Women’s National Cup – Round of 16
Ipswich Basketball 119 – Brighton Cougars 47
Ipswich played their first National Cup home game since lifting the trophy back in 2018 on Sunday against Division Two side, Brighton Cougars. It’s fair to say Ipswich showed why they are one of the top teams in WNBL Division One with an absolutely ruthless display that saw Coach Nick Drane share court time amongst his young roster, and in doing so, the Ipswich crowd witnessed the coming out party of yet another young star to come out of the clubs junior programme, in the form of 17 year old Ella Pearson. Pearson finished the game with a game high 36 points to go with eleven rebounds, going in incredible 6/6 from the three-point line in the process.
Ipswich were forced into an early time out, after a lacklustre first three minutes saw Brighton in the lead. However, as soon as the team had the chance to talk things over, the game became a brutal, one sided affair.
Ipswich won all four quarters in ruthless fashion. The first was the closest, with the Suffolk side winning 29-20. The next three periods went as follows…. 33-4, 29-15 and finally 30-8. The home side eventually winning by an explosive 72 points.
“This was how we are supposed to play against opposition from a lower division. All credit to Brighton for fighting to the end, but I thought we did a good job of keeping our foot on the gas and making sure we got something out of the game” Said Ipswich Coach Nick Drane.
Pearson was the undoubted star of the show, collecting a game high 36. Harriet Welham had a ‘quiet’ 27 while Danni Cazey was in fine form with twenty points in the game. Sadly, Ipswich suffered a couple of injury scares that mean the team is likely light handed for this weekends must-win game on the road to Loughborough. But, Coach Drane was quick to point out “No excuses….. we will go with what we can and get the job done”.