Meanwhile in WNBL2, London All Stars continue their dominance in Pool II as the sole unbeaten side in the division.
It’s a three-way tie at the top of an intriguing South division with the trio of sides collecting wins over the weekend.
Team Solent Kestrels (14-1) posted an 89-70 on the road to NASSA (11-6) as they blew the game open with a 31-9 second period that proved the difference in an otherwise closely contested battle.
Andre Arissol led the Kestrels with 22 points, with Sable Cooper leading NASSA with 18.
Barking Abbey (14-1) dismissed Endeavour Ipswich Basketball (1-15) 98-65 as they continue their quest for an immediate return to NBL1.
Laquarne Sayles led four Barking Abbey players in double figures with 23 points, shooting 53% from the field. Lee Linton-Hodges posted 15 points and 14 rebounds for Ipswich.
London Stars (14-3) make up the trio at the top as they defeated Barnet Bulldogs (6-10) 103-95. Ryan Martin led the victors with 21 points. However, the tide will certainly change in the standings next weekend, when the Stars travel to Solent in a top-of-the-table clash.
Near the bottom, Westminster Warriors (4-14) picked a strong, morale-boosting 104-95 win, over the Greenwich Titans (7-8) after overtime.
Denied in the last 25 seconds of regulation by Titans’ Lunula Djamba, Westminster regrouped to outscore Greenwich 17-8 in the extra period with Jardel Kerr scoring seven of his 13 points in overtime for the victory.
Plaudits must also go to veteran Justin Hitchman, who had 31 points on 10/13 shooting for Westminster.
The Warriors stay in 10th spot but have closed the gap on Cobham Scorchers (5-12) in ninth after they narrowly lost 87-82 to London Elite (10-7).
Jaguar Jackson paced London with 20 points as they stay in the hunt for a spot in the post-season.
Four teams in the North are jostling for position at the top with very little separating them.
Bristol Academy Flyers II (14-2) secured a hard-fought 87-74 win over the Cardiff Met Archers (5-10). Nassim Ladjimi amassed 20 points with Corey Hill adding 20 in the win.
Leicester Warriors (14-3) matched Bristol’s feat as a strong first half lifted them to a 11-60 win away to bottom side Cardiff City (1-11).
In a key battle between third and fourth, St Helens Saints (11-2) gained the upper hand, beating Encon Derbyshire Arrows (12-5) 95-88 thanks to 25 points from Disraeli Lufadeju.
Manchester Magic (9-7) are not going away, as they remain in fifth, following a 68-60 win over Bristol Basketball United (4-11).
Worcester Wolves (6-10) iced the game from the foul line as they held their nerve to outlast Liverpool (3-13) 78-74 in an entertaining clash on Merseyside.
Finlay Rennie led a short-handed Wolves side with 21 points and 12 rebounds as two players played the full 40 minutes in a six-man rotation.
The sole Sunday game saw Myerscough Basketball Academy (8-7) continue their rich vein of form as they defeated Teesside Lions (4-10) 71-59. Mark Rangeley continues to impress as he led all scorers with 30 points in the win.
London All Stars and Milton Keynes Breakers remain top of the WNBL2 standings with the former maintaining a perfect record now stretching to 12 games.
The All Stars’ latest success came against Team Solent Kestrels (6-7), with the Londoners winning 74-58 in Pool II. Bena Ozzy-Momodou led the victors with 18 points.
Not to be outdone, over in Pool I, the Breakers (8-1) used a strong second half to dethrone the Plymouth Marjon Patriot Women (3-7) 68-55 at Bletchley. Courtney Gray led the hosts with 17 points.
Staying in Pool I, Bromsgrove Bears (8-2) dismissed City of Birmingham Rockets (3-5) 72-57 thanks to a 34-point outburst from Rebecca Brindley, Brooke Leo’s 22 points helped Charnwood Riders (5-6) to an 86-63 win over Liverpool (1-9).
And Nottingham University Wildcats (3-6) got the better of Cardiff City (4-5) 74-53. Back in Pool II, London Elite (8-3) edged Hemel Storm (7-5) 49-43.
Endeavour Ipswich Basketball (5-7) enjoyed a comfortable 87-41 victory against London Thunder (1-12), with Maia Wiseman dropping a team-high 15 points in the win.
Bristol Basketball United 60-68 Manchester Magic - LIVE STATS
Liverpool 74-78 Worcester Wolves - LIVE STATS
Bristol Academy Flyers II 87-74 Cardiff Met Archers - LIVE STATS
Cardiff City 60-111 Leicester Warriors
Encon Derbyshire Arrows 88-95 St Helens Saints
NASSA 70-89 Team Solent Kestrels - LIVE STATS
Barking Abbey 98-65 Endeavour Ipswich Basketball - LIVE STATS
Barnet Bulldogs 95-103 London Stars - LIVE STATS
Greenwich Titans 95-104 Westminster Warriors (After 1OT) - LIVE STATS
Cobham Scorchers 82-87 London Elite - LIVE STATS
Cardiff City 53-74 Nottingham University Wildcats
London Elite 49-43 Hemel Storm
London All Stars 74-58 Team Solent Kestrels
Milton Keynes Breakers 68-55 Plymouth Marjon Patriot Women
City of Birmingham Rockets 57-72 Bromsgrove Bears
Liverpool 63-86 Charnwood Riders
Sheffield Sharks 98-45 Manchester Kings
Plymouth Marjon Patriots 54-77 Plymouth Raiders
Cardiff Met Archers II 80-73 Bracknell Cobras
Islington Panthers TBC-TBC CoLA Southwark Pride
Brighton Bears 77-85 Bath Basketball
East London Phoenix 81-58 London Sharks
Crawley Storm 65-71 Surrey 89ers
Stockport Falcons 73-75 Tees Valley Mohawks
Cambridge Cats 85-65 Nottingham Trent Hoods
Portsmouth Force 78-85 Oxford Hoops
Greenhouse Sports 69-72 Essex Charge
Myerscough Basketball Academy 71-59 Teesside Lions - LIVE STATS
Endeavour Ipswich Basketball 87-41 London Thunder
Stevenage Royals Women TBC-TBC East London Phoenix
University of East Anglia 65-84 Warwickshire Hawks
Cheshire Wire 42-115 West Yorkshire Hawks
Derby Trailblazers II 61-87 Birmingham City University
Kent Crusaders TBC-TBC London United
University of Hertfordshire Storm 96-88 Northamptonshire Titans
Oaklands Wolves 80-76 Charnwood Riders
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Words by John Hobbs
Main image credit - Kai Johnson
