Sat 5th Jan 2019 - WBBL Game ReportsOaklands Wolves 56-59 BA London Lions (16-12, 26-31, 35-45)BA London Lions edged out Oaklands Wolves 59-56 on the road to move to ninth in the WBBL Championship table and the verge of the Play-off places, with a third win of the campaign.
Crucially, it also gives Lions the head-to-head over the 11th placed Wolves, having also beaten them in their opening game of the season, also by just three points on that occasion.
Leading scorers – Roya Rustamzada 13, Lizzy Harrison 12, Meg Pritchard 9 (Wolves) ; Loren Christie 16, Lavina Da Silva 14, Kristie Velasquez 9 (Lions)
Turning point – Lions turned around an early deficit as they scored the last seven points of the half to lead 31-26. They then went on a 16-0 tear – with Loren Christie scoring 11 of those – across the third quarter break to lead 53-36 and give them enough of a cushion to hold off a late fightback.
Key stat – In a low-scoring game with only nine three-pointers made, Lions didn’t score one until the last offence before the half. They then scored three in four minutes over the third quarter break, with Christie making all of those.
Game hero – Loren Christie led the scoring with 16 points, including hitting three of her team’s four triples and scoring key baskets in important runs.
Newcastle Eagles 71-61 Manchester Mystics (19-25, 32-34, 48-47)Newcastle Eagles earned their fourth league win of the season thanks to a 71-61 showing against Manchester Mystics.
The result propels the hosts from eighth to sixth position in the table, just two points behind the Mystics who fall to their third loss on the
.
Leading scorers – Kalina Axentieva 16, Giulia Simioni 15, Kara Bonenberger 13 (Eagles), Evelyn Ovner 15, Rheanne Bailey 14, Samantha Roscoe/ Julie Page 10 (Mystics)
Turning point – Newcastle turned up the defensive pressure in the second period, holding the Mystics to just nine points in the quarter. The Eagles came out of the half-time break with the same intensity and only conceded 13 points in the third stanza.
Key stat – Although both sides coughed up the ball on 16 occasions, it was Newcastle that made the most of the other team’s mistakes. The Eagles poured in 19 points from turnovers, whereas the Mystics only managed nine.
Game hero(es) – Simioni led a balanced Newcastle display scoring 11 of her 15 points in the fourth quarter, to go along with 10 assists, while Axentieva netted a game-high 16 points and Bonenberger added 13 points.
Leicester Riders 71-83 Sevenoaks Suns - (Cup) - (15-23, 36-47, 55-61)Sevenoaks Suns are through to the WBBL Cup Final for the first time after beating Leicester Riders 83-71 in a semi-final battle between the league’s top two teams.
Suns will meet Westfield Health Sheffield Hatters in the Final, to be played at Arena Birmingham on Sunday 27th January.
Leading scorers – Dee Hayward 19, Rebecca Navarro 13, Claire Paxton 13 (Riders); Janice Monakana 21, Jess Good 18, Cat Carr 15 (Suns)
Turning point – The game was tied early in the second quarter, but an 11-3 run saw Suns establish a double-digit lead at 44-34 as Monakana scored six points and Good capped the run with a three-pointer. The lead then peaked in the third at 57-39 on a Monakana basket that ended an early run of 10 unanswered points.
Key stat – Suns forced Riders into 20 turnovers and scored 24 points from those turnovers, while giving the ball up just 10 times themselves. They also nearly doubled their hosts’ points in the paint at 46 compared to 26.
Game hero(es) – Jess Good posted a big double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds, along with six assists; while Janice Monakana came from the bench to lead the scoring with 21 points in just 21 minutes. Ta’Yani Clark also added 12 assists and 5 steals.
Nottingham Wildcats 56-81 Westfield Health Sheffield Hatters (9-23, 24-44, 42-56)Westfield Health Sheffield Hatters took the spoils on the road against Nottingham Wildcats, thanks to a 56-81 performance.
The Hatters returned to winning ways at the earliest opportunity and end the day level on points with Leicester Riders at the top of the table. Defeat for Nottingham sees their winning run ended at four games, but the side remain within touching distance of the three sides above them in the standings.
Leading scorers – Jasmine Joyner 24, Chelsey Shumpert 11, Isabel Bueriberi 8 (Wildcats), Alison Gorrell 23, Helen Naylor 16, Luiana Livulo 15 (Hatters)
Turning point – The visitors shot out of the blocks, racing to an early 14 point advantage by the end of the first quarter. The Hatters held their in-form hosts to just nine points in the opening 10 minutes.
Key stat – Nottingham struggled to find their offensive rhythm, shooting just 20/72 from the field and only hitting seven percent of their three point attempts.
Game hero(es) – Gorrell’s efficient 23 points and 10 rebounds was supported by double-doubles from Livulo – 15 points and 12 rebounds – and Sarah Toeaina – 11 points and 10 rebounds.
