Worcester Wolves 60-66 Cardiff Met Archers

Saturday April 27th 2024

By George Chapman

Wolves put on a fantastic end of the season display to end the regular season at the University of Worcester Arena in six-point thriller.

Lena Knippelmeyer opened her game account for Wolves scoring from inside the key after picking up an offensive rebound in the first possession of the game. The German international added a further two points to her total after converting two free throws.

Jade Loughlin joined Knippelmeyer on the scoresheet after Wolves’ number nine dribbled the ball all the way to the basket for a lay-up.

Great ball movement from the Wolves offense drew the Met Archers defence out of position allowing the hosts to run a pick that found Cat Yearron under the basket for her first points of the game.

Knippelmeyer made a fantastic one on one cut against the Met Archers one point player allowing the Wolves forward to get inside position to score her sixth point of the game.  

The Met Achers were unable to put out the on-fire Lena Knippelmeyer who scored fifteen of Wolves’ eighteen first quarter points.

However, the visitors hung on in there, being down by seven after one quarter of action with Wolves going into the second quarter up 18-11.

In response to Wolves strong first quarter the Met Archers began to press the Wolves which led to turnovers and lay-up opportunities for Cardiff in transition with seven minutes and thirty-four seconds remaining in the second quarter Cardiff took the lead by one up 18-19. Wolves Head Coach Lucas Warburton called a time out to halt the momentum gained by Met Archers.

Off the back of that time out Wolves scored from the next possession with Jade Loughlin converting a shot from above the free throw line for her fourth point of the game. Putting Wolves straight back into the driving seat.

Both teams then started to trade basket for basket for a period in the second with Cardiff’s Kate Morrow responding to Loughlin’s basket. The Wolves number 9 then went straight back down the other end and netted a buzzer beater to regain the lead.

Lena Knippelmeyer gave Wolves some breathing space on the scoreboard after scoring another shot from the elbow, finishing a great post up to put Wolves up 24-21,

Kayla Bell opened her account for the game with a lay-up in the centre of the key after great vision from Jade Loughlin found Bell to keep Wolves up by three in response to a Met Archers Leah Evans lay-up.

Loughlin extended Wolves lead to five after converting two shots from the line after being fouled in the act of shooting by Cardiff’s number three Adele Atkin. Towards the end of the third quarter

Met Archers responded with forward Jade Atkin netting a deep two point shot to cut Wolves lead to three points, up 28-25.

Lena Knippelmeyer converted another great shot from the outside of the key after being heavily defended by Met Archers. However, Cardiff reduced Wolves lead to one point after Adele Atkin converted another lay-up.

Jade Loughlin added a further two points to her game total after knocking down another shot from just above the free throw line to give Wolves a 32-19 lead with two minutes and twenty-eight seconds remaining in the second quarter.

Kate Morrow got Met Archers firing again in the last moments of the second quarter giving Cardiff Met Archers a one-point lead going into the break with the score board reading Worcester Wolves 34 Cardiff Met Archers 35.

Elana Brand checked into the game after the half time break and scored after converting from inside the key to give Wolves a slender one-point lead. After intense defence from Wolves Jade Atkin was still able to engineer half a yard to execute a fantastic hook shot to give Met Archers a 36-37 lead.

With both teams going basket for basket, Elana Brand cut the ball game to a one-point deficit after converting a shot from inside the key with Cardiff up 40-41.  However, Leah Evans responded with a huge three pointer to give the visitors a 40-44 lead.

Elana Brand cut the game to a two-point margin after establishing inside position to net from inside the key halfway through the third quarter.

Cardiff began to pull away towards the end of the third quarter leading by nine points, up 50-42 going into the final quarter.

After Cardiff got the first score of the fourth quarter to go up by ten points, Wolves responded by turning over the ball which led to Cat Yearron having a free lay-up under the basket to cut the game to a eight-point deficit.

Kate Morrow got Cardiff’s lead back to ten, before Jade Loughlin knocked down a post up from inside the key being heavily defended by the Met Archers defence to bring Wolves to within eight points. Met Archers number eleven Morrow got her side back up to a ten-point advantage before Lena Knippelmeyer brought Wolves to within eight down 47-56.  Jade Loughlin got Wolves’ forty-ninth point of the game after converting a shot from outside the key that was nothing but net.

Rebacca Ganley put Cardiff up by nine points before Wolves forward Lena Knippelmeyer brought Wolves to within seven points after being fouled in the act of shooting the ball rolled around the full circumference of the ring before dropping, Knippelmeyer finished the free throw. To bring Wolves within six points, 52-58.

Lena Knippelmeyer brought Wolves right back into the game converting another shot in the act of shooting with the scoreboard reading 60-57 in Cardiff’s favour. Jade Loughlin netted a crucial shot from the outside of the key to bring Wolves to within one point with three minutes and seven seconds on the clock. Loughlin would go on to level the ball game at sixty all after converting a free throw setting up a tense end to an enthralling game of Wheelchair basketball.

Met Archers number eleven Kate Morrow got her team in front by two with two minutes and twenty-four seconds left in the game. With Cardiff having scored the next two baskets’ Wolves Head Coach Lucas Warburton called a time out with forty-seven seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

Lena Knippelmeyer finished the match as leading scorer for Wolves scoring twenty-five points, thirteen rebounds and six assists. Followed by Jade Loughlin who completed the game with nineteen points, six rebounds and seven assists

This game was a fantastic advert for the play offs game coming up against Cardiff Met Archers in May as Lucas Warburtons’ team lost by six points, 60-66.

Image – Purple Swan Photography