London Lions and Newcastle Eagles book spots in Playoff Final

London Lions 95-70 Leicester Riders

London Lions will look to lift their fourth consecutive Women’s British Basketball League Playoffs trophy, after beating Leicester Riders 95-70 to secure their spot in next Sunday’s Final

Ivana Katanic and Abby Meyers were influential for the hosts who dominated the second half to keep the Riders at arm’s length. Six Lions players finished in double-digit scoring.

Leicester fought well, but couldn’t chip away at the insurmountable deficit, even with efficient three-point shooting in the first half. Taylor O’Brien led their scoring with 19.

Starting Fives

London Lions: Ivana Katanic, Katsiaryna Snytsina, Holly Winterburn, Savannah Wilkinson, Abby Meyers.

Leicester Riders: Taylor O’Brien, Katie Januszewska, Jessica Eadsforth-Yates, Marissa Hamilton, Mckenzie Johnston.

First Half

Both sides came into the game looking to book their spot in the final. These two were the sides who took to the floor for silverware last year, with London coming out on top to seal a third consecutive Playoffs title.

Riders were hoping to break that streak and become the first team to book their spot at next Sunday’s Final.

Jessica Eadsforth-Yates got the Semi-Final started from the perimeter, after holly Winterburn missed her first attempt. London responded with a pair of scores to take a short-lasting lead, before Katie Januszewska hit Riders’ second three.

The scoring piled up from both sides, but despite being away from home court, Leicester had the early advantage and took a 17-10 lead over the hosts – five of their first six makes came from beyond the arc.

The undefeated League Champions roared back with a 12-1 scoring run, spearheaded by Katsiaryna Snytsina, to end the first with a 22-18 lead.

Having settled back on home court, Lions continued to build momentum as Abby Meyers saw more of the ball. She demonstrated her ability to score inside and outside, putting up nine points in the second period.

Leicester relied heavily on their outside attempts, with their two point attempts not falling at a high clip in the first half. from three-point range they were 8-for-16 in the first 20 minutes, but only 4-for-17 inside the arc.

London’s offence remained consistent, as Leicester’s Taylor O’Brien taking the reins to respond. The host’s ability to score in committee saw them take a 48-38 lead into half-time.

Second Half

The sides traded scores early in the third quarter, but London’s foot was firmly on the accelerator as Winterburn poured in a pair of triples.

A breathless opening two minutes of the second half saw London stay up by double-digits, with Riders’ O’Brien and Marissa Hamilton contributing well to the away scoring.

Lions then blew the game wide open, as Leicester couldn’t find an answer for Meyers and Savannah Wilkinson. Seven-straight points from the pair sparked London who eventually took their lead beyond the 20-point mark. O’Brien and Shahd Abboud kept trying to force the issue, but London had one foot in the Final, leading 72-52 with 10 minutes remaining.

Shanice Beckford-Norton shone for the hosts in the fourth with four consecutive buckets, despite Leicester trying to fight back. She finished the game perfect from the field, with 11 points from five makes.

Riders’ three-point shooting remained strong with three-back-to-back to try and cut London’s advantage, but they couldn’t slow down the home side’s inside game.

London sealed victory, becoming the first side to book their place in the final this year, seeing out a comfortable 95-70 win on home court.

Player of the Game

The UNBEATABLE Player of the Game from this game was Ivana Katanic, proving influential in playmaking for London to help build an unassailable lead and secure a spot in the Playoff Final.

Player Team Points Rebounds Assists
Ivana Katanic London Lions 12 4 9

Abby Meyers

 London Lions 22 6 3
Taylor O’Brien Leicester Riders 19 8 3
Jessica Eadsforth-Yatees Leicester Riders 12 5 3

Caledonia Gladiators 58-60 Newcastle Eagles

Newcastle Eagles pulled off a major upset against Caledonia Gladiators, securing a 60-58 overtime win with a gritty defensive second half performance.

