Leicester Warriors 88 v 98 Bradford Dragons
Saturday 17 November 2018 - 3.00pm
Bradford continued to get back on track with a win over Leicester Warriors that sees them improve to 5-3 on the season and jump up into the top four. The West Yorkshire side started the game hot in this one, exploding for a 13-30 first quarter to build a lead that they would never relinquish. The Warriors would battle to cut the deficit to just four points late in the third quarter, but the Dragons pulled away once again to secure the fifth win of their league campaign.
Now without talismanic import guard Drexler Clark who has flown home to the US for personal reasons, the Dragons were paced by 28 points from Rihards Sulcs, who added eight rebounds, five assists and three steals. Ricky Fetske was a monster on the glass as he pulled down 18 rebounds to go with 25 points, four assists and five blocks. Coach Chris Mellor had good scoring for the remainder of his starters as Rafael Saipe added 15, Jermayne Laing chipped in 14 points and 11 assists, while Andreas Lycoudis contributed 13. Joaquin Calvo would come off the bench to hit three free throws in the only bench scoring for the Dragons. Meanwhile, the hosts were led by Brian Orr's 25 points, five rebounds and three assists, supported by 17 points from Joshua Pollock. Lamin Willan chipped in 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists, with Pak Chingombe rounding out the double figure scorers with 13 points, four rebounds and seven assists.
Chris Mellor didn’t mince his words following the game, stating, "We didn’t do a great job of guarding off the dribble or contesting the three, but we had enough offensively to keep finding scores when we needed to."
#NBL1819 pic.twitter.com/1gaN6pEYM7
— Bradford Dragons (@DragonsBradford) 17 November 2018
Thames Valley Cavaliers 85 v 92 Team Newcastle
Saturday 17 November 2018 - 6.00pm
This clash down in West London saw a real game of two halves, as the hosts looked comfortable for the first twenty minutes - before the visiting Team Newcastle snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. A hot start to the game for the Cavaliers saw them lead by as many as 14 points in the first quarter, before the visitors settled to take a narrow lead into the half-time interval. Coach Ian Hewitt's side came out of the locker room ready for the opening exchanges of the second half, before another sharp start to the fourth period gave them a lead that they would hold until the final buzzer. The win sees Newcastle improve to 3-4 on the season, while Thames Valley even out at .500 with a 3-3 record.
Onyekachi Nzerem continued his good spell of form with 25 points and nine rebounds to pace the visitors, while captain David Hanson added 21 points and seven rebounds. Tosan Evbuomwan and Fran Urli chipped in 19 and 14, respectively, as Newcastle got the job done without Eric Stafford. Martelle McLemore was tough for Newcastle to slow down as he paced his side with 25 points, four rebounds, five assists and five steals. Doing work on the boards was Elliott Defreitas who pulled down 15 rebounds to go along with 20 points, supported by 17 points and eight rebounds from Aiden Saunders.
Manchester Magic 67 v 111 Loughborough Riders
Saturday 17 November 2018 - 6.30pm
With the Magic having picked up their first league win last weekend in a tough battle against Newcastle, spirits were high heading into a difficult encounter with reigning the league champion Loughborough Riders. The high spirits of the hosts would quickly be dampened by the Riders, who were effective at both ends in a dominant win. The game started close with the hot shooting of Josh Houghton edging the home side in front, but defensive lapses allowed the Riders to put a 33 point quarter on the board, which they followed up with 32 points in the second, for a 38-65 half-time lead. With the game out of reach, the Magic continued to battle in the second half but gave up too many points on the defensive end which saw Loughborough go for a season-high 111 points for the game.
With the game secured within the first twenty minutes, the second half gave Coach Mark Jarram a chance to run his bench as the Riders got a balanced effort up and down their roster. The back-court of Reis Pinnock and Niall Harris did much of the damage in the first half, as Pinnock had 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists, with Harris adding 16 points, four rebounds and three assists. The scoring effort was led by Yiannis Panaretakis, who came off the bench for 19 points and four rebounds. The hosts were led by Josh Houghton, who knocked down four triples en route to a 15 point outing. Jonathan Barnes added 13 points and 10 rebounds as he battled inside, supported by young back-up point guard Malachi Boakye-Yiadom who came off the bench for 10 points and four rebounds. Andre Gayle, Daniel Pilkington and Loick Pouale combined for just 10 points on 5-26 shooting as Manchester struggled to get scoring from their wings.
