Rebels Tame The Wolves
Essex Rebels took on the Oaklands Wolves in the WBBL this Saturday, with the Rebels looking to start their busy week off with a win for the home fans.
The Rebels had a strong start to the game, with strong centre Sune Swart scoring back-to-back buckets, commencing a 6-0 run.
Essex continued to dominate, with a pair of threes extending their lead to 12-4.
Despite the Wolves’ determined defensive play, the Rebels maintained their clinical performance, with Daniela Turner stringing a clean bucket from the edge of the key to keep their lead firm.
Tia Freeman then hit two consecutive triples, ending the first quarter with the Rebels on top, 25-17.
In the second quarter, the Wolves fought back and successfully cut the deficit to single digits, with Grace George’s picturesque three-point conversion igniting the Oaklands’ determination.
However, a misguided transition pass by the Oaklands attack led to a fast break by the Rebels, resulting in a strong finish by Kohlhaas, putting their lead back up to 40-30 at the half.
Rebels had a strong start to the third quarter, swiftly scoring six points behind Turner and Kohlhaas’s shots from three-point range. The Rebels changed up their defensive tactics and this proved to be the shift that was needed.
Oaklands continued to fight back, with Daisy Porter scoring a nice and-one basket, getting by the taller Rebels defender.
Essex, however, ended with a crucial 5-0 run, with Jade Mbam hitting a perfect corner three to take the score to 64-40.
Both teams continued to exchange buckets in a high-scoring final quarter, but the Rebels ultimately held on for an 18-point victory.
Essex were led by Andrea Kohlhaas with 17 points whilst Tia Freeman and Megan Haines pitched in 15 points.
Head Coach Ross Norfolk was pleased with the disciplined performance, “It was a great team performance overall. We made some shots at the right time to help kill any of Oaklands scoring runs and we were able to switch up our defensive strategies”.
Essex take on Manchester in the final home game of the season next Sunday 16th of April. We look forward to seeing you there!
