Meanwhile in WNBL2 London All Stars remain unbeaten.
In the battle for Welsh capital supremacy, Cardiff Met Archers created space between them and their neighbours Cardiff City at the foot of the NBL2 North table as the former won comfortably at the Archers Arena.
After taking an early lead, and extending it to 42-31 at the break, the Archers left their rivals in the dust with a 31-6 third period to seal the win. The free scoring Dan Flaherty was at it again, leading the victors with 35 points.
Along the M4, there was another derby in south-west of England, where the Bristol Academy Flyers II remained unbeaten after nine games thanks to a 103-84 win over Bristol Basketball United (BBU).
Corey Hill and Tre Thomas combined for 51 points in the win, with Hill leading the way with 29 and Thomas on 22, tightening the Flyers position at the summit. Kobe Hill had 29 for BBU.
Bristol’s lead at the top though could be closing as St Helens Saints, who have four games in hand over the Flyers won again to extend their unbeaten start to five games.
The Saints beat local rivals Manchester Magic 71-59 at the Manchester Basketball Centre.
Veteran Connor Murtagh struggled from the field, only shooting 4/15 but managed to find another way to score, as he shot 10/12 from the free throw line for his game-high 19 points.
Bailey Goodall, while not traditionally known for his scoring, rather his tenacious defence, paced the Magic with 11 points and nine rebounds.
Encon Derbyshire Arrows kept up their pace along the chasing pack in the North, as they beat Liverpool 107-92 to stay in third spot.
Barking Abbey remain top of the South, beating Barnet Bulldogs 82-65 thanks to Amarlie Wilkinson’s 16 points to improve to 8-0 but NASSA are staying within arms length.
Inspired by sitting courtside to watch Great Britain’s win over Greece on Thursday, former GB international Teddy Okereafor went for 28 points as NASSA comfortably beat Westminster Warriors 104-73, staying in second at 7-1.
At the foot of the South, Cobham Scorchers secured a vital 80-78 win over Endeavour Ipswich Basketball, who stay rooted to the bottom without a win in eight games.
Essex Rebels II couldn’t create separation between them and Ipswich in the basement as they lost 92-87 to Greenwich Titans.
Team Solent Kestrels stay third, as they won 91-72 on the road to London Elite thanks to 13 points each from the trio of Andre Arissol, Greg Durand and Isa Brandon.
A reduced schedule in WNBL2 saw London All Stars keep their unbeaten run in check with a routine 77-32 victory over the London Thunder in a top vs bottom clash. The Thunder are still yet to secure their first win of the campaign.
Oaklands College Wolves II remain hot on the All Stars’ trail in Pool II as they saw-off Endeavour Ipswich Basketball II 80-64 on Sunday, recovering from a slow start to burst clear with a 22-6 third quarter to seal the victory.
East London Phoenix maintain their grip on third place, with a 64-56 win over Hemel Storm who remain in fourth.
In the only Pool I game of the weekend, Cardiff City grabbed a 55-47 success over Plymouth Marjon Patriot Women in South Wales.
Cardiff Met Archers 98-49 Cardiff City
Bristol Academy Flyers II 103-84 Bristol Basketball United (BBU)
Liverpool 92-107 Encon Derbyshire Arrows
Barking Abbey 82-65 Barnet Bulldogs
Greenwich Titans 92-87 Essex Rebels II
Westminster Warriors 73-104 NASSA
Endeavour Ipswich Basketball 78-80 Cobham Scorchers
London Elite 72-91 Team Solent Kestrels
Cardiff City 55-47 Plymouth Marjon Patriot Women
Hemel Storm 56-64 East London Phoenix
London Thunder 32-77 London All Stars
Bracknell Cobras 72-76 Surrey 89ers
Cardiff Met Archers 59-96 Portsmouth Force
Islington Panthers 73-86 Kent Crusaders
Brighton Bears 68-84 Crawley Storm
Manchester Magic 59-71 St Helens Saints
Endeavour Ipswich Basketball II 64-80 Oaklands College Wolves II
Tameside Vikings 78-65 Cheshire Wire
CoLA Southwark Pride 80-68 Essex Charge
Sheffield Elite Basketball Academy 79-75 Stockport Falcons
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Words by John Hobbs
