Westfield Health Sheffield Hatters opened the 2018-19 Championship with a home victory over Nottingham Wildcats.
WBBL Championship
Westfield Health Sheffield Hatters 97-63 Nottingham Wildcats (28-19, 51-39, 75-49)
Westfield Health Sheffield Hatters got their season off to the best possible start with a routine 97-63 home victory over Nottingham Wildcats.
Having gone trophyless for the first time last season – in the WBBL era – the Hatters made the most of their opening fixture to send a clear message of their desire to get back amongst the silverware.
Leading scorers – Naylor 28, Toeaina / Gorrell 24 (Hatters); Shumpert 23, Alicja-Oses 17, Prior 15 (Wildcats)
Turning point – Having controlled the tempo of the game for much of the contest, the Hatters put the game to bed after the half-time break with a dominant 24-10 third quarter.
Key Stat – The home team dominated under the basket, scoring 64 points in the paint and grabbing 60 rebounds – almost double the amount the visitors could muster.
Game hero(es) – Sarah Toeaina and Alison Gorrell produced spectacular debuts, combining for 48 points and 24 rebounds. Helen Naylor led the team in scoring with 28 points and added seven rebounds.