WNBL Division One Ipswich 93 Team Birmingham Elite 65 Ipswich made it three wins on the bounce with a comprehensive performance against a strong Birmingham team.
Birmingham, who a week earlier had pushed early pace setters Bristol all the way to the final buzzer, came to Suffolk with good reason to feel confident.
However, Ipswich raced out of the blocks with 15-year-old Cameron Taylor-Willis setting the tone at both ends of the floor. Ipswich controlled the game at both ends of the court, winning the first quarter 24-13 and extending that to 44-23 at the half.
After the interval, with the game all but over, Ipswich head coach Nick Drane was able to rest some of his starters and give extended playing time to some of the teams less experienced players.
Phoebe Colton and Nicole Aston both took advantage of that opportunity while the usual suspects continued to do damage for the hosts. Ipswich would wind up winning the game 93-65. Harriet Welham didn’t slow down her scoring, with 29 points while Esther Little recorded her first triple double of the season with 13 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists.
Taylor-Willis finished the game in double figures again with 12 while Charlotte Redhead continued her hot shooting streak with another impressive 20 points off the bench.
Drane said: “I was delighted with the way we played today. Everyone made a contribution which is always great and I was really impressed with our execution, something we have put a lot of focus on in recent week’s.
“Since Becky’s return I feel like we have found another gear – he athletic ability and tenacity on defence has given us another dimension.”
Ipswich now travel to Loughborough twice in the next two weeks, next week in league play before they return to the Midlands on the 18th for the National Cup quarter final.
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