WBBL Championship
Durham Palatinates 48-92 Leicester Riders (6-26, 23-45, 41-62)
(Palatinates: Bautista/Wayne, 12; Hurtado Barbeito; 7, Hendershot, 6 – Riders: Arlen, 24; Sarson, 18; O’Dwyer, 11)
Winless Durham Palatinates tested their mettle as they squared off against in-form Leicester Riders, who have won all but one of their five games this season.
Despite the strength of the Riders team that most recently crushed the Cardiff Met Archers by 33 points, both Durham and Leicester boast three players each averaging double-figures in scoring.
For Riders, their biggest threat came in the way of Oliana Squires, who has converted 11 three-point shots so far this season – more than two a game – while also shooting consistently well from all areas of the court.
Durham’s most significant strength, meanwhile, laid with guard Jessica Wayne, who through her past two games, has averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds, and three steals – making her a considerable threat to both the Riders offensive and defensive system.
The game got under way with fast and physical play, Leicester’s Ashley Arlen attacking the Durham basket, drawing contact, visiting the free-throw line in the very early stages of the game.
While Elle Hendershot provided Durham with their first points of the game, a high-tempo, unselfish Riders attack witnessed a barrage of baskets, with four Riders players already featuring on the scoresheet in the opening few minutes.
Arlen’s 12 first quarter points got the Riders off to a tremendous start with McKenzie Johnston unsurprisingly being a key playmaker, tallying three assists with plenty time remaining to surpass her current average of four assists per contest.
Fiona O’Dwyer provided some easy buckets off the bench cemented a staggering 26-point first quarter for Leicester.
The second period saw a bite back from Durham. Wayne got the first basket to begin the quarter for the trailing Palatinates, while Inma Bautistav nailed a pair of three-point shots to give the northern side a much-needed boost.
Nevertheless, Riders’ shooting was virtually unstoppable, as they successfully converted 83% (15-18) of their two-point field goal attempts before the whistle for half time sounded.
While Bautista, for Durham, reached double-figures in scoring, and Wayne provided some defensive aid, Arlan’s 15 points and 6 rebounds, while going perfect from inside the arc put the Riders comfortably ahead, up by 22.
Another quarter, another hatful of points for the Riders. This time, it was Beth Sarson‘s turn to shoot the lights out, with two beyond-the-arc shots getting her points total up to 12 (a season high), joining Arlan in double-figure scoring with a quarter to spare.
However, despite a comfortable first-half for the Riders squad, Durham upped the ante offensively in the second half. Plenty of Palatinates players knocked down shots to get back at a formidable Leicester team, including long-range efforts from Eliza Brault and Orieoma Chukwu-Etu – leading to Durham winning the penultimate quarter.
However, a crushing final quarter was on the cards for Leicester, who delivered a 30-point blowout performance to hand Durham their fourth loss of the season.
Riders’ Arlen went for 24 points, her third game this season amassing 20+ points, while Sarson produced a personal-best of 18 points on an efficient 66% (6-9 FG) shooting accuracy.
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