Manchester Mystics put in a strong first half performance to win at home.
WBBL Championship
Manchester Mystics 69 – 61 Oaklands Wolves (21-9, 42-19, 57-42)
Manchester Mystics overpowered Oaklands Wolves 69-61 at home to record their first back-to-back wins of the season and strengthen their position in fourth in the WBBL Championship table, moving to a 4-2 record.
Mystics dominated the first half, led by Rheanne Bailey and Georgia Jones, to make it three wins against the Wolves since they joined the WBBL last season. Wolves have now lost three in a row, and remain outside of the Play-off places.
Leading scorers – Jones 24, Bailey 16, Roscoe 14 (Mystics); Sarson 16, Ring 13, Nagy 7 (Wolves)
Turning point – Mystics opened a commanding lead immediately, as Rheanne Bailey scored eight early points to make it 12-4. The lead was soon double-digits, and reached 36-17 in the first half as Bailey added four more in a 7-0 second stanza burst. That gave the hosts a cushion to defend, despite a strong second half from the visitors.
Key stat – Mystics dominated inside, taking the ball hard to the basket and shooting 20 first half free-throws, making 18 of those (90%) to build their impressive lead. Bailey was 7/7 and Jones 5/5 in that half.
Game hero(es) – Georgia Jones had 25 points, seven assists, five rebounds and four steals to lead the Mystics overall, while Rheanne Bailey scored all 16 of her points in building that crucial first half lead, before fouling out.