WBBL TROPHY: LEICESTER RIDE HIGH

By Mark Woods on March 10, 2019

Leicester Riders beatÂ Durham Palatinates 76-74 to lift the 2019 WBBL Trophy.

Kate Oliver was the game’s MVP with 16 points as the holders mounted a successful defence of their title.

But they were made to work to the bitter end by the first-time finalists.

The Australian centre pushed the Riders into an early blitz with eleven unanswered points in the opening quarter and then a further 12-3 run.

However Durham finally awoke with a shot from almost mid-court by Croatian veteranÂ Monika Bosilj on the buzzer to end the period inspiring an 15-3 surge that put the underdogs in front and ignited a tit-for-tat battle that would run almost to the end.

Up 37-36 at half-time, Leicester opened the third period on a 12-4 run to keep the opposition at arm’s length but were hit by the loss of young star Holly Winterburn whose ankle injury saw her carted off the floor in a wheelchair.

Despite Durham coming within a single point in the sliding minutes, they could not find one late surge as free throws were swapped with Brea Elmore having the very last say from the line.

“We knew that they were gonna come out fighting so we had to come out even harder and I think we did a great job,” Oliver said.

“They were not getting roll over and let us take the Championship so we had to fight all the way through.”

Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby led Durham with 18 points and eight rebounds.

“I’m really pleased with how we played – it was a team effort,” the Palatinates captain said.

“It came down to the final moments and we didn’t get the shots we needed. It might have taken us time to adjust to the big arena and calm ourselves, but we were soon back on track and focused on helping each other out.”

Game Stats

Do you like our work?

We have a tiny favour to ask. In 2018 we set out to make Hoopsfix sustainable by building our relationship directly with our readers. Up until now, Hoopsfix has been creating editorials, videos and podcasts to provide sorely missing coverage of the British game and its distinct culture and community.

We have funded Hoopsfix with our freelance work creating basketball media, but sadly that means not only does it fall behind our client’s priorities, but some of those clients are the same organisations we need to report objectively on putting us in a conflicted position.

We want to devote more time to our mission of helping British basketball reach its potential, and produce even more content for the basketball community by making Hoopsfix a sustainable 100% independent business funded directly by our readers through Patreon.

If everyone who enjoys our content chose to support us, our future would be much more secure. For as little as $3 per month, you can support Hoopsfix – and it only takes a minute.

We are tremendously honoured and humbled to have a community of people who value what we do, and we look forward to being at the forefront of the British game as it continues to evolve.

Support Hoopsfix