Riders book return to the capital
benecos WBBL Play-Offs Semi-Final
Leicester Riders 72-68 Westfield Health Sheffield Hatters (23-18, 39-29, 59-51)
They were pushed all the way, but a triumphant Leicester Riders got the job done against Hatters and are now looking forward to going back to The O2 for the benecos WBBL Play-Off Final.
Last year’s runners-up will be looking to go one better this time around and could yet face Sevenoaks Suns in a repeat of the 2018 Final.
Leading scorers – Kate Oliver 32, Holly Winterburn 19, Dee Hayward 9 (Riders) – Sarah Toeaina 24, Alison Gorrell 14, Luiana Livulo 11 (Hatters)
Turning point – Hatters lost experience and a scoring presence when Helen Naylor limped off the court in the first-half, while they also then lost Luiana Livulo who fouled out ahead of crunch time.
Key stat – The hosts controlled the ball very well in a pressure game. They spilled it only 11 times.
Game hero(es) – Kate Oliver was head and shoulders above everyone else on the floor with a stunning double-double of 32 points and 12 rebounds. Holly Winterburn weighed in with the cameo as she finished with 19 points and 8 boards.