Essex Rebels take on Nottingham in Their First Game of the Season
The Essex Rebels women’s basketball team returned to the court this weekend for the first time in almost ten months. The Rebels, who only returned two players from last years roster, faced a strong Nottingham Wildcats team who had seven returnees including leading league scorer Chelsea Shumpert and league leading rebounder Jasmine Joyner.
The first quarter saw the Rebels battle some first game jitters, but they quickly adjusted to the fast pace of their opponents and saw Angel Waithe and Andrea Kohlhaas combine for 9 quick points. However, the Wildcats found their rhythm from behind the arc in the second quarter, knocking down six three-pointers and extending their lead heading into the half time break.
Even though the Rebels started the second half behind in points, their positivity and energy never let up as they played hard and found themselves going point for point with the Wildcats. Unfortunately, the gap from the first half provided too wide and although the second half score was tied 31-31, the Wildcats took the win with a final score of 98-67.
Despite the final score line Head Coach Tom Sadler was positive with how his team handled adversity and played hard for the entire 40 minutes. After the game he commented, “with this being the first competitive game the team has played in almost 10 months I think there were a lot of positives to take away from this game. Nottingham has a very talented team and to tie with them in the second half was a testament to the determination of our team to not give up and our potential when we take care of the ball and communicate on defence. I can’t fault them at all for their effort and positivity and am excited to see how this team improves over the season as they get more comfortable and confident with returning to competitive games.”
The Rebels don’t have much time to dwell on the loss, as they have a mid-week clash against the London Lions for the Trophy competition and then see a young Caledonia Pride team on Saturday 23rd for their first home game at the University of Essex Sports Arena. While fans are not permitted into the arena, the game will be streamed live on YouTube so be sure to cheer on your Rebels from home!
Top Performers Essex Rebels:
Lu Costa – 14 points / 9 rebounds
Ashleigh Munns – 11 points / 4 rebounds / 3 assists
Andrea Kohlhaas – 11 points
Angel Waithe – 11 points
Top Performers Nottingham Wildcats:
Chelsea Shumpert – 20 points / 9 assists
Jasmine Joyner – 16 points / 11 rebounds
Siohban Prior – 12 points
Moa Lundqvist – 10 points / 8 rebounds
