D1 Men & WBBL Game Preview

Divison 1 Men

Wolves' men have the chance of quickfire revenge when they host Loughborough Riders, on Wednesday evening at 6pm.

Thomas Baker's side faced the midlands side on Saturday, going down 92-71 despite a combined 41 points and 18 rebounds from American pair AJ Roberts and Jordan Santiago.

Coach Baker is hoping for a better performance when his side play a rare midweek game: “It is a strange feeling playing a team twice in such a short space of time, it is just another indication on how this season is very different to others previously" he said.

"In the game at the weekend we were never really in it, defensively we were poor and at the offensive end we struggled for consistency. This is a real shame as we had some positive moments against Reading the weekend before at had competed in that game for large parts.

"Wednesday's game is going to be a great opportunity to show what we are really about and the growth we have had this season. We are continuing to work on getting better defensively and the guys are responding to some recent changes we have put in. We will keep fighting towards the play-offs and to the team we need to be to compete in this division.” It's the first of three games in five days for Wolves and they go into this match-up sitting in joint 13th place with two wins from 11 games, while Saturday's win saw Riders move up to ninth spot with a 4-0 record

WBBL

The WBBL side travel to the Welsh capital of Cardiff to face off against the Met Archers on Wednesday.

Wolves are coming off their first league win of the season, defeating Caledonia Pride 62-72. Since the start of the season the side has been burdened with injuries, restricting the team to just eight active players. Oaklands have also faced a tough schedule, playing against top teams like Leicester Riders, BA London Lions and Sevenoaks Suns.

However, Wolves have stuck together and strung together a number of impressive performances. Amari Carter has led the side, most recently scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter to beat Pride. In addition, Greeta Uprus has become an established three-point shooter, shooting over 40% from behind the arc. Young prospect Louise Rouse has also stepped up massively, averaging 10.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

Through their key players, Oaklands have really developed on both ends of the floor. The team is able to play tenacious defence, deal with pressure and then find good shots on offence.

Speaking to Head Coach Lee Ryan he said: “It was great to get a first win of the championship. The players have been working hard and deserved it for their efforts and perseverance.

“We are playing really competitive basketball, huge credit to the players to be able to produce in the face of adversity and with such a compact game schedule.”

Wolves have already faced Cardiff this season, beating them 52-61 in the first round of the WBBL Trophy. Since the match up, Archers have lost at home to Newcastle Eagles by nearly 20 points.

The side is led by the pairing of Marlee Ball and Mara Marchizotti. Ball averages 14 points and 5.5 rebounds, while Marchizotti puts up 9.8 points and 7 rebounds per game.

Cardiff’s team also features a number of other contributors, like Robyn Lewis, Sara Jorgensen and Shannon Hatch.

Ryan added: “The area for improvement continues to be the offensive end, staying together and executing our game plan.

“Cardiff will be another tough game, both teams have added a strong player to our rosters since we met last time so that will add a new dimension to the encounter. If we continue to play at a high level at the defensive end we will have a good chance of getting a second win on the road.”

After already beating Archers, Wolves will look to the game with confidence as they hope to continue their run of form.

For more information on the game head to our social media pages!