Rebels close out Big Weekend with close game against Riders

The Rebels Big Weekend came to a close Sunday evening when they played host to the Leicester Riders. Both teams entered the game with a record of 4-2 with the rebels picking up their fourth win Saturday against Cardiff while the Riders last win came against new franchise the Gloucester City Queens.

This would prove to be an exciting game for the WBBL with 13 Lead changes over the 40 minutes.

Both teams battled early on and was the Essex side who were able to build a 6 point lead going in to half. The third quarter saw the Rebels extend their lead to as much as 14, before the riders mounted a big come back behind their club captain Anna Lappenkupa who went on to score a game and season high 35 points.

The Riders managed to get game within 4 going in to the fourth quarter, while the Rebels struggled to find their rhythm offensively. Despite an exciting finish that saw the rebels come back within two points and a chance to win the game, Leicester were able to hold on and get a 6 point victory snapping the Rebels 4 game win streak.

Head coach Tom Sadler had this to say “ despite our great effort and execution on offence we had no answer for Lappenkupa who had a great game. In order for us to get back on track we need to focus on the little things defensively and boxing out. We learned a lot today, and we will continue to work on improving every single week. I’m excited to see how far this team can go this year, and we have a chance to get back on track against Sheffield next week”

Essex Rebels:

Andrea Kohlhaas 16 Points

Ashleigh Munns 15 Points

Lu Costa 14 Points

Megan Haines 13 Points

Angel Waithe 11 Points 12 Rebounds

Claire Paxton 10 Points 7 Rebounds

Leicester Riders:

Anna Lappenkupa 35 Points

Brooklyn McAlear 19 Points

Louise Rouse 13 Points

Oceana Hamilton 12 Points 18 Rebounds