Caledonia had the upper hand heading into the second half, and had led by as many as 11 points in the opening 20 minutes.

Newcastle went through the gears on defence to hold the hosts under 20 points in the second half, sealing the game with two final free-throws in the dying moments of overtime.

This brought Caledonia’s season to a heartbreaking end, as Newcastle pulled off a second Playoff upset to book a spot in next week’s Final.

Starting Fives

Caledonia Gladiators: Samantha Roscoe, Hannah Robb, Ariadna Pujol, Erin McGarrachan, Laken James.

Newcastle Eagles: Chloe Gaynor, Marina Fernandez Pardo, Abby Lowe, Lauren Saiki, Tierra Hodges.

First Half

Having upset the Sheffield Hatters in the first round, Newcastle Eagles were looking to do the same to a strong Caledonia Gladiators side for a place at the O2 Arena.

Caledonia started the game strongly, making four of their first five attempts from the field, setting the tone and taking a seven-point lead with two minutes gone.

Newcastle’s Tierra Hodges took over for the visitors with seven in the opening stanza to close the gap. Laken James’ scoring kept the hosts a few ahead.

A slower end to the period saw the Eagles put pressure on the Gladiators. Chloe Gaynor tied the game with a floater, following Jada Dapaa’s bucket. Erin McGarrachan’s jumper separated the sides in the first, with Caledonia taking a 17-15 lead into the second.

Newcastle took the lead for the first time through Dapaa and Gaynor, before the home side turned up the heat.

Laken James ignited a 13-point unanswered run for the Scots from behind the arc – seven of those points were her own. Newcastle’s scoreless six-and-a-half minutes came to an end thanks to Zoe Willis at the line.

Hodges and Kapaa continued to keep the scoreboard ticking for the visitors, bringing what was an 11-point deficit down to seven. Caledonia maintained control with a 35-28 lead at the half.

Second Half

The third quarter was defensive and scrappy. A total of 16 points was posted between the sides in the period, who could barely be separated.

Dapaa and Hodges continued to be the the Eagle’s driving forces. The pair were only joined by Abby Lowe in their scoring in the third. Sam Roscoe had five of Caledonia’s seven total during the period.

Only five points separated the sides after the third, and Newcastle were in the ascendancy thanks to their lockdown defence.

Roscoe and Hodges battled in both paints, as deep shots didn’t fall.

Caledonia only has two points on the board in the fourth until four minutes left in the game. Newcastle in the same time managed eight, taking the lead for the first time since the first half.

Both sides turned the screw on the scoring front in the final four minutes. Newcastle led by as many as five in the closing stages, and looked in control until trips from the charity stripe brought Caledonia back to within a point.

Dapaa came up with a pivotal steal and one make from the line to push the lead to two. Glads tied the game on the final possession in regulation, with a huge put back coming from McGarrachan off her original miss.

The winner of this one would be decided by overtime with the sides level at 54-apiece after 40 minutes.

A low-scoring overtime period saw Newcastle come up with a massive upset, breaking Gladiator hearts.

Caledonia had chance to win the game though James, but McGarrachan’s eagerness to grab the rebound off the miss saw the referee call a holding foul. Chloe Gaynor stamped Newcastle’s ticket to the O2 with a perfect trip to the line, and a perfect result after their defensive performance.

Caledonia’s season came to a gut-wrenching end, falling just short by a scoreline of 60-58.

Player of the Game

Jada Dapaa’s incredible stat line from the bench earns her the UNBEATABLE Player of the Game. She came up with some clutch plays, including a major steal to help Newcastle force overtime and eventually get the semi-final win in the books.

Player Team Points Rebounds Assists
Laken James Caledonia Gladiators 19 9 2
Samantha Roscoe Caledonia Gladiators 15 3 2
Jada Dapaa Newcastle Eagles 22 11 3
Tierra Hodges Newcastle Eagles 18 14 0