Hatters play up to
six
Sheffield Hatters extended their run of
NBL Women's Division One Play Off successes to six at the Guildford Spectrum,
defeating Thames Valley Lady Tigers 63-60 in a fabulous final.
The finish could not have been much closer,
the two rivals tied with just 90 seconds remaining. However Sheffield's
three from six attempts from the foul line was to carry them through.
The match was not without controversy as
Tigers ended the first half protesting that a long distance shot from captain
Kelli McHugh had been worth three rather than two points. It came to no
avail, Tigers entering the break up 31-33, thanks largely to their combination
of McHugh, Anita Pountain and Charlene Oosterling.
Upon the re-start, a certain upset looked
on the cards, six straight Tigers points beginning a sequence which culminated
in a 36-46 advantage. However betty Cadona's side are nothing if not resilient
and so they proved, a 19-4 charge spearheaded by Sharon Castanada and the
excellent Helen Sharpe turning the deficit into a lead.
Tigers mettle stood the test, a three pointer
from Malin Andrew hauling them back to within a point and a basket from
McHugh levelling matters at 58-58. Andrew soon picked up her fifth foul,
leaving on a team best 13 points, but a pair from McHugh put the Bracknell
side ahead by a single point.
It was however to be their last score as
Sharpe (who led the team on 20 points), Castanada (19) and Ann Jamieson
stuttered from the foul line in the closing seconds to steal a hard fought
title, completing a glorious treble of league, cup and Championship once
more.
Plymouth at perfect double
Plymouth Ladies made it a double for their
city in the Division Two final, adding to the success of their Division
One men. Their 72-51 win over Wandsworth completed an unblemished 17-0
season for the Devon side who must be hoping for promotion.
