To answer the above question, the home team on this scoreboard didn't have a break over Christmas and trained hard for the visit of the away team. The very same visiting team who sent some of their team back home to the States for Christmas with their families and then had to get them back on Boxing Day and then had to try and find a place to at least have one practice before the game.
Another factor in the above is the mindset of the players that had to leave families back home to stumble through airport terminals and get a ride back to Leicester to play the game. They sure as hell were not just going to go through the motions out on the floor, especially when the game could have been moved to a more convenient date shall we say?
I must admit that my thinking while travelling to the game was that it may well be a disjointed display from our team having taken into account the disruption to the normal training schedule but happily i was way off beam with this train of thought.
The team came out and competed hard from the off with a Worcester side who have lit it up from outside already this season, a fact not lost on Coach Paternostro who had continually drummed in to his players the need to defend the perimeter and to limit the dangerous Wolves shooters open looks from outside. The team had taken this onboard and did limit the Wolves in the first half but they did break down on certain plays at times leaving a very frustrated Coach pacing the sideline as they hit the lockers down 45-40. Bradd Wierzbicki was in majestic from from the arc in the first half going 4/5 to keep Riders close and with Brett Royster and Barry Lamble doing a good job inside to frustrate Richie Gordon enough to collect 3 fouls, we looked in decent shape all told. The dangerous was also Tommy Freeman was struggling to get open looks too as Ayron Hardy and Drew Sullivan switched on him throughout the half giving him a few things to think about.
Anyone in the vicinity of the visiting locker room at the break would have maybe learnt a few new words and phrases as Rob gently reiterated his methods and plans for the second half, it was direct and to the point as the team emerged with a good 6/7 minutes of the break still remaining looking ready to play.
It was obviously taken on board by everyone in white as a third quarter to remember was about to be played out in front of an impressive away following, The five point deficit didn't last long as vendors walked around the arena selling tickets for the upcoming "Cameron Rundles Show", a performance which includes awesome three point shooting, crazy fadeaway's and the one handed high arcing circus shots that send fans wild.
Cue Rundles then.
Wolves led by 6 at 52-46, a Hardy steal and slam got Riders going and a triple from Rundles lit the blue touchpaper. He went on a rampaging run to hit 16 in the period in total, a mixture of attcking the bucket and deadly outside bombing. This display energised the the other end too with the outstanding Lamble mopping up on the defensive glass and providing Gordon with a headache or two..... The deficit was turned into a 12 point advantage with the home side proving that the arc can win you some games but you can't rely on it all of the time. Lamble and Royster did a nice job inside along with the quietly effective Sullivan ensuring Gordon got little to work with and with Prezzie-Blue and Freeman not getting the looks they so enjoy a 9-26 quarter was the outcome.
The shellshocked home side had nothing to answer with in the fourth, the ejection of Freeman for two unsportsmanlike calls had no impact on the game, it was put away well before that particular incident. Wierzbicki, Rundles and Hardy kept the tempo going nicely through to the buzzer leaving an excited team, coach and fans to enjoy the moment.
Rundles was inspired with 29pts 11 rebounds and 5 assists, Bradd was Bradd, 23 points on 40% 3pt shooting, 5/7 FT and 4 assists, Ayron Hardy went 5/5 from the line and 5/8 from the field for 15pts, 9 rebounds, a steal and a block, Drew Sullivan had 14pts, 8 rebounds and 3 assists, the excellent Barry Lamble had 8pts and 6 rebounds, i must have dreamt the block on Richie Gordon but there you go.... Brett Royster continually gets shafted by the statsman, quite how he was credited with only 10 rebounds and zero blocks is beyond me, perhaps the stats guy was sitting behind frosted glass?. Brett also added 7pts to the total. The steady hand of Flinder Boyd added a deuce and he controlled things after the Rundles fireworks while Jamell Anderson made 1/2 from the line and added 2 rebounds in the early going.
Speaking with Rob after the game, he commented "I went mad at them at half time, we were breaking down in certain situations so we addressed that. I'm excited with the win and i thought Wierzbicki got hot early and Rundles was unstoppable in the third"
I'll leave the final word to Bradd Wierzbicki...........................................
"THAT'S 's for making me fly back from home at Christmas"
