Winning start for Derbyshire Diamonds

Jointly coached by players Kendal James and team captain, Kate Loftus, the Diamonds got off to a fantastic start, using their height advantage to dominate inside offensively, whilst a solid defensive performance meant the home team struggled to score, giving the Diamonds a 19-1 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Diamonds continued to dominate in the second quarter, Helena Palmer and Kelly Simcox in particular scoring well, and their lead extended to a massive 30 points at half time.

The second half was much closer as the Lancashire Spinners began to find their shooting range and the teams traded baskets for much of the time.

However, after a well judged time out, the Diamonds finished strongly, with the point guards controlling the pace of the game and Mathilde Le Toquin rebounding well, resulting in a 69-37 victory for the Derbyshire Diamonds.

Player/coach Kendal James summed up the performance: “The team played together and for each other, which has been a common theme for us to have been able to achieve what we have in a matter of four weeks.”

Captain Kate Loftus added: “I could not be more proud of the team. Looking forward to seeing what we can achieve this season”.”

The Derbyshire Diamonds hope to build on their great start in their next game which will be on 10th November at 2pm at Killamarsh Leisure Centre.

Scorers: Helena Palmer 24, Kelly Simcox 10, Rachel Campbell 8, Charlotte Levitt 6, Jade Clemenson 5, Kendal James 5, Mathilde Le Toquin 4, Kate Loftus 3, Ellis Clayton 2, Kirsty Russell 2.