Essex Rebels Clock Up Biggest Win of Season
The Essex Rebels Women’s basketball team was able to end the regular season on a win as they defeated the Cardiff Met Archers in a one-sided victory. The Rebels, who were on a month long losing streak knew they had to get a win heading into the playoffs to regain some momentum and they did just that, winning in style with their largest margin of victory all season 82-53. Cardiff, who had a depleted roster due to injuries never quit despite the score line and finished the season just out of the last play off spot.
The first half saw both teams battle and find their footing as they matched each other on offensive and defensive intensity. Heading into the locker room the Rebels were able to create a small gap, leading 41-31. The Rebels knew that Cardiff has spent the season hanging around teams, making games closely contested, so came out with renewed focus on the defensive end and held the Archers to just 22 points total in the second half. Offensively, the Rebels went on a run of their own behind some sharp shooting by team captain Andrea Kohlhaas, finishing with 41 points total in the second half.
Head Coach Tom Sadler had this to say about his team’s performance, “It felt good to get a win again. After playing so well in the first half of the season, having a dip in performance for the second half, we knew that we needed to take some sort of positive momentum into the play-offs and we did just that today. It was great to see our scorers get back into rhythm and to also see everyone get on court and contribute. Once again we showed that when we run our sets hard and correctly we get good looks at the basket. We can now turn our full attention to the first round of the play-offs and look to make some noise by beating a top team. Overall, I just want to say that I am so proud of this team. We have battled and overcome so many hurdles this season and to finish with the best record in Rebel history and claim a play-off spot is massive. I want to say thank you to the players, the staff, everyone who has helped us run our game days, our supporters, and the University for their continued support in running a professional team that has consistently improved every season so far.”
Top Performers Rebels:
Andrea Kohlhaas – 22 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists
Angel Waithe – 21 points, 13 rebounds
Lu Costa – 14 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists
Top Performers Archers:
S. Hatch – 15 points, 12 rebounds
S. Jorgensen – 15 points, 9 rebounds
The Rebels finish the season with a record of 10-10 and a 6th place finish in the league. They travel to Newcastle on Sunday May 2nd as they face the London Lions in the first round of the play-offs. Follow our Rebels social media accounts for more game information, and links to the live stream which with be supported by Sky Sports.
