Essex Rebels Suffer Home Defeat to Manchester

Essex Rebels Women endure back-to-back losses as they fall 66-101 to Manchester at the Essex Sport Arena. 

A tense and hard-fought first quarter initially saw both teams struggle to find their rhythm offensively. 

 Lara Rohkohl eventually got the Rebels up and running with a free throw and proved to be the spark for the hosts throughout the period, contributing seven points. The Rebels appeared on course to carry a three-point lead into the second quarter, only for Mastellone to score a late 3-point jump shot to level the score 19-19.  

The second quarter proved challenging for the Rebels as the visitors seized control early on. Manchester’s captain Bratka scored 5 points in a 30-second period to open the quarter. 

 Manchester’s early lead set the tone for the rest of the quarter, with the Rebels struggling to make a breakthrough and Manchester capitalising at every opportunity, it continued to be a quarter swinging in Manchester’s control.  

Extending their lead by 13, at half-time the visitors stood comfortably in front with a scoreline of 32-45.  

Despite Manchester still firmly holding onto their lead, the Rebels’ momentum picked up offensively courtesy of a nine-point streak from Alexa Mikeska. However, it was not enough to close the deficit with the visitors taking a 51-68 lead into the final quarter.  

Manchester saved their strongest spell for the final ten minutes, controlling the game at both ends of the court. Despite continued efforts from the Rebels, the visitors continued to stretch their advantage, eventually securing a convincing 101-66 victory.