Tag: National Basketball League

The Weekend Wrap

The Weekend Wrap 2023-24 Week 1

The Weekend Wrap is back! The 2023-24 season has now begun, let’s find out how our new-look teams got on in their first league outings.

Saturday 29th September

City of Birmingham Rockets 57-66 Manchester Mystics D1

The newly promoted Manchester Mystics D1 open their season with an away win against City of Birmingham Rockets on Saturday evening to move to 1-0 in the WNBL Division One.

Mystics were led by Corina Costa’s 17 points, 9 rebounds, an assist and 2 steal, with support from Irene Oboavwoduo 17 points, 6 rebounds and 7 steals, Hannah Alty 8 points, 8 rebounds and a steal and Elizandra Costa 8 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

Up next for Mystics D1 is a home game against Bristol Academy Flyers on Sunday 8th October at 5:30pm.

Derby Trailblazers 71-72 Manchester Magic U18

Manchester Magic U18 open their season with an away win against Derby Trailblazers on Saturday evening to move to 1-0 in the Premier North.

Up next for Magic U18 is an away game against to be Confirmed in the Second round of the National Cup on Sunday 15th October at TBC.

Trafford Magic U18 61–71 Manchester Giants

Trafford Magic U18 opened their season last weekend with an 82-60 away win against Charnwood College Riders. They followed this up with a home loss against Manchester Giants on Saturday afternoon to move to 1-1 in the Premier North.

Up next for Trafford U18 is a home game against St. Helens Saints on Saturday 7th October at 3:30pm.

Manchester Magic U16 111–100 Manchester Giants

Manchester Magic U16 open their season with a home win against City of Birmingham Rockets on Saturday afternoon to move to 1-0 in the Premier North.

Up next for Magic U16 is a home game against Derby Trailblazers on Saturday 7th October at 1:00pm.

Trafford Magic U16 90–83 Derby Trailblazers

Trafford Magic opened the season with an 80-55 away win against Junior Sheffield Sharks in the National Cup. They followed this up with a home win against Derby Trailblazers on Saturday afternoon to move to 1-0 in the Premier North.

Up next for Trafford U16 is an away game against Northamptonshire Titans on Saturday 7th October at 12:00noon.

Manchester Mystics U14 2 37–69 Sheffield Hatters

Manchester Mystics U14 2 open their season with a home loss against Sheffield Hatters on Saturday afternoon to move to 0-1 in the North League 1.

Up next for Mystics U14 2 is an away game against Lancashire Spinners on Sunday 8th October at 3:00pm.

Sunday 1st October

Teeside Lions 78-81 Manchester Magic D2

Manchester Magic D2 open their league campaign with an away win against Teeside Lions on Sunday afternoon to move to 1-0 in the NBL Division Two. Magic D2, played in the KitKing Trophy against Division One opponents in Derby Trailblazers, Newcastle University and Bradford Dragons and suffered narrow losses in all three games.

Up next for Magic D2 is a home game against Myerscough on Saturday 7th October at 7:00pm, followed by a home game on Sunday 8th October in the National Cup second round against West Yorkshire Hawks at 2:00pm.

Manchester Mystics U16 2 50–84 Sheffield Hatters

Manchester Mystics U16 2 open their season with a home loss against Sheffield Hatters on Sunday afternoon to move to 0-1 in the Premier North.

Up next for Mystics U16 2 is a home game against Nottingham Wildcats on Saturday 7th October at 3:30pm.

Manchester Mystics U16 3 80–32 Mersey Mavericks

Manchester Mystics U16 3 open their season with a home win against Mersey Mavericks on Sunday afternoon to move to 1-0 in the Conference North.

Up next for Mystics U16 3 is an away game against Sheffield Hatters 2 on Saturday 7th October at 2:30pm.

Who was your team of the week this week? (Vote closed)

Manchester Magic KitKing Trophy 2023-24

KitKing Trophy returns in September

The KitKing Trophy for teams in Basketball England’s NBL Men’s Division One is set to return in September.

The competition will again be organised by NBL1 Men’s clubs in partnership with naming rights holder Kitking.co.uk and BE. 

It will see all 14 NBL1 clubs, plus a pair of invited Division Two sides, competing in four regional groups of four.  

The additional Division two teams for 2023/24 are last season’s NBL Division Three playoff champs Milton Keynes Breakers, who topped a number of NBL Division One sides as part of a lengthy National Cup run a year ago, and former NBL D1 winners Manchester Magic, who were relegated from the top flight at the end of last season.

Holders Hemel Storm will defend their title.

KitKing have supplied winning team wear to NGBs, professional and grassroots clubs throughout the UK, Ireland, Europe and beyond since 1992. They are the UK’s leading teamwear specialist with 30 years’ experience across more than 25 sports, including basketball. 

KitKing.co.uk CEO Dips Patel said: 

“We are excited to continue our partnership with Basketball England’s NBL Division One clubs.  

“Last season’s competition was a big success and our sponsorship will further extend our help and support of the Trophy in 2022/23. 

“It’s an exciting time for the sport in the UK as basketball continues to grow. We’re pleased to be a part of that, and to be able to support Basketball England’s D1 clubs through this partnership.” 

Tim Brown, former BE Board member and chair of the Men’s Division One group, said: 

“I would like to thank KitKing.co.uk for their ongoing support as we push the competition from strength-to-strength.

“The D1 men’s clubs are continuing to grow and move the league forward as a group with Basketball England’s support, making this an exciting time for both the sport and the Trophy itself.” 

The group stages of the competition will be played from 16 September through to 24 September, with the 16 contenders split into four groups of four teams.

The games will provide a curtain raiser to the Men’s NBL Division One season, which gets under way in October.  

Playing each other once, the top two sides in each group will progress to the quarter-finals then semi-finals, with the final set to take place later in the year.

Magic’s group schedule:

Group 4      
16/09/20237.30pmDerby Trailblazers v  Manchester Magic
17/09/20233pmNewcastle Universityv  Manchester Magic
23/09/20237pmManchester Magic v  Bradford Dragons
The Weekend Wrap

The Weekend Wrap 2022-23 Week 30

Junior Final Fours Special

Saturday 29th April – Semi-Finals

Manchester Magic U18 78-59 Haringey Hawks at 4:00pm

Manchester Magic U18 advanced to the play-off final after a semi-final win against Haringey Hawks on Saturday afternoon at the National Basketball Performance Centre, they faced London Elite in the Final on Sunday afternoon, find out how they got on below.

The Magic were led by Joe Buchanan 28 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals, Shaquille Furlonge 16 points, 18 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal and Ben Brown 12 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists.

Manchester Mystics U18 80-88 Ipswich at 2:00pm

Manchester Mystics U18 advanced to the 3rd/4th place game after a semi-final loss against Ipswich on Saturday afternoon at the National Basketball Performance Centre, they faced City of Birmingham Rockets in the 3rd/4th place game on Sunday afternoon, find out how they got on below.

The Mystics were led by Josephine Vourliotis 26 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal and a block, Irene Oboavwoduo 11 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and Favour Elabour 9 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Manchester Mystics U16 53-33 CoLA Southwark Pride at 10:00am

Manchester Mystics U16 advanced to the play-off final after a semi-final win against CoLA Southwark Pride on Saturday morning at the National Basketball Performance Centre, they faced Richmond Knights in the Final on Sunday morning, find out how they got on below.

The Mystics were led by Maisie Keyes 22 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 6 steals and 2 blocks. Elizandra Costa 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals and Irene Oboavwoduo 10 points, 17 rebounds, an assist, a steal and 2 blocks.

Manchester Magic U14 80-76 London Elite at 10:00am

Manchester Magic U14 advanced to the play-off final after a semi-final win against London Elite on Saturday morning at the National Basketball Performance Centre, they faced London Warriors in the Final on Sunday afternoon, find out how they got on below.

The Magic were led by David Akhidime 27 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals, Camran Hanson 17 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists and a steal and Ege Cakmakkaya 16 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and a block.

Manchester Mystics U14 87-58 Sheffield Hatters at 12:00noon

Manchester Mystics U14 advanced to the play-off final after a semi-final win against Sheffield Hatters on Saturday afternoon at the National Basketball Performance Centre, they faced Milton Keynes Breakers/Richmond Knights in the Final on Sunday afternoon, find out how they got on below.

