WBBL Championship
Manchester Met Mystics 65-72 Oaklands Wolves (13-21, 34-40, 46-54)
(Mystics: McDerment, 21; Sanchez Czerniecki, 15; Keltos, 12 – Wolves: Gould, 29; George, 24; Carrasco-Menendez/Smith, 7)
WBBL Championship
Sheffield Hatters 82-92 London Lions (23-25, 38-52, 57-69)
(Hatters: Hampton-Bey, 18; Murphy, 17; Niang, 11 – Lions: Herbert Harrigan, 29, Winterburn, 21; Synstina, 11)
WBBL Championship
Nottingham Wildcats 45-82 Caledonia Gladiators (10-21, 23-44, 40-67)
(Wildcats: Gyles, 14; Stewart, 9; Whittington, 8 – Gladiators: Handy, 25; Jones, 21; McGarrahan, 12)
WBBL Championship
Leicester Riders 82-49 Cardiff Met Archers (20-18, 40-29, 52-38)
(Riders: Squires: 19; Brown, 15; Arlen, 13 – Archers: Hatch, 14; Marchizotti, 13; Saiki, 8)
WBBL Championship
Essex Rebels 75-63 Durham Palatinates (18-11, 43-31, 64-42)
(Rebels: Swart, 16; Naessens, 12; Freeman, 11 – Palatinates: Wayne, 22; Hendershot, 18; Hurtado Barbeito, 13)
Oaklands Wolves got their first win of the season as a 72-65 win at Manchester Met Mystics tipped off a super Saturday of WBBL action.
It was a dynamic duo that proved the difference as Australian Cassidy Gould led all scorers with 29 points for Oaklands, supported by 24 for Grace George in an early battle of the basement teams in the league.
“Great to get a first win, but at the same time, there’s still a lot to do,” Oaklands coach Tor Freeman said.
“This is a young group learning their way in this league, and today showed us that there is more to learn after this win. But excited for the girls.”
Leah McDerment led the Mystics with 21 points as they continue to search for their first win.
Both teams struggled to get going in the opening minutes, but Oaklands managed to get their shots to drop, with the Mystics missing their first five attempts.
The Wolves relied on George, and her floater gave them a 14-9 cushion and as the buzzer sounded a big three-pointer, kissed off the glass from Kizzy Spence, handed Oaklands a 21-13 lead after one.
Manchester took a while to get going, and after a three-point play from George handed the visitors a double-digit lead, it motivated the hosts into life.
Sinking their teeth into the Wolves’ defence, Manchester attacked and took their opportunities at the foul line, enough to narrow the gap to five until a solidary free throw by George gave Oaklands a 40-34 lead at the half.
However, the Mystics’ strong finish to the second quarter was dealt a blow to start the third as Sam Keltos picked up her fourth foul, forcing her to sit down.
That ignited Oaklands to attack the Mystics as a gorgeous lay-up again from George handed her side a 45-36 lead.
Vanessa Akra, though, was determined to keep Manchester in the game. She was active at both ends of the floor and her basket inside, followed by a three by Alejandra Escriva Gay – her first points in the WBBL – narrowed the gap to 50-46 with 2:23 of the third left.
The Wolves, though, hung on to end the third as they led 54-46 to close the third quarter.
The return of Keltos in the final period sparked a Mystics comeback as scores from herself and a lay-up by McDerment reduced the deficit to 56-53 with 7:36 left as coach Freeman called a timeout.
But the momentum was still on the hosts’ side, and a three-pointer from Shaelynne Sanchez Czerniecki gave her side their first lead since the first period.
The lead, though, didn’t last as Oaklands hit back thanks to clutch play from Gould, as she scored 11 straight points for the Wolves to guide her side to a first win of the season.
London Lions maintained their unbeaten start to the WBBL campaign with a 92-82 win over Sheffield Hatters at the All Saints Sports Centre.
Kiki Herbert Harrigan led all scorers with 29 points for the Lions, who bounced back from their loss in the EuroCup Women in midweek.
Bre Hampton-Bey had 18 points for Sheffield.
In a battle of the WBBL big names, both teams couldn’t be separated in the early going as Georgia Gayle drilled a three, quickly followed by a lay-up from Herbert Harrigan to knot the game at 7-7.
Herbert Harrigan went a step further with a three, beginning a quick 7-0 run for the Lions, giving them breathing space. But Sheffield regrouped, and as the first quarter ended, they reduced the gap to 25-23 in a frantic opening ten minutes.
And the consistency was continued by London in the second quarter as another three from Herbert Harrigan started an 8-0 run for the Lions, a score from Murray gave the champions a 43-32 lead with 3:44 left in the half.
Hatters recovered from their cold spell to end the period, led by Hampton-Bey, but as the half-time buzzer sounded, London had taken a 52-38 lead.
