The second weekend of SLB Championship action saw an early shake up to the title race.
There were convincing victories all around, with the reigning Champions picking up their first loss of the season, leaving the title race wide open.
Oaklands Wolves 93-85 Cardiff Met Archers
The Oaklands Wolves picked up their second win of the season over the Cardiff Met Archers, 93-85 on home soil.
The game kicked off with both teams finding spending time in the lead, but Oaklands were able to widen the gap towards the end of the first quarter. Cardiff were able to keep their scoring up in the second, but could not find a way to slow the Wolves down and at halftime, Oaklands led by 13.
The Archers went on an 11-0 run to open the second half, coming within one point, but Oaklands managed to hold them off, ending the quarter with a thin margin of two. Cardiff took the lead in the early minutes of the final period, but back-to-back buckets from Donnelly and Evans would put an end to the lead changes and secure the win for the Wolves.
Oaklands had three of their five starters put up double digits to help secure the victory. Two Archers players had a 30 piece, with Ivory Finley putting up 30 points with 14 rebounds and Alyssa Durazo-Frescas having 36 points and seven rebounds.
Player of the game: Summah Evans (Oaklands Wolves)
B. Braun Sheffield Hatters 59-88 Manchester Basketball
Manchester Basketball put up a 59-88 statement victory over reigning quadruple winners, B. Braun Sheffield Hatters.
The game started as a tight contest. Both teams exchanged points throughout to open the game, with Manchester narrowly in the driving seat at the end of the first quarter, leading 17-18.
Manchester started to build on their lead in the second quarter, going on a 14-4 run giving them a 30-47 cushion at the break. The Hatters were unable to slow down the north-west side’s scoring, going into the fourth quarter down by 28. MCR held their strong position for the final ten minutes, giving them a dominant win.
Manchester had five players put up double digits in points, with nine players contributing to the game’s scoring, including a near triple double from Caroline Lau. Laycee Drake led the way for Sheffield, putting up 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
Player of the game: Caroline Lau (Manchester Basketball)
London Lions 58-76 Caledonia Gladiators
The Caledonia Gladiators picked up their second win of the season, taking down the London Lions at NCC Hackney, 58-76.
The Gladiators made the first basket of the game and held the lead until the end. Finishing the first quarter up 14-31, the Scots were met with a fight back from the Lions, with the deficit being cut to six. Caledonia responded by going on a 7-0 run going into the break and their lead would not be threatened again.
Caledonia had 11 players chip in to their total, with Frannie Hottinger leading the way with 18 points and ten rebounds. The biggest contributor for the Lions was Chloe Wilson with 15 points.
Player of the game: Frannie Hottinger (Caledonia Gladiators)
Essex Rebels 94-62 Leicester Riders
A combined 69 points from starters led the Essex Rebels to a 94-62 win over the Leicester Riders, their first of the season.
The Rebels wasted no time in getting started sinking a three-pointer on their opening possession of the game, the shots continued to drop for them, ending the first quarter up 31-10. The Riders were able to improve their scoring in the second, restricting Essex’s scoring and capitalising off turnovers.
The homeside held a 22-point lead going into the third quarter. Leicester cut into this with a 9-3 run but Essex consistently found their way to the free-throw line, aiding them in extending their lead. Back-to-back three-pointers from the Rebels to open the fourth quarter set the tone for the final ten minutes, finishing the game with a 32 point difference.
Essex had six players finish with double digits, also sinking 15 three-pointers as a team, with Cerys Leach coming off the bench going 3/3 from the three point line. Katie Januszewska led the charge for the Riders with 24 points, Ally Sentance also contributed 16 points off the bench.
Player of the game: Lara Rohkohl (Essex Rebels)
Newcastle Eagles 80-55 Nottingham Wildcats
The Newcastle Eagles ended the weekend with a dominant team performance giving them a 91-70 victory over the Nottingham Wildcats.
The Wildcats took the lead early on but Newcastle went on a 17-3 run at the end of the first quarter to give themselves a comfortable lead. The Eagles’ scores continued to fall and with some tough defensive pressure they limited Nottingham’s scoring, being up 52-27 going into the third quarter.
The second half would see Nottingham find ways to limit Newcastle’s scoring, with the teams scoring the same amount of points in the third and fourth quarters. The comfortable lead that Newcastle had built in the first half allowed them to finish unscathed.
Every player that touched the floor for the Eagles contributed to the scoring. The Wildcats had three starters put up double digits.
Player of the game: Maddy Hinton (Newcastle Eagles)
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