The Mystics were led by Mojan Malek 27 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 7 steals, Anya Williams 14 points, 12 rebounds and 3 steals and Tiana Walker 10 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 steals.

Sunday 30th April – Finals / 3rd/4th Place

Manchester Magic U18 98-86 London Elite at 4:45pm – Video

Manchester Magic U18 National Champions 2022-23
Manchester Magic U18 National Champions 2022-23

Manchester Magic U18 were crowned National Champions after beating London Elite in the Final on Sunday afternoon.

The Magic were led by Matthew Goodwin (MVP) 34 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals, Joe Buchanan 19 points and 10 rebounds, Shaquille Furlonge 17 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal and Luca Lara-Sanchez 7 points, a rebound, 6 assists and 5 steals.

Manchester Mystics U18 69-43 City of Birmingham Rockets at 2:30pm

Manchester Mystics U18 finished 3rd taking home the bronze medal, after beating City of Birmingham Rockets in the 3rd/4th place game on Sunday afternoon.

The Mystics were led by Saffron Erving-Murphy 15 points and 4 rebounds, Alejandra Escriva Gay 12 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, a steal and a block, Daisy Bryan 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals and a block and Favour Elabour 8 points, 10 rebounds, an assist, a steal and 5 blocks.

Manchester Mystics U16 59-54 Richmond Knights at 10:00am – Video

Manchester Mystics U16 National Champions 2023
Manchester Mystics U16 National Champions 2023

Manchester Mystics U16 were crowned National Champions after beating Richmond Knights in the Final on Sunday afternoon.

The Mystics were led by Irene Oboavwoduo (MVP) 16 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks, Sara Blake-Smith 12 points and 15 points, Elizandra Costa 13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal, Maisie Keyes 9 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and a block and Alexandra Hernandez 5 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 7 steals and a block.

Manchester Magic U14 72-69 London Warriors at 2:30pm – Video

Manchester Magic U14 National Champions 2022-23
Manchester Magic U14 National Champions 2022-23

Manchester Magic U14 were crowned National Champions after beating London Warriorsin the Final on Sunday afternoon.

The Magic were led by David Akhidime (MVP) 20 points, 17 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocks, Ege Cakmakkaya 18 points, 6 rebounds, an assist and a steal, Luca Boothe 11 points, 6 rebounds, an assist and a block and Dylan Panton 5 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and a steal.

Manchester Mystics U14 61-96 Richmond Knights at 4:45pm – Video

Manchester Mystics U14 finished 2nd, taking home the silver medal, after losing to Richmond Knights in the Final on Sunday afternoon.

The Mystics were led by Mojan Malek 19 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal and a block, Anya Williams 15 points and a rebound and Tiana Walker 8 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals.

That concludes the 2022-23 National Basketball League season, on top of the three National titles won this weekend, the Manchester Magic U16 and Manchester Mystics U16 won the National Cups in January, taking the season title total to five and the club’s historic total to 101 National Titles since 2000.

We would like to take this moment to thank all the players, coaches, officials, volunteers, and parents for your dedication to our collective success this season, we hope to see you all again next season. And to those who are moving on to pastures new, we wish you all the best, stay in touch, once a Magic and Mystic, always a Magic and Mystic!

Manchester Magic and Mystics Stock News graphic

Manchester Magic & Mystics National League trials

Saturday 13th May 2023

Venue: Manchester Basketball Centre, Wilbraham Road, M16 8GW

School year as of September 2023

Girls (years 4-12) 12:00-1:00pm

Boys (years 6, 7, 8 & 9) 1:15-2:15pm

Boys (years 10 & 11) 2:30-3:30pm

Boys (years 12 & 13) 3:45-4:45pm

Cost = FREE

Come and try out for one of the most successful junior programmes in the country over the last 25 years, sending over 65 players to the US.

Could you be next?

Please complete the form below to book your place now!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeodsrIEYIcw0rCLG3lmsfNCt-WYclSnK2AKDpg9yzxaktHyQ/viewform

The Weekend Wrap

The Weekend Wrap 2022-23 Week 29

Saturday 22nd April

Manchester Met Mystics 40–98 London Lions

The Manchester Met Mystics moved to 1-21 in the WBBL championship after a home loss against London Lions on Saturday afternoon, finishing 12th in the WBBL and miss out on a play-off spot.

