w/e 30/03/08 54 BLACK COUNTRY BEARS LADIES -v- ENFIELD PHOENIX 50 EBL DIVISION TWO WOMEN PLAY OFF SEMI FINAL Enfield Phoenix’s season came to a disappointing end with a hard fought but ultimately fruitless 54-50 defeat at the hands of Black Country Bears Ladies when the sides met in the semi-finals of the EBL Division Two play offs in Birmingham on Saturday. Phoenix began strongly and the step up in intensity from their display against Cardiff in the quarter finals was noticeable. Fiona Scarlett opened the scoring before Patsy Imbert followed up with a typical inside basket and although Helen Winter made clear the Bears’ three-point shooting threat as early as the second minute, her mid range effort was quickly offset by a three from Lily Frederick as Enfield took a 7-3 lead. Arlynne Rodriguez drove through the Black Country defence to score a lay up and even though Helen Winter hit a second three-pointer, baskets by Imbert and Lisa Williams kept Phoenix 13-8 ahead. Gemma Salmon then scored three baskets for Bears in as many minutes, but a drive on the break by Michelle Brown and another score by Imbert saw Phoenix take a 17-14 lead into the second quarter. Salmon continued her strong inside play and edged Black Country ahead with a basket and two from the line, but Phoenix stepped up their defensive intensity to prevent the Bears scoring for a full six minutes. Imbert dominated both keys during this period and added three more baskets as Phoenix extended their lead to 24-18. After Salmon eventually broke the Bears’ barren spell with an inside basket, Helen Winter was soon on hand to score her third three-pointer before Salmon herself made a three-point play after drawing a foul from Scarlett. With her side now trailing 26-24, Enfield coach Kas Stuart called a time out and Phoenix responded with baskets by Imbert and Brown to hold a slender 28-27 lead at the interval. The half time team talk was clearly inspirational, and Phoenix played some of their best basketball of the season at the start of the third quarter. Enfield piled on 8 unanswered points to lead 36-27 as a result of a brace of layups by Brown and two inside scores by Bonnie Laird, the second of which forced Bears coach Carys Caulwell to call a time out to stop the Phoenix momentum. The Phoenix foul count started to pile up midway through the quarter and Black Country edged their way back into game from the free throw line. Despite this, Enfield remained well placed when they held a 40-35 lead as the match went into the final quarter. Brown was again on hand to score a layup off after stealing the ball from Erin Carlsson, but Sarah Winter scored a three-pointer to cut the Enfield lead to 42-38 and made a three-point play a minute later after drawing a crucial fourth foul on Brown. A basket by Imbert restored a four point advantage but a three-pointer from Carlsson cut the deficit to a single point before Helen Winter levelled the scores from the line. With just over three minutes remaining, the match was set for an exciting climax and Imbert struck the first blow for with a basket to secure a personal 21 point tally for the Enfield captain. The match then turned in Bears’ favour when they shut out the Phoenix offence and added eight points without reply including a third three-pointer from Helen Winter. Now with less than a minute remaining, a three-pointer by Michelle Brown reignited Phoenix’s hopes and although Lily Frederick had a three-point opportunity in the closing stages, she could not hit the target and Phoenix were forced to foul and send Bears to the line to try to regain possession. Fare converted one of the resultant free throws to establish a virtually unassailable four point lead with only five seconds left to play and Bears held on to secure a hard fought 54-50 victory. Despite the disappointment of missing out on the Division Two championship final, Enfield can still reflect on a highly successful season and having won a very competitive South section of EBL Division Two in only their second year they will look forward to the autumn and the start of the new season with confidence. Enfield Phoenix players and scores: P Imbert 21, M Brown 15, B Laird 4, L Frederick 3, A Rodriguez 2, F Scarlett 2, L Williams 2, B Njoku 1, S Dixon 0, N Fawaz 0, Z Mallett 0, S McCarthy 0 Black Country Bears Ladies players and scores: G Salmon 22, H Winter 13, S Winter 9, E Carlsson 4, C Sterling 3, A Allen 2, E Fare 1, J Burchill 0 w/e 09/03/08 59 ENFIELD PHOENIX -v- BRIXTON TOPCATS 33 EBL DIVISION TWO WOMEN (SOUTH) Enfield Phoenix completed the regular season with a convincing 59-33 victory over Brixton Topcats when the sides met at Edmonton Leisure Centre on Saturday and not only secured a place in the play offs but also finished as winners of EBL Division Two (South) after rivals London Met University lost to Sevenoaks Suns II on Sunday. Phoenix knew that victory was essential if they were to stand any chance of finishing top but found it difficult to break down Brixton’s aggressive defence. Inside baskets from Patsy Imbert and Charmain Payne were Enfield’s only successes in a dour first quarter, which ended with Topcats holding a 10-6 lead after Rachel James hit a three-pointer on the buzzer. Phoenix were mindful that they had only secured a 39-37 victory after a late comeback when the sides met in their previous encounter in January and stepped up their game at the start of the second. Payne scored off a strong inside move before Imbert cut through the Brixton defence three times in a dominant two minute spell that saw Phoenix edge 14-12 ahead. Fiona Scarlett scored a layup and although Phoenix had a setback when Sasha McCarthy suffered a knee injury that was to sideline the Enfield guard for the rest of the match, Michelle Brown maintained the momentum when she made a three-point play after drawing a foul from Whitty. Now holding a 19-15 lead, Enfield had the confidence to dominate the last two minutes of the second period and a three-pointer by Scarlett was followed by scores from Imbert, Payne and Sylvie Dixon as Phoenix went into the interval 30-15 ahead. Enfield continued to dominate at the start of the third when accurate shooting by Zoe Mallett saw the Phoenix guard score an outside shot and a big three-pointer and although Topcats responded with a three-pointer by James, Enfield’s all round scoring threat enabled them to pile on another nine points when baskets from Arlynne Rodriguez and Bonnie Laird added to further scores by Brown and Payne. A run of baskets by Bex Njoku, Brown and Imbert at the start of the final quarter quickly extended the lead to 53-23 to put the result beyond doubt and although Brixton had the better of the closing stages when their impressive centre Josephine Maignomo scored eight of her nine point tally they could not prevent Phoenix completing a resounding 59-33 victory. Phoenix captain Patsy Imbert finished off the regular season with another fine display, scoring a game high 21 points as well as taking 14 rebounds, and making 3 assists and a blocked shot. The real drama was reserved for Sunday afternoon, when the news of a victory by third placed Sevenoaks Suns II over London Met University confirmed top place in EBL Division Two (South) for Phoenix in only their second season in the National League. Enfield coach Kas Stuart can look forward to the play offs with confidence, knowing that her side has shown greater consistency in recent weeks and is in a fine run of form after winning nine of their ten matches since the turn of the year. Phoenix will have home advantage in the quarter finals of the play offs as a result of finishing top in EBL Division Two (South), and will meet Cardiff Celts who finished runners up in the Midlands/South West section. The match takes place at Edmonton Leisure Centre on Saturday, 22nd March and tips off at 5.45 p.m. Enfield Phoenix players and scores: P Imbert 21, C Payne 10, M Brown 9, F Scarlett 6, B Laird 4, A Rodriguez 2, S Dixon 1, B Njoku 1, N Fawaz 0, S McCarthy 0, L Williams 0 Brixton Topcats players and scores: R James 9, J Maignomo 9, V Akra 6, S McKoy 3, B Adeshina 2, A Biong 2, S Logan 2, I Bilson-Graham 0, L Hunte 0, S Lewis 0, K Scott 0, N Whitty 0 w/e 02/03/08 57 UH WEST HERTS WARRIORS -v- ENFIELD PHOENIX 79 EBL DIVISION TWO WOMEN (SOUTH) Enfield Phoenix moved one step closer to the end of season play offs with a convincing 79-57 victory over West Herts Warriors when the sides met in EBL Division Two (South) at Watford on Saturday. Phoenix quickly raced to a 6-2 lead with Patsy Imbert and Bonnie Laird both scoring inside but accurate three point shooting by Warriors’ captain Jo Godfrey and Jenny Stenzel saw West Herts establish a 19-14 lead with two minutes of the first quarter remaining. Enfield responded with a basket by Bex Njoku and although Arlynne Rodriguez hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to a single point, a basket by Hayley Swann saw West Herts take a surprise 23-20 lead into the second quarter. Phoenix wasted no time in regaining the lead when tough defence denied Warriors any scores for a full four minutes, during which Rodriguez and Imbert took Enfield 26-23 ahead. Swann then hit a three-pointer to tie the scores but Phoenix pulled away in a dominant four minute spell when Brown, Imbert and Lisa Williams all scored to take Enfield to a 39-28 lead. A late three-pointer by Swann saw Warriors cut the deficit to single figures at the interval, when they trailed 31-39 despite a first half performance in which they scored five three-pointers from only seven attempts and an impressive overall shooting average of 52%. Phoenix pulled further ahead at the restart with baskets from Rodriguez, Laird and the lively Bex Njoku to lead 47-33 and although Godfrey kept Warriors in touch with a lay up off a fine assist by Swann, the introduction of Narjes Fawaz had an immediate effect when the Phoenix junior hit a big three-pointer to set up a commanding 50-35 lead. Brown hit a three-pointer to offset a similar long range score by Godfrey and although Warriors fought back from the free throw line Phoenix coach Kas Stuart knew her side had the match under control when they took a 57-45 lead into the final quarter. A battling performance by Katrin Hulme saw the Warriors’ centre score three times in as many minutes at the start of the fourth but Phoenix were proving unstoppable on offence, with Brown capping a high energy performance with a second three-pointer to secure a ten point tally before making a sensational assist to find Charmain Payne in open space in the key. Payne dominated during the closing stages, scoring eight of her fourteen points in the last five minutes after coach Stuart rested Patsy Imbert after the Phoenix forward secured a game high sixteen points. One of the best all round performances of the afternoon came from Bex Njoku, who scored Enfield’s last basket to secure a 79-57 victory in which she scored eight points and made two blocks. WOMENS SENIOR NATIONAL LEAGUE - DIVISION 2 SOUTH LONDON WESTSIDE 42 SOUTHEND SWIFTS 56 Southend Swifts senior womens team travelled to London Westside looking to end a run of five successive league defeats. Their opponents are currently languishing at the foot of the league table with Southend having recorded two victories when the teams had met earlier in the season. The match started in bizarre fashion with both teams arriving with black kit, despite the home sides agreed attire being light blue. This necessitated the collection of a change of uniform, which delayed the start. Then it was found that the court booking had been curtailed meaning that there was insufficient time for a full game. It was therefore agreed that the match would be over four seven minute periods. Both sides started poorly with Westside holding a 5-2 lead after five minutes. Swifts finally began to find some fluency and two three-point shots from Francesca Whitby helped her team to an 8-0 run that gave them a 10-5 lead at the end of the first quarter. Southend maintained the margin at 14-9 but an excellent spell for the Londoners gave them the next 10 points to lead 19-14. A change of defence seemed to repair matters and a Maisie Elston basket on the half time buzzer gave her team a narrow 22-21 advantage. Westside again put a good run together, scoring the first seven points, which looked likely to give them only their fourth win of the season, but Swifts hit back and three-point shots from Christina Gaskin and Whitby again enabled them to claw their way back and at three-quarter time the scores were tied up at 34 apiece. A 10-2 stretch, with six from Gaskin, should have led to a comfortable win but five straight for the hosts made it 44-41 with two minutes remaining. But Southend were in no mood for another reverse and five points from captain Fran Johnson enabled them to close out the match with a 12-1 stretch that gave them a 56-42 win. A deserved victory if a slightly flattering margin led by Whitby on 17 points and Gaskin with 14. w/e 24/02/08
WOMENS SENIOR NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH DIVISION 2 Southend Swifts senior team knew they would have a huge battle on their hands when the travelled to joint league leaders Enfield Phoenix trying to end a run of four successive defeats. Southend were missing a number of senior stalwarts whilst Enfield have signed three players with first division experience. Phoenix took an early 7-2 lead but good scoring from Emma Hart kept her side in contention at 9-7. Swifts showed huge maturity, keeping their opponents away from the basket, and at the end of the first quarter trailed by just 16 points to 11. The second period was even more of a surprise as Southend found many more scoring chances. Led by 15 year old Christina Gaskin, Swifts put together a 9-4 run that tied the game up at 20 and trailed by just three going into the final two minutes before conceding the last four points to trail 32-25 at the half time interval. The third quarter, however, was entirely different as Enfield's intense defence kept Southend at bay. A
16-0 run over a five minute period effectively ended the game as a contest as
the home side showed their true pedigree; the scoreline with one stanza
remaining standing at 58-30. Gaskin with 14 points and 17 rebounds and Hart with 11 points the two highest scorers. 70 ENFIELD PHOENIX -v- SOUTHEND SWIFTS 40 EBL DIVISION TWO WOMEN (SOUTH) Enfield Phoenix kept on track for a strong position in the end of season play offs with a comfortable 70-40 victory over Southend Swifts in EBL Division Two Women (South) at Edmonton on Saturday. Coach Kas Stuart was able call on an almost full strength squad for the match and Phoenix raced to an early 7-2 lead after Lily Frederick scored a three-pointer in the opening minute. A three-pointer by Swifts’ captain Emma Hart helped Southend fight back to trail 9-11 but Phoenix ended the first quarter strongly with baskets by Lisa Williams, Zoe Mallett and Fiona Scarlett to edge 16-11 ahead. Baskets by Charmain Payne and Sylvie Dixon maintained Enfield’s advantage at the start of the second but a determined effort by Southend and strong inside play by Catherine Gaskin and Ellie Shaxon saw Swifts recover to tie the scores at 20-20. Payne and Patsy Imbert kept the visitors at bay with points inside the key and two late baskets by Bex Njoku saw Enfield take a solid but not emphatic 32-25 lead into the interval. As had been the case in the game at London Westside a week earlier, Phoenix saved their best basketball for the third quarter when good inside scores by Payne were followed by successive three-pointers from Frederick and Mallett as Enfield raced to a 42-27 lead. Swifts coach Stephen Pearl called a time out midway through the quarter but Southend could not stem the tide as Phoenix continued to dominate and baskets by Imbert, Payne, Scarlett and Brown completed a sixteen point unanswered run that saw Enfield take a commanding 52-25 lead. Francesca Whitby scored a free throw to end the run, but Phoenix carried their momentum through the entire third quarter and successive outside shots by Arlynne Rodriguez marked a successful return from injury by the Enfield guard as Phoenix went into the final period holding a decisive 58-30 lead. The final quarter saw Phoenix cruise to a comfortable 70-40 victory and provided the opportunity for coach Stuart to give junior Narjes Fawaz an extended run out. Charmain Payne continued her inside dominance to secure a game