The Manchester Giants and B. Braun Sheffield Hatters ruled the second day of Betty Codona Trophy Quarter-Final action, both picking up double-digit wins to advance to the Semis.
B. Braun Sheffield Hatters 71 – 61 Durham Palatinates
The B. Braun Sheffield Hatters defeated the Durham Palatinates in a convincing Trophy Quarter Final performance.
Though they had to resist some valiant runs from Durham, Sheffield managed to win by double figures, having held the lead from the opening minute.
B. Braun Sheffield Hatters starting five: Nicolette Fairley, Emma Eichmeyer, Shauna Harrison, Desiree Ramos, Madison Washington
Durham Palatinates starting five: Elle Hendershot, Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby, Orieoma Chukwu-Etu, Janika Griffith Wallace, Eliza Brault
First Half:
Day two of the Betty Codona Trophy Quarter-Finals tipped off in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the Canon Medical Arena.
With a coveted spot in the Semis up for grabs, the crowd anticipated a competitive affair, as the B. Braun Sheffield Hatters hosted the Durham Palatinates.
Only one team showed up in the opening minutes, as the Hatters raced off to a nine point lead, led by Emma Eichmeyer, who combined deep shooting with aggressive drives to set the tone.
Durham answered swiftly however, with Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby pulling her team back into the game early. The forward held a commanding presence on the boards, while offering an offensive outlet for her teammates.
Madison Washington then asserted herself tremendously, putting together a run for Sheffield that re-opened the lead. She scored a series of turnaround jump shots and contested lay-ups, to push Vanessa Ellis’ side up by double digits.
The Palatinates just wouldn’t fold. They chipped away at the deficit, scoring by committee and defending the paint more effectively, resulting in an increase in rebounds down the stretch, surely pleasing Head Coach Lee Davie.
As the teams split for the break, Sheffield led 34-29.
Second Half:
Both outfits started quickly, as they returned to action for the third quarter. They went blow-for-blow, exchanging confident makes and pushing the pace both ways.
Despite a confident restart for Durham, they couldn’t put a significant dent in Sheffield’s lead, as the Hatters came back swinging every time.
Nicolette Fairley put on an outstanding display in the penultimate period, as she sprung into life on the offensive end. The dynamic guard scored 11 points in ten minutes, to help create the 16-point advantage Sheffield carried into the final quarter.
With five minutes remaining the game, the Hatters had stretched their lead to 18, but as they had so often in the game, the Palatinates hustled hard to shrink it back down to 10. However, Sheffield maintained control of the pace, as they move the ball effectively and Eichmeyer continued to make the difference.
The Hatters put on a professional display of game management as the clocked ticked away, and at the sound of final buzzer, they had earned a 72-61 victory, as leading the entire game.
Sheffield progress to face the formidable London Lions the Betty Codona Trophy Semi-Finals.
Player of the Game:
Emma Eichmeyer was today’s Player of the Game. The versatile German scored 21 points, pulled down 12 rebounds and dished out six assists in a dominant performance.
|
Player |
Team |
Points |
Rebounds |
Assists |
|
Emma Eichmeyer |
B. Braun Sheffield Hatters |
21 |
12 |
6 |
|
Madison Washington |
B. Braun Sheffield Hatters |
15 |
10 |
4 |
|
Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby |
Durham Palatinates |
19 |
10 |
1 |
|
Elle Hendershot |
Durham Palatinates |
17 |
10 |
6 |
Manchester Giants 98 – 69 Nottingham Wildcats
The Manchester Giants dominated the Nottingham Wildcats in the second Trophy Quarter Final clash of the day.
Idil Turk led the way with a breathtaking scoring barrage, as the Giants overpowered Nottingham, despite a competitive start to the game.
Manchester Giants starting five: Lauren Thomas-Johnson, Brooklyn Mcalear-Fanus, Georgia Anderson, Myah Pace, Hannah Shaw
Nottingham Wildcats starting five: Abbey Whitehouse, Mari Stewart, Jessica Wayne, Brooke Bjelko, Jiselle Havas
First Half:
In another instalment of Sunday night action, the Manchester Giants welcomed the Nottingham Wildcats to the National Basketball Performance Centre.
As many expected, the tie got off to a highly entertaining start. In the opening minutes, the Giants established a fragile five-point lead, thanks to an impressive start from Lauren Thomas-Johnson.
Then came Brooke Bjelko, who was identified as Nottingham’s primary option in the early stages. The centre was fed inside with regularity and it paid off; she hit a string of interior jump shots and forced her way to the basket with tremendous physicality.
Idil Turk joined the party from the bench, answering back for Manchester with highly-confident shooting, offering a fresh dimension.
The contest was extremely tight throughout the first period, with both sides refusing to back down. The Manchester crowd witnessed four lead changes in the opening quarter.
The Giants went on a run in following minutes, with a notable contribution from Turk, who continued to put on an astounding scoring display. The Turkish guard scored 16 points in the second quarter, to propel her team into a double-digit lead.
At end of the first half, Marg Jones’ team had made it 53-37, seemingly out of nowhere.
Second Half:
The momentum carried over for Manchester, who continued to move the ball with an abundance of vim and tighten the grip they had on this contest.
Bjelko worked extremely hard to provide buoyancy for the Wildcats, pounding the paint at any given opportunity. But the Giants became increasingly more overwhelming for her team.
Turk remained aggressive, running the floor in transition and interrupting Nottingham’s passing lanes with active hands. She was joined by a fellow member of the second unit, as Sydney Hunter offered an additional scoring punch from the pine.
Quickly after the final period, the Giants’ lead had surpassed 20. From that point on, Manchester cruised. Nottingham struggled to find an answer on offence and were seemingly overpowered on the other end of the floor.
Appropriately, Turk scored a lay-up with less than a minute to go, putting a punctuation mark on a staggering Giants performance. At the end of this one, Manchester reigned victorious to the tune of 98-69.
The Giants will advance to the Betty Codona Trophy Semi-Finals to face the Essex Rebels next weekend.
Player of the Game:
Today’s Player of the Game could only be one name – Idil Turk. Embodying the very definition of a ‘super-sub’, the 27-year-old recorded 35 points, one rebounds and three assists, elevating her team to a new level.
|
Player |
Team |
Points |
Rebounds |
Assists |
|
Idil Turk |
Manchester Giants |
35 |
1 |
3 |
|
Lauren Thomas-Johnson |
Manchester Giants |
14 |
5 |
1 |
|
Brooke Bjelko |
Nottingham Wildcats |
33 |
8 |
0 |
|
Mari Stewart |
Nottingham Wildcats |
12 |
9 |
1 |