Glasgow Rocks fall to Leicester Riders in BBL Semifinals
The Scottish outfit’s dream of playoff glory came to an end on Monday night by the regular-season champions from East Midlands. The Riders picked up where they left off in the second leg, coming into it with a 21-point lead. Leicester did not allow the Rocks any hope, beating them 104-78, winning by 47 points on aggregate.
Glasgow kept the game close for three quarters but got blown out 32-17 in the final ten minutes by the Riders. This was largely due to their British point guard Conner Washington, who scored 15 out of his 20 points in the game in the fourth quarter. It was a particularly impressive performance from Washington, as he only scored 20 points once before this season and has averaged 7.4 points per game this season.
Despite failing to reach the finals, it is still a successful season for the Glasgow Rocks. Scottish forward Fraser Malcolm, who led the Rocks with 17 points against Leicester, echoed that sentiment after the loss:
“It’s been great to have fans back at the Emirates and having the chance to compete for silverware, making three semifinals this season.”
After finishing bottom last season with only four wins, the Scottish club have tripled their point total with 12 wins this year. The Rocks pulled off an upset over the second-seeded Sheffield Sharks in the playoffs and overperformed to get to the semifinals, reaching the same stage in the BBL Cup and BBL Trophy.
Leicester Riders will face the London Lions in the playoff final at the O2 in London on Sunday.