high tally of 19 points while fifteen year old Christina Gaskin gave a hugely impressive display for the visitors, scoring 14 points and taking no less than 17 rebounds. With the top four teams again all winning their matches against sides from the bottom four of the table the race for the play off places is now even closer. Phoenix must win both their remaining regular season matches to secure a position in the top two and gain automatic qualification. They travel to Watford on Saturday to face West Herts Warriors in the first of these matches. The match takes place at Parmiters Sports Centre and tips off at 5.00 p.m. Enfield Phoenix players and scores: C Payne 19, L Frederick 8, A Rodriguez 8, F Scarlett 8, P Imbert 6, Z Mallett 6, L Williams 6, B Njoku 5, M Brown 2, S Dixon 2, N Fawaz 0 Southend Swifts players and scores: C Gaskin 14, E Hart 11, E Shaxon 8, F Whitby 5, K Hall 2, R Brough 0, H Culwick 0, M Elson 0, G Keys 0, E Rees 0 w/e 17/02/08 51 LONDON WESTSIDE -v- ENFIELD PHOENIX 63 EBL DIVISION TWO WOMEN (SOUTH) Enfield Phoenix remain on track for a strong position in the end of season play offs after securing a 63-51 victory over London Westside in EBL Division Two Women (South) at Uxbridge on Saturday. Availability problems meant Phoenix coach Kas Stuart could not call on Charmain Payne, Bonnie Laird, Sylvie Dixon, Fiona Scarlett, Bex Njoku and Arlynne Rodriguez and although Zoe Mallett and Sasha McCarthy both scored early in the game, Enfield’s depleted squad fell to a 12-4 deficit after Westside’s Amani Rodriguez-Thomas hit successive three-pointers. Two baskets apiece by Lisa Williams and Michelle Brown saw Phoenix fight back to level at 12-12 before Michelle Sloane added two inside scores for Westside, but Patsy Imbert edged the visitors ahead at 19-18 at the end of the quarter. A pair of free throws and a three-pointer by Mallett established a 24-18 Phoenix lead but tough inside play by Sloane and Kathryn Cassidy saw Westside fight back to level the scores with six unanswered points. The lead changed no less than six times in the period as neither side was able to dominate but Phoenix took a psychological advantage into the interval when a late run of scores by Imbert and Mallett gave Enfield a slender 36-35 lead. Imbert added another eight points at the restart as Phoenix quickly established a 46-37 lead but Westside responded with a basket by Sara Gamble and an inside score by Cassidy to keep the home side in contention at 46-42. Phoenix then stepped up their game and a run of baskets by Lily Frederick, Imbert and Mallett was followed by a three-point play by Brown after the Enfield point guard drew a foul from Westside captain Isabella Von Mesterhazy, helping Phoenix to a commanding 55-43 lead as the match went into the final quarter. Brown and Imbert extended the lead to 59-43 early in the fourth as the Phoenix defence continued to deny Westside but Von Mesterhazy broke the barren spell with an outside shot before her three-pointer reduced the deficit to 48-59. Imbert was on hand to seal the Enfield win with two late baskets and secured a game high tally of 25 points and 13 rebounds, allowing her to be rested after a nosebleed incurred during the intense inside battle with the Westside forwards. Coach Stuart gave reliable junior Narjes Fawaz an extended run in the closing stages as Phoenix came through a testing encounter with a comfortable 63-51 victory against a Westside team that belied its bottom of the table position and which had beaten Enfield earlier in the season. With the top four teams all winning their matches against sides from the bottom four of the table the race for the play off places remains as close as ever and Phoenix need another win when they face sixth placed Southend Swifts on Saturday in their fixture. The match takes place at Edmonton Leisure Centre and tips off at 5.45 p.m. Enfield Phoenix players and scores: P Imbert 25, M Brown 17, Z Mallett 13, L Williams 4, L Frederick 2, S McCarthy 2, N Fawaz 0 London Westside players and scores: M Sloane 15, K Cassidy 9, S Gamble 9, I Von Mesterhazy 8, A Rodriguez-Thomas 8, A Olisa 2, K Arkal 0, A Choppen 0, S Daniels 0, M Hood 0, S Sherwood 0 WOMENS SENIOR NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH DIVISION LONDON METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY 75 SOUTHEND SWIFTS 36 Southend Swifts senior team continued their league season with a visit to top of the table London Metropolitan University. This would be the third meeting between the two teams, with the University side having recorded two victories on Southend's home court. A horrendous journey left Swifts short of warm-up time and this was reflected in a poor start that saw them trail 13-2 after seven minutes, although four points from Francesca Whitby stemmed the tide as the hosts held a 16-6 first quarter lead. The margin extended to 23-10 before Southend surprised even themselves making a 10-3 run to reduce the deficit to just six before London Met scored the final basket to lead 28-20 at the half time break; Ellie Shaxon contributing six. The deficit remained at eight at 32-24 but the home sides very aggressive pressing defence began to reap rewards as they extended their lead to 47-28 with one period remaining. This proved to be one way traffic as the home side, all of whose players are non-British, reeled off 19 unanswered points to take a very comfortable victory by 75 points to 36. w/e 10/02/08 41 LONDON MET UNIVERSITY -v- ENFIELD PHOENIX 57 EBL DIVISION TWO WOMEN (SOUTH) Enfield Phoenix scored an important 57-41 victory over leaders London Metropolitan University in the top of the table clash in EBL Division Two Women (South) table when the sides met at Holloway on Saturday. Bonnie Laird opened the scoring for Phoenix with a good inside move but Met Uni captain Anne Delaxtrat scored three baskets in as many minutes and her three-pointer midway through the quarter gave the university side a 7-4 lead. Fiona Scarlett and Zoe Mallett fought back from the free throw line but successive baskets by Brigitte Dang kept Met Uni 11-8 in front. A Phoenix three-pointer by Lily Frederick then tied the scores before a basket by Patsy Imbert restored the Enfield lead and although Michelle Molema added a point from the line for Met Uni after drawing a foul from Sasha McCarthy, a late three-pointer by Mallett saw Phoenix take a 16-12 lead into the second quarter. Another three by Frederick and a layup by Imbert fired Phoenix 21-12 ahead at the restart but Andrea Van Liere came off the Met Uni bench and scored three quick baskets to cut Enfield’s lead to just 21-18. Lisa Williams and Imbert then scored to restore a seven point Phoenix lead but a technical foul called against the Enfield bench allowed Delaxtrat to score from both resultant free throws and keep Met Uni well in contention at 20-25. Baskets by Mallett and Charmain Payne helped Phoenix to a 29-20 interval lead and the lively Mallett was again on hand to score the opening basket of the third quarter. Imbert scored inside and provided two assists to Payne as the Enfield centre started to dominate the key at both ends of the court, scoring three times in a four minute period which saw Phoenix establish a commanding 39-23 lead. Amira Shaaban hit an inside basket for Met Uni, but fine interplay between Imbert, McCarthy and Brown saw Phoenix race to a 47-29 lead at the end of the third period. Enfield could have been forgiven for thinking that the match was already won after Bex Njoku and Fiona Scarlett scored the opening baskets of the final quarter to take Phoenix 51-29 ahead, but the wealth of overseas talent in the Met Uni side could not be under estimated and they clawed their way back into contention with a run of five unanswered baskets in a four minute spell to recover to trail just 39-51 with over three minutes still to play. Laird broke the run to settle Phoenix when she found the basket off a big inside move and two late scores by Michelle Brown secured a ten point tally for the Enfield’s influential point guard and seal an impressive 57-41 victory, which sees Phoenix take over top position in the EBL Division Two Women (South) table. Phoenix have another away match on Saturday when they take on London Westside in their next EBL Division Two Women (South) fixture. The match takes place at Brunel University, Uxbridge and tips off at 2.00 p.m. Enfield Phoenix players and scores: P Imbert 12, M Brown 10, C Payne 10, Z Mallett 8, L Frederick 6, B Laird 4, F Scarlett 3, B Njoku 2, L Williams 2, M Brown 0, S Dixon 0, S McCarthy 0. London Metropolitan University players and scores: A Delaxtrat 15, B Dang 11, A Van Liere 8, A Shaaban 6, M Molema 1, A Laval 0, N Papakaliati 0, E Panayotova 0, R Raamat 0, T Taal 0, A Tarelle 0 SENIOR WOMENS NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH DIVISION HOLBROOK TIGERS 66 SOUTHEND SWIFTS 45 A plethora of injury and illness gave Southend Swifts senior team a very strange and young line-up when they travelled to Holbrook Tigers. It also meant that they had to field a number of their under 16 team due to play in the National Cup Final on the following day. Both sides made a tentative start, with just seven points between them in the opening three minutes, before a 6-2 run for Tigers looked to have given them the initiative. Woeful foul shooting from Swifts, just 3 from 10 in the quarter, did not help their cause and at the end of the first quarter the lead for Holbrook was 16-10. Six straight for Tigers should have settled the game but three-pointers from Maisie Elston and Grace Keys kept Southend in the contest and a further late long range effort from Elston left the score at 32-20 at the half time interval. A 6-3 spell for Swifts reduced the deficit to single digits and another 8-3 run made the score 38-34 in what had to be a surprise for both teams but four points in the last minute kept the hosts 42-34 ahead going into the final 10 minutes. But Tigers' experience came to the fore as they made an 11-6 run, with only further three-pointers from Elston and Keys keeping Swifts in contention, but they would manage just five further points as the home side ended deserved winners by 66 points to 45, which leaves Southend in 5th place in the league table. w/e 03/02/08 50 ENFIELD PHOENIX -v- HOLBROOK TIGERS 45 EBL DIVISION TWO WOMEN (SOUTH) Enfield Phoenix got their season back on track after a final quarter comeback secured a 50-45 victory over Holbrook Tigers when the sides met in EBL Division Two Women (South) at Edmonton Leisure Centre on Saturday. Both sides went into the game vying for position in the end of season play offs and with both holding identical 10-5 win-loss records a close match was always in prospect. Phoenix made a confident start when Bonnie Laird returned to the starting five after injury and won the jump ball from which Zoe Mallett scored the opening basket. Lily Frederick then scored a big three-pointer before Laura Shemming opened Tigers’ account from the free throw line. Patsy Imbert made a three point play after drawing a foul from Shemming, but the experienced Holbrook guard helped her side recover with three from the line before Tigers’ captain Karen Cadman hit a basket to reduce Enfield’s lead to 8-6. Mallett scored twice in as many minutes but a run of scores by Kirsty Clark, Shemming and Catherine McLean tied the scores at 14-14 before Bex Njoku came off the Phoenix bench to score an inside basket and give Enfield a slender 16-14 first quarter lead. A basket by Sasha McCarthy at the start of the second extended the lead but Tigers fought back with good outside shooting by Clark and Kayleigh Read, who scored three baskets in quick succession to give the visitors an 18-16 lead. Frederick then hit her second three-pointer and Fiona Scarlett scored inside to regain a three point lead, but Phoenix were becoming increasingly frustrated with the referees’ calls and lost their discipline when Lisa Williams received a technical foul after contesting a decision. Shemming failed to capitalise from the resultant free throws and Mallett struck twice as Phoenix went 25-20 ahead and although Charmain Payne scored from a good inside move, a late score by Clark and a three-pointer by Cadman ensured the sides would be separated by just two points at the interval with Enfield holding a 27-25 lead. Holbrook made a determined start to the third quarter when baskets by Read, Clark and McLean were supported by the solid Tigers defence, which prevented Phoenix scoring for a full five minutes. Now trailing 27-33, Phoenix fought their way back with inside baskets from Imbert and Laird and a mid range effort by Sylvie Dixon but a basket by Clark and a three-pointer by Cadman saw Holbrook take a 39-33 lead into the final quarter. Phoenix coaches Michelle Brown and Sylvie Dixon called for increased intensity and Mallett cut the deficit to just four points but Shemming scored twice from the line after Imbert was called for a foul. Great defence by Phoenix then kept Tigers at bay for four minutes during which Imbert and Payne dominated on offence and another three-pointer by Frederick turned the match around to give Enfield a 44-41 lead. A basket by McLean cut the lead to a single point but a crucial fifth foul by Clark saw the Tigers’ forward foul out on a game high 14 points with just over three minutes to play. Phoenix failed to fully capitalise from the free throw line in the closing stages, hitting only three from ten as Tigers battled valiantly to stop the clock and get back in the game, but Lily Frederick effectively sealed the win with her fourth three-pointer from only five attempts as Enfield ran out 50-45 victors and retain second place in the EBL Division Two Women (South) table. Phoenix face an even sterner challenge on Saturday when they make the short trip to Holloway to face leaders London Metropolitan University in a top of the table encounter. Enfield Phoenix players and scores: L Frederick 12, Z Mallett 12, P Imbert 7, C Payne 6, F Scarlett 5, S Dixon 2, B Laird 2, S McCarthy 2, B Njoku 2, L Williams 0, M Brown 0, N Fawaz 0, Holbrook Tigers players and scores: K Clark 14 , K Cadman 8, L Shemming 8, C McLean 7, M Fernandez 4, K Read 4, K Button 0, S Evans 0, S Khaira 0 SENIOR WOMENS NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH DIVISION SOUTHEND SWIFTS 44 SEVENOAKS SUNS 65 A depleted Southend Swifts took on Sevenoaks Suns in their latest league fixture at Fitzwimarc School. Swifts were missing a number of players through injury, unavailability and the younger members competing in the National Schools finals in Nottingham. Southend started poorly, missing a number of easy scoring chances and soon found themselves 9-4 behind. They managed just three points in six minutes to trail 14-7 at the end of the first quarter. The second period was disastrous as Swifts simply failed to concentrate against Sevenoaks pressing defence. They conceded the first eight points and then failed to score in a five minute spell as their opponents racked up 12 straight; the half time score of 37-17 telling its' own tale. But the third period would see a far better performance as Swifts made a 14-5 run that reduced the deficit to 42-31; Francesca Whitby and Kelly Matthews with three-pointers. But that was as close as it got as Sevenoaks recovered to lead 50-34 going into the final stanza. Another Matthews' three-pointer, her fourth of the day, kept her team in the game but there was really no way back as Swifts fell to a second disappointing defeat by 65 points to 44. w/e 27/01/08 SENIOR WOMENS NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH DIVISION BRIXTON TOPCATS 62 SOUTHEND SWIFTS 39 This was the third meeting of the season between the two teams, with Southend having won the previous encounters. Swifts made a poor start, conceding the first nine points as they struggled to show any cohesion in the opening five minutes. But aided by good work from Christina Gaskin, they slowly came back into the game and at the end of the first quarter trailed just 15-12. The first five minutes of the second period was identical to the first as Southend again failed to find the basket, this time conceding seven points. A Francesca Whitby three-pointer should have sparked a recovery but easy chances were spurned and at half time the score stood at 33-19 to Brixton. Swifts could simply find no rhythm against Topcats very aggressive defence and with some awful foul shooting (7 for 22 on the day) it was really a case of damage limitation. A slightly more spirited performance in the final quarter stopped the margin increasing as Brixton got a deserved 62-39 victory on a day that the Essex side will quickly wish to put behind them 86 SEVENOAKS SUNS II -v- ENFIELD PHOENIX 48 EBL DIVISION TWO WOMEN (SOUTH) SUNDAY, 27th JANUARY 2008 Enfield Phoenix’s hopes of a strong position in the end of season play offs suffered a setback on Sunday when their injury hit line up lost 86-48 to a strong Sevenoaks Suns II side in EBL Division Two Women (South) away at Sevenoaks School. Phoenix had drafted in three experienced players in Lily Frederick, Zoe Mallett and Charmain Payne to strengthen the squad in light of the injuries sustained by Bonnie Laird, Arlynne Rodriguez and Fiona Scarlett who all remained sidelined for this important fixture. Phoenix battled well at the outset and a three-pointer by Mallett gave Enfield an early lead but a lay up and a three-pointer by Leah Dehaan was quickly followed by a pair of free throws by Cristal Turner after she was fouled by Sasha McCarthy and Sevenoaks raced to a 9-4 lead. Sylvia Dixon and Patsy Imbert fought back from the free throw line but another basket by Dehaan and a pair of free throws by Kristine Lewis saw Suns take a 15-8 advantage into the final minute of the quarter before the lead was sensationally cut to a single point when Frederick hit a three-pointer and Dixon made another three on the buzzer. Sevenoaks extended the lead to six points at the start of the second when Dehaan hit a three-pointer and Chanel Lassman scored inside. Successive baskets by Mallett could not prevent Suns extending their lead to 27-18 when Turner was on hand for the first of her trio of three-pointers in the quarter, but Imbert stepped up her game and scored three inside baskets in a two minute spell that saw Phoenix rally to trail 24-27. Enfield remained in the game after Lisa Williams struck twice and Payne made a three-point play after being fouled by Lassman and the interval came with Sevenoaks holding a 40-31 lead. Phoenix were confident of a second half comeback that had characterised recent matches but Suns stepped up their defence at the start of the third and prevented Enfield from scoring a single point for a full four minutes during which Lewis scored inside and both Avery and Dehaan were successful from the free throw line as Suns went 45-31 ahead. Enfield’s plight worsened when Lisa Williams suffered a back injury that was to sideline her for the rest of the game and although player/coach Michelle Brown came off the bench to score a lay up, Suns stepped up a gear to extend their lead to a commanding 18 points at 57-39 as the match went into the final quarter. Worse still, Imbert was in foul trouble and a block in the second minute saw the influential Enfield forward foul out with eight minutes still to play. Suns capitalised with a run of eight straight points before Mallett added to the Phoenix score with two from the free throw line but Dehaan and Turner piled on the pressure to take Sevenoaks to a 77-45 lead with three minutes left to play. Mallett scored a second three-pointer to lead the Enfield scorers on 12 points but that was Phoenix’s last success as Turner scored her fifth three-pointer of the match to secure a game high 26 point tally and keep Suns in contention for the play offs with an 86-48 victory. Phoenix return to Edmonton on Saturday where they continue their National League campaign with the crucial match against Holbrook Tigers, who have an identical win-loss record and are also fighting for a place in the play offs. The match takes place at Edmonton Leisure Centre and tips off at 5.45 p.m. Enfield Phoenix players and scores: Z Mallett 12, L Frederick 9, P Imbert 8, C Payne 7, S Dixon 5, L Williams 4, M Brown 2, S McCarthy 1 Sevenoaks Suns II players and scores: C Turner 26, N Avery 21, C Lewis 8, L DeHaan 20, C Lassman 8, K Dougall 3, J Wagner 0 w/e 20/01/08 WOMENS SENIOR NATIONAL LEAGUE – DIVISION 2 SOUTH WEST HERTS WARRIORS 66 SOUTHEND SWIFTS 89 After a hard fought victory the previous week, Southend Swifts senior team looked to move into a play-off position when they visited West Herts Warriors. The teams have met on two occasions this season, with Swifts recording victories in both encounters. Whether there was some complacency from Southend, they made a terrible start showing none of their usual defensive intensity. Indeed after three minutes the whole of the starting five had been removed from the court as West Herts led 6-0. The substitutes fared little better and at 9-2 down, the initial five were re-introduced. A Kelly Matthews three-pointer looked to have settled the team down but Warriors made the next four to lead 13-5 after six minutes. But the next five minutes would see a remarkable transformation. Swifts change of defensive system brought devastating rewards as the team scored 29 unanswered points to effectively settle the result of the game. Rebecca Brough was her usual effervescent self, seemingly covering every inch of the court, and with Emma Hart and Fran Johnson scoring at will, the score stood at 34-13 after just one minute of the second quarter. West Herts made a 7-2 run but Southend withstood the comeback, scoring the next five and with Brough, Hart and Johnson continuing to keep the scorer busy at half time their team led 54-30. Christina Gaskin dominated the early proceedings of the third quarter as the lead approached 30, although Warriors would not admit defeat, reducing the deficit to 24 at 69-45. Jennie Rodgers decided to take matters into her own hands, scoring the next six points to help her team to a 75-45 lead with one period remaining. An 8-2 stretch for the hosts showed their resilience but two big three-pointers from Francesca Whitby again took the margin above 30. Warriors, to their credit, battled to the end, scoring 10 of the last 12 points but there was no way back as Southend ended comfortable victors by 89 points to 66, which leaves them in joint fourth place in the league table. 37 BRIXTON TOPCATS -v- ENFIELD PHOENIX 39 EBL DIVISION TWO WOMEN (SOUTH) Enfield Phoenix came through a tough encounter with Brixton Topcats to secure a hard fought 39-37 victory when the sides met in EBL Division Two Women (South) at Brixton Recreation Centre on Sunday. Phoenix made a bright start when Sasha McCarthy scored inside from an assist by Bonny Laird but a three-pointer by Ogundare gave Topcats an early 3-2 lead. Laird then sustained a leg injury, which was to sideline the Enfield centre for the rest of the game. Fiona Scarlett scored for Phoenix and although Imbert hit two inside baskets in quick succession, a run of baskets by Adeshina, James, Akra and Hunte gave Brixton a surprising 15-8 lead at the end of the first quarter. Imbert pulled two points back from the free throw line but the plight of Enfield’s already depleted squad worsened when point guard Arlynne Rodriguez joined Laird on the sideline after sustaining a hand injury. A second three-pointer by Ogundare kept Topcats 19-14 in front but a basket by Lisa Williams and a three-point play by Imbert quickly tied the scores at 19-19 before a free throw from Scarlett edged Phoenix ahead. A pair of baskets by McKoy and three more points by Scarlett saw the teams tied at 23-23 at the interval but it was Brixton that had the best of a dour third quarter in which neither side was able to break down the opposition defence. Two baskets apiece by James and Akra were all Brixton could muster but Enfield’s only successes came from Imbert and Williams and free throw from Bex Njoko as Phoenix trailed 28-31 going into the final quarter. It was then all a matter of self-belief and Brixton were clearly confident of avenging the 72-39 defeat they suffered when the sides met at Edmonton in November. Ogundare gave Topcats a four-point advantage with a successful free throw but Imbert struck twice as Phoenix stepped up the intensity to level the scores at 32-32. McKoy scored after she was found inside by an assist from Ogundare but Imbert made a three-point play to edge Phoenix 35-34 with five minutes to play. Ogundare then scored to regain the lead for Topcats and Enfield still trailed with less the three minutes on the clock. Phoenix coach Kas Stuart gambled by putting Michelle Brown into the game despite the influential point guard still recovering from injury. The effect was immediate and obvious, as Phoenix were lifted by the vociferous support in the crowd at Brown’s introduction and were back in control when Imbert scored to seal a game high 22 point tally and give Enfield the lead with two minutes to play. Brown herself then drove through the Brixton defence to score a layup and although Sylvia Dixon fouled out after picking up all five fouls in an intense final quarter, Adeshina could only score one from the line as Phoenix held on for a slender 39-37 victory and maintain second place in the EBL Division Two Women (South) table. Phoenix continue their National League campaign with a visit to Sevenoaks Suns II on Sunday, 27th January. The match takes place at Sevenoaks School and tips off at 3.00 p.m. Enfield Phoenix players and scores: P Imbert 22, F Scarlett 8, L Williams 4, M Brown 2, S McCarthy 2, R Njoko 1, S Dixon 0, B Laird 0, A Rodriguez 0 Brixton Topcats players and scores: V Ogundare 9, V Akra 7, R James 7, S McKoy 6, A Biong 3, B Adeshina 3, L Hunte 2, I Bilson-Graham 0, D Jameson 0, S Lewis 0, D Logan 0, N Whitty 0 w/e 13/01/08 88 ENFIELD PHOENIX -v- WEST HERTS WARRIORS 48 EBL DIVISION TWO WOMEN (SOUTH) SATURDAY, 12th JANUARY 2008 Enfield Phoenix maintained their challenge among the leaders of EBL Division Two Women (South) with a comfortable 88-48 victory over West Herts Warriors at Edmonton Leisure Centre on Saturday. Phoenix got off to a storming start when Patsy Imbert made a three-point play after drawing a foul from Jenny Stenzel and Fiona Scarlett proved unstoppable, scoring three baskets in quick succession as Enfield went 13-0 ahead after just three minutes. Warriors coach Paul Jones had little option but to call an early time out and the visitors clawed their way back into contention with a basket by Tina Duff and a three-pointer by captain Jo Godfrey to trail 7-15. Phoenix then stepped up their game and a basket by Sasha McCarthy was quickly followed by a second three-point play by Imbert after the Enfield captain drew a foul from Gemma Farmer. Katrim Hulme cut the deficit with a well worked inside move but successive baskets by Arlynne Rodriguez and further scores by Scarlett and Imbert gave Enfield a commanding 30-11 lead at the end of the quarter. Three baskets by Stenzel in as many minutes at the start of the second quarter saw Warriors recover to 17-33 but Sylvie Dixon came off the Enfield bench to score two quick baskets and Scarlett continued her impressive scoring form with two more layups. Now leading 43-22, Enfield continued to dominate and Lisa Williams scored a layup before Imbert added a further eight points to give take Phoenix into the interval leading 55-29. Phoenix made a strong start to the third quarter when Imbert hit three from the free throw line and McCarthy scored a layup off an assist from Dixon. Successive three-pointers from Godfrey and Farmer saw Warriors recover to trail 40-65, but Phoenix stepped up their defensive intensity and a sensational block by Dixon when defending an attempted layup from Godfrey sparked a run of baskets by Fawaz, Laird and Rodriguez to give Enfield a 73-41 lead going into the final quarter. Dixon, Laird and Williams all added to score in the early stages of the fourth and a free throw from Johnson was Warriors only success in a six minute period as their plight worsened with Tina Duff fouling out with six minutes to play. Imbert sealed an impressive performance with two more from to line to secure a 27 point tally as Phoenix ran out comfortable 88-48 victors to maintain second place in the EBL Division Two Women (South) table. Phoenix continue their National League campaign with a visit to South London to take on Brixton Topcats Sunday, 20th January. The match takes place at Brixton Recreation Centre and tips off at 2.00 p.m. Enfield Phoenix players and scores: P Imbert 27, F Scarlett 15, A Rodriguez 14, B Laird 11, S Dixon 8, S McCarthy 7, L Williams 4, N Fawaz 2, E French 0 West Herts Warriors players and scores: K Hulme 12, K Farmer 9, J Godfrey 9, J Stenzel 8, T Johnson 4, G Farmer 4, T Duff 2 WOMENS SENIOR NATIONAL LEAGUE – SOUTH DIVISION
SOUTHEND SWIFTS 54
After two disappointing defeats,
Southend Swifts senior team looked to get back on the winning track when London
Westside were the visitors at
It was the visitors who came out strongly, taking a 6-2 lead as Swifts suffered once again from poor decision making. A Kelly Matthews three-pointer started the recovery but good shooting from Westside’s Mesterhazy kept her team in front. Seven straight from Jennie Rodgers got Swifts back into the game to trail just 18-14 at the end of the first quarter. A 6-2 run tied the game up at 20 and with Christina Gaskin starting to find the basket despite some very aggressive defence, the teams traded baskets for the remainder of the period to leave Westside 33-29 ahead at half time.
An Emma Hart three-pointer got
her team back to one down, but six straight for the
The first four minutes, however, would be a total disaster for Swifts as they conceded nine straight points to trail 50-39 on their way to a seemingly certain defeat. But suddenly their confidence returned. Three points from Gaskin and five from Francesca Whitby, including a huge three-point shot, made it 50-47 with three minutes remaining. Westside failed on a pair of foul shots before Fran Johnson converted on her attempts and Gaskin and Brough both scored to take the home side 53-50 up going into the final minute. Westside had to resort to fouling to stop the game clock but bizarrely Swifts could convert just one from six attempts but that was sufficient as they recorded the unlikeliest of victories by 54 points to 50 that left all of those watching with nerves jangling. w/e 06/01/08 61 ENFIELD PHOENIX -v- SOUTHEND SWIFTS 50 EBL DIVISION TWO WOMEN (SOUTH) SATURDAY, 5th JANUARY 2008 Enfield Phoenix resumed their National League campaign with a hard fought 61-50 victory over Southend Swifts when the sides met in EBL Division Two Women (South) at Edmonton Leisure Centre on Saturday. Coach Kas Stuart could not call on point guard Michelle Brown who was still recovering from the injury sustained in the National Trophy defeat to Sevenoaks Suns last month and Phoenix found Swifts difficult to contain when they conceded three-pointers from Rebecca Brough and Jennie Rodgers and trailed 10-0 after just three minutes. A time out stemmed the tide and a mid range effort from Sylvie Dixon opened the Phoenix scoring but a pair of free throws by Fran Johnson after she was fouled by Dixon kept Southend 10-2 ahead. Enfield then fought back with baskets by Fiona Scarlett, Sasha McCarthy and Patsy Imbert but still trailed 8-16 at the end of the quarter. The second quarter saw Swifts initially extend their lead with a basket by Rodgers and a three-pointer by Katie Doubleday to lead 21-10, but an inside score by Bonnie Laird and successive baskets by Imbert saw Phoenix pull back to trail just 21-18. Another basket by Laird tied the scores at 22-22 and although Christina Gaskin edged Swifts back into the lead, further baskets by Scarlett and Imbert gave Enfield a slender 26-25 advantage at the interval. Phoenix recognised that Swifts would make a renewed effort at the restart and could not contain the visitors’ fast break as they quickly conceded five baskets to trail by nine points and force coach Stuart to call a time out. Enfield worked their way back into the match with baskets from Imbert and Lisa Williams and when Narjes Fawaz came off the bench to confidently score a mid range shot Phoenix had regained their composure and recovered to 37-39. Gaskin scored for Swifts and McCarthy added another Enfield basket but a successful free throw from Emma Hart at the end of the third meant that Southend took a 42-39 into the final quarter. Phoenix refused to panic even when Rodgers and Gaskin both scored immediately after the restart to extend Southend’s lead to seven points, and Enfield piled on thirteen unanswered points in a dominant three minute period that effectively sealed the game. Scarlett scored nine of her impressive