Essex triumph in thriller; Caledonia, Newcastle record important wins

The Super League Basketball championship served up an enthralling five-game slate, including a nail-biting showdown between the Essex Rebels and the Sheffield Hatters.

Essex Rebels 103 – 102 Sheffield Hatters

Essex continued their impressive regular-season form with an incredible victory over the Hatters that went right down to the wire.

Sheffield stamped their authority early on in the game with a convincing first-quarter performance. Emma Gandini showcased her shooting ability as she recorded 11 points, with nine of her points coming from deep.

Quinesha Lockett (10 points) and Paige Meyer (16 points) combined for 26 points to turn this matchup on its head and inspire the Rebels to take a narrow 58-56 lead into the halftime break.

Both teams refused to give their opposition an inch as they returned to the court. Georgia Gayle was unstoppable as she ended the game with a sensational statline – recording 40 points, six rebounds, and six assists – but it was not enough to propel Sheffield to victory.

A late flurry of scoring from Meyer and Lockett draining a clutch pair of free-throws with one second left on the clock allowed Essex to improve their record to 4-1.

Player of the Game: Georgia Gayle (Sheffield Hatters)

London Lions 75 – 72 Manchester Basketball

Manchester Basketball had their hopes crushed of a vital victory on the road in a dramatic overtime loss to the London Lions at the New City College Hackney.

Annika Shah hit two precise shots from deep early in the first-quarter to continue her rich vein of scoring form and send the Lions into an early lead.

The shots dried up for London in the second period as Manchester began to find its rhythm. Frannie Hottinger showed aggressive intent by gliding passed defender to finish at the rim, chalking up 12 points in the process.

Some serious words of encouragement worked wonders at the half-time interval from both teams worked wonders as the sides continued to exchange blows. Manchester carried a three-point lead into the fourth-quarter.

The home side was convinced that they had chalked up the victory as they raced to a five-point lead with around 25 second left on the clock. However, Manchester’s Tierra East sensationally scored five late points to take the game to overtime.

London’s Mya Proctor exhibited iron lungs and an elite mentality as she buried four points to ensure her side would chalk up a home win.

Player of the Game: Annika Shah (London Lions)

Oaklands Wolves 70-66 Cardiff Met Archers

The Oaklands Wolves registered their third win of the campaign after a valiant second-half performance against the Cardiff Met Archers.

Both teams struggled to gain an edge over their opposition during the opening period of this fixture. Oaklands drained the majority of their points in the paint, whereas Cardiff were inevitable from three-point range, draining four shots from deep.

Cardiff varied their offensive gameplan in the second-quarter and started to find success in the interior. Amelia Scharpf scored points as the Met Archers headed into the half-time break with a 30-37 lead.

Oaklands provided a fiery response after the break, as they prioritise Teresa Da Silva in the offensive gameplan, allowing her to chalk up eight points, six of which came from outside of the perimeter.

The home team continued to apply the pressure as the game headed into the final period. Despite the Met Archers refusing to throw the towel in, the Wolves’ Devon Brookshire ended any hopes of a late comeback with two composed free throws.

Player of the Game: Sheridan Flauger (Cardiff Met Archers)

Nottingham Wildcats 63-84 Caledonia Gladiators

This game had two teams that needed wins on the board for very different reasons. Nevertheless, it would be an impressive Caledonia Gladiators roster that would return to Scotland triumphant.

Anastasia Warren continued to display how vital she is to Caledonia’s championship ambitions with 14 points in the opening quarter and did so from all three levels of scoring.

The Nottingham Wildcats courageously sparked fears of an upset with a spirited second-quarter fightback – outscoring the Gladiators 21-15 to take a two-point deficit into the break.

However, the talented forward Tierra Hodges began to impose her physicality in the battle of the boards, manufacturing second-chance opportunities for her teammates, and the Gladiators took control of the matchup.

Caledonia commenced fourth-quarter proceedings with an 8-0 run to effectively end any hopes of a historic comeback.

Player of the Game: Anastasia Warren (Caledonia Gladiators)

Leicester Riders 66-75 Newcastle Eagles

Despite the Newcastle Eagles heading into this showdown in scintillating form, it would be the Leicester Riders who would set the tempo in the opening periods of the game.

Leicester took a slender 20-18 lead in the first-quarter, as the electric Jada Holland buried six points and played a pivotal role in the Riders’ offence.

Holland continued to dominate proceedings with five more points and an assist to ensure that Newcastle could not get into their usual slick rhythm.

Nevertheless, the Eagles began to showcase the attributes that have made them a force to be reckoned with of late. A strong presence on the boards, combined with Shanique Lewis and Andrea Daley each scoring six points, carved the deficit to just one point.

Lewis, Daley, and Maria Mongomo continued to contribute to the scoreline in the final period, ensuring that Newcastle retain their place at the summit of the championship standings for another week.

Player of the Game: Andrea Daley (Newcastle Eagles)

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