Rebels Women defeat Oaklands Wolves while Rebels Men fall short in double-overtime thriller against Newcastle Knights

The Rebels Women survived a late comeback from the Oaklands Wolves to win 92-78 in their fourth Super League Basketball match of the season, while the Rebels Men fell to a 118-122 defeat at the hands of the Newcastle Knights in the British Championship Basketball. 

A fast-paced opening quarter in the women’s game saw the Rebels bring their high intensity game from the first whistle, with the home side tallying up 19 points before the Wolves could respond.  Unmarked, McGhee-Pleasant was able to sink a looping three-pointer for the visitors, before some nice link-up from Rhema Ogele and Claire Paxton saw the latter respond with a three-pointer of her own.  The domination continued throughout the first quarter, with the score reading 31-11 heading into the second.  

Despite the points deficit, the Wolves came out fighting in the second quarter. A pair of three-pointers from Beth Sarson and Bo Guttormsdottir-Frost saw the visitors picking up some momentum, before the Rebels Head Coach, Ashley Cookson called for a timeout.  

A pair of trademark three-pointers from Paige Meyer and Natalie Chou saw the Rebels extend their lead,  but the Wolves continued to persist. After showing their strength in shooting from range, the visitors began to show their abilities in transition, with 14 points coming from fast breaks in the second quarter. Heading into halftime and the score reading 50-38, the Rebels had done enough to stay ahead – but had left the door open for the Wolves to get back into the game. 

Quinesha Lockett and Natalie Chou continued to be standouts for the Rebels offensively in the third quarter, while Tayjanna McGhee-Pleasant proved difficult to handle for the hosts defensively.  

The Rebels had done well to keep the in-form Devon Brookshire quiet throughout the match, with the centre being highlighted as a threat before the match. Natalie Chou’s successful steal from the Wolves’ #13 allowed her to dribble the length of the court before sealing a two-point layup, showcasing the home side’s co-ordination defensively.  

With the score reading 73-61, both sides had all to play for going into the fourth quarter. A two-point layup from Paige Meyer followed by a conversion from the free-throw line saw the Rebels hit the 80-point mark, with the Wolves trailing by only eight points. 

The Rebels survived the late comeback from the Wolves, with the final score reading 92-78.  Chou, Meyer and Lockett all provided over twenty points apiece, with the home side seeing the majority of their points come from their starting five.  

Following the game, Head Coach Ashley Cookson said: 

“I’m really proud of the relentlessness our group showed throughout the game. Oaklands went on a few runs, but every time they challenged us, we had an answer. We stayed composed, connected, and kept finding ways to respond. We had valuable contributions across the roster and played collective basketball for 40 minutes.”

Top scorers for the Rebels, Lockett (25), Chou (22) and Meyer (20). For the visitors, most productive were Finau (16) and McGhee-Pleasant (13).  

Half an hour later saw the Rebels Men take on the Newcastle Knights in British Championship Basketball action for what proved to be a triller at Essex Sport Arena. With the visitors flying high on a five-match win streak, the Rebels knew they were in for a tough match.  

Harry Gent opened the scoring at the Essex Sport Arena with a two-point layup in front of the home support. The Rebels showcased their shooting skills from range, as Remy Udeh and Miles Brown both sunk two three-pointers apiece in the opening five minutes to see their side establish an early lead. The end of the first quarter saw the Rebels take a ten-point lead into the second, with the score line reading 24-14. 

Miles Brown continued his fine form for the Rebels, as he had racked up 19 points by half time. Similarly, the visitors’ talisman Jaron Thames lived up to his reputation, contributing 17 points of his own.  Both sides enjoyed free-flowing, positive basketball in front of a lively crowd. As the second quarter ended, only six points separated the two sides as the score read 45-39. 

The home side showed no signs of letting up in the third quarter, as shown by Miles Brown pouncing on the Knights hesitation on the ball, before sinking a two-point layup.  A three-pointer from Sam Trunley brought the visitors to within six points of the Rebels, as the score read 56-52 with five minutes to go in the third quarter. Following a passage of play that saw both sides continue to trade blows, Hafeez Abdul converted both opportunities from the free-throw line to see the visitors come to within a point of the hosts, as the score read 63-62. Excellent offensive play from both Jaron Thames and Hafeez Abdul saw the visitors pull away for the first time, as the score read 65-70 going into the fourth quarter. 

Some excellent offensive play from Miles Brown saw a slick pass find its way to Kyron Martin, whose three-pointer saw the home side make the score 68-73. The Rebels’ #10 wasn’t done there, as his two-point layup also drew a foul from the opposition. Martin converted from the free-throw line, reducing the deficit to just two points. Harry Gent converted both of his chances from the free-throw line to see the Rebels lead the visitors by a single point with a minute to go – only for Messiah Jones to do the same at the opposite end of the court a few seconds later, as the score read 84-85. 

A three-pointer from Captain Tom Child saw the Rebels re-take the lead, before Kyron Martin expertly won a foul in front of the Rebels rim and alleviated the pressure on the home side as Head Coach Joe Hart called a timeout with 26 seconds to go. 

A dunk from Idiata-Mendez saw the Rebels go four points clear of the opposition, before Trunley made it a one-point affair after coolly dispatching a three-pointer at the other end of the court. 

With six seconds on the clock following a late timeout, Kyron Martin won yet another foul following some clever play from Tom Child, with a converted free-throw seeing the Rebels go two points ahead. 

Hafeez Abdul went on to win a personal foul of his own, tying the game up at 90-90 by converting both of his attempts from the free-throw line. With nothing to separate the two sides, the game spilled into overtime at the Essex Sport Arena. 

A dramatic overtime period ensued, which saw both sides continue to remain neck-and-neck. With the scoreboard reading 103-103, double overtime awaited the teams. 

As Hafeez Abdul missed both chances from the free-throw line to put the game to bed at the death, a late timeout saw the scoreline sit at 116-119. Despite a heroic attempt from the Rebels, the scoreline ended 118-122.  

 Despite the defeat, Rebels who are battling a number of injuries, put on a show at the Essex Sport Arena with Miles Brown finishing with 50 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals.