Basketball: Worst losing run leaves Riders reeling
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Your support makes all the difference.The tension is yet to tighten in the BBL Championship race and the leaders Sheffield Sharks eased to a four-point lead by silencing the Bracknell crowd with a 105-83 win over second-placed Thames Valley Tigers on Saturday night.
But pressure is building at the foot of the table on Leicester Riders and Birmingham Bullets. Tony Garbelotto's Bullets lost 88-84 at home to Brighton Bears in double overtime on Saturday after another gutsy performance went unrewarded, but the Riders capitulated 104-79 at London Towers after trailing by a humiliating 86-46 after three quarters. Garbelotto warned he would have to "walk" if his team lost again after they were beaten 89-86 by his former club Newcastle Eagles on Friday night, but looked like being spared thoughts of resignation at the Aston Events Centre on Saturday, even though the match officials handed Brighton 43 free throws against 13 for Birmingham.
Martin Henlan and Michael Jackson carried Bullets in the first two quarters, then Kevin Griffin, Kyle Rolston and Eugene Baah took over in the fourth. Griffin scored 11 and Baah hit Bullets' last six points of regulation time, but Ralph Blalock scored two frees to tie the scores on 66-66.
Rolston's three-pointer put Bullets 77-74 ahead 36 seconds from the end of the first extra period, then Sterling Davis responded with a three to force another extra five minutes. Another Rolston 'three' and Jackson gave Bullets a 84-82 lead, but they failed to score again. Davis scored his fourth 'three' of the game then he, Blalock and Randy Duck completed the scoring from the foul line.
Leicester's run of 12 consecutive defeats in all competitions is the worst in the franchise's history and 10 Championship losses on the bounce leaves them second from bottom, one place above the Bullets, who have won only once.
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