Sheffield Hallam University won the Women’s Basketball 1s fixture at the English Institute of Sport in the penultimate game of the day.
Much of the defeat for the University of Sheffield occurred in the first quarter as Hallam made comfortable ground. After a last-minute three-pointer, 31-9 on the scoreboard, the Black and Gold side had a lot of work to do if they wanted to keep up.
At the start of the second period, there was hope that things could change, as the first basket of the quarter came from Michaela in number 11 for Uni of. A three-pointer from the black and golds, followed by another net from Sollis, Uni of’s number 12, meant a comeback was possible as the scoreboard showed 33-18 with 7 minutes left before the interval. But Sheffield Hallam seemed to have control of the game. Despite another three-pointer from Sollis, Hallam concealed their win with another two points in the final minutes, ending the quarter with the result at 46-23 to the Burgundies with two fouls each.
Hallam scored two free throws just 30 seconds into the third quarter, and the team continued to add to their tally of points as Wroe, in number 5, enjoyed a great game. This quarter was about damage control for Uni of, as they sought to reduce the gap between them and their opponents. The Black and Golds scored 10 points in the first half and another two-pointer with 30 seconds on the clock, but it was not enough to stop Hallam from storming ahead.
In the final quarter, the scoreline started at 60-35. Sheffield Hallam’s number 4, Bannister, had the first promising opportunity but narrowly missed out on a net. Uni of created the first basket from inside the three-point line. Tonkin earned Hallam their first two points two minutes into the quarter, followed shortly by another basket by Wroe.
With 6 minutes left of the game, the score was 67-45. A total of 8 more points added to the scoreboard meant both sides had their fair share of baskets by the 8th-minute mark. Throughout the fourth quarter, Michaela stood out, getting the ball down the court to create chances for Uni of. The final basket was a three-pointer scored by the University of Sheffield
It wasn’t meant to be for the Black and Golds, as the overall result finished 72-53. The first quarter made the difference, and Hallam stayed consistent enough to maintain the victory.
Sheffield Hallam University: Bannister, Wroe, Shaw, Bedward, Crouch, Tonkins, Burgess, McDowell, Ioannou.
The University of Sheffield: Kosnikovska, Mizuno, Kelly, Mabbutt, Lee, Atkinson, Michaela, Sollis, Poon, Scofield, Shibamiya