Week Four of the Super League Basketball season saw two unbeaten teams match up, the title holders find their groove and one team put on a totally dominant display.
Leicester Riders 75 – 92 London Lions
Winless Leicester Riders hoped for a change of fortunes on Saturday afternoon, when they welcomed the mid-table London Lions for an early tip-off.
Nick Moodey’s team made a positive start, but as the opening period developed, London snatched the lead. The visitors then built upon their advantage throughout the second period, with Annika Shah leading a scoring surge that created a double-digit advantage. When the teams split for half-time, the Lions led by 11.
Despite strong resistance from Katie Januszewska, couldn’t make a significant dent on the scoreline in the third. Shah was joined by Amaris Baker to widen the gap, as the pair found their way to the basket routinely. Leicester could not keep up, even falling 23 points behind in the final quarter. London’s second unit then saw out proceedings and when the buzzer sounded, London moved to 2-2, while Leicester slide to 0-4 to start the season.
Player of the Game
Amaris Baker shone through with an incredibly well-rounded performance, earning a PIR of 26 through 26 points, 7 board, 5 assists and 3 steals.
Essex Rebels 66 – 101 Manchester Basketball
Two teams who have made wildly different starts to the season met in Essex, as unbeaten Manchester Basketball arrived at Essex Sports Arena to face the struggling Essex Rebels.
Coach Tor Freeman will have been buoyed by the start the hosts made, as Alexa Jade Mikeska and Cameron Taylor Willis shot confidently to earn an early lead. Manchester found a reaction from the bench, as Jenna Mastellone stepped up to tie the game at the end of the first. An 11-1 Manchester run saw the game turn around in the second quarter, as they created a double figure differential, sparked by the sharpshooting of Maya Price and Maaja Bratka. When the teams split for the locker rooms, Oli Parr’s side led by 13.
Through no lack of effort, Essex just saw the game slip away from them in the third quarter. Manchester moved the ball with vim and played swarming, stubborn defence to put the contest way beyond the hosts and complete a dominant victory. At its largest, the road team led by 38 but by the end, the Rebels fell by 35.
With the emphatic result, perfect Manchester moved to 4-0, while Essex fell to 1-3.
Player of the Game
Maaja Bratka put on a tremendous display, leading the game with 24 points, pulling down five boards and earning three steals. Her contribution resulted in a PIR of 25.
Nottingham Wildcats 67 – 90 Cardiff Met Archers
It was a bottom-of-the-table battle on Saturday evening, when the Cardiff Met Archers visited the Nottingham Wildcats Arena in the searched for their second win of the season.
Standing in Cardiff’s way was the winless Wildcats, who started brightly and earned multiple leads in the first quarter. However, behind the scoring of Ivory Finley, the Archers came back swinging to take a lead of their own.
Just when Cardiff appeared to be pulling away, Nottingham pushed back to reduce the deficit. Mariam Olawoyin attacked consistently and at half time, the hosts were just a point behind.
Alyssa Durazo-Frescas made an impact in the third quarter, widening the margin with a series of tough lay-ups that saw Cardiff head into the final frame ahead by 9. That’s when things got a little out of hand, when a 15-0 Archers run saw Stef Collins’ team take complete control. Jasmine Graham and Laila Anderson added a scoring punch from the bench and when the curtain closed on this one, the visitors had won by 23 and improved their record to 2-2.
Player of the Game
Ivory Finley put on a masterclass for Cardiff. Recording a whopping PIR of 37, the American forward added 12 rebounds and 5 dimes to a 28-point scoring display.
Oaklands Wolves 72 – 98 Caledonia Gladiators
Arguably the most intriguing clash of the weekend happened at the Oaklands Sportszone on Saturday evening, when the 3-0 Oaklands Wolves hosted the equally unstoppable Caledonia Gladiators.
Only one team could remain unbeaten and in the opening quarter, neither team seemed likely to budge. The sides exchanged leads for minutes, before the Glads took control, scoring as a unit to carve out a double-digit advantage. The Scots piled in the points through the second quarter and heading into half-time, held a 21-point lead.
Plenty of the same in the third, as Caledonia even created a 27-point chasm and put the contest beyond any realistic doubt. That gap widened to 31 in the final period, with the Wolves unable to get their claws into this one at all.
Four out of five starting Gladiators scored in double figures, as the team put on a professional display to secure the comfortable W. Still trying to protect their perfect record, Oaklands fought until the end, but it didn’t show on the scoreboard. In the end, Donnie Macdonald’s team made it four wins with no reply, while the hosts moved to 1-3.
Player of the Game
Frannie Hottinger put on a tremendous display, recording 23 points, eight boards and a PIR of 27.
Newcastle Eagles 82 – 99 B. Braun Sheffield Hatters
The reigning champ B. Braun Sheffield Hatters needed a win badly, when they arrived at the Vertu Arena to face the Newcastle Eagles.
Hoping to fully bounce back from the poor start to their title defence, Sheffield started confidently, as Nina Krisper propelled them into an early lead. Maddy Hinton hit back for the Eagles, before Pollyanna Storie snatched the advantage back for the home team in the second. The gap increased to 11, but back came Krisper and Tierra Hodges to drive the lane and reduce the deficit to just one at half-time.
The teams traded blows for most of the third, swapping the lead consistently and eventually heading into the final frame tied at 68. Sheffield soon showed their famous steel, showcasing their title-winning spirit to take the reins with a 12-0 run to start the final period. From that point on, Newcastle had let the game slip away and when Tia Morgan hit the final shot, the Hatters won by 17.
Player of the Game
Nina Krisper’s majestic performance made all the difference for Sheffield. Her 31 points and 10 rebounds earned her a hugely impressive PIR of 35.
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