Birmingham Ladies’ 1st Team Basketball came unstuck on Wednesday in the Quarter Final of their cup competition as the mightily impressive Nottingham proved too strong, beating them 79-66 in the Munrow Sports Hall.
With just one win from nine in the league so far this season, the Lions were looking to put something of a cup run together this week to try and make up for what has been a disappointing year so far. However, with Nottingham top of the league with nine wins from nine, it was just too much to ask on this occasion.
Lead by the ever-impressive Lois Nunn, Birmingham did certainly show some quality throughout, and almost made it quite a close encounter towards the end, however it was a story of missed chances, and ill-discipline, that meant they were knocked out inches away from reaching the last four.
We're underway here at the Munrow for @UoBWBball 1s cup tie vs Nottingham. A competitive start from the Lions! JS pic.twitter.com/inGCdC7hiC
— BurnFM Sport (@BurnFM_Sport) February 24, 2016
Burn FM’s very own Jack Simpkin caught a moment of real quality from the Nottingham attacker
The hosts rarely lead in the match, but also never let their visitors move too far clear right from the off, which was represented in the score line after the first quarter, when it stood at 19-18 to Nottingham. It was then the Lions who made the faster start to the second period of the game, but Notts worked their way back into proceedings with a superb, and very productive, middle period of the quarter, which meant they lead 39-34 at half time.
With just five points in it, the game was by no means won or lost for either side, which made for a brilliant second half to the game late on. However, the third quarter very much belonged to Notts as they extended their lead from five, to 15 points by the end of the quarter, which in the end proved fatal for the Lions, with the score reading 59-44 at the whistle. Birmingham once again had their fouls to blame for the large part in that quarter as Notts were very clinical with their foul throws.
Many would have expected the final quarter to be a breeze for the visitors being 15 points ahead with only 10 minutes to play, but Nunn made sure that was certainly not to be the case as her side fought back admirably. So much so, that the Notts coach had to call for a time-out to try and reorganise her side. Throughout the 10 minutes, the score line ebbed and flowed, with Nunn’s side getting as far as reducing the deficit to just five points. However, against the run of play, and undeservingly for the Lions, Notts ended the game with a flurry of points to win by 13 at full time.
Jack Simpkin
