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Hatts-Off to Sheffield
After ceding their crown to Rhondda last term, Sheffield Hatters made sure the Women's NBL Division One title was returned to Yorkshire at the earliest possible occasion, Betty Codona's side wrapping up the 2001-2 crown with a 82-64 defeat of Nottingham Wildcats on Saturday night.
Rhondda - who finish in second place after their 74-50 win over Thames Valley were waiting on any slip-up but were powerless to stop Sheffield from collecting their tenth title in eleven seasons, adding to their earlier National Cup success. The rivals finish with identical 14-2 records but the Hatters owned the tie-breaker between the sides.
In what proved to be a decisive win for Sheffield, the hosts started well and it was Andrea Kagie who scored the first points on the board. In the first quarter play and passing by both sides was good and fast and both sides made a few fouls. Hatters began to dominate the play, but no matter how many times they tried to get a basket, the ball would just go round the rim and back out. Tension was beginning to mount as Kristy Lavin came off the bench and ended this lack of scoring by Hatters with a great drive to basket. Wildcats offense struggled as they tried to make their fast break more successful with a series of long balls but they did`nt work either and after some good blocking by Hatters they led by 21-14 at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter started and the Hatters defense was looking good, this along with some excellent baskets by Sharon Castanada and Kristy Lavin made for fast energetic play. As a result of good rebounding and defending by both teams play was back and forth in seconds and half time saw Hatters up by 41-25.
The third quarter started with both teams looking determined as they lined up for the jump ball and within seconds Lisa Hutchinson scored a well deserved basket. Katie Crowley was playing well and fighting for the ball at every opportunity. Nottingham were playing a tight zone defense when Kagie passes the ball to Anna Hay and she scored a three pointer that made everyone cheer. The Hatters were getting stronger and stronger. Every member of the team was involved and playing hard sensing the title was getting closer and closer. Kagie made some great blocks as the Wildcats tried to get back into the game. Crowley kept on working hard and made a good pass to Lisa Hutchinson who put it away to increase Hatters lead. The crowd were enjoying the good basketball that was now being played by both teams and Hutchinson put another one in to end the third quarter with the Hatters ahead by 65-44.
The fourth and final quarter started with Hatters making a quick basket and the Wildcats looking bewildered. Kagie seemed to be running rings round the Wildcats defense. Time-out was called by the Nottingham coach at 71-49 to try and get her team back in the game but once back on court a series of fouls by Wildcats players served only to give the Hatters even more advantage. Kim Hinchcliffe came on and was involved in a tussle straight away. Wildcats were caught traveling with the ball and the Hatters made good use of this opportunity with a shot from Castanada for two points.Play was then up and down the court. Wildcats Sharon Inchley had five fouls and was fouled out and from then on, it was a coast all the way to the title for the Hatters.
Arrows shoot to gold
Derbyshire Arrows will finish the season where they have spent it all - at the head of Men's Division One after clinching the title with an emphatic 57-96 victory at Worcester, just one season after rising from Division Two.
NBL Conference Play-Off, Quarter-Finals 1st Legs: Interbasket 91 Teesside 95
When these two teams met six weeks ago in the regular season, Teesside Mohawks recorded a 105-59 victory as they made their way to the league title losing just one game overall. Inter Basket, however, have lost their last five so the signs were of a prospective blow out for the North Easterners but it never materialised, the league champions taking only a four point cushion into the second leg of the quarter-final tie.
Due to the unavailability of their home court, Inter were forced to move the tie to the Riverside
Centre in Chelmsford, Essex and it was the visitors who were soon into their stride taking an early
13-7 lead with Ralph Bucci being active on the offensive board. The introduction of Franck Batimba
for Inter Basket gave the "home" side more purpose and he scored six of his sides next ten points to reduce the margin to three at 20-17. However seven points in a row for Teesside, including a Steve Butler three, restored Teesside's double digit lead to 27-17 at the end of the first quarter.But the second quarter was a different matter. Playing defence as if their lives depended on it,
the London side began to edge their way back. Moving the ball intelligently for perhaps the first
time this season, the young English side began to take and make good shot opportunities; Laurent
Irish in particular combining the role of creator with that of scorer. With Batimba, Irish and
Mansour Mbye creating havoc around the Mohawks basket, suddenly it was a one point game at 32-33 after six minutes of the second period. James Nicholson replied for Teesside before a James Miller three and a Mbye inside move gave Inter their first lead at 37-35. Jason Swaine replied with a trademark three for Teesside (his first points of the evening) before an 8-3 run over the final minutes of the quarter gave Inter basket an improbable 45-41 half time advantage.There was little doubt that Teesside coach Tony Hanson would have stern words with his team during the interval. They certainly came out fired up and with Bucci and Lijah Perkins dictating matters, an 8-0 run midway through the third quarter gave Mohawks the lead back at 55-54. This is normally the point at which Inter Basket self implode but on this night it would be different. A 7-0 run, capped by a Junior Bashorun three-pointer, gave Inter the lead at 63-57. Teesside replied with six of their own, to tie matters up again, with two minutes remaining of the period. Mohawks defence, now the obligatory zone, was forcing the Londoners away from the basket, but with the 24 second clock about to expire Batimba unleashed a three-pointer from NBA range that hit the bottom of the net to restore his sides lead and with the team trading late baskets the period ended at 68-65 to Inter.
