Cardiff City 66-74 Plymouth Marjon Patriots
Saturday 21st October 2023 WNBL Division 2 Women
The Plymouth Marjon Patriots Women’s team achieved a historic milestone by clinching their inaugural victory in the Women’s National Basketball League.
The Patriots Women travelled to Cardiff to face the seasoned hosts, who aimed to build on their previous season’s playoff campaign. Initially, it was City who demonstrated their expertise, taking a commanding 9-1 lead. However, a crucial three-pointer from Emily Sycamore helped the Patriots regain their composure and ended the first period level at 13-13.
In the second quarter, the Patriots showcased a robust offensive performance, amassing 24 points, with Sophie Carr contributing 10 and team captain Annette Cook adding 7. A 30-37 halftime scoreline gave the Patriots hope and they managed to extend their lead to 13 points before a late surge from Cardiff narrowed the gap to just 6 points by the quarter’s end.
The final quarter witnessed intense offensive efforts from both teams, leading to a closely contested battle right to the final buzzer. Crucial free throws from Carr and Cook ensured the Patriots Women’s historic victory. Carr led all scorers with 26 points, supported by 18 from Cook, 13 from Alicia Parsons and 12 from Katy Northall.
Head Coach Will Hopper said: “I’m proud of what we managed to achieve today. These players have achieved something that can never be taken away from them and their names will forever be in the Patriots history books.
We came up against a very strong Cardiff City team but we showed what we can produce when we work together and believe in ourselves.”