Cardiff Met Archers 85-56 Worcester Wolves

Saturday 25th January 2025

By Colin Taylor

Worcester Wolves’ unbeaten start to 2025 ground to a halt at the fourth time of asking as they fell to an 85-56 defeat at Cardiff Archers on Saturday.

Wolves dropped behind early and found no way back against an Archers team able to hit the target from all areas of the court.

Cardiff’s lively American guard Dan Flaherty grabbed the tip-off and by the time he left the action had contributed a range of points and assists to help the hosts to a 24-17 lead entering the last minutes of the first period.

Worcester’s Kamarni Steadman connected either side of the quarter-break to close the margin to 26-22 but this would be as near as his side would get for the remainder of the match.

A surge of four three-pointers widened the Archers advantage to 47-32 by half-time.

The third quarter began with a series of visiting turnovers and ended with the home team now 64-44 to the good.

Wolves’ second shot-clock violation of the afternoon and further careless ball-handling gifted Cardiff a 7-0 run to open the final period and cement their comfortable victory.

Daijuan Antonio and Fin Rennie led Worcester’s half-dozen scorers with thirteen points apiece. Steadman put forward eleven points and Wilfrid Santhe ten.

Contrastingly, Flaherty’s game-leading 18 points was logged alongside scoring contributions from every player on Archers’ twelve-man roster. Tellingly, the team succeeded on 11 of their 23 three-point attempts as opposed to their opponents 8 from 35 record. 

Sitting amongst a cluster of clubs seeking to draw away from the foot of National Basketball League Division Two, next Saturday 01 February (3pm) sees eighth-in- the-table Wolves travel to eleventh-placed Liverpool.

The team then return to the University of Worcester Arena on Saturday 08 February (7.30pm) to host Derbyshire Arrows following on from the Wolves women taking on the London Cavaliers at 5pm. Super Saturday tickets are available here and from the Arena box office.