It’s play-off time for Ipswich Basketball Club at Copleston this weekend, with three back-to-back games.
The all-conquering senior women have been the club’s headline act for much of the season after being re-launched last the summer – they rolled through the regular season without losing a single game, winning the club’s first senior National League title in nearly 30 years.
Their National Cup win, including three wins on the road to NBL Division One teams, and a final victory against runaway D1 champions Essex Blades, has made the team something of a Cinderella story on the national stage this season.
They will be one of the favourites for the Division Two National Championship as they aim to complete a historic, undefeated, treble winning season. They host Cardif Met Archers in the first round at 4.30pm on Sunday.
The under 16 girls have followed last season’s final four appearance, where they finished second in the country, by completing another regular season as one of the leading teams in the country.
Furthermore, they followed in the footsteps of the senior women, winning the National Cup – meaning the team is going into the playoffs as one of the favourites. They also host Cardiff Met Archers in the first round, tip-off at 12noon on Sunday.
Also on Sunday, at 2.15pm, the under 16 boys host the London Westside Rangers having reached the play-offs in what many consider the toughest league in the country.
The team lost their first five games of this season but have gone on to achieve a 14-7 record for the rest of the year, also reaching the quarter finals of the National Cup.
On Saturday, the under 18 men and under 14 girls will be in action – but both sides are on the road.
The men, who won the East Conference of the National League, travel to Newcastle Eagles, with a 12noon tip-off. A win would see them return to Copleston for a quarter-final game.
The girls, meanwhile, are on the road at Manchester with a 1pm tip-off, having finished third in the East Division in the regular season.
The club’s senior men are still waiting to find out if they will qualify for the play-offs.
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