Your team performance of the week last week Manchester Mystics U14 with 27.7% of the vote.

Junior Final Fours – at the National Basketball Performance Centre

Tickets for the Junior Final Fours can be purchased here (Adults £5, Concessions £2 – per day)

Schedule

Saturday 29th April – Play-off Semi-Finals

Manchester Magic U18 vs Haringey Hawks at 4:00pm

Manchester Mystics U18 vs Ipswich at 2:00pm

Manchester Mystics U16 vs CoLA Southwark Pride at 10:00am

Manchester Magic U14 vs London Elite at 10:00am

Manchester Mystics U14 vs Sheffield Hatters at 12:00noon

Sunday 30th April – Play-off Finals/ 3rd/4th Place Games

Manchester Magic U18 vs CoLA Southwark Pride/London Elite at 4:45pm

Manchester Mystics U18 vs CoLa Southwark Pride/City of Birmingham Rockets at 2:30pm

Manchester Mystics U16 vs Ipswich/Richmond Knights at 10:00am

Manchester Magic U14 vs Baltic Stars/London Warriors at 2:30pm/10:00am

Manchester Mystics U14 vs Milton Keynes Breakers/Richmond Knights at 4:45pm/12:15pm

Coach Jim's Report

Mystics U14 2 couldn’t catch the Breakers

MILTON KEYNES BREAKERS  86  MANCHESTER MYSTICS II  62

An away quarter-final tie requiring a 300+ mile round trip to darkest Buckinghamshire to play the country’s number 2 seed sounds daunting for any U14 1st team. That was the latest challenge facing Mystics U14 II and a mere 4 minutes in, with the scoreboard reading 0-11 it appeared to be on a par with someone falling off a cliff – one step too far.

A time-out to insist that nerves needed to disappear plus a suggestion that attempting to beat the land speed record on every possession was not the way to go, was made and heeded. All 5 Mystics showed the obedience displayed by champion sheep dogs to turn things round.

Despite sounding more like an urban street dance crew, Milton Keynes Breakers are a well-drilled, lightning quick side. Nevertheless, by moving the basketball with speed and precision instead of opting to over-dribble which had proved to be as fruitless as a dead apple tree, we went on a stunning 21-12 run to bring the score to 21-23. With the momentum heavily in our favour, foul trouble (which dogged us throughout) forced me to take a key player off (not Chubb or Yale!).

Now unable to use the defensive match-ups which were causing problems for the opposition, the deficit swelled to 15 by half-time as confidence began to sag in some of our players. My half-time cosy little chat focused on self-belief and simple strategies for combatting a 5 out offense with clear outs for one on one drives to basket.

At least one of them must have listened because we totally bossed the third quarter even with having to endure more foul trouble – in this case not a troublesome chicken! We won this 10 minute period 23-18, in no small part thanks to an incredible 16 points from our inspired captain in the quarter. 

In the ascendancy once more, this time our momentum was hampered by 2 loud spurious claims. The first, which appeared to come either from an adult on Milton Keynes’ bench, or someone hiding under it, felt it worthwhile to inform everyone that ‘combination defences are not permitted at this level.’ ?????? Possibly as baffled by this as everyone else was, a home supporter seemed to disagree. ‘It’s a zone,’ he shouted. I can only assume that this was code for ‘That can be the only reason why they are catching up.’

He could have been a VIP because without evidence or consideration, the referees suddenly (and immediately) came over to tell me we were playing a zone! My assistant, James and I both explained simply and factually why this was not the case. Both team’s defences were similar and remained as they had been throughout. One referee listened intently and seemed to waver. The other one didn’t. Ten seconds later he charged us with a technical foul for playing a zone!

Although this didn’t have a huge impact on the eventual outcome, it did throw us out of our stride at the beginning of the fourth period. We missed 5 early lay-ups in a row which resulted in 8 breakaway points at the other end. That plus mounting foul trouble caused the game to gradually slip away. This prompted me to make liberal substitutions throughout the final 6 minutes with such frequency that some players thought they were coming while others thought they were going and vice versa! Our opponents capitalised upon this to stretch the margin to a flattering 24.

