Rebels Secure Win Against Charge to Advance in NBL National Cup
The Essex Rebels men’s team delivered a commanding performance in the fourth round of the NBL National Cup, defeating local rivals Essex Charge 108-78 to secure their spot in the fifth round. The Rebels will host their next cup game at the Essex Sport Arena on 1 December at 4.00pm.
A lively contest unfolded in front of an electric crowd at the Essex Sport Arena. Essex Charge started strong, opening the scoring with a free throw and a quick three-pointer by #9 Ragasa to take an early 4-point lead. However, the Rebels wasted no time responding. DJ Wol’s and-one followed by a steal and score gave the Rebels their first lead. After some back-and-forth action, Ashley’s three-pointer in the closing moments of the first quarter extended the Rebels’ advantage to 24-18.
The second quarter saw the Rebels assert their dominance. Daniel Johnson-Thompson set the tone with a massive rejection, and Joe Hart delivered an impressive and-one and a three-pointer to stretch the lead further. By the midpoint of the quarter, Ashley and Hart led a scoring surge that saw the Rebels go on a 17-5 run, pushing their lead to 52-29 by halftime. Ashley paced the Rebels with 16 first-half points, while Hart contributed 14. For the visitors, Ragasa kept Charge in the game with 14 points of his own.
The Rebels came out firing in the second half, quickly building on their lead. Hart’s opening three-pointer and a flurry of scores from Ashley, including a highlight dunk from Kanwei, put the Rebels in complete control. By the end of the third quarter, the Rebels held an imposing 80-48 lead, with Ashley and Hart continuing to dominate offensively.
Despite some late fight from Essex Charge, who found momentum with back-to-back three-pointers midway through the fourth quarter, the Rebels’ depth and firepower proved too much. DJ Wol capped off an impressive team effort with a block and a layup by Hudson to break the century mark, securing a 108-78 victory.
Five Rebels players finished in double digits: Jordan Ashley led the way with 26 points, followed by Hart (20), Amako (18), Wol (16), and Kanwei (14). For the visitors, Ragasa was a standout, leading all scorers with 30 points in a valiant effort.
The Rebels now look ahead to the next round of the NBL National Cup, where they’ll aim to continue their impressive run in front of their home fans on December 1st.
Coach Norfolk was pleased with his team’s performance stating:
“Really happy with the guys performance and that we can advance into the next round. Great performance by Jordan close to a triple double and defended well. It was great to have two teams from Essex battle it out and put on a show for the local fans. The atmosphere was great.”
The Essex Rebels NBL Division 1 team returns home on 30 November to take on the Bradford Dragons at 6:30 PM during our Rebels Retro Night. Tickets are available now on Fanbase.
Picture Credit: Joel Tshiunza