Magic Coach Aurimas Verbukas said after the game, "Saturday's game is one I would like to forget as soon as possible. I support all players and understand that there are some frustrations because of the heavy loss; we are in the process of rebuilding. I am 100% in support and behind all of the players, and if there is anyone to blame, please let that person be me and not the players."
Coach Verbukas added, "Positives from the game include 17-year-old Malachi Boakye-Yiadom playing 22 minutes and scoring 10 points, which is great for his development."
Big win on the road for Loughborough Riders Men in @NBLengland action! #WhereHistoryBegins pic.twitter.com/JcJ6wJsLnW
— Loughborough Basketball (@lborobasketball) 18 November 2018
Derby Trailblazers 91 v 102 Nottingham McDonald's Hoods
Saturday 17 November 2018 - 7.15pm
With the Blazers looking to get back on track after their undefeated start to the season was ended abruptly by Solent, an East Midlands derby presented a real opportunity for Hoods to pounce and steal one on the road. Nottingham did just that, as they rallied from being down early to put together an impressive spell towards the end of the first period and to start the second. The run left Derby reeling, before Nottingham were able to hold them off in the second as the Blazers dropped to 5-2. The Hoods' win sees them climb into a playoff spot, as their 4-3 record is good for seventh as things stand.
Coach Ryan Westley could not have asked for more from import forward Cole Welle who paced his side with 27 points (on 11-15 shooting), 17 rebounds and two assists. David Watts has begun to find his form since his return from injury as he added 24 points, shooting 7-10 from behind the arc, supported by 20 points and three rebounds from Delaney Powell. Tom Ballantine provided key support off the bench as he added a near double-double of 10 points and nine rebounds. Malcom Smith returned to form for the hosts after being kept quiet by the Kestrels, as he poured in 37 points and 10 rebounds. Tre-Shawn Wilford chipped in 23 points, seven rebounds, three assists and five steals, while Matt Ward-Hibbert and Jake Wesselingh added 13 and 10, respectively.
Blazers' Coach Matt Shaw said after the game, "It was really disappointing for us to not come away without the win, especially after we also lost out to them in the Trophy, but I thought the best team won on the night. Credit to Nottingham, they played very well. We had a really poor patch at the end of the first and start of the second and that’s were the game got away from us."
Meanwhile, the thoughts from the other bench had Coach Westley comment after the game, "Great execution in the first half but more pleasing was the fighting spirit and level heads in the second half. We showed some great potential today.”
Hoods' point guard Luke Mitchell added, "We knew it was a big game and a chance to make a statement. It was our first game of the season with a full healthy team, so we wanted to show what we’re capable of and I think we did that. Everyone was switched on and carried out their assigned role to the best of their ability. It was great to come away with a such a good result against our local rivals. Cole (Welle) had a great game in front of his dad, who was over from America to watch him play in England for the first time."
Hoods Pick Up Key Away Win https://t.co/dZjmCmtg5V pic.twitter.com/eObHEfr3rY
— Nott'm McDonald's Hoods (@hoodsbasketball) 18 November 2018
Worthing Thunder 104 v 85 Barking Abbey Crusaders
Saturday 17 November 2018 - 7.30pm
A closely contested first quarter saw Worthing edge ahead in what was looking like a game of runs as both sides took turns to land their blows. However, the Thunder would gather themselves in the second quarter to land the biggest of blows; putting a 42 point quarter on the board as the floodgates opened and they built a 64-41 half-time lead. A competitive second half saw the Crusaders win the final stanza to keep the scoreline respectable, but Worthing showed they were the better side on the day as they improved to 7-1. Barking reside in eleventh place as things stand, their 1-5 record tied with Hemel and Manchester.
