Rebels D1 Men Secure Second Straight Win Against Thunder
The Essex Rebels D1 men’s team secured their second consecutive victory in the league, defeating Worthing Thunder 82-76 at the Essex Sport Arena. The win, following last week’s dramatic overtime triumph against Birmingham Rockets, moves the Rebels to sixth place in the standings with a 3-3 record.
Daniel Johnson-Thompson led the way with a dominant double-double, posting 12 points and 15 rebounds in an impressive all-round display that earned him the game’s highest efficiency rating. The Rebels’ frontcourt dominance was evident throughout, as they outrebounded Thunder 64-45 and dominated the paint with 56 points inside.
Joe Hart, who joined from SLB (formerly BBL) side Plymouth Patriots, is beginning to show his quality and influence in the team, contributing 15 points and a game-high 8 assists, whilst Emmanuel Kanwei added 14 points and 10 rebounds to the winning effort.
Daljang Wol continued his impressive rise with another standout performance, matching Hart with 15 points while adding 3 steals. Having progressed through the Rebels’ Division 3 team last season, Wol looks to be thriving with the opportunity to compete at Division 1 level.
For Worthing, who entered the game buoyed by their first win of the season against Thames Valley the previous weekend, Elijah Maynard led all scorers with 20 points and 8 rebounds. Johnathan Lashley also added 15 points and 6 rebounds, but the Thunder struggled to contain the Rebels’ inside presence throughout.
Coach Ross Norfolk commented on the team’s performance:
“Really happy with the result. We for the majority of the time stuck to the game plan. We got them into foul trouble early on which hurt their rhythm offensively. Happy we closed out the game and put on a show for the home crowd!”
The victory marks another step forward for the Rebels, who have found their rhythm after a challenging start to the season. The team will look to make it three wins in a row when they travel to face ninth-placed Thames Valley Cavaliers next weekend.
TOP PERFORMERS:
- Daniel Thompson-Johnson: 12 Points | 15 Rebounds | 2 Steals | 1 Block
- Emmanuel Kanwei: 14 Points | 10 Rebounds | 3 Assists
- Joe Hart: 15 Points | 4 Rebounds | 8 Assists
Weekend Division 2 Update:
The Rebels Division 2 men’s team showed fighting spirit in another close encounter, falling 81-75 to Richmond Knights. Despite a strong performance, the result leaves the team still searching for their first win of the season after seven games.
Picture Credit: Joel Tshiunza
