Ipswich defend Women’s National Cup
Ipswich retained the Women’s National Cup in style as they cruised past Brent Bulls 81-53 in the final on Sunday at the NBPC in Manchester.
The holders raced out to a 30-11 lead in the opening quarter, and never looked back, looking comfortable at the NBPC as the Bulls struggled to find their feet.
The game’s MVP award went to Harriet Welham once again as she helped her side secure their third National Cup success, dropping a game-high 28 points to go with an influential 11 rebounds and seven assists.
Louisa Gibbins provided a strong 12-point, 19-rebound double-double to go with six assists, and Maisie Keyes (21 points) scored 14 of Ipswich’s first quarter points to fuel their explosive start.
“Very proud. My team were fantastic today, I didn’t have to do anything!” Head Coach Nick Drane said after the game.
“I’m very happy. 11 of the 12 were Copleston/Ipswich Basketball junior players, so really proud of that.
“We love the National Cup, we make no secret about that, to borrow a phase from football there’s a degree of romance around the Cup and having a run – you can build momentum for the second half of the season.”
Judit Fritz (16 points) and Lindsey Cleary (10-point, 10-rebound double-double) led the way for the Bulls, though Cleary played a limited role as she struggled through early foul trouble.
The difference between the two sides would balloon up to 48 points midway through the third quarter, signalling an end to proceedings long before the final buzzer. Brent would hit their stride to win the fourth quarter 18-6, showing a glimpse of what might have been had the Londoners played at that level for the duration.
Winning the MVP award on her 28th birthday, Welham said: “It’s amazing, an absolute birthday treat. We love a final but that was just epic!”
Addressing her side’s consistent success in recent years, she added: “It’s the pathway. A lot of it is home grown but we’re now getting to the stage where people want to come to us. We had to work hard for that, it never used to be [like that].
“In 2018, we were all home-grown and then as soon as we win a couple of trophies, everyone wants to come [and play for us]. That’s what we strive for, we want people to come to us.”
When pressed on what the future could hold for the multiple MVP winner, Welham seemed relaxed: “Who knows? At 28, I keep questioning retirement but if my legs are still working, I’ll keep playing for a little while.”
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