Surrey Scorchers were dealt their tenth loss of the BBL Championship season on the road against Plymouth Raiders.
Despite establishing an early lead in the game Surrey were unable to hold off the in-form Raiders at Plymouth Pavilions.
Boosted by the presence of former NBA second-round draft pick Ryan Richards, Scorchers looked confident in the early stages of the game.
The ex-San Antonio Spurs man showed just why he made it the world’s top basketball league in the opening quarter, knocking down 6/7 from the field and racking up 24 points in the process.
However, Raiders regrouped at the break and began to gain a foothold in the game with Rashad Hassan maintaining an impressive 100% shooting record.
Scorchers fought hard to stay in the game, Quincy Taylor, Richards and GB teammate Josh Steel linking up to keep the side within seven points of the hosts at the break.
The home side came out flying after the break, Hassan continuing to be a menace from the field, while Donte Nicholas completed his own double-double.
A late pair of threes from Willie Atwood helped to close the gap, but Scorchers trailed Raiders 87-71 heading into the final quarter.
Raiders continued their relentless attacks, taking advantage of a clearly tired and frustrated Scorchers side.
Yet, in spite of the score line, Scorchers showed a determination to never give up. Atwood, Caylin Raftopoulos and captain Tayo Ogedengbe setting the example.
Atwood battled hard on the boards to keep Scorchers in the fight, and even put up an impressive 20 points before the final buzzer.
Nevertheless, Raiders had already established their dominance on the game. Even with Scorchers breaking the century mark, the home-side emerged victorious.
Scorchers will return to action on January 1st as they host London City Royals at Surrey Sports Park (2pm TO). Make sure you get your tickets for the opening home game of 2019 – click here to buy online now.
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