Recent Form Gives Ford Hope Ahead of Setanta Clash
The Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders will be going into
Wednesday's game at the Sheffield Sharks, televised live on
Setanta Sports 1 (7.30pm), on good form after recording back-to-back
wins for just the second time this season.
The Riders emerged from a tough battle with Midlands rivals
the Worcester Wolves to win 104-99 on Saturday, with the other
success in that back-to- back being a 78-65 win over the Sharks.
Carlos White has come to form for the Riders with 25 points
and 24 points respectively in those games.
Riders' Head Coach Martin Ford is looking for his team to
maintain that momentum,
"We had a game plan against Worcester, obviously Life
and Paez are prolific scorers, and although they scored 33
and 32 respectively, they each needed 26 shots to do it!"
He said after they had beaten one of the league's form teams.
"We wanted to keep the other starters below the average,
and keep the bench scoring to a minimum. We kept Skouson [Harker]
down to 15, Durant only got 10 and we kept him off the boards
as well, and Evans didn't score, whilst the bench only got
nine points.
"The game-plan worked, it unsettled them, and we threw
a triangle and two defence at them in the last 90 seconds
which helped us get the win. It was a great team effort and
a really pleasing win."
Having written his side's play-off chances off a fortnight
ago, Ford's team have won their last two to maintain an outside
chance of getting into the post- season for the third straight
season.
Their chances of achieving that are dependent on what is
a hugely significant game on Setanta Sports 1 this week. Ford
is clinging on to the hope of snatching eighth place,
"At the moment Everton are the ones who are stopping
us getting there, as they've lost to Cheshire and Sheffield,
and I think that will stop us getting in the play-offs.
"We want to show the supporters what we could have done
if we'd got it together, even three games earlier. We'd be
fighting for a place in the play-offs now if that had been
the case.
"All the players are working hard, and they are getting
on better. It will take a miracle to get to the play-offs,
but obviously if we can beat Sheffield it will give us the
head-to-head if it does come down to which of us gets eighth
place."
|
