The London Lions overcame Sevenoaks Suns to take a step towards a historic domestic quadruple, while the Leicester Riders toppled the Caledonia Gladiators to set up a meeting with them in the final.
Sunday 7 May 2023 22:50, UK
The Leicester Riders and London Lions punched their ticket to the Women's British Basketball League Play-Off Final with comfortable Semi-Final wins on Sunday.
London are now one game away from a domestic quadruple having already won League, Cup and Trophy honours. A 74-49 win over the Sevenoaks Suns at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre took them one step closer to the historic achievement.
Having beaten the Newcastle Eagles by 49 in the previous round, London carried over momentum that manifested in a well-tuned overall performance. The headline act for the Lions was Ty Battle, who recorded 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Holly Winterburn scored 13 and handed out six assists.
The Lions bettered their opponents in almost every facet, outperforming the Suns by 14 boards and 14 assists, all while experiencing an uncharacteristically shaky night from deep, hitting just three of their 18 attempts from beyond the arc.
Despite a tough loss, the Suns enjoyed a tremendous effort from Araion Bradshaw, who led the team with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists.
The Suns earned a six-point lead early in the first quarter, behind buckets from Bradshaw and Janice Monakana.
However, it didn't take long for the Lions to claw their way in front. After just four minutes, Stella Kaltsidou's team took the lead that they would hold on to for rest of the fixture.
Despite their best efforts, the Suns were overwhelmed in the second half and eventually fell by 25 points. London will now play for their fourth trophy at the O2 Arena a week from today.
Their final opponents were decided at the Emirates Arena, as the Leicester Riders defeated the Caledonia Gladiators by 19 points.
Oliana Squires impressed greatly, leading the way for Leicester with 25 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Captain Ashley Arlen showcased her versatility with 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while McKenzie Johnston also logged 12 points and dished out eight assists.
Tea Adams' 20 points weren't enough for the Gladiators, who started the game very well. Behind Adams scoring they took an early lead, before Riders came fighting back at the end of the first quarter.
Leicester charged ahead, winning a lead that they would go on to protect and steadily build upon throughout the game.
Ultimately the contest was won in the paint, with the Riders scoring 28 of their points either near the basket or through fast breaks.
By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the Riders extended the lead to 27 points. The Gladiators fought to shrink the lead, but could never come close enough to jeopardise Leicester's spot at the big game.
Leicester now stand between London and a clean sweep for the season, hoping to take home some silverware of their own.