The scoring explosion by the Thunder was an evenly balanced attack, as Kevin Moyo came off the bench to join the five starters to give Worthing six double figure scoring efforts. Tom Ward paced his side with 20 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals, with Alex Owumi offering 18 points, four rebounds and three assists. Brendan Okoronkwo would add 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists, as Zaire Taylor, Jorge Ebanks and Kevin Moyo all added 13 in the all-round team effort. Ade Adebayo fought hard in the loss for the Crusaders, as he shot 8-12 from the floor to pace his squad with 22 points, five rebounds and four assists. Nathaniel Powell came off the bench to add 13 points and three rebounds, while Jonathan Brown rounds out the double digit efforts for Barking with 12 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Worthing Thunder completed a routine victory over visiting Barking Abbey Crusaders, 104-85, leading from tip to buzzer. The game was broken open in the second quarter where Thunder outscored their visitors 42-24,... https://t.co/TzWhswzNPO
— Worthing Thunder 🏆 (@WorthingThunder) 17 November 2018
Team Solent Kestrels 78 v 58 Hemel Storm
Saturday 17 November 2018 - 8.00pm
The final game of the NBL Division One weekend before attention turned to the National Cup saw the undefeated Team Solent Kestrels face off with Hemel Storm, as the pressure continued to build on the Kestrels to protect their loss column. A commanding defensive performance saw the Kestrels limit Hemel to just 12 first quarter points, as the hosts built an early double digit lead. Even second and third stanzas saw the home side keep the Storm at bay, not allowing them to make any significant headway into trimming the deficit. A 24-14 final period saw the Kestrels pull away once again, as Coach Robert Youngblood sent in his bench to close out the contest. The Kestrels' 8-0 record is an imposing sight at the head of the table, with tough tests up ahead against Reading and Bradford in the coming weeks.
Elliott Dadds showed how instrumental he is to the Kestrels' effort as he paced the side with 22 points on 8-12 shooting from the field. Herm Senor II had a near triple-double as he added 12 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Nick Lewis provided support off the bench with 13 points and five rebounds. Rounding out the double figure scorers for Coach Matt Guymon was Tayo Oyefusi who had 10 points and 18 rebounds, while Jon Averkamp narrowly missed out on a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds, while adding four steals. Leome Francis paced the effort for the visitors with 14 points, shooting 7-10 from the floor, and adding five rebounds off the bench. Bode Adeluola had 12 points and six assists for Coach Youngblood's side, supported by 10 points and four rebounds from Levi Noel.
NBL D1 | Final
— Team Solent Kestrels (@SolentKestrels) 17 November 2018
Team Solent Kestrels 78 | @hemelstorm 58
It’s another win for TSK, as they keep their unbeaten start to D1 campaign alive.
Elliot Dadds led the way with 22 points on 8/12 shooting. #KestrelsFamily #GameDay #NBL1819 pic.twitter.com/4Rcf27S5rz
Sevenoaks Suns II 47 v 70 Reading Rockets
Saturday 17 November 2018 - 5.30pm
Reading weathered a rough start down in Kent to put together a couple of highly effective periods of play on the defensive end that ultimately were the difference between the two sides. The Rockets' outscored the hosts 12-41 in the second and fourth quarters, as the Suns were limited to just six points in each stanza, as they build their lead before the half then ran away with the contest at the end. The win sees Reading improve to 2-3 on the season, while Sevenoaks' record has been brought level at 3-3.
Monica Herranz De Antonio was highly effective for the Rockets as she paced their effort with 16 points, 15 rebounds and four steals. Maria Angeles Valdeolmillos Gomez knocked down four triples as she supported with 14 points, three rebounds and four assists. Candela Hermida Nunez came off the bench for a double-double of her own with 12 points, 11 rebounds and four steals, while captain Maike Delow pulled down 12 rebounds and had two blocks to go along with four points. Sevenoaks were led 18 points and five rebounds from Katie Bennett, while Holly Hayward and Olivia Partridge chipped in seven points apiece.
Great win today for our Ladies! Time to 😴😴😴 before tomorrow’s game!! @ReadingRocketsW @blaiverson @JmaRockets pic.twitter.com/TyJPOsW7at
— Reading Rockets 🏀🚀 (@rocketsreading) 18 November 2018
Bristol Academy Flyers 65 v 60 Anglia Ruskin University
Saturday 17 November 2018 - 5.30pm
The clash of the titans at the top of WNBL Division One saw Bristol Academy Flyers cement their position at the top of the standings, while dealing Anglia Ruskin their first loss of this campaign. A hot start to the game saw Bristol take a 22-14 lead after quarter one, followed by a tightly contested second period that saw the Flyers hold their lead at 36-29 heading into the half. Bristol came out of the interval ready to play as they won the third quarter by 10 to build their lead, before their offense began to falter down the stretch. Only able to put seven points up on the board in the final stanza, the Rhinos were able to rally and put pressure on the Flyers, who did just enough to sneak away with the win. The victory sees the Flyers improve to 6-1 in first position, while the Rhinos' 3-1 record has them remain in third place.
