Leicester, Sheffield, Essex and Newcastle impress in second week of Betty Codona Trophy action

In a highly entertaining string of Super League Basketball fixtures, multiple teams secured statement wins in the early stages of the Trophy campaign.

Essex Rebels 91 – 60 Endeavour Ipswich Basketball

Group D leaders Ipswich travelled to the Essex Sports Arena with the hope of building upon their positive start to their SLB campaign, as they faced the Essex Rebels.

The Rebels kicked off their opening fixture in style, gaining an early lead in the first quarter with Lauren Park-Lane taking the lead for the hosts, draining multiple jump-shots to push her team ahead. Ipswich captain Louisa Gibbins offered resistance, pounding the paint and commanding the boards in an effort to stay within touching distance.

Taylor O’Brien then caught fire, enjoying an offensive burst that put the Rebels up by double-digits. The home side zipped the ball around effectively, finding space for O’Brien and her teammates to punish Ipswich’s defence. Essex held an 11-point advantage as the half-time buzzer sounded.

The Rebels continued to pile in the points as the game resumed for the second half, with Brooke Flowers dominating inside to widen the gap, fiercely battling with Gibbins in the paint. Daniella Turner offered an additional scoring punch, as the Rebels created an insurmountable advantage by the end of the third period.

Ipswich saw the contest slip out of reach in the fourth, with Essex putting on a highly professional display down the stretch to earn the emphatic 91-60 victory. Turnovers made an enormous difference, with Essex committing 11 fewer than their opponents. The rebels efficiency was another key factor, finishing the game on 43% from the field.

The impressive victory puts Essex at 1-0, leaping over their opponents, who are now 1-1 in Group 2.

Most Valuable Player: Despite O’Brien’s offensive onslaught, MVP has to go to Brooke Flowers, who notched a dominat 17 points, 20 rebound double-double, against stiff competition.

Newcastle Eagles 77 – 68 Durham Palatinates

The travelling Palatinates kicked off their Betty Codona Trophy campaign with a trip to the Vertu Motors Arena to face their Group A rival Newcastle Eagles, who entered the game at 0-1 following an opening week loss.

The hosts made the superior start as Jada Guinn took the lead early for Newcastle, carving her way through the lane with regularity to push the Eagles ahead by double digits in the opening quarter. Tierra Hodges then joined the party, making smart cuts through the lane to fill the scoring column.

Durham came back swinging in the second period, as Shanique Lucas stepped up from the bench to chip away at the early deficit by shooting confidently from deep. Orieoma Chukwu-Etu also offered an additional scoring punch from the pine, as Durham fought back to make it a two-point game. Newcastle regained the momentum however, finishing the half with a seven-point advantage.

Shannon Hatch converted some open shots as the action resumed, but as the third quarter developed, Durham turned the game on it’s head through the confident play of captain Katie Bennett. With thirteen minutes remaining in the clash, the Palatinates tied the game. The teams exchanged blows for the remainder of the third, heading into the final ten minutes level at 53 points.

The Eagles earned the lead once again, as the fourth quarter began, with Abby Lowe putting together an impressive offensive sequence to edge ahead. Lucas wouldn’t relent, sinking jumpers beyond the arc to make it a two-point deficit for Durham.

Guinn and Hodges were joined by forward Chloe Gaynor from second unit, as they put together a professional display down the stretch. When the final buzzer sounded, Newcastle had secured the nine-point W. They outworked Durham on the glass, allowing them to control the pace for large portions of the game, earning them their first points of the season.

Most Valuable Player: Tierra Hodges made a significant difference for the Eagles, recording 16 points, 12 rebounds and two assists.

Nottingham Wildcats 56 – 87 B. Braun Sheffield Hatters

Fans at the Nottingham Wildcats Arena rightfully anticipated a tough contest for the hosts as the Wildcats welcomed the Sheffield Hatters, with both teams played their first game of the season.

The home faithful had cause for optimism in the opening stages, as guard Claire Jacobs took the 5-0 lead for Nottingham, but Laura Zolper responded quickly for the Hatters, taking a lead that would never be recovered.

Sheffield skipper Georgia Gayle took over in the second quarter, moving the ball effectively to facilitate for teammates and shooting confident from mid-range. Despite the scoring punch from Nottingham’s Ashlee Lewis, the home team finished the half up by double-digits.

Gayle’s offensive onslaught continued as the game resumed for the third, before Lashayla Wright Ponder tagged in to widen the gap for Sheffield, rising from the bench to attack the lane aggressively.  The Wildcats certainly didn’t lack effort, but as the penultimate period unfolded, the game moved beyond reach.

Sheffield cruised the final quarter, with assistance from members of the bench mob. Emma Gandini put her stamp on the game down the stretch and as the game reached it’s conclusion, the Hatters had wrapped it up, putting them at 1-0 in Group D, while the Wildcats start with a disappointing defeat.

Most Valuable Player: Georgia Gayle was utterly dominant, adding seven assists and two boards to her excellent 25-point scoring display.

Leicester Riders 85 – 27 Cardiff Met Archers

Sunday’s Group C tie saw Cardiff Met Archers travel to the Midlands to kick their season off against the Leicester Riders, who entered the game following an opening week defeat.

Well, Leicester bounced back with conviction to say the least. Flying out of the blocks, they spend the opening minutes creating a 15-0 lead. Their intelligent cutting, zippy passing and swarming defence overwhelmed Cardiff from the start, as the Archers realised they had a mountain to climb.

Buckets from Solene Lemoigne and Jenna Hoschouer put in a valiant effort, as Cardiff attempted to claw their way back into the game, but Leicester refused to loosen their grip. They finished the first quarter up by 14 points.

Julia Chandler led the way as the second instalment got underway, making an impact on both ends of the floor and pounding the paint at every opportunity. The versatile Jessica Eadsforth-Yates splashed home difficult three-pointers and Kaia Harrison punctuated Leicester stronghold heading into half-time, when they were up by a whopping 30 points.

Starting the second half with just 16 total points, the Archers were in trouble. Laura Shanahan offered a modicum of hope for the visitors, but a road back just never became realistic. The impressive Brittany Hodges piled in the points for Leicester, while Katie Januszewska pulled the strings from the guard position.

When Cardiff were put out of their misery, they were defeated by an enormous 58 points. Leicester pulled down 34 more boards, dished out 20 more assists and committed four fewer turnovers than their struggling opponents.

The massive win moved Leicester record to 1-1 and shifted them to second place in Group C. Cardiff began their campaign in highly undesirable fashion and will aim to bounce back next week.

Most Valuable Player: Spearheading an amazing team display, Julia Chandler recorded 17 points, 11 rebounds and four assists to achieve the huge victory.

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