PRESTON, Lancs. — Lancashire looks to halt a five-game losing streak when it welcomes high-flying Loughborough to Castle Leisure Centre on Saturday. Game time is set for 5:45 p.m. with LiveStats available from tipoff.
The Spinners remained 14th in the National League 1 standings following a 90-74 defeat at Northumbria with a game separating them from Worthing and Essex. They are 5-15 overall and 4-11 in divisional play.
Connor Murtagh, the team’s third leading scorer at 14.2 points, missed his fourth game with a shoulder injury whilst Mike Bernard has been out for consecutive games. James Banton was also absent last week through injury and Aitor Estrada, who last played on Oct. 29, continues to recover from pneumonia leaving the squad stretched.
Lancashire is shooting 41.1 percent (429-of-1043) from the field and 33.8 percent (141-of-417) from 3-point range in the league. The Spinners are being outscored by a 6-point margin, but they have scored above their average in four of the last six games.
The Spinners’ 10 turnovers at Northumbria matched the fewest this season — the other came at Bradford on Oct. 15.
Mark Rangeley continues to lead the Spinners offensively scoring 16.7 points per game. Rangeley is shooting 43.1 percent (88-of-204), including 39.4 percent (41-of-104) from behind the arc. The forward, however, is averaging 20.8 points over his last six games.
Jack Hudson ranks second in scoring at 15 points per game, but had a streak of five games in double figures ended at Northumbria. David Ulph is nearly averaging a double-double (10.5 points and 9.9 rebounds) on a team-best 47.1 percent (48-of-102) shooting.
Loughborough’s success has yet to reach a peak in its first season in NBL1. The Student Riders, who are winners of three-straight, sit sixth with a 10-7 league record and have an 11-10 mark overall. They are tied with a trio of teams vying for a top four finish.
Josh Ward-Hibbert has led Loughborough in scoring since joining the team in January and is averaging 19 points per game. Former Spinners guard Alex Roberts is contributing just over 12 points per contest on over 41 percent shooting.
Saturday will be the fourth meeting between the two teams, and just the second in Division One. Loughborough won the most recent game and holds a 2-1 series lead overall.
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