Cristina Bigica led the Flyers' winning effort with 15 points, while Fiona Fox added 13 and Flo Ward chipped in 12. Jazmin Gyulai paced the visiting Rhinos with 13 points, supported by nine points from Barbara Palacios-Gonzales and eight points from Najha Treadwell.
Oh hello win! #NBL1819
— Bristol Flyers Women and Girls (@BrisFlyersWomen) 17 November 2018
📷 @DowlingMedia pic.twitter.com/zdJFygZ80M
Team Birmingham Elite 49 v 61 Loughborough Riders
Saturday 17 November 2018 - 6.00pm
Loughborough Riders picked up a road win over Team Birmingham Elite as they used a solid second half performance to pull away and improve to 3-3 on the season. The hosts started stronger of the two teams, leading 22-17 after the first period, but the Riders were able to clamp down on defense as they kept Elite to just 17 points in the second and third quarters combined. A final stanza that the Riders claimed 10-17 saw them pull away to take a double digit victory, as Birmingham fall to 0-6 on the season.
Ashida Cooper led all scorers with 18 points to pace the Riders, supported by Rebecca Morrison who added 10 and Holly Wright who finished with eight. Rebecca Brindley led Birmingham with 14 points, as Lucy Buxton chipped in 11 and Jessica Cooper and Lisa Greenaway chipped in seven apiece.
Charnwood College Riders Women take victory on the road in NBL Division One action! #NewGround #BritishBasketball pic.twitter.com/eqppidDYS6
— Charnwood Basketball (@CharnwoodBball) 18 November 2018
Team Solent Kestrels 70 v 66 Southwark Pride
Saturday 17 November 2018 - 6.00pm
Team Solent Kestrels wrapped up the WNBL Division One weekend with a narrow victory over the visiting Southwark Pride, in a game that the hosts led from tip to buzzer. The contest wasn't an easy one for the home side, as the final score suggests, with the Kestrels holding a double digit lead for much of the game before runs in the third and fourth quarters saw Southwark cut into the deficit. Pride were able to go on a 2-11 run in the closing minutes of the game to close the gap to 66-62, before an Earleesha Jackson score extended the lead out to 68-62. Back-to-back baskets from Maya Hyacienth and Megan Haines made it a one possession game at 68-66, before Geena Gomez iced the game at the line with two makes from the stripe.
Gomez led her side's winning effort with 15 points and six assists, while adding two blocks and two steals on the defensive end. Krisztina Velkey added 14 points and seven rebounds, while Earleesha Jackson matched her scoring output to add 14 points and five rebounds of her own. Amelia Sandie paced the Pride with 22 points and two rebounds, supported by captain Esther Oluade who came off the bench to chip in 14 points, four rebounds and three assists. Amelia Watkins had a near double-double of 10 points, nine rebounds and three assists, while Maya Hyacienth was kept quiet as she shot 3-12 en route to a six point effort.
WNBL D1
— Team Solent Kestrels (@SolentKestrels) 19 November 2018
Team Solent Kestrels 70 | @SouthwarkPride 66
Kestrels get back to winning ways as they see off Pride.
Read More; https://t.co/ZbhhvnZzeF#KestrelsFamily #NBL1819 pic.twitter.com/XiIFRHBPd6
Liverpool 98 v 82 London United
Saturday 17 November 2018 - 5.00pm
Liverpool closed out the Saturday of their NBL Takeover with a solid victory over the travelling London United in front of their home fans at Arch Beck. The hosts started well, jumping out to a 26-15 lead after the first period, giving them an eventually decisive lead as the following three quarters would be closely contested with Liverpool continuing to edge ahead. A commanding undefeated record at 6-0 sees Liverpool maintain their status as the team to beat in Division Two, while London United pick up their third loss to fall below .500 at 2-3.
A return to the lineup for star big man David Ulph saw him pace the side with 27 points, with Jack Hudson adding 19 and Mark Rangeley chipping in 17. Daniel Szatkowski led all scorers with 29 points for the visitors, as he got support from Khalil Afrasyab who contributed 18 and Marius Talijunas who finished with 15.
