Season concludes with epic overtime contest in Leicester

Sunday 11th May 2025

Super League Basketball Playoff Semi Final 2nd Leg

Leicester Riders 97 B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 77 OT (Leicester Riders win on aggregate by 172-162)

It encapsulated everything that Playoff basketball is about but it was Leicester Riders who held their nerve to win in overtime and secure their passage to London’s O2 Arena for the post-season final. The Riders wiped out the ten point first leg deficit in the opening quarter to ensure some of the most scintillating back and forth basketball for the three periods that followed. The Sharks’ Rickey McGill sent the game to overtime with a pair of free throws but it was the Riders who took the supplementary five minutes to win by 97-77 on the day and by 172-162 on aggregate across 80 minutes.

Starting Fives

Riders: Abercrombie, Hunter, Johnson, Jackson, Thompson.

Sharks: McGill, Nixon, Anderson, Ochereobia, Groves.

Key Moments

The Sharks went into an early 4-6 on the day lead through a pair of Jacob Groves baskets but an electric atmosphere at the Mattioli Arena saw Leicester go on an 11-0 run and haul themselves right back into the game. Charles Thompson hooked them to a 15-6 advantage and when Zach Jackson fed the forward for a big jam, the gap became 19-8 as the Riders went ahead on aggregate. Rodney Glasgow Jr restarted the Sharks from the mid-range and a Jordan Ratinho corner three late in the quarter made the score 27-17 with everything level on aggregate once again.

From then on, the two sides went at it like prize fighters with barely a couple of points between the aggregate score for fully 30 minutes. Ratinho opened the second period with another trey on the angle and the Sharks noses were still in front overall when McGill completed the and-one at 108-110 overall. Thompson continued to be a thorn in the Sharks side as he hooked another two and made it 43-31 with a baseline jumper. Zach Jackson’s mid-ranger put the Riders up by 47-35 at the half and by 122-120 on the day.

The Sharks got the better of Leicester by 17-20 in the third period but the overall position was still too close to call. Jackson went coast to coast to put the Riders ahead by 53-38 as the Sharks went to a still-injured Donovan Clay to revive their fortunes. His impact was palpable, as was that of Sharks skipper Rodney Glasgow Jr, who drained a three and assisted to James Reese V to send Leicester into a timeout at 58-45. An open Jamell Anderson trey  was followed by a Reese and-one play as the Sharks restored a one point aggregate advantage and it was fitting that Clay maintained that with the final basket of the quarter with the score reading 64-55.

The fourth stanza was nailbiting stuff. The intensity was demonstrated in foul calls on the Sharks’ Donovan Clay and the Riders’ Duke Shelton that saw them both benched on four. Spencer Johnson’s open triple saw the one point gap swing back Leicester’s way but Clay returned with an and-one that saw the pendulum go back in favour of the visitors. With both sides in the bonus, Jaylin Hunter put the Riders ahead by 12 overall from the charity stripe as Clay exited the contest having gone above and beyond by putting his body on the line. The drama came in the final 2.7 seconds. Rickey McGill was fouled in transition and held nerves of steel by making it 83-73 from the line and sending the contest into overtime.

Leicester got the all-important first basket in the additional five minutes as the Sharks tired visibly. Back to back triples from Jaylin Hunter put the Riders up by 8 on aggregate as the Sharks called for time. The drama wasn’t finished there as Charles Thompson reached his foul limit but another Hunter drive into the paint saw the home side’s gap increase to ten. James Reese V finally dunked home the Sharks first point of the additional time and the final scores of the game came from Prentiss Nixon but on the day it was Leicester who were victorious by 97-77 and by 172-162 on aggregate.

MVP

A battered and bruised Sharks side more than played their part in an enthralling game that promoted the best of Super League Basketball. The passion shown by the Sharks was encapsulated by skipper Rodney Glasgow Jr, who added 9 points on 4 of 5 shooting to go with 6 assists as his team were positive 14 with him on the court. There were double digit outings for both Rickey McGill and Prentiss Nixon; McGill contributing 7 rebounds to go with his 10 points. The MVP was possibly one of the most in-form Sharks down the conclusion of the season however. Jacob Groves 14 points came with 13 rebounds for an impressive double-double and the 5 offensive boards he added demonstrated that he wasn’t going down without a fight.

Next Game

Super League Basketball – Coming back to you in September 2025.

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Josh Rackham