Rebels Produce Dominant Display to Defeat Leicester Riders 

Freeman’s side secured their first win of the Super League Basketball season as they defeat Leicester Riders in a statement 94-62 win in their first home game of the 2026/27 Super League Basketball season.

An electric first quarter performance saw the Rebels cruise past the Leicester Riders. It was Alexa Mikeska who got the first points on the board, quickly followed by a 3-point jump shop from captain, Clare Paxton to get the Rebels six points up in under a minute.  

Rebels’ quick lead set the tone for the rest of the quarter as the points continued to come pouring. Summer signing Lucy Coogan proved particularly influential, scoring 9 points in the closing moments of the quarter.  

The Riders began to settle into the game late in the first quarter, stringing together three consecutive baskets, leaving the score as 31-10, with the Riders hoping to break the 21-point deficit moving into the second quarter.  

Despite, Riders sudden momentum going into the quarter, the Rebels wasted no time in retaining dominance. Mikeska remained at the forefront of Rebels’ attack, adding 7 points to the Rebels tally, while Rider’s star Januszewski kept the visitors in the game with a series of baskets of her own. Nevertheless, it was the Rebels who maintained their advantage, leading the scoreline 48-26 going into half time.  

Januszewski carried that momentum into the third quarter, opening the scoring with a three-pointer as the Riders looked to reduce the deficit. While the Riders enjoyed their strongest spell of the game, the seamless chemistry between Lara Rohkohl and Olivia Forster ensured the Rebels stayed firmly in control. An outrageous jump shot from Cerys Leach capped of the quarter, extending Rebels’ lead to 68-43. 

Leach’s late basket at the end of the third quarter immediately set the tone for her performance in the final quarter, scoring two free throws and consecutive 3-point jump shots in a minute period. To accompany Leach, Rohkohl and Forster continued to contribute to the tally and fittingly it was Forster who had the final say with a jump shot from behind the 3-point line ending the game, sealing a dominant 94-62 win for the Rebels in their first home game of the season.

The Rebels travel to Cardiff next weekend before returning to the Essex Sport Arena on 24 October to face Manchester.