East London Phoenix 61-42 Worcester Wolves

Saturday January 20th 2024

By George Chapman

Despite defeat on the road against London Phoenix there were plenty of positives for head coach Lucas Warburton to build on with Lena Knippelmeyer top scoring for the third consecutive match with seventeen points and six rebounds followed by Niamh Horan who scored twelve points and Alice Mchaffie scoring eight points.

Wolves secured the opening possession of the game with Lena Knippelmeyer converting from ten feet.  

The Phoenix applied early full court pressure defensively forcing Wolves to shoot from outside the key, Wolves head coach Warburton called the first time out of the game with six minutes thirteen seconds left in the first quarter.  

Knippelmeyer converted two foul shots from the line with one and half seconds left in the first quarter, the German international scoring all of Wolves ten points with the score East London Phoenix 18 Worcester Wolves 10 heading into the second quarter.  

Naimh Horan joined Knippelmeyer on the scoresheet converting with four points coming into the game off the bench.  

Ellen Fraser opened her account for the game netting one of two shots from the foul line before Beth Wheeler hit back-to-back three pointers for the home side. 

After intensive defensive pressure Niamh Horan scored Wolves first basket in over six minutes with a shot from the left baseline.  

Lena Knippelmeyer added three more points to her points total knocking down a triple for Wolves last offense of the half.  

Heading into half time with the scoreboard reading East London Phoenix 31 Worcester Wolves 18.  

Lucas Warburtons side started the third quarter fast with Niamh Horan scoring her eighth point of the game and Alice Mchaffie scoring her first points of the game coming in off the bench with Phoenix calling a time out.  

Mchaffie converted a post up from inside the key drawing contact for putting the two points on the scoreboard with one shot to come. Lena Knippelmeyer secured the offensive rebound and knocked down a two-point shot.  

Wolves began to exploit the miss match with forward Knippelmeyer inside the key converting the three-point play after being fouled in the act of shooting, bringing Wolves to within seven points.  

Beth Wheeler made another three pointer in response to open the game back up to ten-point lead for Phoenix who would add a further four points converting transition layups. Before in the dying embers of the third Niamh Horan secured an offensive rebound Horan would convert the basket to cut the game to a twelve-point game. Heading into the final quarter with East London Phoenix up 44-34  

Lena Knippelmeyer scored her seventeenth point of the game and Allice Mchaffie scored her sixth point of the game having come in off the bench to close the score further.  

Before Beth Wheeler scored her sixth shot from behind the arch to open the game up to a twenty-four-point lead.  

Wolves Naimh Horan scored her twelfth point off the game making another shot from the left baseline.  

Alice Mchaffie took her account for the game to eight points finishing another post up from just outside the key on the right-hand side. Bringing the deficit down to eighteen points with a little over a minute left in the game.  

Before Beth Wheeler was adjudged to have been fouled in the act of shooting making one of two shots from the foul line.  

With the final scoreboard after forty-minutes of action reading East London Phoenix 61 Worcester Wolves 42.  

Lucas Warburtons side are back in action this Saturday at the University of Worcester Arena when they host East London Phoenix for the first home fixture of 2024.

Tickets are available to purchase online and from the Arena box office.