The WBBL Trophy got underway as Alyesha Lovett led Nottingham Wildcats to a win.
WBBL Trophy
Nottingham Wildcats 72 – 65 Cardiff Met Archers (20-20, 40-29, 55-47)
Nottingham Wildcats opened the WBBL Trophy group stages with a victory as they overcame Cardiff Met Archers 72-65 at Wildcats Arena.
Wildcats – who have already won the WBBL Cup this season – enter this competition in great form, making it five wins in a row; and they also remain unbeaten against Archers in the WBBL, now 10-0.
Leading scorers – Lovett 24, Prior 18, Doran/Monakana 9 (Wildcats); Simpson 19, Collins 13, Schnorr 12 (Archers)
Turning point – After trailing by as many as seven points in the first quarter, an 11-0 burst early in the second proved decisive, sparked by Alyesha Lovett and including four points from Janice Monakana, as Wildcats went 31-24 up. They held Archers scoreless for five minutes in that run and the cushion, which reached 14 points, proved crucial as Archers came back to within one shot late on, before Alexandra Haley hit a key three-pointer.
Key stat – Wildcats played intense defence, forcing 18 turnovers with a massive 14 of those coming from steals, resulting in 17 points from turnovers in transition.
Game hero – Alyesha Lovett scored the key basket that turned the momentum in the game, and she led the way throughout with 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists.