It was a baptism of fire for the UEL Women’s basketball team as they fell short in their first game of the season, losing 63-43 to an experienced Cardiff Metropolitan side. The game remained close throughout the opening half but UEL went cold from behind the arc in the third quarter, allowing Cardiff to pull away.
When a team lives by the three they can die by the three – and UEL fell victim to this. They did a great job setting off the ball screens and getting open looks from deep, but the shots just would not fall. However, UEL guard Brenda Kipewa remained confident about her team’s offensive strategy:
“The plays that we run were mainly to shoot threes because we have a lot of great shooters on our team.”
Positive Aspects
It is not the start the UEL women were looking for but there are many positives to take away from this game, including stand out performances from UEL guards Emily Piazza and Kipewa. Both players were able to get to the basket at will, creating great scoring opportunities for themselves and their teammates.
UEL point guard Piazza was arguably the best player on the court albeit in a losing effort. She led her team by example playing with great intensity and passion. She shot lights out from behind the three-point line and put in an impressive rebounding effort, all the more admirable considering it was her UEL debut.
Bouncing Back
The first game after promotion was always going to be challenging. New players, new tactics and a jump in competition are all factors that play into the result. The team can only get better from here and UEL guard Kipewa is optimistic about their next game:
“We under performed today but I know next game we will come a lot stronger, we just need to keep practicing and proving ourselves.”
The road only gets tougher for UEL as they travel to face league favourites Hertfordshire next week.
