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Top Hatters make it a triumphant treble
CITY of Sheffield Hatters completed another successful season with victory in the England Basketball women's play-off final in Manchester.
Hatters beat UWIC Archers, the team who finished runners up to Hatters in the league and the National Cup, by 81-48 in a game they dominated.
Twenty four hours after beating Solent Suns 72-66 in a tough semi final, with Sarah Naylor and Stephanie Gandy top scoring with 20 points each, Hatters triumphed to win the domestic treble for the eighth time.
Hatters raced into a first quarter lead after Sarah Naylor opened the scoring with a three pointer and by the end of the first ten minutes, Vanessa Ellis's side led 28-15.
Hatters continued to dominate and the contest was almost over by half time after another controlled period of play gave them the second quarter 20-8 and a lead of 25 points as the two sides headed to the locker rooms.
Hatters continued the third quarter where they left off, outscoring their Welsh rivals 19-9, to lead by 35 when going into the final ten minutes.
UWIC were determined to go down fighting and won the final quarter by two points.
It was too little too late to stop a triumphant Hatters completing the domestic clean sweep of trophies.
Most valuable player Sarah Naylor top-scored for Hatters with 30 points, supported by Stephanie Gandy and Jacinda Lambert with 20 points each.
Whilst the win marks the eighth time Hatters have won the treble, it is a first for Vanessa Ellis - in her debut season as first team coach after taking over from her mother, Betty Codona, last season.
Along with assistant coach Ged Philips, Ellis has steered a much-changed Hatters side through a season where only a solitary defeat to UWIC, by one point, in early December prevented Hatters from completing the perfect season.
In the junior section, Hatters Under-14s experienced the heartbreak of play-off defeat, going out in the quarter-final after a close battle in London against Harringey Angels.
Hatters U-16s also lost out at the quarter final stage, 55-42, at Harringey Angels.
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Weather for Sheffield
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
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Temperature: -6 C to 0 C
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Wind direction: South east
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Sunny spells
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