WBBL game posts week 9 (Week ending Dec 9th)

Sat 8th Dec 2018 - WBBL Game Reports

Cardiff Met Archers 63 – 55 BA London Lions (14-13, 31-26, 47-37)

Cardiff Met Archers have won at home for the first time this season – and for more than a year in total – after beating BA London Lions 63-55 to move to 3-3 in sixth place in the WBBL Championship table.
Archers have now won three of their last four league games, but previously all four of their league and Cup losses this campaign had come at home and they had lost their last 13 at Archers Arena in all competitions, dating back to October 2017 when they beat Lions.
Leading scorers – Sarah Wagstaff 27, Tijana Dukic 10, Laura Shanahan 9 (Archers); Teresa Da Silva 24, Kristie Velasquez 11, Loren Chrisite 7 (Lions)
Turning point – Archers broke a tie with the last 5 points of the first half as Robyn Lewis hit a three-pointer on the buzzer and they carried that momentum into the second half as they scored eight in a row midway through the third, started by Sarah Wagstaff and capped with her triple for 42-30. The hosts had to hold off a late rally as Lions got back to within one, with Wagstaff making five crucial points inside the final two minutes.
Key stat – In a great defensive performance, Archers had a massive 15 steals, forced 26 turnovers and had 18 points from turnovers.
Game hero – Sarah Wagstaff made crucial late plays for Cardiff and finished as the game’s leading scorer with 27 points including six three-pointers, as well as setting the tone defensively with seven of those steals.

Westfield Health Sheffield Hatters 86 – 73 Oaklands Wolves (25-19, 46-39, 70-53)

Westfield Health Sheffield Hatters have gone top of the WBBL Championship table after an 86-73 defeat of Oaklands Wolves moved them to an 8-1 record.
Hatters remain unbeaten at home this season and have won their last five games in the league; while they also hold a perfect 5-0 record in meetings with Wolves since they joined the WBBL.
Leading scorers – Helen Naylor 26, Alison Gorrell 20, Sarah Toeaina 15 (Hatters); Roya Rustamzada 20, Tia Freeman 16, Dorka Boros 11 (Wolves)
Turning point – Hatters took over in the third quarter to break open a tight game, hitting an early 12-2 burst as Helen Naylor and Luiana Livulo scored four each. A further seven unanswered points a few minutes later, with Alison Gorrell scoring five including an ‘and-one’ play, made it an unassailable 66-48.
Key stat – Hatters dominated the interior, scoring 50 of their points in the paint and shooting 56% on the inside, while also out-rebounding their visitors 47-37.
Game hero(es) – Naylor (26) and Gorrell (20) led that Hatters charge on the inside, combining for more than half of their team’s points with Naylor shooting 62% from two-point range while Gorrell added 12 rebounds and six assists.

Manchester Mystics 72 – 93 Leicester Riders (24-19, 42-36, 72-52)

Leicester Riders have jumped above Manchester Mystics into third place in the WBBL Championship table after a storming third quarter saw them beat their rivals 93-72 on the road, with Holly Winterburn hitting a triple-double.
Riders have now won seven in a row in all competitions since defeat in their opening game of the campaign, and they hold an amazing 8-1 league record over Mystics dating back to 2014.
Leading scorers – Samantha Roscoe 22, Evelyn Ovner 18, Jorjah Smith 16 (Mystics); Kate Oliver 18, Brea Elmore 15, Holly Winterburn 14 (Riders)
Turning point – Riders won the game in the third quarter with perhaps the most dominant spell of any WBBL game this season, putting on an amazing 31-2 surge over eight minutes. Kate Oliver and Holly Winterburn scored nine each in that run, and Dee Hayward added eight, as that trio proved unstoppable and Riders hit six three-pointers in the period. Mystics were allowed just one field goal in those eight minutes.
Key stat – Riders hit 6-11 (55%) three-pointers in that unbelievable third quarter, but had gone just 3-20 (15%) prior to that. They ended up making 13 – with all 10 players on the team attempting at least one – shooting 33% overall, with 39 of their 93 points coming from long-range.
Game hero(es) – Holly Winterburn made a stunning and rare triple-double of 14 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists; while Kate Oliver led the scoring with 18 points, making her own double-double by grabbing 15 rebounds.

Nottingham Wildcats 82 – 60 Newcastle Eagles (23-19, 37-35, 65-48)

Nottingham Wildcats bounced back from defeat last time out to beat Newcastle Eagles 82-60 and take their WBBL Championship record to 5-2, keeping them unbeaten at home in the WBBL Championship.
Wildcats have now won four of their last five, with this an important win in strengthening their position in the top five ahead of the pursuing Eagles in seventh.
Leading scorers – Jasmine Joyner 22, Chelsey Shumpert 18, Jagoda Oses 16 (Wildcats); Maya Price 16, Steph Gandy 9, Giulia Simioni 8 (Eagles)
Turning point – Wildcats dominated the third quarter after a close first half, as a 24-6 spell over seven and a half minutes decided the game. Jagoda Oses got that run started as she scored the first basket of the quarter before Chelsey Shumpert took over, hitting 10 third quarter points including a triple that sent the lead into double-figures as she started and ended a 12-0 run that made the score 61-41.
Key stat – Wildcats had control of the glass, out-rebounding their visitors 50-33 including scoring 20 second chance points from their 16 offensive rebounds. They also scored 20 points off the 20 turnovers that they forced.
Game hero – Jasmine Joyner led the scoring and rebounding for Wildcats with a big double-double of 22 points and 13 rebounds, with six of those boards coming at the offensive end as she shot 60% inside.