Rebels suffer late defeat in Scotland
The Rebels fell just short on the road against the Caledonia Gladiators, suffering a narrow 74–72 defeat in a thrilling battle.
A quick start to the game saw the Rebels grab a ten-point lead early on, with Natalie Chou and Quinesha Lockett catching the league leaders off guard. The Gladiators couldn’t react in time to the early onslaught, as the first quarter ended 13-26.
The second quarter saw the Rebels causing more problems as they enjoyed another rapid start, with Natalie Chou converting twice from the free-throw line to establish a 17-point lead. A solid defensive performance from the Rebels kept the Gladiators at bay, with the score reading 29-40 heading into halftime.
After the break, the hosts began to find their rhythm – while also keeping the Rebels offence quiet. Bar a lay-up from Chou early in the quarter, the visitors were restricted to the free-throw line when it came to getting points on the board, until Rhema Ogele and Maria Blazejewski broke through the defence with just under two minutes to go.
Despite the dominant first half performance from the Rebels, the score was level at 54-54 going into the fourth and final quarter.
Rhema Ogele briefly put the Rebels ahead once more, before consecutive three-pointers from Brynn Masikewich and Ella Doherty saw the hosts begin to pull away.
A strong effort from the Rebels saw both Natalie Chou and Paige Meyer get on the scoreboard in an effort to rescue a result, but a three-pointer from Anastasia Warren put the hosts straight back into the driving seat. In spite of the Rebels’ best efforts, the Gladiators saw out the end of the quarter, which ended in a 74-72 defeat on the road.
After the game, Head Coach Ashley Cookson said:
“It’s a tough one to take, but there were clear improvements and a huge amount of effort from the group. I’m incredibly proud of how we competed. We’ll take a lot of confidence and belief from that performance and use this as motivation heading into the playoffs, hungry to play them again.”
The result means the Rebels are now four points adrift of the Gladiators at the top of the table, while results elsewhere also mean the Sheffield Hatters have moved into second place.
Next time out will see the Rebels on the road once more, this time against the Sheffield Hatters on February 21st.
TOP PERFORMERS
Caledonia Gladiators
- Anastasia Warren: 21 points – 7 rebounds – 4 assists
- Mathilde Domenger: 15 points – 2 rebounds – 7 assists
- Tierra Hodges: 13 points – 12 rebounds – 1 assist
Essex Rebels
- Natalie Chou: 21 points – 2 rebounds – 1 assist
- Maria Blazejewski: 16 points – 8 rebounds – 2 turnovers
- Paige Meyer: 15 points – 1 rebound – 3 assists
By Nicholas Melton
