GAME PREVIEW: Final Basketball Double Header of the 2024/25Season
On Saturday, 22 February, the Rebels SLB Women’s and D1 Men’s team will take to the court for one last basketball double header in the 2024/25 season.
The double header kicks off with the Essex Rebels facing Leicester Riders at 4pm in a highly anticipated Super Legaue Basketball Women match-up. The Rebels Women currently sit in 8th place of the SLBW Championship standings, with a 4-6 record. The women will look to bounce back after a 77-94 loss to Manchester Basketball last weekend. Taylor O’Brien (22 points, 9 rebounds – in the last game vs Manchester), Maria Blazejewski (22 points) and Lauren Park-Lane (11 points) will be key players as the Rebels look to beat the Riders to move up the championship standings. The Leicester Riders, which are O’Brien’s previous team before joining the Rebels, sit right above the Rebels in 7th place of the standings with a 5-6 record and are coming off a close 82-78 victory over the Newcastle Eagles. By securing a win this weekend over Leicester, the Rebels women will pass the Riders to take the seventh spot in the SLBW Championship standings ahead of the playoffs.
Head Coach Cookson is excited ahead of this weekend, stating:
“Following a good week in practice and advancing to the BUCS Semifinals, we feel ready for this weekend against the Riders. We hadn’t played for 6 weeks before last weekend’s game against Manchester, so it was a good opportunity to find our rhythm again. I’m confident that we’ll come out ready to play hard for 40 minutes.
The second game of the double header tips-off at 6.30pm with the Essex Rebels Men facing the 8th-placed London Cavaliers in the NBL Division 1. The Rebels, currently sitting in 7th place in the NBL Division 1 standings, are coming off a 100-69 win over the Newcastle Knights. They will look at keeping up their strong form to find their third consecutive win and beat the Cavaliers. The London Cavaliers, sitting on a 7-9 record in eighth place, are coming off their second consecutive loss (69-80). The Cavaliers currently sit on the brink of qualifying for the playoffs and will be hoping for a win in Essex.
Coach Ross Norfolk commented:
“We had a good week of training ahead of this weekend, with an important BUCS quarterfinal win on Wednesday against the University of Newcastle. We’re ready to go again this Saturday in front of our home crowd. “
Join the Essex Rebels this Saturday, 22 February, for one last action-packed men’s and women’s double header gameday, and show your support. Tickets are available on Fanbase.
