WBBL Championship
Manchester Met Mystics 71- 83 Essex Rebels (21-20, 41-46, 55-66)
(Mystics: Keltos, 30; McDerment, 24; Sanchez Czerniecki, 15 – Rebels: Freeman, 19; Swart, 18; Turner, 16)
Essex Rebels successfully broke a three-game losing streak with a 71-83 victory on the road to Manchester Met Mystics.
A game full of impressive stat lines, career highs, and milestones, Rebels guard Daniela Turner led the way for the victors, chalking up 16 points and a season-high 12 assists, with only three rebounds short from logging a triple-double.
Though winless, Mystics put in a valiant effort. Samantha Keltos poured in a massive 32 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.
Mystics opened up the scoring courtesy of a three-point shot from Shaelynne Sanchez Czerniecki in a tight position at the top of the perimeter.
However, it didn’t take long to witness Sune Swart take over on both ends of the court.
The 6’4” Bucknell alumni got the Rebels on the scoreboard with a strong move inside to get past a resilient Mystics defence.
Swart then anchored the defensive side, rejecting two shots inside the key, forcing the Mystics to settle for shot attempts from beyond the arc.
Undeterred, the Mystics squad welcomed three-point opportunities with Sanchez Czerniecki and Leah McDerment knocking down back-to-back triples to counter Swart’s inside presence.
Rebels looked to Turner to reclaim the lead – converting a pair of trademark baskets with help from the backboard to put the visitors ahead by two.
Manchester Met intensified their inside attack. Keltos and Isobel Robinson battled fiercely to provide the Mystics with a hatful of second-chance efforts.
This led to a scoring spree from Keltos, evading the Rebels defence to get off an array of picturesque inside shots.
Essex were quick to reply with a confident corner three from Jade Mbam in the closing stages of the first.
But as the buzzer sounded, McDerment was able to get off another inside shot, handing the hosts a single-digit lead at the end of the opening quarter.
Second quarter action saw Tia Freeman of the Rebels notch her ninth point of the game, making it her 1,000th career point scored in the WBBL – a remarkable feat achieved by only 20 players.
The score continued to remain tight, with Mystics feeding the ball to Keltos and McDerment who were unstoppable at the mid-range zones.
Swart’s calculated steal and score, backed up the next possession by another bank shot, looked to steer the visitors into the lead.
But, a continuation of the hustle witnessed in the opening period, McDerment pulled off a great reverse layup after fighting to grab the offensive board over two Rebels defenders.
Rebels reacted emphatically, Mbam nailing her second three-pointer just before halftime, putting the visitors ahead.
Swart continued to dominate the low-post in the third quarter, proving difficult to shield away from the basket. With Keltos a crucial component to Manchester’s scoring, the 6’3” forward had to play cautiously while guarding Swart inside.
Freeman was not done after marking 1,000 career points, and continued to drive down the lanes to get the Mystics in plenty of foul trouble. Exceeding her season average, Freeman totalled nine points just from the charity stripe on her way to a team-high 19.
With the Rebels able to exercise a wide range of attacking options as well as getting the Mystics into foul trouble, the visitors forged a healthy 11-point advantage moving into the final period.
Mbam was on target once again beyond the arc, located by the eagle-eyed Turner, converting her third three-pointer in a row.
Essex continued their attack, with Andrea Kohlhaas converting a miraculous circus shot layup and-one play – putting the visitors up by 15.
Unfortunately for Manchester Met, Keltos’ time on the court was cut slightly short due to a harsh fall late into the fourth.
Rebels made use of Mystics’ prolific scorer out of the game to maintain their double-digit advantage.
Turner threw an array of cross-court passes to get Swart open for inside hook shots as well as Ashleigh Munns for a well-executed right-handed layup.
A final steal from Claire Paxton sealed the Essex victory – capping off an exhilarating matchup featuring four double-double performances.
Rebels bring an end to their three-game losing streak, but remain sixth in the standings.
Mystics add another defeat, but their good form is inching closer to their first regular season win.
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