Rebels fall short against Wolves in exciting battle at Essex Sport Arena

Essex Rebels suffered a hard-fought 73-85 defeat to Oaklands Wolves at the Essex Sport Arena, despite an explosive start and standout performances from Maria Blazejewski and Daniella Turner. The Rebels now hold a 2-3 record in the Super League and will look to regroup ahead of their Trophy Semi-Final rematch with Wolves next weekend.

The Rebels began the game with high energy, quickly building a 12-2 lead with contributions from Maria Blazejewski and Daniella Turner forcing the Wolves into early timeout. Wolves responded with back-to-back threes to cut the deficit, keeping the game close. The Rebels maintained their composure, closing the first quarter ahead 26-22, with Turner leading the scoring charge with eight points.

In the second quarter, the Rebels found their rhythm offensively, extending their lead to double digits behind the scoring prowess of Blazejewski, who had 17 points by halftime. Despite a technical foul against the Wolves’ head coach Lee Ryan, Oaklands managed to stay within striking distance, entering the break trailing 50-38.

The tide turned in the third quarter, as Oaklands clawed their way back with a dominant performance led by Danielle McCray (25), Shanice Beckford-Norton (12) and Abigail Rafferty (12). The Rebels struggled to contain Wolves’ offense and saw their once-comfortable lead evaporate. A late push from Wolves saw them take the lead 63-62 entering the final quarter.

Oaklands continued their momentum in the fourth, opening with a string of key baskets to extend their lead. Despite valiant efforts from Rebels’ key players, Wolves’ relentless offense proved too much, as they pulled away to secure the 85-73 victory.

For the Rebels top scorers were Maria Blazejewski with game-high 27 points and 7 rebounds, followed by Daniella Turner with 14 and Taylor O’Brien adding 13.

Reflecting on the game, head coach Ash Cookson commented:

“A disappointing loss for us but we have a lot of positives to take away from our first half performance. We’ve shown that we can be competitive now its about maintaining our composure through the rough patches of the game. We are exited to play them again this week and put forth our best efforts to advance to the trophy final!”

The Rebels will have an opportunity for redemption when they face the Wolves again on Saturday, 7 December, in Oaklands for the Super League Basketball Trophy Semi-Final. Tip-off is at 7pm.

Picture Credits: Joel Tshiunza