Riders book Semi-Final spot after double overtime.
WBBL Trophy
Leicester Riders 90-82 Nottingham Wildcats (22-14, 42-37, 51-56, 69-69, 77-77)
Leicester Riders booked their spot in the Semi-Finals of the WBBL Trophy after outlasting Nottingham Wildcats for a double overtime victory at home.
The Riders will meet Westfield Health Sheffield Hatters in the last four after coming through an epic encounter.
Leading scorers – Thompson 29, Winterburn 21, Navarro 12 (Riders) – Lovett 30, Monakana 20, Sbahi 13 (Wildcats)
Turning point – A frantic finish to regulation saw a succession of big shots including Kate Oliver’s late basket to force overtime. In the extra period, the Wildcats appeared to take control with a 6-0 run but Holly Winterburn would tie the game with three free throws. Leicester then used a 10-2 burst to help close out the win.
Key stat – Riders shot 50% from inside the arc in a consistent display as they took 18 shots less than their opponents, who they kept to 34% from the field.
Game hero(es) – Jamila Thompson put up impressive numbers with 29 points on 12 of 13 shooting along with 12 rebounds and 6 assists for an efficiency rating of 47, while Holly Winterburn added a 21-point haul including some important scores in the extra periods.