A Swaine three-pointer tied matters up before Inter guards Andrew Bailey and Perry Lawson both
scored to take the lead to four. Peter Knechtel replied but yet another Batimba three took it back
to a five point margin. Perkins and Bailey traded scores before Teesside showed just why they are the outstanding team in this league. A Bucci score, surrounded seemingly by the whole Inter Basket team, followed by a Knechtel three-point play again evened up the tie. Another Irish dunk, his third of the night, gave Inter what would be their final lead, before runs of five and six took
Teesside to 89-81 with three minutes remaining. Irish made three of his own, but the visitors would
look to veteran All Star Bucci for his undoubted leadership as he scored another tough inside move.
Bailey and Irish made the next four to bring it to 91-88 before Swaine's banked lay-up took it back
to five. Lawson hit a three-pointer but it was not just enough as Bucci's score at the end gave
Mohawks victory in a pulsating battle at 95-91; surely not what the "experts" would have predicted.An excellent spread of points for Inter Basket with Batimba on 24, Irish 19, Lawson 15 and Mbye 14. For Teesside Bucci 29, Perkins 26 and Swaine 13 led the way in a match that was an outstanding advertisement of NBL basketball. The road to the North East will be long and winding next Sunday but perhaps Inter Basket now go more in expectation than hope.
Reading Rockets 82 Plymouth Raiders 83
In a tremendously exciting game fortunes ebbed and flowed as first Reading went ahead and then Plymouth, who ended as narrow 83-82 victors. Rockets coach Dave Titmuss was pleased, saying " It's all set up for the second leg and I'm confident we can get a result."
Both teams were fired up at the start of the game which was played with electrifying pace. Ted Smith opened the Rockets scoring with a nicely controlled jump shot and John Hodds cleverly drew a foul and made two from two at the line. The hosts bright opening continued as Hodds rebounded Matt Eames attempted shot and made two and Damon Cooper opened his account with a spectacular three pointer. Plymouth's star player Todd Cetnar immediately replied with a similar three point score and this signaled a Plymouth time out with Rockets 11-7 up. On the resumption Smith made an incisive pass for Eames to convert into points and then Eames produced another great piece of play scoring with a fade away jump shot to increase Rockets lead to 15-7 with five minutes remaining. Hodds, who seems to get better and better, drove to the basket for two and drew the foul which he made into the extra point. Cooper and Smith added points for a 21-13 lead for Rockets and Titmuss called his first time out. In hindsight this was an unfortunate disruption to the Rockets momentum as they failed to score for the rest of the quarter and Plymouth leveled at 21-21 on the buzzer.
Rockets put the disaster of the last two minutes of the first quarter behind them as they quickly powered into the lead. Smith made a marvelous assist for Cooper to make another three, Hodds made two on the run after another good pass and Cooper scythed his way to the basket for two more. Rockets took a 32-23 lead but Plymouth came fighting back. Hodds scored four more, Smith was penalised for a charging foul but then the American made a massive three pointer to signal another Plymouth time out at 39-33 to Rockets with three minutes remaining. Plymouth increased the pressure still further and again finished the quarter strongly and despite more great play from Hodds, Cooper and Smith, Rockets lead was only three points at the half time interval, 43-40.
Plymouth produced an awesome third quarter winning it 28-18 with some superb basketball. Rockets to their immense credit weathered the storm with Captain Matt Johnson in the thick of things ablely supported by the superb Adam Kelly. Predictably it was Plymouth's Cetnar who leveled the scores at 53 each with his trademark three point shot and although Plymouth went into a 57-53 lead, Rockets, after a time out, came roaring back with Cooper leveling to 57 each with another three point score. Plymouth finished the quarter very strongly and looked as though they
might run away with the game with a 68-61 lead, the home side were not finished. Spurred on by some excellent defense, Smith made two from the line after a foul and then made a great steal for Cooper to make another three. Smith made another two from the line and tipped in a ball that was bobbling around the rim for two more. Adam Kelly made a nice jump shot for two on the buzzer to make Rockets deficit just one point. Rockets finished the game the stronger of the two teams which bodes well for the second leg.
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