The University of Sheffield women’s first team secured a 93-47 win over Sheffield Hallam at varsity, pulling away after a close opening quarter.
Eleanor Sollis opened the scoring for UoS with a two-pointer, with the team in black and gold quickly building a 10-1 lead. Hallam responded through Ashante Richards driving the length of the court to score, and center Hannah Lovatt, who landed the first three pointer of the game. The University of Sheffield led at the end of the first ten minutes by 17 to 15.
The second quarter saw the UoS begin to pull away. Iora Chowdhary was pivotal throughout the match, scoring multiple fast break points, hitting a three pointer and forcing turnovers. Hallam stayed competitive with Ana McCoy and Erin Wells combining for outside shooting and steals. However, a late run from the University of Sheffield, led again by forward Chowdhary, pushed the score to 45 to 29.
After half time, the UoS continued their momentum. Joy Chaimongkol and Emma Rainton turned defensive plays into easy baskets, while Sollis also managed to add to the scoreline. Hallam kept battling with plays from Lovatt and Richards, but the gap widened to 66 to 42 heading into the final quarter.
In the final quarter, Chowdhary’s domination on the break allowed her to make several more baskets, while Atkinson hit a late three pointer. Hallam struggled to convert chances, despite efforts from Richards. The University of Sheffield closed out a comfortable score that nearly doubled Hallam’s.
Ciara Parker, the University of Sheffield’s captain and guard, said: “It was close at the start, but we pulled through in the second and third quarters.
“A win like this at varsity is just amazing and I’m really proud of the team.”
