NBL Division Two Ipswich 114 Worcester Wolves 74 Ipswich Basketball Club’s Senior Women made it ten wins in a row to continue their unbeaten start to the season against a talented Worcester Wolves team.
Ipswich are now 6-0 in league play, meaning they remain in pole position in NBL Division Two.
Their next league game will quite possibly play a significant part in the final league standings on Saturday January 27, when they host second placed Derbyshire Gems, who have lost just a single game themselves and are sitting 4-1, ready to pounce should Ipswich slip up.
Against Worcester, Ipswich again dominated from start to finish, winning all four quarters on their way to a comfortable but entertaining 114-74 win.
Head coach Nick Drane said: “Worcester were well prepared and gave us some trouble, especially in the second quarter.
“But I thought we did a good job of executing, especially with one eye on next weekends cup final – it was important that we looked at a couple of different things and the girls were great. This was a game we could have slipped up in, especially as Worcester were obviously up for it.”
Ipswich won the first quarter by double figures behind their high-powered offence and intense defence.
Harriet Welham was up to her usual tricks, racking up double figure points in the period, while the team’s face pace and swift ball movement was simply too much for their opponents.
However, in the second, as Ipswich battled foul trouble that saw Ashleigh Pink and Esther Little sit, Worcester played their best basketball of the game. Ipswich took a 51-36 lead into the interval.
The third quarter saw Ipswich reassert their dominance. Amy Linton, Maya Price, and Pink got it going as the Suffolk side quickly extended their lead to over 30. The fourth followed a similar pattern. Jess Baker came off the bench to make two quick threes while Grace Sinnott, Ines Bowman-Boyles and Danni Cazey made key contributions as Ipswich rounded off another victory.
Ipswich were led by Welham’s 35, while Maya Price added 20 points and Little 15.
Speaking after the game Drane said: “I think Worcester are as good as any team we have played in this division.”
Ipswich now face the Essex Blades in the National Cup Final at the UEL on Sunday.
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