Men
WOMen
March 29, 2026
Game Report: MCR 89-86 Leicester Riders
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Manchester Basketball made it a 3-0 week with an 89-86 home win over Leicester Riders in the Super League Basketball Championship.
Max Jones and Pjay Smith combined for 53 points in the win. Smith hit 5 threes on his way to 27 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists, and he snatched 3 steals on the defensive end to cap off a stat sheet-stuffing performance.
Jones had 26 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists in just 27 minutes of action. Meanwhile, Tim Adetukasi had 13 points in a typically effective showing for the Brit.
Manchester, playing their third game in a week, did well to hang on to their lead late in the fourth quarter. They jumped out to an early advantage in the first, leading 27-19 after one, as Smith and Jones combined for 15 points.
They fended off Leicester's fightbacks throughout the next two periods to take a 10-point lead into the fourth, but Manchester had to dig deep in the final stanza to secure the win.
After being held at arm’s length in the second and third, Flynn Boardman-Raffet hit a three to make it a one-possession game with 4:52 remaining. Boardman-Raffet finished the game with 35.
Manchester showed tremendous guts to hold off the charge. Former Rider Duke Shelton scored a pivotal bucket to turn the tide before Smith made it a two-score game once again in response.
Leicester’s Travis Evee hit a three to cut it to one with 22 seconds left, and Smith was sent to the line on the following possession. With ice in his veins, the American guard made both.
The game came down to a three, which fell to Evee once again, but this time he missed the game-tying attempt. Jones secured the rebounds to win the game for the hosts.
The win makes Manchester’s record 16-10 in the SLB Championship.
Next, they play the Second Leg of the European North Basketball League Quarter-Final against Dinamo Zagreb. They head to Croatia with a two-point advantage and their sights set on the final four. Play begins at 7:30 pm.
Then, after two more games in the SLB Championship, Manchester return to the National Basketball Performance Centre on April 12. They take on the Bristol Flyers at 3:00 pm.
Manchester Basketball made it a 3-0 week with an 89-86 home win over Leicester Riders in the Super League Basketball Championship.
Max Jones and Pjay Smith combined for 53 points in the win. Smith hit 5 threes on his way to 27 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists, and he snatched 3 steals on the defensive end to cap off a stat sheet-stuffing performance.
Jones had 26 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists in just 27 minutes of action. Meanwhile, Tim Adetukasi had 13 points in a typically effective showing for the Brit.
Manchester, playing their third game in a week, did well to hang on to their lead late in the fourth quarter. They jumped out to an early advantage in the first, leading 27-19 after one, as Smith and Jones combined for 15 points.
They fended off Leicester's fightbacks throughout the next two periods to take a 10-point lead into the fourth, but Manchester had to dig deep in the final stanza to secure the win.
After being held at arm’s length in the second and third, Flynn Boardman-Raffet hit a three to make it a one-possession game with 4:52 remaining. Boardman-Raffet finished the game with 35.
Manchester showed tremendous guts to hold off the charge. Former Rider Duke Shelton scored a pivotal bucket to turn the tide before Smith made it a two-score game once again in response.
Leicester’s Travis Evee hit a three to cut it to one with 22 seconds left, and Smith was sent to the line on the following possession. With ice in his veins, the American guard made both.
The game came down to a three, which fell to Evee once again, but this time he missed the game-tying attempt. Jones secured the rebounds to win the game for the hosts.
The win makes Manchester’s record 16-10 in the SLB Championship.
Next, they play the Second Leg of the European North Basketball League Quarter-Final against Dinamo Zagreb. They head to Croatia with a two-point advantage and their sights set on the final four. Play begins at 7:30 pm.
Then, after two more games in the SLB Championship, Manchester return to the National Basketball Performance Centre on April 12. They take on the Bristol Flyers at 3:00 pm.
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