WBBL Championship
30th March 2019: Nottingham Wildcats 75-64 Essex Rebels (25-13, 41-27, 49-45)
Nottingham Wildcats took another step closer to a top five finish in the WBBL Championship with a 75-64 win over Essex Rebels, at Nottingham Wildcats Arena.
The hosts stay level on points with Manchester Mystics in fourth place, but remain in fifth position in the standings having played a game more than the side above them.
Leading scorers – Chelsey Shumpert 32, Jasmine Joyner 15, Jagoda Oses 10 (Wildcats) – Jessy Ward 24, DeAngelique Waithe 22, Cat Lutz 8 (Rebels)
Turning point – Having led for much of the game, the hosts found themselves down three with five minutes remaining in the contest. A decisive 8-2 run then followed to swing the game back in Nottingham’s favour and force the away team into fouling in an attempt to stop the clock.
Key stat – Turnovers proved costly for the Rebels, as 19 turnovers by the visitors led directly to 24 crucial points for the home team.
Game hero(es) – Shumpert poured in a game-high 32 points to pace the Wildcats, while Joyner stood out on both ends of the floor – collecting 15 points, six rebounds and four blocks.
Match Report Source: WBBL