Riders dodge a bullet in the league
WBBL Championship
Leicester Riders 86-81 Essex Rebels (30-17, 41-29, 64-65)
There was a palpable sense of relief from Leicester Riders as they came from 14-points behind in the second half to pip struggling Rebels.
In a thrilling encounter and super advert for the league, Riders got it done in crunch time to complete a joyous weekend, having confirmed their place in the Betty Codona WBBL Trophy Final 24 hours earlier.
Leading scorers – Rebecca Navarro 19, Dee Hayward 17, Brea Elmore 13 (Riders); DeAngelique Waithe 29, Jessy Ward 23, Charleene Tom 10 (Rebels)
Turning point – Rebels led 64-50 late in the third period, but Riders finished strongly and got to within a point heading into the last quarter. It gave them the confidence and momentum to push on for the victory.
Key stat – Rebels spilled the ball 20 times and several of those came in the last 15 minutes, including unforced errors when inbounding from their own baseline.
Game hero(es) – It was a team performance from Riders, with Rebecca Navarro choosing a good time to have her best outing of the season with 19 points. Dee Hayward led by example with 17, while Brea Elmore claimed 13 points and 8 assists as she came up in the clutch for the second time in as many days.