Rebels Fight Hard Against an Experienced Manchester Squad

The Essex Rebels Women’s professional basketball team encountered a tough loss over the weekend as they took on an experienced and talented Manchester Mystics team. The Mystics, who boast almost a full team of current and former GB players, as well as professional imports were able to outscore the Rebels 102-90, in an exciting league game. 

The first quarter saw all momentum go to the visiting team as the Rebels struggled to slow the scoring onslaught early. Manchester quickly scored 27 points in the first 10 minutes of the game, mostly coming from current GB guard Georgia Jones.

However, the Rebels were able to find their footing in the second quarter behind four made 3-pointers by Ashleigh Munns, allowing the home team to head into the half up by one. 

The momentum heading into the half was unable to be carried into the third, as the Rebels were held to just 15 points. Despite a late fourth quarter surge, in which the Rebels cut the Mystics lead to just 4 points, time was running out, forcing the home team to scramble in a full court press and send the visitors to the foul line in an attempt to stop the clock and secure possession of the ball. Unfortunately, the Mystics handled the increased pressure and were able to grow their lead to secure the win. 

Head Coach Tom Sadler had this to say after the game, “We are disappointed about this result. We felt that we had the ability to come away with a win and unfortunately, we just had no answer for Georgia Jones who had a great game. It’s a real testament to their firepower that we scored 90 points and still lost. They seemed to have a scoring option from everyone they put on the floor. I think our focus on the defensive end ultimately let us down today and to give up that many points is unacceptable. The team knows this and as soon as the game ended, I heard them talking about how they were going to use this upcoming week to work on their defence. That’s accountability and it’s at least a positive after a loss. That’s all we can do in this moment and I’m excited to see the energy they bring next week as we rebound from this loss and get back to work.”

Top Performers Rebels:

Angel Waithe – 32 points, 10 rebounds, 7 steals

Andrea Kohlhaas – 24 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists

Ashleigh Munns – 17 points, 4 assists

Carla Bieg – 10 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists

Top performers Mystics:

Georgia Jones – 35 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds

Sophia Song – 17 points

Nikki Fong – 14 points

The Rebels will return to action next weekend with a double-header as they face Sevenoaks Suns on Saturday away and Durham Palatinates at home on Sunday. Make sure to check out the Rebels livestream of the game on their Youtube channel and cheer them on!