fourteen point tally in this period, including a big three pointer and the score line forced Southend coach Stephen Pearl to call a time out. Gaskin then scored for Swifts to cut the lead to 52-48 with five minutes to play but Arlynne Rodriguez demonstrated her shooting ability to match her deft ball handling skills and hit a crucial three-pointer after which Imbert scored and Williams added another four points to seal a 61-50 Enfield victory and maintain second place in the Division Two (South) table. Phoenix continue their National League campaign with another home fixture against West Herts Warriors on Saturday, 12th January. The match takes place at Edmonton Leisure Centre and tips off at 5.45 p.m. Enfield Phoenix players and scores: P Imbert 24, F Scarlett 14, L Williams 8, B Laird 4, S McCarthy 4, A Rodriguez 3, S Dixon 2, N Fawaz 2, S Jordan 0 Southend Swifts players and scores: C Gaskin 14, J Rodgers 13, E Hart 7, F Johnson 6, R Brough 5, K Doubleday 3, J Jobey 2, R Armstrong 0, H Culwick 0, M Elston 0, E Shaxon 0, F Whitby 0 SENIOR WOMENS NATIONAL LEAGUE - DIVISION 2 SOUTH ENFIELD PHOENIX 61 SOUTHEND SWIFTS 50 Southend Swifts senior team made the journey to North London to take on second in the table Enfield Phoenix. The two teams have had two very exciting encounters so far this season with Phoenix recording victories firstly in extra time and then by a one point margin. Southend made an excellent start scoring the first 10 points of the contest, with Jennie Rodgers on five, and despite some scrappy play from both sides, held on to the advantage to lead 16-8 at the end of the first quarter. A three-point shot from Katie Doubleday took Swifts out to 21-10 but the inside play of Enfield's Patsy Imbert brought her team back into the match as a 16-4 run over the final five minutes gave the home side a 26-25 lead at the midway point. Whatever was said during the half time interval had the desired effect as the Essex side again scored the opening 10 points and although Phoenix battled back, Southend kept their resolve to lead 42-39 going into the final stanza. Two early scores extended the lead to 7 but the scoring dried up as Enfield's uncompromising defence prevented any close range opportunities. Phoenix started to score well and there was no way back for Swifts as they fell to a disappointing 61-50 defeat. Christina Gaskin 14 and Jennie Rodgers leading the scoring. w/e16 /12/07WOMENS SENIOR NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH DIVISION SOUTHEND SWIFTS 56 LONDON METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY 63 Southend Swifts senior team faced league leaders London Metropolitan University in their final league fixture before the Christmas break. Southend were missing a number of influential players including Rebecca Brough, injured in the earlier under 18 game. But the remaining Swifts obviously hadn't read the script. Led by captain Fran Johnson, they showed little respect to the team with a 9 and 2 record and whose personnel is made up entirely of non-British players. A 4-0 lead saw the visitors kept scoreless for four minutes and good work close to the basket from Johnson and Emma Hart kept the hosts 11-10 ahead at the end of the opening quarter. A 6-2 run gave London their first lead but a three-point shot from Katie Doubleday helped her team to reduce the deficit to just 19-17. Despite further good work from Johnson, the deficit for Swifts was 28-23 at the midway break. A 7-2 run for the University side took them 10 ahead and they would have expected this to lead them to a comfortable victory as their record would indicate. But Southend would have none of it as a three-point shot from Kelly Matthews reduced the deficit to 37-31. Good scoring from Hart reduced it further to 41-35 and five straight from Doubleday brought the game back to 45-41 before the visitors scored the final two baskets to lead 49-41 going into the final stanza. A 6-2 stretch again took the lead out above 10 but a further Doubleday three-pointer, her 3rd of the day in by far her best performance of the season, reduced the game again to single digits. With two minutes remaining it was 61-52 but another four straight for Swifts made it a five point game but they could get no closer as they produced an outstanding performance to lose by just 63 points to 56. Hart 17, Johnson 16 and Doubleday 13 leading the scorers. w/e 09/12/07WOMENS SENIOR NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH DIVISION SOUTHEND SWIFTS 59 HOLBROOK TIGERS 46 After a disappointing defeat the previous week, Southend Swifts senior womens team met Holbrook Tigers in their latest league fixture. This was the third meeting between these two teams, with Southend taking a one point win in the National Trophy and Holbrook a 30 point victory in the league match on their own court. Tigers were in 3rd place in the division with Swifts in 5th place. Southend took an early 5-2 lead, with a three-point shot from Emma Hart, before Holbrook tied the game up after three minutes. The hosts scored the next eight, with Kelly Matthews contributing five, and they extended the margin to ten at 18-8 with baskets from Katie Doubleday and Francesca Whitby. Good foul shooting from captain Fran Johnson maintained the initiative and at the end of the first quarter Swifts led 20-11. Johnson dominated the early exchanges in the second period as her team extended their lead to 25-13. Unsurprisingly Tigers hit back, scoring 10 unanswered, to trail by just two but five points from Jennie Rodgers helped her team to a 30-23 half time lead. The greater experience of the Suffolk side, who previously played out of Colchester, started to come through as Swifts offence began to falter and after seven minutes the score stood at just 34-33 to the home side. But Johnson again lifted her team and with one stanza remaining Southend's lead was 41-37. Once again it was one of Swifts youngsters who took the opportunity to make her mark. 15 year old Francesca Whitby took total control of proceedings, scoring three points and setting up her team mates for scores as a 10-1 spell took the lead to 51-38. Matthews was having her best game for some time and a sublime left-handed move close to the basket put pay to any hope of a Tigers comeback. Their captain, Karen Cadman, scored two late three-pointers but it was in vain as Johnson and Rodgers converted from the foul line that saw Southend record a surprisingly comfortable victory by 59 points to 46. Johnson 15 points, Matthews 14 and Rodgers 9 leading the way in what was a very fine team performance. w/e 02/12/07WOMENS SENIOR NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH DIVISION SEVENOAKS SUNS 74 SOUTHEND SWIFTS 33 Injuries and unavailabilities left Swifts short-handed for this match and injuries to starting guards Rebecca Brough and Rachel Armstrong simply made matters worse. Sevenoaks have a number of very experienced players in their line-up so the final result was never in doubt. w/e 25/11/07SENIOR WOMENS NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH DIVISION SOUTHEND SWIFTS 58 BRIXTON TOPCATS 30 The only club game of the day saw Southend Swifts senior team play host to Brixton Topcats in a Division 2 fixture. The teams played out a very close encounter in the opening game of the season, when Southend recorded a narrow four point win in South London. After some indifferent results, Swifts have won their last two outings whilst Topcats have suffered three consecutive defeats. Southend made a poor start, showing little of the cohesion of recent weeks, and trailed 3-0 after 2 minutes. But a time out, and some harsh words, had the desired effect and the home side scored 18 unanswered points over the remainder of the opening 10 minutes to hold an 18-3 first quarter lead. When Southend scored the first four points of the second period the lead was almost 20 and should have led to a very comfortable victory. But the hosts relaxed completely, scoring just seven points in seven minutes as Brixton started to claw back the deficit to trail 29-16 at the half time interval. The third quarter was a bizarre affair as both teams did everything they could not to score. They could muster just 12 combined points in the 10 minutes of