Ipswich 87 v 98 Myerscough College
Saturday 17 November 2018 - 5.30pm
In the reverse of last Sunday's fixture, Myerscough College made amends for their home loss at the hands of Ipswich to defeat the Suffolk side on their home floor in a high scoring game. The visiting North West side started the game well as they poured in 27 points in the first stanza. A competitive second quarter saw Ipswich fight back to take the lead, before a run that spanned either side of the half-time interval gave Myerscough a double digit advantage once again. Ipswich would tie things up midway through the third, before a couple of key scoring runs from Myerscough put the game to bed as they travelled home with a win.
Callan Low put in an impressive performance Myerscough, in the week he committed to attend Newberry College (NCAA DII), as he paced Coach Neal Hopkins' side with 26 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. Back-court running mate Mate Okros had a nearly identical line as he added 24 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while being highly disruptive on the defensive end on his way to five steals. David Walsh and Sanmi Fajana came off the bench to chip in 11 points apiece in the win. Meanwhile, Ipswich captain Colin Dockrell played a full 40 minutes and poured in 30 points on 22 field goals, while pulling down 10 rebounds to complete his double-double. Veron Eze added 19 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks, while Ethan Price chipped in 14 points, eight points and five assists.
Bounce back win. 👊 pic.twitter.com/GT7Do1QC9D
— Myerscough Basketball (@My_bball) 17 November 2018
London Greenhouse Pioneers 81 v 62 Derbyshire Arrows
Sunday 18 November 2018 - 1.30pm
Three wins on the bounce for London Greenhouse Pionners sees them improve to 3-2 on the season, jumping up to fourth place in the standings after weathering their poor start to the season. A hot start in this one saw the Pioneers build an early lead, which they maintained throughout the game by winning all four quarters to pull away in a commanding performance. The loss for the Arrows sees them drop to 1-4, with their only league victory dating back to 20 October.
Kyle Diaz and Maz Hufschlag combined 48 points for Coach Predrag Krneta's side in the win, as Diaz shot 7-11 from behind the arc on his way to 25 points, six assists and three steals. Hufschlag shot 10-16 from the floor en route to adding double-double of 23 points and 13 rebounds. Mbombo Yegba came close to a double-double of his own as he had eight points and 12 rebounds, while adding three blocks. Joseph Baugh continues to be a scoring force for the Arrows, pacing his side with 23 points and five rebounds in this one. Callum McKenzie was the only other double figure scorer for Coach Jonny Kelly's side as he added 11 points and three rebounds, while Matt Wilson pulled down 12 rebounds to go with eight points.
East London All Stars 75 v 76 Westminster Warriors
Sunday 18 November 2018 - 5.00pm
Wrapping up the action in NBL Division Two on Sunday evening was a cross-capital derby as Westminster made the trip to East London to face the All Stars. The game went back-and-forth in the early stages, as the All Stars jumped out to a 10 point lead after a 26-16 first period. The Warriors would hit back as the won the second quarter 15-28, overturning the East London lead to hold their own narrow five point advantage heading into the half time interval. A tightly contested second half saw the game go right down to the wire, as Westminster held their nerve down the stretch to take home a single point win. The clutch win for the Warriors sees them into second in the standings at 4-1, while East London slide to seventh at 2-4.
Player-coach Jon Johnson paced Westminster with 25 points, supported well by Justin Hitchman who added 24. Jonathan James led all scorers with 29 points for the All Stars, while Mohamoud Mohamed and Aaron Badibo chipped in 10 points apiece.
The Men's National Cup quarter-finals are now in the books, as the four sides remaining await the draw for the semi-finals.
Thames Valley Cavaliers 89 v 93 Team Solent Kestrels (Live Stats)
The cup action got underway at Uxbridge College, as Thames Valley gave Division One league-leaders Team Solent Kestrels a scare, with the Cavs leading for much of the game. A commanding run to end the third period put the Kestrels in charge, but the Cavaliers did not go down without a fight. Back-to-back triples from Walid Mumuni and Martelle McLemore cut the lead to 87-89, before Elliot Dadds was able to ice the game at the line. Herm Senor II had 23 points to lead all scorers, while Abdoulaye Sylla led the Cavs with 21 points in the loss.
