Leicester Riders retained the Betty Codona WBBL Trophy with a hard fought 76-74 win over Durham Palatinates, at Emirates Arena.
The win marks the second WBBL title won by the Riders in the club’s history, just 12 months since they won the same competition last year. Durham leave Glasgow with their heads held high, having pushed the Riders until the very end.
The Riders wrestled back the game’s momentum after the half-time break, having earlier seen their double-digit advantage erased by Durham in the second quarter. Leicester opened the third period on a 12-4 run to keep the opposition at arm’s length: despite Durham coming within a basket, down the stretch, the deficit proved too much to overcome. Allowing Rebecca Navarro and Elmore to ice the game from the free throw line.
In a game of fine margins, Leicester shot the ball with greater efficiency, hitting 41% of their attempts, compared to Durham’s 33% shooting.
Kate Oliver got the Riders off to a fast start and continued her impressive display throughout the remainder of the contest, pouring in 16 points to go along with eight rebounds and five blocks. Paxton also proved pivotal with a team-high 18 points, shooting 8/9 from the floor.