This is not a true reflection of how tough a contest it was for both sides.  Milton Keynes coped well with our superior size, shot exceedingly well from their multitude of free throws (garnered from the massive total of 31 fouls awarded against us) and got a number of steals from their press when we had bench players on the floor. Our never-say-die youngsters played their hearts out but struggled defensively with the opposition’s pace and organisation.

There is always likely to be disappointment after a defeat but it is imperative to lose with grace and dignity without blame. On this occasion, the team who made less mistakes won the game but I do believe that if we played them again things might be different! 

Jim

The Weekend Wrap

The Weekend Wrap 2022-23 Week 28

The Play-off Wrap

Saturday 15th April

Manchester Magic U18 96–73 Sussex Storm

Manchester Magic U18 advance to the play-off semi-finals after a home win against Surrey Rams 1 on Saturday afternoon, they will face Haringey Hawks at the National Basketball Performance Centre on Saturday 29th April at 4:00pm

Manchester Mystics U18 75–41 Reading Rockets Academy

Manchester Mystics U18 advance to the play-off semi-finals after a home win against Reading Rockets Academy on Saturday afternoon, they will face Ipswich at the National Basketball Performance Centre on Saturday 29th April at 2:00pm

Manchester Magic U16 93–95* Manchester Giants

Manchester Magic U16 play-off run came to an end after a home quarter-final overtime loss against Manchester Giants on Saturday afternoon.

Milton Keynes Breakers 86-62 Manchester Mystics U14 2

Manchester Mystics U14 play-off run came to an end after an away quarter-final loss against Milton Keynes Breakers on Saturday afternoon.

Read Coach Jim’s report here

Sunday 16th April

Sheffield Hatters 2 84-38 Manchester Mystics D2

Manchester Mystics D2 play-off run came to an end after an away semi-final loss against Sheffield Hatters 2 on Sunday afternoon.

Manchester Mystics U16 74–49 Oaklands College Wolves

Manchester Mystics U16 advance to the play-off semi-finals after a home win against Oaklands College Wolves on Saturday afternoon, they will face CoLA Southward Pride at the National Basketball Performance Centre on Saturday 29th April at 10:00am

Manchester Magic U14 58-54 Ipswich

Manchester Magic U14 advance to the play-off semi-finals after a home win against Ipswich on Sunday afternoon, they will face London Elite at the National Basketball Performance Centre on Saturday 29th April at 10:00am.

Manchester Mystics U14 91-48 Ipswich

Manchester Mystics U14 advance to the play-off semi-finals after a home win against Ipswich on Sunday afternoon, they will face Sheffield Hatters at the National Basketball Performance Centre on Saturday 29th April at 12:00noon.

Tickets for the Junior Final Fours can be purchased here (Adults £5, Concessions £2 – per day)

The Weekend Wrap

Sunday 16th April

Essex Rebels 88-53 Manchester Met Mystics

The Manchester Met Mystics moved to 1-20 in the WBBL championship after an away loss against Essex Rebels on Sunday afternoon.

Up next for Mystics WBBL is a home game against London Lions on Saturday 22nd April at 3:00pm at Platt Lane, the Mystics final game of the season.

Your team performance of the week last week Manchester Mystics D2 with 92.8% of the vote. Who was your team of the week this week? (Vote Closed)

The Weekend Wrap

The Weekend Wrap 2022-23 Week 27

The Play-off Wrap

Saturday 8th April

Manchester Mystics D2 62–61 Bromsgrove Bears

Manchester Mystics D2 advance to the play-off semi-finals after a home win against Bromsgrove Bears on Saturday afternoon in the play-off quarter-finals, they will face Sheffield Hatters 2 away on the weekend of Saturday 15th April.

The Weekend Wrap

Monday 10th April

Durham Palatinates 73-51 Manchester Met Mystics

The Manchester Met Mystics moved to 1-19 in the WBBL championship after an away loss against Durham Palatinates on Monday afternoon.

Up next for Mystics WBBL is an away game against Essex Rebels on Sunday 16th April at 4:00pm.

