Oaklands Wolves Women (37) vs Milton Keynes Breakers Women (67)
The focus on defence in training over the last week proved to be worthwhile as the Breakers Women held Oaklands Wolves to just 37 points in their dominant away win on Saturday evening.
Oaklands started the game well and it took MK a while to get going, but after Sarah Round netted the first five points for the Breakers, Courtney Gray came off the bench and made an immediate impact. Her performance at both ends of the floor helped MK to a seven point lead at the end of the first quarter (10-17).
At the start of the second period, Sarah Round once again started the scoring hitting the first six points from strong drives. When she was forced to temporarily leave the floor with a minor injury, Jordan Elliott-King, Lauren Milne and Vanessa Obanor highlighted the team’s strength in depth as they all chipping in with points of their own. MK went on an impressive run at the end of the quarter which ended with a well-executed play finished off by Courtney Gray that gave the Breakers a comfortable 15 point lead (19-34).
Going into the second half, MK’s mood was positive but Oaklands attempted to mount a comeback. However, even though Oaklands had their best quarter, good ball and player movement by the Breakers resulted in numerous drives to the basket or passes to the interior. By the end of the period, the Breakers had added three more points to their lead (34-52).
The instruction to the MK players as they came out for the fourth quarter was to maintain the defensive intensity and they didn’t disappoint. Great work as a unit made it difficult for Oaklands to get to the rim and forced some tough shots. This, combined with some intelligent steals held the hosts to just three points in the quarter. Offensively, MK slowed the pace of their offence but still managed to maintain a good scoring rate. Courtney Gray finished off her excellent game with the team’s last six points that took her personal total to 14 points. Sarah Round led the team’s scoring with 17 points and Coach Round was pleased to see so many of the players make significant contributions.
At the end of the game, Coach Round commented, “I like the way Oaklands switched their defence many times but we spotted and responded to the changes quickly.” He added, “The referees were happy for it to be a physical game and we embraced that. We didn’t shy away from the contact and we didn’t let it bother us. We stayed locked it on court and there was tremendous energy from the bench. Overall, it was a great team effort.”
The next game for the women will mean a trip up the M6 to play Trafford Mystics at the Manchester Basketball Centre on Sunday 30th November.