A five-game serving awaited fans in the Betty Codona Trophy, including a huge matchup at the top of the Northern group.
Essex Rebels and B.Braun Sheffield Hatters remained the only unbeaten sides in the competition, whilst Manchester Basketball and London Lions also picked up victories.
Essex Rebels 79-65 Oaklands Wolves
Essex Rebels made it two wins from two, defeating Oaklands Wolves 79-65 at Essex Sport Arena.
Natalie Chou followed up her impressive opening game performance with 21 points and four steals, with Paige Meyer and Quinesha Lockett chiming in with 19 and 18 points respectively.
The two teams were evenly matched throughout the first half, with Oaklands leading by just a point after two quarters.
However, the Rebels came out of the interval charging with an immediate 10-0 run, and that shift in momentum would stay with them for the rest of the contest and allowed them to see things out in a fairly comfortable fashion.
Player of the game: Natalie Chou (Essex Rebels)
London Lions 67-64 Leicester Riders
A go-ahead shot from Jada Lewis with 13 seconds to play helped her London Lions squad secure a 67-64 victory over Leicester Riders.
Lewis, who had a game-high 23 points, and Annika Shah combined for eight makes from beyond the arc to help London bounce back from consecutive defeats.
The Lions never led by more than four points, but came up clutch when it mattered most, going on an 11-0 run in the final two and a half minutes.
Down by two, Lewis nailed her fourth shot from downtown, with Shah also showing her clutch gene and sinking two free throws to seal the win.
It means London has a 2-2 record in the Southern group, and puts them in contention to qualify for the semi-finals.
Player of the game: Jada Lewis (London Lions)
Nottingham Wildcats 80-100 Manchester Basketball
Manchester Basketball got in the win column in their final Betty Codona Trophy group game as they overcame the Nottingham Wildcats 100-80.
The entire starting five of Manchester put up double-figure points tallies, with efficient 20-pieces from Jenna Mastellone (63%) and Frannie Hottinger (61%), with the latter also going an incredible 6-of-10 from three-point range and flirting with a triple-double, grabbing 11 boards and dishing out eight assists.
Despite all but one of Nottingham’s starters scoring at least 14, consistent offensive output from the visitors saw them become the first team this season to reach the 100 point mark in a game.
Whilst it won’t be enough for them to advance to the semi-finals, Oli Bell will certainly have liked what he saw as he picked up his first win as head coach.
Player of the game: Frannie Hottinger (Manchester Basketball)
Caledonia Gladiators 67-79 B.Braun Sheffield Hatters
B.Braun Sheffield Hatters improved to 3-0 with a 79-67 win over Caledonia Gladiators in a top-of-the-table clash at Playsport.
Coming into the contest, the two teams were the only that remained undefeated in the Northern group, and it was Sheffield that came out on top on their visit to Scotland.
A strong first quarter got the Hatters rolling early, and the lead would remain with them throughout the match, in which they shot a terrific 53% from the floor.
Sheffield centre Antoinette Lewis played just under 20 minutes, but still led proceedings with 17 points on 70% shooting. Megan Mullings added 15 of her own to go alongside eight rebounds.
Player of the game: Antoinette Lewis (B.Braun Sheffield Hatters)
Cardiff Met Archers 57-103 Essex Rebels
Essex Rebels ran riot at home and kept their perfect record intact, winning 103-57 against the Cardiff Met Archers.
It was a quick turnaround for the Rebels who had played just 24 hours prior, but it didn’t stop them from putting on a show at Archers Arena.
Essex’s starting five combined for 86 of the team’s points, with Natalie Chou scoring 24 points in as many minutes and going 6-for-8 from three. There was also a unique stat line off the bench, as despite only scoring four points, Paige Meyer managed a double-double of 12 assists and 10 rebounds.
It took just over a quarter for the lead to reach 20, and by half-time it was at 35. This allowed for a relaxed second half, which would have come as a relief to coach Ashley Cookson with his squad being on limited rest.
It also guaranteed the Rebels a spot in the semi-final of the Trophy.
Player of the game: Natalie Chou (Essex Rebels)
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