Essex Rebels II take NBL Division 3 Playoff crown

By Sam Neter on April 27, 2024

Essex Rebels II completed a perfect season as they were crowned NBL Division 3 Playoff champions with a 85-62 win over Barnet Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon at the NBPC in Manchester.

Going 18-0 through the regular season and 22-0 including the playoffs, they’ve steamrolled through the season, winning games by more than 30 points on average, adding a 23-point victory in the final.

DJ Wol picked up MVP honours with 23 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, preventing Barnet Bulldogs from completing a fairytale debut season in NBL Division 3.

Daljang Wol gets things going with a bang for @EssexRebels II in the @NBLengland D3 Playoff Final! pic.twitter.com/YSC3vX5Oxy

— Hoopsfix (@Hoopsfix) April 27, 2024

Essex Head Coach Ryan Maiden, named NBL Division 3 East Coach of the Year, said:

“It’s [down to] the strength of our programme. We sat in a room, and we said ‘undefeated’, we said, ‘winning championships’, we said, ‘winning promotions’ and [they’re all] things that we’ve done. We very much spoke it into existence. The players deserve every single bit of success that they’ve had.”

Jordan Ashley added 14 for Essex, with Fredrik Wilson and Alvin Fleming having 12 each, as the Rebels pulled out the victory despite turning the ball over 28 times.

Chuck Duru led Barnet with 15 points.

Box score.

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