Leicester Riders collected their second Championship win of the season with victory at home against BA London Lions.
WBBL Championship
Leicester Riders 73-57 BA London Lions (23-19, 39-30, 61-45)
Leicester Riders took care of business on their home court with a comfortable 73-57 victory over BA London Lions – the team’s second Championship victory of the season.
The result moves the Riders up to fifth position in the table, having amassed four points from their opening three contests. The visitors slip to a record of 1-3 and end the weekend in tenth place in the standings.
Leading scorers – Dee Hayward 27, Claire Paxton 18, Brea Elmore 12 (Riders); Lavinia Da Silva/Urysla Cotton/Ijeoma Ofomata 14 (Lions)
Turning point – After a back and forth opening 10 minutes, the hosts turned up the heat at the start of the second quarter – putting together a 12-2 run to create enough separation to put the game out of reach of the Lions.
Key stat – The hosts utilised their speed and athleticism to keep a high tempo throughout the game, converting 17 fast break points compared to just six by the Lions.
Game hero(es) – Dee Hayward’s efficient 27 points led the way for the Riders, supported by Claire Paxton’s double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds.