Watch: Maltese Abroad: Double digits for Lecuyer on league restart, Abela scores big in first Otero wins

Loughborough Riders guard Sasha Lecuyer made the most of the UK’s National Basketball League Division One restart when she grabbed double-digits in her side’s win against BA London Lions over the weekend. Similarly, Otero Junior College’s Sophie Abela has capitalized on the big number of minutes given to her with double digits in consecutive games. The Times of Malta Sportsdesk looks at Lecuyer, Abela, and other Maltese professionals plying their trade overseas in another segment of ‘Maltese Abroad’.

UK

Loughborough Riders’ Sasha Lecuyer (picture) started and scored 13 points in the team’s last game against BA London Lions on Saturday – a 77-62 win. In 28mins, the third most across the Riders’ roster, she also managed two rebounds and assisted two buckets.

The team’s next game will be against COLA Southwark Pride on Sunday, February 14 (tip-off: 3 pm UK/4 pm Malta).

In the British Basketball League’s affiliate team, Leicester Riders, Aaron Falzon was in action twice from the bench as he scored a three-ball and grabbed a board in around five minutes as the Riders beat the Sheffield Sharks 75-73 on Friday.

On Sunday, he scored another three points but with 12 minutes of play, he managed another six rebounds, two assists and also made a steal as the side blew out the Surrey Scorchers 103-76.

The Riders’ next game will be against the Manchester Giants on Friday, February 5 (tip-off: 6 pm UK/ 7 pm Malta).

USA

Into her sophomore year, the Otero Rattlers’ Sophie Abela has been handed massive minutes on court, with more than half an hour of play each game. Of course, this trust has been repaid with impressive performances so far from the Maltese guard.

On Saturday, in a 79-51 win over Laramie County Community College, Abela played for around 37 minutes – the most minutes recorded by any player on the team’s roster – and scored 13 points, assisting another seven makes. In a particularly impressive defensive performance by the team against LCCC, Abela grabbed five rebounds and made four steals.

On Monday, Abela made another 11 points against Southeast Community College as Otero made it two wins in a row (66-44 win) after having lost their opener against Western Texas College. The team’s number 4 grabbed three boards, got another three steals and assisted two baskets.

The Rattlers’ next outings will be two back-to-back games against Southeast Community College and Bethany College JV on Tuesday (tip-off 2 pm US/10 pm Malta) and Wednesday (Tip-off: 9.30 am/ 5.30 pm Malta).

Fellow Maltese guard in the US Kristy Galea was close to double digits in the Alderson Broaddus Battlers’s win over Davis and Elkins College (84-73 W) on Wednesday. Galea scored nine points as a starter. In 19 minutes on court, she grabbed four boards, made a block and gave two assists.

FULL GAME: https://mountaineast.tv/aldersonbroaddus/?B=228943

Galea got another block against West Virginia Wesylan on Saturday as the side lost 73-86. This time around, she played 22 minutes but only managed to score two points and grabbed two rebounds.

FULL GAME: https://mountaineast.tv/wvwc/?B=225104

The Battlers’ next game will be against Concord University on Wednesday (Tip-Off: 5 pm US/ 11 pm Malta).

JAPAN

Sam Deguara’s bright start with Tokyo Excellence continues as he played around 19 minutes in both back-to-back games against the Saitama Broncos on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday he scored nine and assisted another. In defense, he grabbed eight boards and made two blocks as the side won 98-88.

The next day, he went a step better with a double-double in an 85-72 series-winning game. He scored 20 points at 80% Field Goal percentage and got 10 rebounds while also managing a steal.

The team’s next back-to-back series will be against Kanazawa Samuraiz on Saturday and Sunday.