We Speak International Sports

How the Leicester Riders were able to make British Basketball League history

Published

3 years ago

November 26, 2023

In game week seven of the British Basketball League, fans were able to witness recent history in the league.

The Leicester Riders overcame a gargantuan task, beating the Surrey Scorchers after seeing themselves down by as much as 23 points in the game.

In what looked like would be a routine win for the Scorchers, we delve deep into how the Riders were able to pull off this herculean task and overcome the biggest deficit and win in recent British Basketball League history.

Where the Lead Came From

The Surrey Scorchers have become one of the most in-form teams in the past few weeks of the British Basketball League.

Notching their first win of the season against the Manchester Giants in game week six of the League, the Scorchers were also able to win their game after the Riders, beating the Plymouth City Patriots.

The Scorchers started off incredibly hot in their game with the Leicester Riders, jumping off to a 28-12 lead by the end of the first quarter.Surrey’s shooting from beyond the arc has been the talk of the league.

Currently averaging the most makes and attempts from three, with 10.9 makes and 33.6 attempts per game, their shooting was once again showing to be the difference maker.

The 16-point lead by the end of the first quarter primarily came from their shooting, going 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. Their defence was also fully on display, grabbing five steals and holding the Riders to 5-of-20 shooting.

Their 23-point lead came midway through the second quarter after an absurd Saiquan Jamison three-pointer, the first in his British Basketball League career, went through the basket and saw themselves up 43-20.

How They Came Back

With five minutes to go in the second quarter, it’s remarkable that the Riders were able to make it a 45-36 game by the end of it.

Their defence went into lockdown with Miryne Thomas commanding the paint, but also the likes of Kimbal Mackenzie and Conner Washington locking down the perimeter while adding crucial baskets themselves.

The veteran duo on the perimeter seemed to be the catalyst to start this comeback, but even a nine-point lead is still quite comfortable in basketball terms. It’s what came in the third quarter that was truly remarkable.

Starting the second half and third quarter, Thomas and point guard Xavier Pinson knew what they had to do.

Pinson went into overdrive, constantly attacking the paint, picking up fouls, and scoring consistently. The young guard has been in MVP conversations this season, and this performance will only further those talks.

Thomas continued his defensive ways as he showed in the second quarter, while also scoring from everywhere on the court to retrieve the lead.

Taking their first lead of the game with 6:33 left in the third quarter, Thomas hit the three that took them into the lead again.

What This Means

By the end of the third quarter, the Riders were ahead by three points and had destroyed the dreams of the Scorchers grabbing a win over them and snapping a 12-year streak without a win.

This win for the Riders could ultimately push them far this season and could be the turning point for their season.

After some questionable games against the likes of the Newcastle Eagles and Manchester Giants, the Riders looked like legitimate contenders. Their guard rotation is arguably one of the best in the league, if not the best.

Miryne Thomas is starting to show he is also one of the best big men in the league. The rookie has really started to carve out his role in recent games, picking up multiple Player of the Game awards while scoring 13.3 points and grabbing 6.4 rebounds.

The Leicester Riders could be one of the best teams in the league and one of the most likely teams to knock the London Lions off their perch at the top, but they will need to capitalise on this historic moment to continue.

We Speak International Sports

Two GTA Rinks, Two Very Different OHL Seasons for Oshawa and Brampton

Published

21 minutes ago

November 2, 2026

Leo Bodei

Oshawa Generals forward Cody Costello celebrating a goal on home ice in front of the crowd.

Cody Costello celebrates a goal for the Oshawa Generals against Ottawa on November 1. Photo courtesy of the Oshawa Generals.

The GTA has two Ontario Hockey League home rinks this winter, the CAA Centre in Brampton and the Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa. A month and a half into the 2026-27 season, the Steelheads and the Generals are living two very different stories.

Oshawa sits right in the fight. The Generals are 6-6-4-1 with 17 points through 17 games, fourth in the East Division, and their home games have been wild. On Sunday night they lost 7-6 in overtime to Ottawa after holding three different two goal leads. Even in defeat, it was a night of firsts: Cody Costello scored the first two goals of his OHL career, and Jackson Marthaler added his first career goal. Two nights earlier, Oshawa went into Brampton and won the first meeting between the two GTA clubs 5-2.

Brampton is in a deeper hole. The Steelheads are 2-12-1-1 with six points, last in the Central Division, and they have lost four in a row, including a 3-0 shutout loss to Windsor on home ice Sunday. It is a young group learning the hard way, and the bright spot has been forward Nathan Amidovski, who leads the club with 16 points. In junior hockey, a team this young can look completely different by February, and that climb is its own story.

What both buildings offer is volume. Brampton has 22 home dates and Oshawa has 21 home dates from November through the end of February, Sunday afternoons, Friday nights and rivalry games included. Oshawa hosts Brantford on November 8 and Peterborough on November 13. Brampton is home again on November 15 against Peterborough. The two GTA clubs meet again in Oshawa on February 7 and February 13. For hockey fans in the region, there is a game worth seeing almost every weekend, at prices and distances the big leagues cannot match.