Sullivan makes the difference

Leicester coach Rob Paternostro hailed “phenomenal” Drew Sullivan after the Riders thrashed MK Lions 102-67 over the weekend, just weeks after suffering a 17-point defeat against the same opponents.

It fired Leicester in to a last eight BBL Cup tie at Cheshire Jets, and they will be a team that no one will want to face in the knockout competition this year.

Paternostro told the club’s official website: “Drew Sullivan makes us a better basketball team. I thought he was phenomenal today. All the things he does on the floor have given the other guys confidence in the ability to make plays.

“And (Brett) Royster adds a dimension that I don’t think we had before to protect the basket.

“With that being said, I think every player we have on this team is better than last time and that’s why it’s been such a pleasure to go to practice every day because you can see Cameron Rundles, Ayron Hardy, Bradd Wierzbicki, Barry Lamble, Jamell Anderson day in and day out getting better.”

The Riders are now on a three-game winning streak, racking up an impressive 286 points, since their 107-90 reverse at the hands of MK in the BBL Trophy on October 7.

They travel to struggling Guildford on Saturday, before rounding off their trophy group stage with a game at EBL side London Leopards, on the same weekend they face the Jets for a place in the BBL Cup semi-finals.