National Cup Quarter Final | Final@ThamesValleyCav 89 | Team Solent Kestrels 93
— Team Solent Kestrels (@SolentKestrels) 18 November 2018
TSK book their semi final ticket with a narrow win at Thames Valley. @HermSenor2 leads the way with 23 points, 5 assists and 5 boards. #KestrelsFamily #GameDay #NBL1819 pic.twitter.com/GXRKDeYVn2
Leicester Warriors 76 v 98 Loughborough Riders
After their dominant win the night before, the Riders returned to the East Midlands for a local derby cup quarter-final. The visitors started the sharper of the two sides in both the first and second half, building a lead that the Warriors were unable to challenge. Jonas Dieterich led the Riders' charge with 19 points, while Lamin Willan had 21 points to pace Leicester.
After their back-to-back wins this weekend, Riders' Coach Mark Jarram said, "We are just trying to improve every week. It is nice to see that transfer to the games. Next week will be no different. Always impressive to see the continued contributions up and down the roster."
Loughborough Riders progress to the Semi-Final of the National Cup with victory on the road!
— Loughborough Basketball (@lborobasketball) 18 November 2018
Top Scorers: Dieterich 19, Roberts 14, Kitenge 13 & Harris 13#WhereHistoryBegins pic.twitter.com/AJUza9hYuS
Essex Leopards 87 v 76 Manchester Magic (Live Stats)
A poor end to the second quarter was the Magic's undoing in this contest, as they rebounded from their tough loss to Loughborough to be competitive against their fellow league strugglers. Malachi Boakye-Yiadom hit a triple with 5:52 to play in the first half, as the Magic led 25-28, put this would be their final score before the break as Essex reeled off a 17-0 run to lead 42-28 heading into the locker rooms. The Magic were unable to trim the deficit as the second half went by, despite the best efforts from their under-manned roster.
Coach Aurimas Verbukas said, "Due to illness and personal reasons we travelled to Essex for our National Cup quarter final with eight players. I am proud of the effort and team spirit; every single player contributed and represented Magic well."
Coach Verbukas continued, "We have had some good performances this season and I am sure with more time there will be more. We will regroup and will go at it again this week in training and the two games at the next weekend."
The Big Cats continue to produce their best play in knockout action, heading into the National Cup semi-finals without yet adding a league win to their name. Luke Mascall-Wright came off the bench to lead the Leopards with 18 points, while Andre Gayle had 25 points to lead the Magic.
Coach Thomas Baker said after the win, "It was a great result for the team today. I was proud of them for coming together when needed to put us in the semi-final. It is exciting to see where this season can take us. This win has given us the belief that we can turn our season around."
Baker was also delighted to be playing in front of a big crowd back at the Brentwood Centre, "Let me just say the crowd was excellent tonight. It was great to see so many fans come and show their support for the Leopards. It meant a great to the players and to everyone involved in this club, they were truly amazing."
Leopards get the win over @Mcr_Magic to advance into the semi finals of the @NBLengland national cup.@mascall_wright came away with the player of the game award thanks to our sponsor @curvyessex and this is what he had to say. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/KNnxzDVkVm
— Essex Leopards (@essexleopards) 18 November 2018
Hemel Storm 95 v 83 Worthing Thunder (Live Stats)
The National Cup quarter-finals wrapped up with Worthing Thunder making the trip from the south coast up to Hertfordshire to face Hemel Storm, in a game that many would have thought the visitors were the favourites. The Storm flipped the script in this one, despite trailing at the half they came out in the third quarter and fought hard; winning the period 32-9 to build a commanding lead of their own. The damage was done, as a competitive final stanza saw Worthing unable to get back into the game, as Hemel completed one of the upsets of the weekend with an impressive win. Zaire Taylor led all scorers with 33 points, but was limited to just three in the second half behind the defensive efforts of Levi Noel. Noel was effective on both ends as he paced Hemel with 26 points, supported by 24 from Leome Francis.
"It was a great team effort," said Storm Coach Robert Youngblood. "Everyone was locked in and holding (Zaire) Taylor to just three points in the second half swung the game our way. Levi (Noel) did a terrific job individually on him but he had help from everyone else too whenever it was needed."
Coach Youngblood added, "Our fans were fantastic tonight, I thought the roof was going to come off!"
What a night. The StormDome was rocking. We are back.
— Hemel Storm (@hemelstorm) 18 November 2018
Everyone who got on the court made a huge contribution. Special mention to @Le0me, @ShootingguardLi, @Bodeisel, @blaynefrex & @levinoel who were awesome, that 32-9 3rd quarter was 🔥
🎥: @DANEFROST #ItsStormSeason⛈ pic.twitter.com/XgNrwhTstH
Four teams have punched their tickets to the semi-finals of the Women's National Cup, after some exciting quarter-final ties on Sunday.
