Another game and another Force defeat

A disastrous third quarter condemned Leeds Force to a 25th straight BBL defeat on Friday night, suffering a 110-70 loss against fellow strugglers Plymouth Raiders.
Isaac MourierIsaac Mourier
Isaac Mourier

An enthralling opening saw Gazmend Sinani muscle through the Plymouth defence to the rim as Leeds looked to shatter their five-month winless streak in BBL competition against the struggling Raiders.

Short-handed Force continued to quell the Plymouth threat in the opening minutes and battled into a deserved lead – Kosovan international Sinani leading the Force charge and punishing the Raiders defence with a flurry of early baskets.

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The pace soon quickened as Plymouth expectedly fought back, cutting the deficit as former Force threat Zak Wells haunted his former side with a decisive finish.

Sinani continued to expose Plymouth’s defensive flaws with a tough bucket at the buzzer to tie a pulsating contest and close an electric first 10 minutes.

A devastating second-segment response from Plymouth caught Leeds off guard as Raiders ramped up the points. The fatigued Force recaptured the momentum late on courtesy of Mo Williams’ forceful slam before ex-Leeds sharp-shooter Eddie Matthew traded triples with Force captain Isaac Mourier as both teams upped the tempo to end a breathless half.

Force’s bruisers continued to pummel a lightweight Raiders defence in the third – Williams pouring in points and upping his game tally to 22 before a stunning five-minute Plymouth purple patch shattered any hopes of a second Leeds win of the year.

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Another familiar Force face – Louis Sayers – demolished the fatigued Force with a scintillating series of trebles, whilst fellow Raiders marksman Tre Bowman’s sensational shooting cut Leeds’ defence to ribbons. With the game’s result beyond doubt after a nightmarish third – Force awoke from their slumber and battled hard in a back-and-forth final quarter, with a sensational 49 points combined between forward duo Sinani and Williams leaving Leeds fans with something to cheer as Plymouth held on for a flattering win

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