It’s the busiest weekend of the season for Wolves, with only the Division Three men not in action and three teams facing double headers.
The big game at Oaklands is ok Saturday evening (6pm) when the Division Two men continue their bid to avoid relegation with a home game against Brighton Bears.
After challenging for promotion last season, it’s been a much tougher campaign for the south coast side and they go into the game one place ahead of Wolves in 11th spot. They’ve won four of their 15 games, with one coming in a 100-54 mauling of Wolves in November, so the home side will be looking for revenge when they meet on Saturday.
A trip to Sheffield Hatters is a tough game for Wolves’ WBBL side as they continue their push for a place in the play-offs.
Vanessa Ellis’ Hatters side are currently fourth in the table with a 6-3 record, while Wolves sit in eighth spot. The sides met in Oaklands’ last home game back in December with Hatters running out 83-57 winners.
There’s a big game in Watford for the young Division Two women [pictured] as they face Hemel Storm in a battle for a place in the post-season play-offs.
Claire Abbot’s side have already sealed a place in the Elite Academy League play-offs, and they go into Saturday’s game sitting fourth in the D2 South with a 9-6 record while Storm a spot higher with nine wins from 14 games.
When the sides met at Oaklands on Guy Fawkes Night it was Wolves who provided the fireworks as they inflicted a first defeat of the season on Storm with a 60-55 victory, and a repeat on Saturday would give them the head—to-head decider if the teams finish level.
First up at Oaklands on Saturday are the U-12 girls as they host Richmond Knights at 11am. It’s a battle between a Wolves team sitting sixth and fourth placed Knights while the following day sees a trip for the youngsters to third placed Kingston Lions.
The 1pm game sees the U-16 girls also host Knights and it will be a massive test for Jorjah Smith’s team as they face a side who have won their 13 league games by an average of 50 points and lifted the National Cup with a big win against Ipswich.
Speaking of Ipswich, they are the visitors for the 3pm game as the U-16 boys look to move a step away from the East Premier relegation zone. A depleted Wolves side lost 77-54 when they travelled to Suffolk in November, and they’ll face another tough test as they host a side who are pushing for a place in the play-offs, sitting fifth with an 8-6 record.
It’s part of a big weekend for George Walker’s side as they travel to Barking RDF to Sunday to play a team sitting 11th with just one win from 12 games, and with the east London side due to visit Oaklands the following week, it’s a great opportunity to take a massive step towards safety.
The U-14 boys continue their push for a play-off spot when they travel to Kent Crusaders on Saturday afternoon and Ibrahim Garbia’s team will be looking to repeat 71-68 home victory against a Kent side who are fighting relegation having won only three of their 12 games.
Meanwhile the U-12 boys will look to close in on the runners-up spot in NBL Region IV when they travel to a Norfolk Hoopsters side they defeated 58-57 in a thriller earlier in the season. Norfolk go into the game in fourth spot with a 6-4 record while Michael Ball's Wolves have win 11 of their 13 games.
There will be a big Wolves contingent at Marriotts Leisure Centre on Saturday afternoon with Wolves U-13s and U-15s both in action against hosts Stevenage Royals.
The younger team are on first and they’ll face a team who are three places ahead of them in the table, with one of the Royals U-14’s eight victories coming in a tight game at Oaklands as a strong fourth period saw them win 51-42.
It’s the first half of the double-header for the U-13s as Sunday afternoon sees them host a fifth placed North Herts Knights U-14 side who beat them 84-42 early in the season.
The U-15s will also be on the revenge trial against Royals U-16s as a strong second half saw their Herts rivals win 70-56 when they met a fortnight ago..
Sunday’s action at Oaklands starts with the U-14 girls hosting Kingston Lions where they will look to improve on their 70-35 loss in Surrey earlier in the season.
Because six home games lust isn’t enough, there is also FREE WBBL action at Oaklands on Sunday evening when London Lions “host” Newcastle Eagles,, tip-off 6pm.
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