Amiab Albacete were triumphant in the EuroCup Champions Cup, and in the WPL several GB Women stars rounded out their season in the last weekend of regular fixtures ahead of the National Championship Finals.
Hosted in Bemmel, The Netherlands, this year’s EuroCup Champions Cup was a dramatic weekend of fixtures with three of four teams featuring GB athletes. Gregg Warburton and Charlotte Moore were named in the All Star Team for the competition!
In the semi-finals, Amiab Albacete (Harry Brown, Ben Fox, Lee Manning, Charlotte Moore, Phil Pratt) won 81:63 against CD Ilunion (Gregg Warburton, Terry Bywater). For Albacete, Harry Brown had 5 points. Ben Fox had 13 points and 1 rebound. Lee Manning had 9 points, 9 rebounds and 1 assist. Phil Pratt had 18 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists. For Ilunion, Gregg Warburton had 19 points, 3 rebounds and 8 assists. Terry Bywater had 12 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist.
RSV Lahn-Dill (Simon Brown) were defeated by German league rivals Thuringia Bulls. Simon Brown had 1 point and 3 rebounds.
In the 3rd/4th place playoff, CD Ilunion won 73:71 against RSV Lahn-Dill in a close game. For Ilunion, Gregg Warburton had 11 points, 4 rebounds and 12 assists. Terry Bywater had 31 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists. For RSV Lahn-Dill, Simon Brown had 9 points, 8 rebounds and 12 assists.
In the final, Amiab Albacete were victorious over German league winners Thuringia Bulls, winning 77:73 and claiming the Champions Cup title for the second time in a row. For Albacete, Harry Brown had 2 points and 2 rebounds. Ben Fox had 7 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist. Lee Manning had 13 points and 9 rebounds. Phil Pratt had 25 points, 3 rebounds and 12 assists.
In the final weekend of regular season games for the WPL, East London Phoenix (Amy Conroy, Jude Hamer, Sophie Carrigill) won 46:59 against hosts Cardiff Met Archers (Jade Atkin). For Archers, Jade Atkin had 21 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists. For Phoenix, Jude Hamer had 16 points, 18 rebounds and 7 assists. Sophie Carrigill had 16 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.
Loughborough Lightning (Siobhán Fitzpatrick, Robyn Love, Lucy Robinson) won 35:57 against Worcester Wolves (Kayla Bell). For Wolves, Kayla Bell had 4 points and 3 rebounds. For Lightning, Siobhán Fitzpatrick had 2 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Lucy Robinson had 21 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists.
All four WPL teams head into the National Championships, taking place 20th/21st May. Loughborough Lightning will take on East London Phoenix in the final, and Worcester Wolves and Cardiff Met Archers will meet in the 3rd/4th playoff game.
The eagerly anticipated National Championship Finals will feature teams across the BWB National League, with finals for Divsions 1-3, Premier Division, Junior League and Women’s Premier League. This prestigious event takes place in Manchester, 20th/21st May, and tickets are available now: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/national-championships-2023/