This weekend was light in terms of fixtures with only two games, but heavy in importance, as the Newcastle Eagles faced the Sheffield Hatters in the SLB Championship, while Manchester Basketball battled Oaklands Wolves for a place in the SLB Cup final.
Newcastle Eagles 65-82 B. Braun Sheffield Hatters
The B. Braun Sheffield Hatters claimed their 11th win of the season with a convincing 82-65 victory over the Newcastle Eagles at the Vertu Arena, making it six consecutive wins in SLB Championship.
The Hatters took a commanding lead in the opening quarter thanks to a strong start on both ends of the floor. However, the hosts fought back in the second quarter to make it a tight contest until the end of the third quarter. Despite their efforts to overcome the deficit, Newcastle appeared to run out of gas as Sheffield cruised to a comfortable victory after a dominant fourth quarter.
Antoinette Lewis led the Hatters in scoring with 19 points while Megan Mullings came close to secure a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds in the win.
For the Eagles, Maria Mongomo delivered an outstanding performance with a game-high 27 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals, though, it was not enough to secure victory. Meanwhile, Andrea Daley recorded a 16-point, 12-rebound, six-assist double-double in the loss.
Player of the game: Megan Mullings (B. Braun Sheffield Hatters)
Manchester Basketball 78-72 Oaklands Wolves
The Manchester Basketball qualified for the SLB Cup final after a hard-fought 78-72 victory over the Oaklands Wolves at the National Basketball Performance Centre.
The opening quarter was tightly contested, with both sides trading leads before Manchester edged ahead by just one. However, the Wolves delivered a strong second quarter to take command and lead by seven at the break.
The hosts then stormed back with a 12-2 run to open the third quarter, dominating on both ends of the floor as they held Oaklands to just eight points. Both sides fought hard in the final period, but despite all of Oaklands’ efforts, Manchester managed to hold on to their advantage and claim a spot in the SLB Cup final.
Maaja Bratka recorded an impressive game-high 23 points and eight rebounds on very efficient shooting (7-of-9) to lead her side to the Super League Basketball Cup final. Meanwhile, Tiarra East added 22 points and six assists in the win.
For the Wolves, Danielle McCray scored a team-high 18 points and six rebounds, while Shanice Beckford-Norton registered 14 points in the loss.
Player of the game: Maaja Bratka (Manchester Basketball)