sent the Riders 67-60 clear with 6:32 left.
But Andrew Rowsey, who scored 20, hit two of his six three-pointers in quick succession in a Szolnok retort that proved decisive as Leicester, led by a game-high 30 points from DeAndre Burnett, were pipped at the post.
It allowed Szolnok to top the group with a 5-1 record, edging out Dinamo Sassari on head to head with their Italian rivals finishing off with a 92-60 rout of Falco Vulcano.
A tough learning experience for Rob Paternostro’s men. A useful education for any BBL team looking to follow their lead.
Final standings, Group H: 1. Szolnok 5-1, 2. Dinamo Sassari 5-1, 3. Vulcano 2-4, 4. Leicester Riders 0-6
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