21 Jan 2017 (TRO): Suns 69-71 Crusaders (OT)

Diana Naydenova-Goryanova and Charlotte Ellmore lead Crusaders through overtime in the WBBL Trophy

WBBL Trophy, South Group
Sevenoaks Suns 69 (8,22,40,53) (Nikitinaite 29, Carr 14, Pedersen 11)
Barking Abbey Crusaders 71 (15,28,44,53) (Gaskin 15, Naydenova-Goryanova 15, Ellmore 13)
After overtime

Barking Abbey Crusaders got their WBBL Trophy campaign off to a winning start with a narrow 71-69 overtime defeat of Sevenoaks Suns, led by a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds from Christina Gaskin.

The last four games between these South East rivals – currently fifth and sixth in the WBBL Championship – had all been settled by single figures, and this game would prove to be the closest yet.

It was the visiting Crusaders who had the better of a low-scoring first half between the second and third best defensive sides in the WBBL, taking a 15-6 lead on a burst of nine unanswered points. Zoe Willis hit a three-pointer in that run, and Savannah Wilkinson added four as the hosts were scoreless for four minutes. And they were up by as many as 13 when Charlotte Ellmore’s triple made it 28-15.

But Suns finished the half well, with Gabriele Nikitinaite scoring all of the last seven points to narrow the gap, and she carried that momentum into the third period, scoring four more as Suns got back to within one point.

Crusaders looked to have won the game when Diana Naydenova-Goryanova scored from long range with five minutes to play, making it 52-46. But the hosts clamped down on defence and finished with a 7-1 push, levelling with 18 seconds left after Catherine Carr’s ‘and-one’ and a pair of free-throws from Anne Pedersen.

The extra period was uncharacteristic of the rest of the game, as it became a three-point shoot-out, with six made in just five minutes. Nikitinaite made two for the hosts, initially, and they were still in front when Renee Busch connected.

But Naydenova-Goryanova made two of her own, giving Crusaders a 67-66 lead inside the final minute, before Ellmore settled the game from the free-throw line, making 4/4 in the last 30 seconds.