Revenge for the Phoenix after horror show in Leicester

LEICESTER Riders opened their Super League Basketball Trophy campaign with a 98-78 defeat on the road at Cheshire Phoenix, writes Ashley Fontaine.

- Ashley Fontaine

The two sides last met on Halloween night at the Mattioli Arena when the Riders came out on top in a thrilling 95-93 victory.

But Cheshire got their revenge to claim their opening win in the Trophy group stage.

Phoenix started fast at Cheshire Oaks Arena, with Michael Diggins opening the scoring and leading a strong early charge.

The hosts' energy and transition play helped them establish a double-digit advantage inside the first few minutes as Tobias Cameron added six early points.

RaeQuan Battle hit back with two triples to keep Leicester within touching distance, while Victor Ndoukou also found the target from deep.

Despite flashes of offence, the Riders struggled to find consistency at the rim against Cheshire's physical defence and trailed 29-16 after the opening quarter.