London’s flawless team work and strength in the low block was evident to start the third as a score from former GB international Azania Stewart gave her side a 58-38 cushion, forcing Sheffield into a timeout.
But the Hatters are not the most successful team in women’s British basketball history for nothing. They fought back, and a driving lay-up from Lena Niang shrunk the deficit to 62-53 with 4:20 of the third left.
But London responded. A triple in the corner from Shanice Beckford-Norton restored the double-digit lead as the Great Britain international pumped her fists in the air with her side leading 69-57 heading into the fourth.
However, refusing to be rocked, the hosts again hit back to reduce the arrears in the early stages of the final period. Still, with all their depth and experience, London handled the pressure and continued its perfect start.
Caledonia Gladiators continued their strong start to the season, thanks to a commanding 82-45 win on the road to the Nottingham Wildcats.
A 21-10 first quarter was the catalyst for a strong showing by the Scottish side, as the Wildcats were never really at the races.
Chantelle Handy led all scorers for the winners with 25 points on 62% shooting and eight rebounds. Erin Jones was also on fine form as she posted 21 on 69% from the field.
Jahnae Gyles had 14 points for Nottingham.
A three from Jones started a 10-0 run by the Gladiators to give them a 16-4 lead with 3:35 remaining of the first that was finally ended by a score from Mari Stewart
Playing free-flowing basketball, Caledonia eased into a 21-10 lead after quarter number one with Nottingham struggling to find any rhythm, offensively.
The Wildcats did reduce the deficit in the early stages of the second, a three from Kayla Shaw with more than three minutes played narrowed the gap to 28-20 and there was belief within the passionate Wildcats following.
But it didn’t last, Gladiators responded with a 10-0 run, holding the hosts to just three points in the remaining seven minutes en route to a 21-point cushion at the half.
The Wildcats did enjoy a positive spell to start the third quarter as back-to-back scores from narrowed the gap to 18 points, forcing Caledonia into a timeout to stop the momentum.
But by this point, the visitors had settled, the lead comfortable and they coasted to victory, making the trip back up to Scotland more enjoyable.
A solid final quarter catapulted Leicester Riders to a comfortable 82-49 win over Cardiff Met Archers at Loughborough University.
Leading by double digits heading into the final ten minutes, but with the game still in the balance, Oliana Squires began the fourth with back-to-back threes to give the hosts a 58-38 lead and put the game out of reach.
Squires was a rebound shy of a double-double as she led the winners with 19 points and nine boards, as the Riders, as a team, hit 11 three-point land shooting 44%.
Shannon Hatch paced Cardiff with a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds in defeat, the Archers’ first of the league season.
Following a back-and-forth first ten minutes that saw Leicester take a narrow 20-18 lead into the second, the hosts blew the game open in the first two minutes as a triple from Hannah Robb opened up a 25-18 cushion.
The visiting Archers responded with a 9-2 burst, highlighted by a three from Issy Bunyan halfway through the second.
The Riders remained composed and took a 40-29 advantage at the half.
Coming out of the locker rooms, Squires extended Riders’ lead to 13, only for Mara Marchizotti to respond immediately at the other end in a fast-paced start to the third quarter.
But despite the rise in intensity, the action was sometimes scrappy, with both teams missing shots they would usually make.
A combined 21 points were scored in the third, with Leicester still comfortable, with a 52-38 advantage. Cardiff though were competing and not out of the game.
That was until Squires iced the game with two three-pointers in quick succession as the Riders held the Archers to 11 points, while hitting 30 of their own in the win.
Essex Rebels collected their first win of the season as they defeated Durham Palatinates 75-63 at the Essex Sports Arena.
Sune Swart paced the victors with 16 points and 14 rebounds with Alexa Naessens adding 12.
Playing all 40 minutes, Jessica Wayne had a game-high 22 points along with 11 rebounds for Durham.
Buckets inside by Claire Paxton and Swart gave Rebels a 9-5 lead, midway through the first in a cagey start for both sides.
Taking an 18-11 lead into the second, Essex were guilty of poor ball security, as three turnovers in more than two minutes played, resulted in Durham wrangling their way back into proceedings.
A lay-up from Wayne followed by a score from Goretti Hutado Barbeito, off a poor pass from Daniela Turner reduced the deficit to 20-17 with 7:48 left.
Essex, led by Swart held it together in the second, as she hit six of her team-high 16 in the period to give the hosts a 43-31 lead.
And from there, the Rebels began to take advantage of a short-handed Palatinates side in the third. A 6-0 start stretched the lead to 49-31, ended by free throws by Elle Hendershot.
The Rebels’ offence was consistent in the third though, as they took a 64-42 cushion and despite a strong fourth from the visitors, it was a mountain too high to climb up from.
It was a fantastic five-game bonanza of elite women’s basketball action. To find out when your team is playing next, you can purchase your tickets here.