Leeds Force 87-82 Manchester Giants (29-24, 46-42, 70-60)
Leeds Force recorded their first points of the Championship season thanks to a 87-82 win over Manchester Giants and in the process extended the road team’s winless run.
Leading Scorers – Nix/Bennett 18, Curth 14 (Force); Jones 19, Kadiri 16, Bell (Giants)
Turning point – The home team capitalised on a strong third quarter to build an unassailable 15 point lead in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter – the largest cushion of the contest.
Key stat – Leeds found a way to get to the line, hitting 20 of 27 attempts from the free throw line. This proved critical in a game in which the home side shot the ball 17 fewer times from the field than the road team.
Game hero – Tre Bennett led from the front, scoring the ball and finding his teammates on the way to an 18 point, 12 assist double-double.