WBBL Championship
London Lions 88-36 Newcastle Eagles (21-8, 42-15, 63-25)
(Lions: Herbert Harrigan, 22; Winterburn, 22; Battle/Charles, 10 – Eagles: Justinak, 10; Gaynor/Lowe, 8; Fernandez Pardo, 4)
Caledonia Gladiators 70-57 B. Braun Sheffield Hatters (13-11, 35-28, 55-36)
(Gladiators: McGarrachan, 16; Adams/Handy, 15; Elias/Lewis, 7 – Hatters: Murphy, 25; Niang, 10; Naylor, 9)
London Lions kept their grip on the top of the WBBL Championship table as they defeated the Newcastle Eagles 88-63 at the CopperBox Arena on Easter Sunday.
Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, who scored a game-high 22 points, was awarded MVP honours with four Lions players scoring in double digits, contributing to the impressive win.
In an impressive first half performance, the Lions dominated the Eagles, racing out to a commanding 21-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Herbert Harrigan was the star for London, getting off to a hot start with early buckets and crucial shot disturbances on the defensive end.
The WNBA-bound star was unstoppable inside the key, forcing Newcastle’s star centre, Antoinette Lewis, into early foul trouble.
London were effective on both sides of the floor, forcing numerous turnovers and capitalising on fast break opportunities.
Despite an excellent fast break finish from Maria Fernandez Pardo for the Eagles, London maintained control with a 9-0 run. This was capped off by an acrobatic layup from Shanice Beckford-Norton.
The Lions maintained their dominant presence into the second quarter, with Holly Winterburn and Herbert Harrigan leading the charge.
Winterburn drained a big three-pointer before shaking and baking along the baseline, resulting in a highlight-worthy reverse layup.
Defensively, Azania Stewart and Katsiaryna Snytsina denied Newcastle shot attempts.
The Eagles got a few baskets in response, however, including a big three-pointer from Abigail Lowe.
Proving relentless across the board, the Lions built a massive 42-15 lead by halftime.
The second half saw the Lions extend their dominant lead over the Eagles.
Despite a substantial lead, it was Newcastle’s Lewis who grabbed the first two points of the half, making a good move inside to free up space for a layup.
Shequila Joseph then got hot, knocking down a pair of buckets in quick succession, widening the gap further over Newcastle.
The Eagles struggled to keep up with the Lions’ pace and soon found themselves deeper in the hole.
Winterburn was locked and loaded for a deep triple from the top of the arc, raising London’s lead to 40 points.
The Lions continued to run riot throughout the final quarter, starting with effective link-ups between Snytsina and Stewart, culminating in a fast 5-0 start for the hosts.
Although the Eagles did their finest to claw back the substantial London advantage, including an all-net three from Courtney Clasen, they could not stop the Lions’ brilliance.
The Lions were victorious, with a final score of 88-36, showcasing their powerhouse talent across all departments.
Eagles will look to bounce back in their next exciting matchup against the Cardiff Met Archers. Both sides look to hang onto a playoff spot.
In a thrilling game between two formidable opponents, the Caledonia Gladiators outlasted the B. Braun Sheffield Hatters 70-57.
Erin McGarrachan led the way for the Gladiators, finishing with 16 points, seven rebounds, and two assists.
Hatters forward Karly Murphy had a remarkable game for the Hatters, boasting 25 points, 26 rebounds, and three steals.
From the get-go, the Gladiators took control of the game. Robyn Lewis made a crafty move inside and got a tough layup to fall through traffic, putting the Gladiators ahead.
Lewis then haunted the Hatters defence again, converting from deep, providing the Gladiators a 5-0 start.
Hatters got on the scoreboard with Murphy completing a strong cut inside the perimeter, finishing strongly over Caledonia’s towering Abbie Wolf.
Great teamwork from the Gladiators saw Wolf get her own back, drawing the Hatters defenders to her before threading a pass to McGarrachan, who converted at the front of the rim.
Hatters looked for points at the free-throw line to get back into the game, but the Gladiators were quick to respond.
Jamila Thompson made an excellent fake hand-off move, leaving her with a wide-open path to the basket for a layup, putting the Caledonia Gladiators slightly ahead.
A crucial three-pointer from Murphy reignited the Hatters in the closing seconds of the first.
The second quarter saw an impressive 4-0 start for Caledonia, with scores on the fast break, with Patricia Elias converting effortlessly on the other end.
Hatters forward Helen Naylor then put the Caledonia defender on skates, drawing plenty of fouls, converting efficiently from the line.
However, the Gladiators’ suffocating defence was too much for the Hatters, and Thompson managed to steal the ball and convert uncontested on the other end of the floor, putting a sudden hold on Sheffield’s comeback efforts.
Caledonia built up to a nine point lead, continuing to deny Hatters easy looks at the basket. Gladiators centre Wolf sent back a handful of shots.
An action-packed finish to first half saw McGarrachan nailing another huge shot, as the Gladiators entered halftime, up by a respectable seven points.
Hatters started confidently in the second half, as Lena Niang knocked down a strong hook shot inside the key.
But Caledonia’s Chantelle Handy could not miss, hitting back-to-back shots from deep to keep Caledonia’s lead soundly intact.
Caledonia flirted with a 20-point advantage heading into the final minutes, leading 64-47.
However, the Hatters mounted an impressive 7-0 run, including a deep conversion by Murphy, but it was not enough to conceal a first-class Gladiators performance.
Hatters will return to action next Saturday as they host a strong Essex Rebels side.
Gladiators will take a trip to face the Leicester Riders as they look to prove themselves as a force in the WBBL.