Hemel Storm 71-52 Plymouth Marjon Patriots
Saturday 11th November 2023 WNBL Division 2 Women
The Plymouth Marjon Patriots suffered their first defeat of the season after a tough away trip to Hemel Storm.
It was a slow start to the game from both sides with only 10 points total scored in the first 5 minutes. However, it was the home team who found their groove offensively to take a 18-11 lead.
Three straight baskets from Katy Northall to start the second quarter brought the gap down to 1 point, but the hosts showed their experience and managed to respond. Northall was the only Patriots player who managed to put the ball in the basket for the quarter, showcasing the team’s offensive struggles.
A more fluid third quarter saw debutant Darcy Pafford and captain Annette Cook get into a rhythm and bring the lead down to just 4 points. Hemel once again showed their experience and stretched the game back out to 12 points by quarter’s end.
It was the home side who would eventually take the win, however the final quarter saw 15-year-old Lottie Ruth make her WNBL debut, showcasing the talent coming through the Patriots pathway.
Head Coach Will Hopper said: “We struggled right from the start. The energy and execution wasn’t there today. In this league, anybody can beat anybody so you need to bring your best every game.
We did have some positives, a couple of debuts and we had spells in the game where we had them in trouble. We need to make sure we re-focus and get back to winning ways next weekend”