Sevenoaks Suns used a big third-quarter performance to defeat the Nottingham Wildcats, 80-66. Verging on a triple-double, Suns guard Araion Bradshaw registered 20 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists.
An astute defender, Bradshaw helped herself to three steals, as well as forcing numerous turnovers throughout the matchup.
In a highly competitive first half, the Suns found themselves in the lead against a depleted Nottingham Wildcats squad.
Suns forward Julia Koppl worked tirelessly on the offensive boards to start the contest, claiming the first two points for Sevenoaks.
Wildcats were tuned in defensively, to begin with, as Kayla Shaw’s impressive block ignited a counter attack resulting in an and-one play for Imani Whittington.
The Wildcats’ offence got better, with Natalie Charity putting on the moves inside to get to the basket with ease.
Nevertheless, the Suns were formidable defenders, grabbing seven steals to Nottingham’s zero before halftime.
Subsequently, crucial steals by Bradshaw, pathed the way for a barrage of scoring opportunities for the Suns – Renee Busch knocking down back-to-back three-pointers to give Sevenoaks a 19-12 cushion.
Suns moved on to a 12-0 scoring run before Nottingham’s Mari Stewart ended their scoring drought with a nice drive and finish.
A Shaw three-pointer late in the first quarter also helped matters for the trailing Wildcats, reducing Suns’ lead to 23-21, at the whistle.
Scoring off steals pathed the way for Sevenoaks’ success in the second quarter, as Bradshaw continued to pester the Nottingham playmakers.
Despite the mounting pressure, Nottingham replied with stellar plays from Whittington – drawing fouls and shooting efficiently from the line, on her way to 14 first-half points.
Big-time three-pointers courtesy of Busch and Janice Monakana widened the Suns lead, but another deep triple by Shaw, before time expired, leaving the score at 41-36, going into the halftime interval.
Suns continued to push their lead in the second half, as the hosts cruised to an 11-2 run.
Looking to respond, the Wildcats found some success in Whittington, coming up with back-to-back layups.
However, the Suns were running riot before long as Bradshaw continuously rocketed down the stretch of the floor, widening the gap over Nottingham considerably.
Amassing a 20-point advantage, the Suns put the Wildcats away soundly.
Yet. the Wildcats came out of the challenging third quarter determined, getting off to a solid start in the closing period.
A big three from Macy Cook began a 5-0 stretch for the visiting side, before Mari Stewart collected two more points from a crafty floating layup.
Despite the spark in Nottingham’s offensive flow, Suns hit back with some impressive moves of their own.
A beautiful pass from the post by Suns big Brittany Hodges lined Katie Richards up for an easy layup.
Sevenoaks were able to do enough to hang onto a comfortable lead as time expired.
With that, Sevenoaks improved to 11 wins on the season, chalking their fourth win in five games.
The Wildcats side, who picked up their fourth consecutive loss, now fall to 3-11 on the season.
Sevenoaks Suns 80-66 Nottingham Wildcats (23-21, 40-35, 68-42)
(Suns: Bradshaw/Monakana, 20; Fritz, 10; Busch, 8 – Wildcats: Whittington, 19; Stewart, 16; Shaw, 10)