With the first centre pass in the hands of Mavericks, the game began with both teams going goal-for-goal before Lightning began to pull ahead. Lightning’s lead came from an interception from Harvey in the defending circle. As they grew more confident, Joseph and Dixon expertly worked the circle to deliver the ball to Cholhok under the post.
With Smith applying pressure in the defending third, Dixon and Panagarry were able to use the width of the court to their advantage. Lightning’s captain soon struck again, picking up a mistake from Mavericks’ attackers. Before the quarter had ended, Smith went on to make an interception.
The second quarter should more of the entertaining contest between Harvey and Mavericks’ shooter Thacker. Further up the court, the constant drives from Joseph worked well to spur Lightning on and deliver the ball to Cholhok time and time again. A long feed from Panagarry kept the score moving up as the combination of Cholhok and Dixon proved to be dangerous.
Smith’s hard work was clear through her endless movement which caused trouble for Mavericks. Near the end of the quarter, Cholhok received the ball under the post for another conversion with the help of Joseph. At half-time, it was 94% shooting success for Cholhok as she proved to be a fan favourite.
Half-time: Loughborough Lightning 36 – 30 Saracens Mavericks
Quarter three started with a quick point for Lightning. Cobden showcased her defending skills with effective marking which helped to eliminate some options for Mavericks. A swift one-two between Panagarry and Dixon led to a clean conversion for Dixon. Smith offered support for Panagarry at the third line to ensure Lightning always had options.
With Lightning’s lead starting to grow, the Mavericks side applied a lot of pressure to the home team in order to keep a slim score line. It was then that a time out was called for an issue with the circle line on the court surface. Following this, Cobden stayed on the third line for the reset so that Lightning were able to work through Mavericks’ defence and make another conversion.
The final quarter opened with a fast three points for Mavericks as they put their best foot forward. But it wasn’t long before Lightning bounced back with three back-to-back points of their own. A smooth backline pass from Dixon led to a conversion from Cholhok. Both teams then battled fiercely for the next point, the ball spending a lot of time in the centre third before ultimately going to Lightning.
Near the end of the game, Harvey gained the ball after some intense pressure to the delight of Lightning fans. As the ball travelled to the other end of the court, Joseph made a decisive drive before feeding the ball into Cholhok for a point. With only a few minutes left, Roddy replaced Cobden at WD, whilst Panagarry was substituted in favour of Baylis. The game then came to a close with a post-whistle point for Mavericks after a last-second shot.
Full-time: Loughborough Lightning 68 – 60 Saracens Mavericks
After another home win, Lightning head coach Vic Burgess commented on the team’s performance...
“We said it wasn’t perfect but also, we said before the game that we know these rounds are only going to get harder. They’ve had more time to connect, there’s been lots of learning. I thought Mavs were great tonight they really did bring it to us.
For us it was just about playing smart, there were extra balls, extra phases to the circle edge. We were smart with the ball and looking where we can move it and using triangles. Whilst it wasn’t perfect, I still think we played great.”
Both Kissimmee Player of the Match and Long Tall Sally Player of the Game were awarded to Mary Cholhok after she made an astonishing 65 conversions. Post-match Mary stated...
“It was really physical; it was not easy. The more we go out there, the tougher it gets and it’s very contested.
“For me it’s just working on confidence and coming out to see how much movement I can get, shooting from anywhere. It’s a new style of play which I’m really proud of and I’m proud of the team for encouraging me.”
Lightning will face Leeds Rhinos in round 11 of the NSL on Sunday 28 April. If you can’t make it to the game, don’t worry you can catch the action on Sky Sports YouTube. Tickets to Lightning’s 2024 home campaign are on sale now and can be purchased here.
Starting line-up:
GS: Mary Cholhok
GA: Rhea Dixon
WA: Hannah Joseph
C: Nat Panagarry
WD: Beth Cobden
GD: Nicola Smith
GK: Alice Harvey