Essex Rebels and Newcastle Eagles both secured overtime wins in a thrilling Saturday afternoon of WBBL action. It is only the third time in WBBL history that there have been two overtime games on the same day.
Essex Rebels hosted the Nottingham Wildcats for the first of the Saturday double header and it would the hosts that took home the win, coming away 95-91 victors. Wildcats started on the front foot and were up by three by the end of the first quarter but in a game that saw the lead change hands many times, Essex would hold out in a pulsating overtime period and see them pick up their first win of the campaign.
Carla Bieg Salazar was the standout performer for Essex, contributing 30 points and 9 rebounds in a superb display. Andrea Kohlhaas also put down 28 points and 7 rebounds, but it was Lucrezia Costa who supplied the games only double-double with 12 points and a massive 20 rebounds.
For the visitors, Simone Costa and Chelsey Shumpert both had good performances with 24 and 21 points respectively, but it was not enough for Wildcats as they went home with their second defeat of the season.
In the day’s second encounter Newcastle Eagles beat Oaklands Wolves 91-87. The visitors were behind after the end of every quarter up until an impressive fourth that saw them overturn a 13 point deficit. Eagles may have thought they had done enough to secure the win in regular time until a clutch three pointer from Lizzy Harrison forced the game into overtime.
Eagles would play out the game well to secure their first win of the season on the fifth time of trying. Maddy Mcvivar helped the Eagles to victory with 31 points and 8 rebounds. Abigail Lowe also had a great performance with 20 points, 9 rebounds and 5 steals. Captain Alison Gorrell lead by example with a double-double performance of 21 points and 11 rebounds.
In Oaklands first game of the season Greeta Uprus supplied the most points for her team with 23. Lizzy Harrison just missed out on a double-double with 11 points and 9 rebounds for the hosts.
