WOLVES ARE WINNERS, AT LAST
The longest losing streak in top flight British basketball is over after Oaklands Wolves picked up their maiden win at the 26th attempt.
Three games into their second season in the WBBL, victory was theirs by beating Caledonia Pride 69-55 on Saturday in Edinburgh.
And it was no fluke, with the hitherto constant strugglers pulling away determinedly with an 18-5 fourth quarter run and some gritty play that left the Scots flummoxed as Alix Varga hit a game-best 20 points and ignited some critical plays.
“It’s an awesome feeling,†admitted Oaklands coach Lee Ryan. “We’ve only got four back from last year’s team so there’s a lot of new faces and the couple of games we’ve had so far haven’t really reflected on how good we could be.
“But we’ve always said we’d get there when we got there. It’s nice that we came here and played with commitment and belief because we knew that Caledonia would push us. Even when we stretched it out they came back.
“But we rode through it, got the win and now we have to move forward.â€
That starts against Northumbria on Sunday. Another chance of a scalp, another opportunity to progress and show they mean business in the WBBL – and in bringing through fresh talent.
“We have our youth academy base so it’s all about the development and giving players a chance to play,†Ryan added. “But it can be difficult when you keep losing all the time.
“We came close last year. We improved a lot in the second half of the season but never quite got over the hump.
“But bringing in a couple of more experienced players has helped us a lot. The kids need that help. We have good players but they’re young. This result shows thought that they’re ready for this league.â€
Pic: Mansoor Ahmed
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