If the sign of a good team is the ability to grind out close wins, then this Ipswich side is definitively a good team. A third single digit win on the road on the trot for the Endeavour Ipswich Basketball Club Senior Women moved them to a 14-3, with just five games in four weeks remaining in the WNBL season. In a rematch of the National Cup Final last month against Brent Bulls, this was a much lower scoring, tighter affair, with both teams missing key players. Ultimately, the reigning league champions again prevailed 61-57.
Ipswich started the better of the two teams in the games early exchanges, before Brent grabbed the momentum, taking a 17-14 lead by the end of the first quarter. The second quarter saw the teams trading baskets back and forth, with Ipswich reducing the lead to a single point going into the half.
The third quarter saw the visitors seize control of the game with some stifling defence and Cerys Leach connecting on three shots from beyond the arc to allow the Ipswich lead to grow to 51-41 going into the games final period. Ipswich appeared to be in in control, further growing the lead to thirteen points before Brent mounted a late comeback, bringing the lead within two with nineteen seconds to play. A late three-pointer from Brent that would have given them a one-point lead rattled in an out, forcing the Bulls to foul on the rebound and Harriet Welham sank both shots from the stripe to give Ipswich the four point win.
Ipswich return back to Copleston this weekend where they will host Worcester Wolves, in an aim to move to 15-3 with just four weekends left of the regular season. Both Brent and CoLA have six games to play, including a crucial fixture against each other.
Top Scorers:
Leach 16
Welham 16
Keyes 12
Kommentare