Reading Rockets 109 v 48 Cardiff Met Archers II
After a somewhat surprising run to the quarter-finals stage, WNBL Division Two South side Cardiff Met Archers II finally found their match as Reading Rockets despatched them from the competition with a dominant performance. The Welsh side competed well early on, able to snatch the first quarter 19-22. The Rockets then went on a tear either side of the half, outscoring the Archers 69-15 in the second and third periods. With the game over, the Rockets pulled away further down the stretch as they booked their place in the semi-finals. Candela Hermida Nunez and Maria Angeles Valdeolmillos Gomez had 22 points apiece to pace the Reading effort, while Noa Sanchez Marques added 21. Kimberley Kheing had 19 points to lead the Archers in the loss.
Hard work pays off! 🏀 Really good job this weekend getting the win against @SevenoaksSuns II on Saturday and today against @ArchersBasket II in the Quarter of Finals Cup Game 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽 We are into the semifinals! 🚀🚀🚀 #keepworking #TogetherStronger pic.twitter.com/LqRhytCHm0
— Reading Rockets W (@ReadingRocketsW) 18 November 2018
Team Solent Kestrels 88 v 60 Team Birmingham Elite (Live Stats)
Without a league win to their name thus far, Team Birmingham Elite were hoping to continue their cup run as they travelled to the south coast to face Team Solent Kestrels. The Kestrels were able to gradually pull away in this one, winning all four quarters and trailing only after the first score of the contest. Earleesha Jackson led the hosts with 18 points and seven rebounds, while Andrea Kurkowski had 15 points, eight rebounds and two assists. Krisztina Velkey added 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, as Geena Gomez rounded out the double digit scorers with 10 points and four assists. Meanwhile, Birmingham were led by Rebecca Brindley's 20 points, five rebounds and three assists, while Jessica Cooper supported with 18 points and seven rebounds.
Women's National Cup Quarter Final
— Team Solent Kestrels (@SolentKestrels) 19 November 2018
Team Solent Kestrels 88 | Team Birmingham 60
TSK book semi finals ticket with a big win over Birmingham.
Read More; https://t.co/ZbhhvnZzeF#KestrelsFamily #NBL1819 pic.twitter.com/g1pCvy8REh
Loughborough Riders 82 v 56 Ipswich
The rematch of a slow-scoring WNBL Division One game a week ago saw Loughborough have a lot more success on the offensive end as they poured in 82 points for a commanding victory over the reigning cup champions. A close game after the early exchanges, this contest was blown wide open either side of half-time as the Riders outscored Ipswich 51-31 in the second and third quarters. Holly Winterburn led all scorers with 23 points, while Lauren Saa and Holly Davies chipped in 10 and nine, respectively, for the Riders. Cameron Taylor-Willis led the visitors with 15 points, supported by Esther Little's 13 as Charlotte Redhead chipped in nine.
Charnwood College Riders Women progress in National Cup competition! #NewGround #BritishBasketball pic.twitter.com/VRgGYoFZ3a
— Charnwood Basketball (@CharnwoodBball) 18 November 2018
Anglia Ruskin University 81 v 60 Bristol Academy Flyers (Live Stats)
With Bristol making the return journey over to East Anglia after these two sides met in the league a day prior, Coach Gareth Till will have been hopeful to repeat their success that dealt the Rhinos their first loss of this campaign. However, it was the hosts who were the aggressors in this one, looking to avenge their defeat, as they held the Flyers to a nine point first quarter and were able to build a 43-22 lead at the half. The home side never looked back and maintained the deficit throughout the second half, led by 16 points off the bench from Nadege Talva. Marianna Maddaloni chipped in 14 points and six rebounds, supported by Jazmin Gyulai who had 12 points and three rebounds. Flo Ward had 12 points to pace the Flyers, while Cristina Bigica contributed 11 points and three rebounds.
🚨FINAL SCORE!🚨
— Bristol Flyers Women and Girls (@BrisFlyersWomen) 18 November 2018
A slow start proves costly for the Flyers as Anglia Ruskin win by 21 points to progress to the National Cup semi finals. #NBL1819
📷 Joe Pinchin, Leicester Riders pic.twitter.com/TVbuouEPVb
For full Scores & Schedules from this weekend's action, click the link below: