The final four teams have been determined following the final round of Betty Codona Trophy group games over the weekend.
After four consecutive seasons, the London Lions’ tight grip on the Trophy has been released, and a new name will be engraved on the silverware on January 26 in Birmingham, as the defending champions were eliminated from contention this weekend.
Durham Palatinates 71-98 Caledonia Gladiators
The Caledonia Gladiators were the first team to qualify for the Semi-Finals with a convincing 98-71 win over Durham Palatinates in the North East on Saturday.
A 10-0 run midway through the first quarter lifted Caledonia to an early lead, which they never let go of. Durham threatened towards the second’s closing stages, but a third-quarter blitz from the visitors put the game to bed.
Kat Tudor and Maya Price both had 19 points for the winners, with the latter pulling down nine rebounds. Erin McGarrachan secured a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds as the Gladiators finished Group A with a perfect 2-0 record.
Shanique Lucas had a game-high 28 points for Durham, who finished winless from two games.
MVP: Maya Price (Caledonia Gladiators)
Manchester Basketball 93-62 Nottingham Wildcats
Manchester Basketball gave themselves hope of a spot in the Semi-Finals with a 93-62 victory over Nottingham Wildcats at the National Basketball Performance Centre.
Already leading 33-12 after one, Manchester asserted its dominance early in the second. An 8-0 start killed the game as a contest, with Manchester’s lead peaking at 37 points.
Maura Fitzpatrick paced Manchester with 17 points in a balanced scoring effort that saw the bench contribute 48 points in the win.
Claire Jacobs led the Wildcats with 18 points, and they finished 0-2 in Group B.
MVP: Maura Fitzpatrick (Manchester Basketball)
London Lions 47-102 Essex Rebels
Essex Rebels emphatically brought London Lions‘ Trophy defence to an end with a 102-47 win at Barking Abbey and seal their Semi-Final spot with two wins from as many games.
Already leading 21-12 after the first ten minutes, the Rebels pushed the bar further by holding the Lions to just two points in the second while scoring 31 to give them an unassailable 52-14 advantage.
Taylor O’Brien led five Rebels players in double figures with 18 points as the winners shot a phenomenal 62% from the field. Daniella Turner was close to a double-double as she added 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
On her debut, Fabienne Zere fronted the Lions with 12 points and six rebounds, but they finished bottom of Group C with an 0-2 record.
MVP: Daniella Turner (Essex Rebels)
Cardiff Met Archers 35-106 Oaklands Wolves
Oaklands Wolves showed no mercy as they breezed into the Semi-Finals with a 106-35 success over Cardiff Met Archers in the Welsh capital on Sunday.
A 12-0 run in the first quarter propelled the Wolves to a double-digit cushion after a relatively close opening three minutes of play. From there, the game only went one way, as Oaklands finished 2-0 in Group C, rendering Cardiff winless from their two encounters.
Great Britain international Sam Ashby was inspired, as she posted a game-high 26 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and five steals. Jenna Hoschouer and Sara Jorgensen both had nine for the Archers.
MVP: Sam Ashby (Oaklands Wolves)
B.Braun Sheffield Hatters 78-75 Manchester Basketball
The B. Braun Sheffield Hatters edged Manchester Basketball 78-75 in a winner-take-all showdown for a spot in the Semi-Finals at the Canon Medical Arena.
In perhaps the game of the season so far, Laura Zolper scored 18 points, and Georgia Gayle added 16 points and nine rebounds for the Hatters, who advanced to the final four of the Trophy named after the club’s legendary founder.
A triple from Manchester’s Danni Williams from the wing with 1:01 to go knotted the game at 75-75, silencing the home crowd. However, it was only temporary.
The Hatters reestablished their lead with 31.1 seconds left as a broken play turned into a clutch bucket inside from Madison Washington, leaving Gayle splitting her foul shots a play later to give the hosts a 78-75 lead.
Williams, who led all scorers with 22 points for Manchester, had a good look for a three that could have taken the game to overtime, but it was just long, causing mass hysteria at the buzzer.
MVP: Georgia Gayle (B. Braun Sheffield Hatters)