WBBL game posts week 26 (Week ending Apr 21st)

WBBL Game Reports - Sat 20th Apr

Essex Rebels 66-76 Westfield Health Sheffield Hatters (14-23, 34-40, 51-55)

Westfield Health Sheffield Hatters are still chasing second place in the WBBL Championship table after a 76-66 defeat of Essex Rebels saw them match Leicester Riders’ 21-4 record in the race for runner-up.
Rebels remain at the foot of the table, but can lift themselves to 11th on the final day with a win over BA London Lions as they hold the head-to-head over Caledonia Pride.
Leading scorers – DeAngelique Waithe 25, Cat Lutz 11, Jessy Ward 10 (Rebels); Sarah Toeaina 26, Levke Brodersen 19, Alison Gorrell 11 (Hatters)
Turning point – Hatters opened an early lead but were pegged back when the hosts won the second and third quarters. The decisive spell came when they opened the fourth by holding Rebels scoreless for more than four minutes as Brodersen scored five straight points to push the margin to double-figures at 63-51, in what was an 8-0 opening.
Key stat – Hatters were too much for Rebels to handle, winning the rebounding battle by an impressive 64-35, and also getting to the free-throw line on 23 occasions, scoring 21 points there at a success rate of 91%.
Game hero – Toeaina dominated the game, scoring 26 points including 12-13 free-throws. She added 16 rebounds to complete a double-double, and also handed out three assists.

Cardiff Met Archers 53-39 Caledonia Pride (18-8, 31-22, 35-30)

Cardiff Met Archers concluded their season with a 53-39 win over Caledonia Pride, in front of their home fans at Archers Arena.
The results puts Cardiff in pole position to finish in the tenth spot and guarantees the side from Wales will end the season above Caledonia. The Scottish franchise must hope that Essex Rebels fail to record another victory if they are to avoid finishing the season at the foot of the table.
Leading scorers – Carsi Silva 18, Stef Collins 10, Justine Ferland 8 (Archers) – Sian Phillips 12, Iona Ross 10, Kai-Brith Kalda / Pollyanna Storie 5 (Pride)
Turning point – The home side wasted no time in taking an early control of the game, racing out to a double-digit lead after the first quarter thanks to ten quick points from Silva.
Key stat – Baskets were at premium for both sides, but it was the Cardiff defence that proved the toughest to crack. The hosts held the visitors to just 39 points on 24 percent shooting.
Game hero(es) – Silva produced the standout performance of the game, netting a game-high 18 points that included hitting eight of her nine free throw attempts. Collins also impressed with 10 points and eight steals.

Oaklands Wolves 69-92 Durham Palatinates (18-25, 33-43, 46-66)

Durham Palatinates confirmed a fifth place finish in the WBBL Championship standings after beating Oaklands Wolves 92-69 on the road.
The result punctuated a remarkable second season in the league for the visitors, having bettered their rookie campaign by five places in the standings. Oaklands too have secured post-season basketball for the first time in their history and despite defeat will finish the season in a franchise best eighth place.
Leading scorers – Anneke Schluter 21, Meg Pritchard / Dorka Boros 9 (Wolves) – Monika Bosilj 29, Betsy Macdonald 19, Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby 15 (Palatinates)
Turning point – The visitors pressed home their advantage in the third quarter, winning the period by 10 points to setup a comfortable final stanza.
Key stat – Durham held Oaklands to just 14 points in the paint and kept the hosts to only 31 percent shooting from two point range.
Game hero(es) – Durham produced a well rounded offensive display, with each of the five starters netting double-digits. Bosilj led the team in scoring with 29 points, while Macdonald added 19 points and Ottewill-Soulsby finished with 15 points and eight rebounds.

Manchester Mystics 81-79 Newcastle Eagles (23-16, 34-36, 50-57, 68-68)

Manchester Mystics came through overtime to beat Newcastle Eagles 81-79, for a fifth win in their last six games, and a third straight at home, as they head into the benecos WBBL Play-offs.
This was the last game of the regular season for both teams, with Mystics confirmed in fourth place and Eagles in seventh place in the WBBL Championship table.
Leading scorers – Rachel James 22, Evelyn Ovner 15, Samantha Roscoe 15 (Mystics); Kara Bonenberger 21, Giulia Simioni 18, Georgia Ohrdorf 14 (Eagles)
Turning point – Mystics trailed by double-figures in the fourth quarter, having led by as much in the first, but they forced overtime when a Georgia Jones ‘and-one’ play sparked an 8-2 run before Rheanne Bailey tied the game with 20 seconds left. Once in the extra period the teams traded baskets and they again trailed inside the final thirty seconds until, with just five seconds remaining, James hit her second consecutive three-pointer to settle the tie.
Key stat – In a game of the finest margins, Manchester’s efficiency from the offensive glass proved key as they scored 17 second chance points from just 13 offensive rebounds, with Julie Page grabbing five of those from the bench.
Game hero(es) – The heroics came from James, who led her team with 22 points including those two crucial triples late on, to go with seven rebounds. Roscoe also had a double-double of 15 points and 11 boards.

Benecos WBBL Play-Off Quarter-Finals confirmed

The fixtures for the last eight of the benecos WBBL Play-Offs have been confirmed after the completion of the Regular Season on Sunday afternoon.

The following Quarter-Finals will be played on a one-leg basis next weekend.

Leicester Riders (2) v Newcastle Eagles (7) – Friday 26 April, 4.30pm

Westfield Health Sheffield Hatters (3) v Nottingham Wildcats (6) – Saturday 27 April, 3pm.

Manchester Mystics (4) v Durham Palatinates (5) – Saturday 27 April, 4pm

Sevenoaks Suns (1) v Oaklands Wolves (8) – Saturday 27 April, 6pm.

All clubs are fighting it out to make the benecos WBBL Play-Off Final at The 02 on Sunday 19 May 2019.