The Sevenoaks Suns closed out the calendar year with a comfortable 76-49 victory at the Durham Palatinates.
Led by the 17 points from Judit Fritz, the Suns were able to count on major contributions on both ends of the floor from multiple players. Alongside her 17 points, Fritz recorded four steals, whilst Julia Koppl showed her defensive prowess with three blocks. Araion Bradshaw shared the ball, tallying a career-high 11 assists.
It was once again a confident start to the game, with Renee Busch coming in hot beyond the mark, making three of her first four attempts in the first quarter. Defensively, they restricted their opponents to tough shots, only allowing 10 points as well as forcing four turnovers. Busch scored nine of her 14 points in the opening period, which helped give her side an early ten-point advantage.
Durham managed to get back into the game offensively in the next period, however it was the quarter of Fritz, whose two-way play allowed her to make big plays on both ends. She scored 11 of her 17 points in the quarter which included two impressive scoring bursts. Three of her steals in this quarter led to four points.
With a healthy 15-point lead heading into half-time, the Suns looked to learn from their previous games and not let the other team back into the game. It was a game predicated on their defense, despite the vast offensive talent on display as they held the Palatinates to just 4 successful field goals from 15 tries in the quarter. Their inefficiency was largely due to the suffocating Suns defense, forcing more turnovers and tough shots. On the other end, the visitors were able to keep momentum by getting to the line and dominating in the paint.
An 11-0 run opened up a 25-point lead which the hosts never got close to cutting into. As the game went on, perhaps some tired legs kicked in with defense on top for the final quarter. It was a low scoring period as both struggled to maintain any rhythm with the game all but over. The Suns managed to cruise to a 27-point victory as they clinch their third in a row.
Their record now sits at 5-3, as they head into a long break to regroup ahead of an important stretch in the season. They return to action on January 14th, with a trip to Nottingham awaiting them.
Author: Angelia Ronayne
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