Hatters blow away Wildcats; Gladiators continue to thrive

League action came to a halt as the Super League Basketball Cup returned with four exciting games.

Four teams cemented a place in the SLB Cup semi-finals, as the Caledonia Gladiators were triumphant in a highly entertaining matchup with the Essex Rebels.

Oaklands Wolves 79 – 56 Newcastle Eagles

A dominant first-quarter from the Oaklands Wolves proved too difficult an obstacle for the Newcastle Eagles to overcome as they fell to defeat at the Oaklands College Sportszone.

Despite Oaklands sitting below Newcastle in the regular-season standings, it was the home team that set the tempo from the first tip. The Wolves went on a 15-0 run to start the game, and Danielle McCray registered eight first-quarter points.

Newcastle did stage a minor comeback in the second quarter, reducing the deficit to 10 points. Both Sarah Wells and Maria Mongomo chalked up five points to lead the resurgence going to the half-time break.

However, McCray continued to assert her dominance, scoring another seven points and crushed any hopes Newcastle had of making it into the Cup Semi-Final.

The Eagles would fight until the very end in this one, but their fate was already sealed, as they headed back to Tyneside as eventual losers in the tie.

Player of the Game: Danielle McCray (Oaklands Wolves)

Essex Rebels 94-108 Caledonia Gladiators

The Caledonia Gladiators continued their rich vein of offensive form against fellow regular-season high-flyers, the Essex Rebels, who could not match their opponents’ superiority in this fixture.

It was Essex who looked the most potent in the first quarter, edging this period by one point (25-24). Quinesha Lockett scored nine of her 18 points for the night in the opening period of the game.

Again, the Rebels stood firm and matched the Gladiators pound-for-pound as the teams headed into the half-time break. Both sides chalked up 24 points each, with the home team boasting a one-point lead as the buzzer sounded.

Caledonia needed an emphatic response to swing the momentum of the tie, and they did exactly that – outscoring their opponents by 18 points. The devastating duo of Tierra Hodges and Anastasia Warren both scored 12 points to turn this fixture on its head.

The Rebels managed to edge the Gladiators in the fourth-quarter by three points; however, the damage had already been done and it would be Caledonia that sealed their spot in the next round.

Player of the Game: Anastasia Warren (Caledonia Gladiators)

Nottingham Wildcats 56-110 Sheffield Hatters

To pull off a major SLB Cup upset, the Nottingham Wildcats were going to turn in a near-perfect performance from the start. This was something that the Sheffield Hatters refused to come to fruition as they dominated proceedings from the opening tip.

In the first quarter alone, Sheffield outscored Nottingham by 22 points, with Antionette Lewis sparking the offence into life with nine points.

Unfortunately for the Wildcats, the Hatters continued to share the scoring responsibility and Nottingham could not formulate an effective gameplan to stop the bleeding. The away team would boast a 38-point lead heading into the break.

Sheffield’s momentum carried into both the third and fourth quarters, and it was obvious that Vanessa Ellis’ squad would be guaranteed a place in the semi-finals.

Despite an 18-point haul in the game from Nottingham’s Johannah Langbehn, this game ended with a blowout scoreline.

Player of the Game: Antoinette Lewis (Sheffield Hatters)

Leicester Riders 60-91 Manchester Basketball

Maaja Bratka’s sensational first-half rebounding display and Frannie Hottinger’s frenzy ensured that Manchester Basketball would chalk up an away victory against the Leicester Riders.

Leicester’s offence struggled to get going during the opening period, allowing Manchester to establish a 12-point advantage. Hottinger’s eight first-quarter points were a major contributor to the away team’s early dominance.

Katie Januszewska and the Riders upped the tempo in the second-quarter, as the electric guard chalked up eight points and, most importantly, swung the momentum of this cup tie.

The home team continued to stage a comeback after the half-time break by storming to an 11-2 run, forcing Manchester into a timeout with around four minutes played. However, this break in play allowed visitors to regain their composure, scoring on the next three plays. Inevitably, this was the catalyst for extending their lead to 18 points heading into the final period.

It was much of the same as the fourth-quarter continued to be dictated by an impressive Manchester side. Again, Hottinger spearheaded the charge by accumulating another five points in the process. The away team weathered the storm and will head into the semi-finals.

Player of the Game: Veera Pirttinen (Manchester Basketball)

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