WBBL Championship

 Leicester Riders 76-63 Durham Palatinates (29-12, 47-25, 60-44)
(Riders: Arlen, 15; Eadsforth-Yates, 13; O’Dwyer, 11 — Palatinates: Ottewill-Soulsby, 18; Wayne, 14; Hendershot, 9)

Leicester Riders overcame a shaky last two minutes to see-off the Durham Palatinates 76-63 at Loughborough University on Thursday night.

The win against a stubborn Durham side keeps Leicester hot on the trail of the league leaders the London Lions as the Riders improve to 15-2 with a trip to Sevenoaks Suns on Monday (10 April) to come.

Ashley Arlen led the Riders with a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds, supported by Jessica Eadsforth-Yates with 13.

Durham, who trailed by as many as 31 points brought it to within eight with less than two minutes to play were led by 18 points and six rebounds from Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby.

It took a while for the game to get going, but Leicester got into rhythm as Eadsforth-Yates hit back-to-back triples to give them a 13-6 lead, forcing the Palatinates into a timeout.

With a short rotation, it was important for Durham to play smart at both ends, and despite picking two quick fouls, they were patient on the offensive side but could not execute, only going 5/17 from the field in the first.

The Riders were unstoppable, going 10/14 from the field, highlighted by a deep three on the first-quarter buzzer by Oliana Squires to give the hosts a 29-12 lead.

Despite the deficit, Durham fought back with scores from Eliza Brault and Inma Bautista-Villeverde to bring it back to within 12 points, holding Leicester scoreless for the first two minutes of the second.

The Riders, however, were able to step up a gear once more, as eight straight points from Fiona O’Dwyer extended their lead to 37-17 midway through the quarter, as foul trouble also crept up on the visitors.

Leading 47-25 going into the third quarter, Leicester were keen not to let Durham back into the game as they quickened the pace and went to Arlen inside.

A three from Squires from the wing gave the Riders a 58-27 lead as the Palatinates struggled, especially from outside, going 1/5 from the field in the first three minutes.

There were bright spots for Durham, as former Charnwood product Ottewill-Soulsby connected on back-to-back three-point plays as they narrowed the deficit at the end of the third, but the Riders still enjoyed a 60-44 advantage.

A score from Elle Hendershot to start the fourth gave the visitors further hope, having trailed by as many as 31 points at that point until Hannah Robb settled the nerves with a three in the corner in the following possession.

And as the quarter progressed, Kirsty Brown restored Leicester’s 20-point cushion and despite Durham reducing the lead again late on thanks to a 10-0 run, secured the win as they remain on the heels of the league-leading London Lions.

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