It was a tough weekend on the road for the cities two best basketball teams as the women of Nottingham Wildcats were beaten by BA London Lions and the Hoods representing the men were well and truly thrashed by Thames Valley Cavaliers.
In the WBBL, London got the better of their opponents at the Barking Abbey School by winning 79-61 with a solid team display that didn’t go all their own way…. The Wildcats 16-13 up in the first quarter were only four points down at half time which increased to five by the end of Q3 but a dominant fourth and final period saw the home team through in the end to a score line more convincing than the match suggested.
Moa Lundqvist top scoring for the Wildcats with 12 points as Chelsey Shumpert headed the rebounds with 8 and Tia Freeman topped the assists with 5, little consolation for individuals following a defeat that see’s London close the gap on the second placed team in the table – London played 5 won 5 in third behind Nottingham on points (5/4) with Leicester Riders still top having won all their six games so far.
As the women fell late, the men lost a little more underwhelmingly at Uxbridge College as Thames Valley took a first quarter lead by 35-7 and although Nottingham improved in a second quarter, the visitors were always playing catch up with the home side winning each of the four periods in the game by some distance.
The final score a thumping 122-49 win with the Hoods top scorers Powell 11, Adje 9, Hundal 7, taking little credit from their tallys.
Next up for Nottingham is Oaklands Wolves on Saturday at the Wildcats Arena as the Hoods aim to move off the bottom of the table against a team a place above them.
The Wildcats are in cup action midweek as they face Durham Palatinates in the WBBL Trophy on Wednesday before a trip to Newcastle Eagles back in the Championship on Sunday.
*Main image @ashdaviesphotos Jasmine Joyner didn’t have her best weekend scoring just 11 points.
