Suns and Mystics continue title push as Archers and Rebels eye Play-Offs spot

Cardiff Met Archers, Essex Rebels, Manchester Mystics and Sevenoaks Suns all picked up important points on an eventful Saturday in the Championship.

Cardiff picked up a second league win of the season behind Cristina Bigica’s 22 points and 10 rebounds. The 67-56 victory for the visitors over Oaklands Wolves could be vital, come the end of the season, in the race for the final Play-Offs spot.

Essex Rebels also improved their chances of making the post-season with a comfortable 79-54 performance against the winless BA London Lions. Jessy Ward led the way with 24 points and seven assists.

Elsewhere, Manchester Mystics grabbed a valuable 76-64 win over Nottingham Wildcats as the teams at the top of the standings continue to jostle for position. Sam Roscoe netted a team-high 17 points for the hosts.

Sevenoaks then claimed top spot with an 87-74 victory over Durham Palatinates. Renee Busch hit an efficient 18 points but it was Cat Carr who stole the show with a 13 point, 11 rebound and 13 assist triple-double.

Durham’s Nicolette Fong Lyew Quee reached 300 WBBL Career Championship assists in the contest. The result also saw Suns play-caller Len Busch collect his 50th WBBL home win across all competitions.

WBBL Championship (All Games)

Oaklands Wolves 56-67 Cardiff Met Archers (18-22, 39-40, 51-55)

(Wolves – Abbott 15, Milligan 14, Rouse 9; Archers – Bigica 22, Wagstaff / Lewis / Jorgensen 10)

Manchester Mystics 76-64 Nottingham Wildcats (17-14, 42-34, 57-48)

(Mystics – Roscoe 17, Bailey 15, Djassi / Jones 13; Wildcats – Joyner 30, Costa 13, Freeman 7)

Essex Rebels 79-54 BA London Lions (17-18, 49-31, 64-40)

(Rebels – Ward 24, Rendle 22, Shaxon 9; Lions – Ivanova 17, L. Da Silva 16, V. Da Silva 8)

Sevenoaks Suns 87-74 Durham Palatinates (23-24, 44-34, 60-57)

(Suns – Busch 18, Fritz 17, Garrido-Perez 16; Palatinates – Hayward 21, Ceazer 15, Fong 13)