The B. Braun Sheffield Hatters, Caledonia Gladiators and London Lions walked away with wins in the Women’s British Basketball League Championship.
B. Braun Sheffield Hatters 86 – 60 Cardiff Met Archers
Starting Fives:
B.Braun Sheffield Hatters:Carla Drennan, Georgia Gayle, Emma Eichmeyer, Desiree Ramos, Madison Washington
Cardiff Met Archers: Azeb Smalley, Abigail Yunker, Sol Lemoinge, Jenna Hoschouer, Haylee Saurette
First Half:
B. Braun Sheffield Hatters took control of the first quarter, going into the second quarter of play with a 10-point lead.
Emma Eichmeyer’s scoring allowed Sheffield to expand on their lead, despite the Cardiff Met Archers using the pick and roll in an attempt to get back into the game.
At the perimeter, Haylee Saurette was able to challenge the Hatters’ defence, but the rest of the Cardiff team struggled to get anything going offensively.
Sheffield were able to hold onto their lead and go into the half 47-31.
Second Half:
The Archers came in from the break with an improvement on their finishing, signalling that they would not be going out without a fight.
However, the Hatters did well to break any press that Cardiff made, allowing them to maintain their lead throughout the third quarter.
It was proving to be a challenge for the Archers to build any transition play towards the end of the third, allowing Sheffield to go into the final stretch with a 21-point lead.
The fourth quarter saw the Hatters continue to dominate, winning the game 86-60.
Player of the Game:
Emma Eichmeyer had a spectacular performance, scoring 20 points, seven rebounds and two assists.
| Team | Player | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| B. Braun Sheffield Hatters | Emma Eichmeyer | 20 | 7 | 2 |
| B. Braun Sheffield Hatters | Melita Emmanuel-Carr | 22 | 2 | 2 |
| Cardiff Met Archers | Haylee Saurette | 28 | 16 | 4 |
| Cardiff Met Archers | Jenna Hoschouer | 14 | 3 | 3 |
Caledonia Wildcats 91 – 41 Nottingham Wildcats
Starting Fives:
Caledonia Gladiators: Samantha Roscoe, Hannah Robb, Ariadna Pujol, Laken James, Kirsty Brown
Nottingham Wildcats: Jocie Leavold, Mari Stewart, Jessica Wayne, Brooke Bjelko, Jiselle Havas
First Half:
Caledonia Gladiators took complete control of the opening quarter, scoring 31 points and only giving up 10 to the Nottingham Wildcats.
From range, Caledonia looked at their best with Alix McIntosh draining multiple in the first half of the game.
The Wildcats had major issues finding the basket, as the Gladiators did a great job of contesting Nottingham’s shot selection.
The half ended 49-17 after a strong display from Caledonia on both ends of the court.
Second Half:
Caledonia managed to start where they left off, continuing to score with ease and keeping their defence tight.
Nottingham were unable to stop Samantha Roscoe, who used her height and strength to become a reliable source of points in the low post.
Roscoe was not the only player causing issues in the post, as Sokhna Binton Lo Sylla took control of the rebounding for the Gladiators.
Nottingham were unable to make any notable impact, leading the Gladiators to a blow-out win of 91-41.
Player of the Game:
17-year-old Alix McIntosh was a real threat from deep, picking up 17 points and 1 rebound.
| Team | Player | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Caledonia Gladiators | Alix McIntosh | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| Caledonia Gladiators | Samantha Roscoe | 18 | 6 | 1 |
| Nottingham Wildcats | Mari Stewart | 19 | 9 | 1 |
| Nottingham Wildcats | Jessica Stewart | 14 | 9 | 1 |
London Lions 98 – 65 Durham Palatinates
Starting Fives:
London Lions: Ivana Katanic, Holly Winterburn, Megan Gustafson, Savannah Wilkinson, Abby Meyers
Durham Palatinates: Janika Griffith Wallace, Elle Hendershot, Eliza Brault, Katie Bennett, Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby
First Half:
The game began as a closely fought contest, with only three points separating the two at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter saw the London Lions take some control, with Megan Gustafson playing a huge part in increasing their lead.
Katie Bennett led the Durham Palatinates offense, but her efforts were not enough to tie up the game before the half.
The score was 50-41 going into the break.
Second Half:
The Lions were able to extend their lead to 18 points within the first five minutes of the third quarter.
London had points coming from all over the floor, with Holly Winterburn picking up a double-double with 10 assists to keep the offense flowing.
In terms of getting to the basket, Durham had a lot of inconsistency, and they struggled to defend against London scoring from so many angles.
London were able to entirely takeover the game towards the end, winning 98-65.
Player of the Game:
Megan Gustafson provided stability to the London Lions throughout the game, with 23 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists.
| Team | Player | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| London Lions | Megan Gustafson | 23 | 12 | 2 |
| London Lions | Holly Winterburn | 10 | 5 | 10 |
| Durham Palatinates | Janika Griffith Wallace | 13 | 2 | 0 |
| Durham Palatinates | Eliza Brault | 13 | 4 | 3 |
With the new season here, you can still get your British Basketball fix by following the League on social media or heading to our YouTube channel to relive all of the best moments from the current season.