play, with just five scoring shots. Both teams were playing tough defence but it could not have been that good. When Brixton's Young scored her third three-point shot of the second half, Swifts lead was just 35-25 and they looked in danger of throwing the game away. But a 10-0 run settled the nerves as they outscored their game opponents by 23-8 in the final stanza to end of 58-30 victors; the result far more impressive than the victory. Christina Gaskin 15, Emma Hart 11 and Rebecca Brough and Francesca Whitby 8 each leading the scorers on a day that will hopefully be quickly put to one side. w/e 18/11/07WOMENS SENIOR NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH DIVISION SOUTHEND SWIFTS 96 WEST HERTS WARRIORS 71 These two teams had met four weeks earlier in the National Trophy, when Southend recorded a comfortable victory, but since then West Herts have shown a distinct improvement including a victory over Enfield who in turn had defeated Swifts. The match looked to be finely balanced as the hosts took a 9-8 lead, Emma Hart with five. But suddenly the home side got into their stride and a 15-4 run in four minutes gave them a surprisingly major advantage at 24-12. Warriors bounced back with the first four points, but with Rebecca Brough and Francesca Whitby orchestrating the play, Swifts made an 18-2 stretch that should have settled proceedings at 42-18. Southend, though, took their foot off the gas and Warriors made a 13-5 run over the remainder of the period to trail just 47-31 at the half way interval. Matters got even worse as the visitors scored the first seven points of the third stanza to trail by just nine. This seemed to spur the home side from their slumbers and they put together a 16-5 stretch that took the lead back to 20. They kept up the offensive and with Christina Gaskin and Kelly Matthews dominating at both ends of the court, the lead stood at 72-48 going into the final quarter. Further scoring from Gaskin and Hart took the lead to 30 but Warriors battled back with the next 12 unanswered. But eight straight for Swifts settled the nerves and the team ran out winners by 96 points to 71 that helps them to climb two places up the table. Gaskin 21, Brough 18, Whitby 17 and Hart 16 leading the scorers. w/e 11/11/07WOMENS SENIOR NATIONAL LEAGUE – DIVISION 2 SOUTH
After some disappointing results in recent weeks, Southend Swifts senior team looked to get back onto winning ways when they visited London Westside at the excellently appointed The home side made a strong start, taking a 12-7 lead midway through the opening quarter. Good shooting from Emma Hart got Southend back into the contest and a superb lay-up whilst being fouled from the excellent Rebecca Brough helped tie the game up at 16 all at the first interval. A three-point basket from Jennie Rodgers took the visitors four ahead but seven straight for Westside enabled them to regain the initiative. Another Brough score through traffic reduced the deficit and at the half way mark, the Both sides struggled to score at the start of the third period but it was Westside who made the first move, opening a 32-27 lead. Swifts replied strongly as four points from Francesca Whitby and two from Hart took them one ahead and they held on to lead 35-34 going into the final 10 minutes. With play again scrappy, Southend could manage just two points in the opening six minutes but their opponents fared little better as they led just 38-37. But then would come the most crucial phase of the game as three-pointers from Brough and 13 points each for Brough and w/e 04/11/07WOMENS SENIOR NATIONAL LEAGUE - SOUTH DIVISION SOUTHEND SWIFTS 62 ENFIELD PHOENIX 67 (AFTER EXTRA TIME) The second home game of the day saw the Southend Swifts senior team take on Enfield Phoenix, the favourites for this year's league title. The North London side were missing a number of influential players but had England star and former US College stand out Michelle Brown in their ranks. Southend made as good start, with Fran Johnson and Emma Hart active around the basket, to take a 10-7 lead. Swifts defensive formation was keeping Brown at bay and further concentrated work gave the hosts a 16-11 first quarter lead. But Enfield's second quarter strategy looked to be decisive. They kept Southend's taller players away from the basket, and with the shooting from distance unsuccessful, Enfield worked themselves back into the game. From 21-19 down, the visitors scored the next 11 points that helped them to a 30-23 half time lead. Swifts could find little cohesion in the third period and when Brown converted two foul shots the margin stood at 38-25 midway through the stanza and a seemingly comfortable win for the visitors. But a Hart three-pointer triggered a 13-0 run that brought the game level and with Christina Gaskin dominating at both ends of the court, Southend went into the final period with a 45-40 lead. Phoenix reduced the deficit to 48-45 before Francesca Whitby hit a three-pointer to restore the margin to four. Phoenix brought it back to one before another Whitby three again got Swifts in front. But nerves got the better of the young Southend side and they turned the ball over twice to allow Brown two baskets that tied the game up at 54 with 11 seconds to play. Swifts called time out and designed a play for the last shot, which 14 year old Gaskin duly converted, but the quicksilver Brown made her way down the court to score as time expired to send the game into overtime. Baskets from Whitby and Johnson took the home side ahead and they led 62-60 with two of the five minutes remaining. But they failed to score again and Enfield made the final 7 points of the contest to win a pulsating match by 67 points to 62. Gaskin 18, Johnson 15 and Hart 13 leading the scoring whilst Brown led all scorers with 26. w/e 28/10/07WOMENS NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION 2 - SOUTH CONFERENCE SOUTHEND SWIFTS 46 LONDON METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY 68 For their latest National League senior encounter, Southend Swifts welcomed London Metropolitan University to their home court at Fitzwimarc School. To their surprise Swifts found themselves confronted by a team who no British players whatsoever in their line-up, the entire University team made up of experienced European players. The visitors started well, scoring the first eight points, but Swifts managed to re-group and an 11-4 run brought them back into contention. Good work at both ends of the court kept the scoreline close at 14-13 to the visitors at the end of the first quarter. A three-point play from Emma Hart gave Southend their first lead and they remained in the game at 20-22 midway through the second period. But a series of turnovers allowed the London side to get away and a 15-5 run gave them a clear margin at 37-25 despite Kelly Matthews' second three-point shot of the game. Both sides struggled to find the basket at the start of the third quarter as the lead stretched to 20. Good inside scoring from Jennie Rodgers and Fran Johnson kept a semblance of order and going into the final stanza the score stood at 49-30 to the visitors. Swifts put their best spell together as a Francesca Whitby three-pointer was part of a 9-2 run that gave the watching spectators some hope of an upset. But the hosts could get no closer as they lost the contest 68 points to 46. Fran Johnson continued her excellent form with 15 points but the young Swifts team will take heart from their overall performance. w/e 14/10/07The UH Warriors women team recorded their second victory with a superb 60-47 win over Brixton – but that does not tell half the story. After 10 minutes the Warriors were losing 21-5 and facing a very long evening. However, they had a never say die attitude and the next two quarters were close as Warriors strove to close the deficit. The final stanza was amazing as the Warriors outscored Brixton 25-6 in a reversal of the first quarter and record a famous win. Top scorers for warriors were Hughes (19) and Godfry (17) WOMENS SENIOR NATIONAL LEAGUE – SOUTH DIVISION HOLBROOK TIGERS 58 SOUTHEND SWIFTS 28
The final match of the weekend saw Southend Swifts' senior women
make the trip to
Swifts made a poor start, failing to score fo |