1 Apr 2017: Archers 53-78 Mystics

Manchester Mystics make it three wins on the bounce as they dominate the offensive boards to beat Cardiff Met Archers.

WBBL Championship
Cardiff Met Archers 53 (10,25,44) (Fritz 25, Wagstaff 10, Shanahan/Stradling 5)
Manchester Mystics 78 (20,42,61) (Jones 20, Browne 15, Thomas-Johnson 13)

Manchester Mystics have got their WBBL Championship title chase back on track as they beat Cardiff Met Archers 78-53 in Wales for a third consecutive win, having dropped off the pace with three straight defeats before that.

Mystics posted their biggest ever WBBL win the last time these teams met, and raced into a 9-0 lead this time out as Georgia Jones and Amy Browne hit early three-pointers; before the lead reached double-figures when Browne connected from long-range once more, 12-2.

But Archers came into the game on a run of two wins in their last three games, and narrowed the gap with an 11-4 opening to the second stanza, Judit Fritz – the only Archer to register more than once in the first half – scoring seven in a row and getting them back to within one shot at 24-21.

But that was as good as it would get for the hosts, as the run was halted by a triple from Lauren Thomas-Johnson, part of an 8-0 response, and the lead was double-digits once more. Browne and Jones added further three-pointers before the half in a 10-1 run, and Mystics led 42-25.

Thomas-Johnson opened the third with a triple to continue that momentum, as she finished with a huge haul of 13 points and 20 rebounds. Eight of those were on the offensive glass, proving decisive as Mystics recorded 22 second chance points from a massive 21 offensive rebounds in the game.

And they were comfortable in the fourth quarter, an early 9-0 tear including five points for Sarah Schwellenbach, before the lead peaked at 25 when Rachel James scored a three-pointer.

Manchester were led by 20 points and nine assists from Georgia Jones.