Your team performance of the week last week Manchester Mystics U14 2 with 55% of the vote. Who was your team of the week this week? (Vote closed)

Play-off Quarter Final Fixtures:

Saturday 15th April

Manchester Magic U18 vs Sussex Storm at 1:00pm

Manchester Mystics U18 vs Reading Rockets Academy at 3:30pm

CoLA Southwark Pride 20-0 Manchester Mystics U18 2 – Forfeited due to player availability.

Manchester Magic U16 vs Manchester Giants at 3:30pm

Milton Keynes Breakers vs Mystics U14 2 at 12:30pm

Sunday 16th April

Manchester Mystics U16 vs Oaklands College Wolves at 1:00pm

Manchester Magic U14 vs Ipswich at 1:00pm

Manchester Mystics U14 vs Ipswich at 3:30pm

The Weekend Wrap

The Weekend Wrap 2022-23 Week 26

The Play-off Wrap

Saturday 1st April

Baltic Stars 2 90-69 Trafford Magic U16

Trafford Magic U16 play-off run came to an end after an away round 1 loss against Baltic Stars 2 on Saturday afternoon.

Manchester Magic U14 83–67 JMA Reading Rockets

Manchester Magic U14 advance to the play-off quarter-finals after a home win against JMA Reading Rockets on Saturday afternoon, they will face Ipswich at home on the weekend of Saturday 15th April.

Manchester Mystics U14 20–0 CoLA Southwark Pride – Awarded

Manchester Mystics U14 home game against CoLA Southwark Pride on Saturday has been awarded 20-0 to Mystics, and advance to the play-off quarter-finals, where they will face Ipswich, just like the Magic U14s, at home on the weekend of Saturday 15th April.

Manchester Mystics U14 2 53–51 Harris Federation Knights

Manchester Mystics U14 2 advance to the play-off quarter-finals after a home win against Harris Federation Knights on Saturday afternoon, they will face Milton Keynes Breakers away on the weekend of Saturday 15th April.

Read Coach Jim’s report here

Sunday 2nd April

Manchester Magic U18 93–65 Surrey Rams 1

Manchester Magic U18 advance to the play-off quarter-finals after a home win against Surrey Rams 1 on Sunday afternoon, they will face Sussex Storm at home on the weekend of Saturday 15th April.

Manchester Magic U16 66-59 London Elite 1

Manchester Magic U16 advance to the play-off quarter-finals after a home win against London Elite 1 on Sunday afternoon, they will face Manchester Giants at home on the weekend of Saturday 15th April.

The Weekend Wrap

Saturday 1st April

Essex Rebels 93-85* Manchester Magic D1

Manchester Magic D1 moved to 4-22 in the NBL Division One Men after an away overtime loss against Essex Rebels on Saturday evening, finishing 14th in NBL Division One and relegated to NBL Division Two North for the 2023-24 season.

Manchester Met Mystics 70–79 Caledonia Gladiators

The Manchester Met Mystics moved to 1-17 in the WBBL championship after a home loss against Caledonia Gladiators on Saturday afternoon.

Up next for Mystics WBBL was an away game against Leicester Riders on Sunday, find out how they got on below.

City of Birmingham Rockets 52-55 Manchester Mystics U18

Manchester Mystics U18 moved to 15-0 in the Premier North after an away win against City of Birmingham Rockets on Saturday afternoon, finishing 1st in the Premier North and await their fate in the play-offs.

Charnwood College Riders 20-0 Manchester Mystics U18 2 – Forfeited

Manchester Mystics U18 2 moved to 4-10 in the Premier North after an away forfeited loss against Charnwood College Riders on Saturday afternoon.

Up next for Mystics U18 2 was an away game against Nottingham Wildcats on Sunday, their final game of the regular season, find out how they got on below.

Sunday 2nd April

Leicester Riders 20-0 Manchester Met Mystics – Forfeited

The Manchester Met Mystics moved to 1-18 in the WBBL championship after an away forfeited loss against Leicester Riders on Sunday afternoon, due to injuries leaving the Mystics squad depleted.

Up next for Mystics WBBL is an away game against Durham Palatinates on Monday 10th April at 12:00noon (Easter Monday).

Nottingham Wildcats 87–44 Manchester Mystics U18 2

Manchester Mystics U18 2 moved to 4-11 in the Premier North after an away loss against Nottingham Wildcats on Sunday afternoon, finishing 4th in the Premier North and await their fate in the play-offs.

Your team performance of the week last week Manchester Mystics U16 3 with 50% of the vote. Who was your team of the week this week? (Vote Closed)

Coach Jim's Report

The dance goes on for Mystics U14 2

U14 girls play-offs last 16. Manchester Mystics U14 II 53 Harris Federation Knights 51.

For a second team to qualify for the play-offs is highly commendable. To then get through to the Quarter Finals is exceptional. To do so when trailing by 7 with 90 seconds to go in a tight, low-scoring affair is bordering on the miraculous!

Harris Federation Knights not only has the nation’s longest U14 team name, they are also blessed with possibly the physically strongest. We would have stood no chance in a tug of war head-to-head! When we really needed her, Oldham’s most powerful teenager, Victoria, decided to abscond to Austria (maybe to challenge Arnold Schwarzenegger to an arm wrestle.) We certainly missed her rebounding prowess.

As predicted, this was never going to be a tie in which I could fully involve all 12 Mystics, but I’m pleased to say that they all rejoiced as one in the final celebration, which shows what wonderful team spirit we have. In a game such as this whereby the outcome is as unpredictable as how many crimes Donald Trump will go unpunished for, every substitution is likely to be game-changing. 

It was immediately evident that Harris’s talented #13 made everything tick for them and after Jane picked up her second foul early on, it was left to our much-improved team defence to ward off her strong drives to the basket. They did well collectively, which reduced the opposition to trying their luck with pot shots from distance. It turned out to be their lucky day because 9 of their 14 points came via this route, with three two-handed 3 pointers thudding off the backboard and through the hoop.

This meant that, despite being the more creative side, we could only muster the slenderest of 1st quarter leads at 15-14. A combination of ‘big match nerves’ plus a tendency to rush and look for the killer pass resulted in too many missed lay ups and turnovers. We were also struggling on the boards against a very strong rebounding team.

The second quarter proved to be equally close. This affair was now as tight as any Yorkshireman, most of whom view every pound in their possession as a prisoner! Knights shaded it 15-16 to tie proceedings at 30 apiece at half-time. We were the fundamentally superior outfit, but lack of experience in close games had made us play too quickly and over-complicate things. My half-time team talk centred around slowing down, relaxing making shorter passes and being more aggressive in our rebounding. I assured the girls we would be fine!

The third quarter did not go well. I made too many changes which upset our rhythm so that we only managed 4 baskets in 10 minutes. This meant we trailed by 5 with 10 minutes to play. That may not sound much of a deficit, but in an even, low-scoring game, clawing it back would be as difficult as trying to eat soup with a fork!

We continued to struggle on the boards, but our hard-working team defence meant we were still in with a fighting chance if we stayed focused and more composed. We did. The five who came out for the fourth quarter sparkled like Elizabeth Taylor’s diamond wedding ring as we quickly narrowed the gap to one at 42-43 with 4 unanswered points. A great play by the Londoner’s leading light restored their lead before potential disaster struck. We missed two open lay ups, and they increased the margin to a whopping 7 thanks to a couple of speculative heaves, ironically from the previously anonymous #7, which crashed, rather than swished, home.

Knight’s excellent coach now called a time-out, after which it became obvious, he had told his players to run down the clock. Having spotted this, I called out of my own to offer a counter derived in discussion with my able assistant James. The response from the 6 players I used in the dying embers of the contest was magnificent. We scored 9 points without reply in the final minute and a half, combining it with such good interior team defence that our worthy opponents could not find a way to add to their tally.

The reaction from those on the bench plus the home support was worthy of the occasion. We had won this ‘cup final’ to create another one, away to the country’s number 2 seeded team, Milton Keynes in the land of the plastic cows… If we can capitalise on lessons learned from today’s encounter, we could cause them problems.

Many thanks to Louise and Andy for their never-failing assistance, to James for his insightful observations, to Alina and family for helping to set up the court, to all parents and supporters as well as to a group of young ladies who never give up.

Best wishes

Jim