An exciting pre season for Loughborough College basketball players is almost complete after both the Student Riders Men’s and Women’s team have tasted victory against top international sides.
This weekend Loughborough Student Riders team begin their first season in the top flight league of Basketball England for more than a decade.
Following three seasons in Division Two of the competition, the squad claimed Patrons Cup honours last season on route to a top two finish in the league, sealing their promotion to NBL Division One.
The team, which features Loughborough College students Levi Noel, Pakadashe Chingombe, Lucien Christofis, Max Richardson, Tom Yome and Sam Broughton, also won last season's BUCS Championship.
In pre season, the Men’s side took on the Leicester Riders professional team before two games against the USA Select, a group of US college graduates looking to sign professional contracts in the UK. Finally the Student Riders took victory 77-73 overseas in Norway against top professional side Kongsberg Miners as part of the Kongsberg Invitational.
Elsewhere, Loughborough Student Women were in action with the Leicester Riders WBBL team, preparing for their third season in the WBBL.
In the Betty Codona Classic tournament, part of the elite European pre-season, the team – which features Loughborough College students Ellie Maidman and Natalie Chaloner plus assistant coach Ollie Parr - hosted Swedish professional side Norrkoping Dolphins and took victory in their opening game 73-58.
The Dolphins travelled to Leicester following the Riders club visiting Norrköping, Sweden last season to take on the Dolphins as well as fellow Damligan side Alvik Basket. The Riders came out victorious from the trip.
Loughborough College Sport Development Manager Rob Jarram said: “Seeing the men’s and women’s teams in action pre-season, the coming season is looking very exciting.
“Both teams competed very well against European opponents and both teams are looking very cohesive.
“I think that the women’s season is going to be very competitive this year with a number of players having stepped up into national teams and GB squads.
“The men’s programme, following a very successful season in 2015/16, will be very challenging but the Loughborough Basketball programme continues to grow in strength and compete at the highest levels.
“All our elite student-athletes have started off the season well and we look forward to seeing where we’ll be at the end of it as the men’s and women’s programmes continue to grow and progress.”
The Loughborough Student Riders team begin their first season in the top flight league of Basketball England this weekend as they take on Derby Trailblazers at home on Saturday .
Loughborough Student Women kick off their campaign on 9 October at home, at the Leicester Arena, to Caledonia Pride.