The Sevenoaks Suns got back to winning ways with a thrilling 92-85 overtime victory over the Cardiff Met Archers.
Following a two-game losing streak, the Suns looked to bounce back, and they did so in style as both sides played out a classic.
Janice Monakana and Araion Bradshaw led the way for the hosts with 28 and 20 points respectively in what was a great showing for the pair.
It was a strong start to the game, with Monakana registering 11 points in just over seven minutes. A conversion from a Renee Busch dime gave the Suns a 9-8 lead, one they would not relinquish for the rest of the half.
A three-point jump shot from Judit Fritz and a layup from Bradshaw capped off a fine end to the quarter as the 5-0 run stretched the lead to 13 points.
Despite the healthy advantage, the Archers did not lie down, and a 10-2 start to the second put them firmly back into the game.
Determined not to allow them to cut into the deficit any further, Monakana silenced the opposition with a three-point play to halt any momentum they had going. The two teams then exchanged buckets for most of the remainder of the half, before another crucial play from Fritz put the Suns back up by nine to close the period.
The opening minutes of the second half followed a similar pattern to the first, with Fritz taking over and scoring nine of her 16 points in this quarter. Her efforts put her team up as many as 14 points, however once again they still could not shake off their opponents who subsequently went on an 8-0 run, eventually finding themselves just four points down.
Heading into the last ten minutes with a six-point lead, the Suns struggled to contain Mara Marchizotti who scored ten fourth quarter points to rally her team back level at 66-66. With just five minutes left it was anybody’s game, as the Archers took their first lead since the opening quarter. The visitors then managed to extend that lead to five points with just 90 seconds left, leaving the Suns staring at the possibility of a third defeat in a row.
But with Marchizotti fouling out, and trips to the free throw line, it set up a clutch triple from Monakana to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Defense took over and without the scoring of Marchizotti, the Archers struggled to get anything going offensively and ran out of steam, only managing to score two points. The Suns closed on a 9-0 run to clinch the win.
The victory improves the Suns’ record to 3-3 with a trip to Essex to come on Saturday.
Author: Angelia Ronayne
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