Hatters, Gladiators advance to Trophy final; Eagles remain unbeaten in Championship

A quieter three-game slate this weekend didn’t disappoint, with a trio of closely contested fixtures providing plenty of entertainment.

Two teams booked their place in the Betty Codona Trophy final, whilst another kept their perfect Super League Basketball Championship record intact.

B.Braun Sheffield Hatters 81-77 Oaklands Wolves

B.Braun Sheffield Hatters advanced to the final of the Betty Codona Trophy with an 81-77 victory over Oaklands Wolves.

Both teams were semi-finalists in this competition last season, with Sheffield exiting at this stage and Oaklands losing to the Caledonia Gladiators in the final, but the Hatters were able to come out on top and reach the final at the Utilita Arena.

It was Oaklands who got out to a strong start, jumping out to a 10-point lead in the first seven minutes, but shortly into the second quarter, that lead had evaporated, and Sheffield would go on to lead for the remainder of the contest.

However, it wasn’t all plain sailing, with the Wolves attempting to mount a late comeback and almost succeeding. Sheffield were up 14 with just under four to play, but a 12-0 run from the visitors that included eight from Teresa Da Silva meant it was a one possession game in the final 90 seconds.

Despite this surge, their efforts weren’t quite rewarded, with a number of missed shots meaning the turnaround couldn’t quite be completed.

For the Hatters, Megan Mullings led the way with a 25-point, eight-rebound outing on 60% shooting, and Shauna Harrison contributed 19 of her own.

Shanice Beckford-Norton had 23 to lead Oaklands in scoring, with Da Silva adding 19 from the bench. Danielle McCray had a double-double with 13 points and 12 boards.

Sheffield will face either the Caledonia Gladiators in the final.

Player of the game: Megan Mullings (B.Braun Sheffield Hatters)

Newcastle Eagles 66-62 Cardiff Met Archers

Newcastle Eagles continued their perfect start in the SLB Championship, defeating Cardiff Met Archers 66-62.

Alyssa Marin and Shanique Lucas combined for 44 of Newcastle’s 66 points as they improved to 4-0 and remained as the only team yet to lose in the Championship.

The first half was, for the most part, controlled by Cardiff, who found themselves up by double-digits on multiple occasions, but a 15-5 run by the Eagles before the interval meant the teams were level at half-time.

The third quarter saw more scoring runs, with the first coming from Newcastle who scored 13 without reply to jump out to a double-digit lead of their own. The Archers answered back, however, outsourcing Newcastle 12-4 to cut the deficit to three and make it anyone’s to win in the final 10 minutes.

The Eagles managed to hold on to their lead to secure the win at home, and despite a valiant effort from Cardiff, the wait goes on for their first win of the season.

Player of the game: Shanique Lucas (Newcastle Eagles)

Essex Rebels 93 – 95 Caledonia Gladiators

The Essex Rebels and the Caledonia Gladiators took to the floor in an attempt to guarantee their place in the Betty Codona Trophy final, and this one did not disappoint, with both sides playing aggressively.

It was a dominant start to the game from the Gladiators as they went on an early 9-0 run, with Tierra Hodges tallying up four points. Essex responded brilliantly with a 9-1 run of their own. Each team refused to give an inch as the first quarter ended 19-19.

Both teams continued to push the intensity in the second period. The Rebels’ forward Maria Blazejewski attempted to put her stamp on the game with eight points in the quarter, allowing Essex to stay within touching distance of Caledonia as the half-time buzzer sounded with the score sitting at 35-37.

Hannah Robb came out of the half-time break in scintillating fashion for the Gladiators and sank eight points, draining a brilliant three-point attempt with around three minutes left on the clock. However, it would be the Rebels that dominated the quarter to keep the contest alive. Essex guard Paige Meyer supplied her team with 14 vital points to head into the break with a one-point lead (64-63).

This enthralling matchup was destined to go right down to the wire. Despite being down nine with five minutes to go, Essex teased a sensational comeback as Meyer sparked her teammates into life with five points in three minutes to bring the score level. Nevertheless, an ice-cold finish at the rim from Tierra Hodges and a decisive free throw from Robb crushed the Rebels’ hope, booking the Gladiators’ spot in the final.

Player of the game: Tierra Hodges (Caledonia Gladiators)

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