Riders move to joint-second with win over Eagles
WBBL Championship
Leicester Riders 97-57 Newcastle Eagles (26-10, 45-31, 66-47)
Leicester Riders moved into joint-second on Sunday with a massive 40-point victory over Newcastle Eagles.
The Riders took their winning streak in the league to eight in a row as they join Westfield Health Sheffield Hatters on an 8-1 record in second.
Leading scorers – Holly Winterburn 25, Claire Paxton 23, Jennifer Ashton 12 (Riders) – Maya Price 20, Steph Gandy 12, Kalina Axentieva 9 (Eagles)
Turning point – Newcastle had high hopes for the second half following a half-time buzzer beater by Gandy, but Winterburn opened the second half with eight points to push the Riders further ahead and they powered to victory.
Key stat – Newcastle had trouble holding the ball during the contest, with 24 turnovers, of which Riders scored 30 of their points from.
Game hero(es) – Winterburn added eight rebounds and six assists to her game-high 25 points, while Paxton posted 23 points and 16 rebounds for a big double-double.