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Wolves took a giant step towards the WBBL play-offs with an 84-71 home victory against Durham Palatinates on Saturday.
The result lifts Lee Ryan's side up to eighth in the table, and they will look to follow up the victory with another win when they host winless Cardiff Met Archers on Saturday (6pm)
Caterrion Thompson was on fire for the hosts as they finished with an impressive 28 points, five rebounds, and four assists as Wolves beat a Durham side who had gone into the game tied in ninth place with them. Allison Day also had a big game with a 16 point, ten rebound double-double while Shaq Wade had 14 point, five boards and as as many steals.
Day opened the scoring with a triple and Claire Abbott capped a great first five minutes for the hosts with a basket from downtown to give them a 17-4 lead. But any thoughts of a comfortably victory for the hosts were quickly dispelled as Wolves offence dried up and Harriett Ottewill-Soulsby hit a trey to send Durham into the first break leading 20-19.
The visitors' run was extended to 22-2 as they started the second period well but a pair of Wade baskets saw Wolves get back into the game and threes from Beth Sarson and Abbott kept them in touch before a pair of Julia Kopl free-throws tied the score at 40 going into the locker room at half-time.
Sarson and Day opened the second half scoring, and the third period proved to be key as Wolves outscored the visitors by 13, with Thompson and Wade wrapping up the scoring to send the hosts into the final break leading 84-71.
Thompson opened the fourth period with a triple and a lay-up, and Wolves' lead never dipped below 12 as they wrapped up the win.
Wolves II saw their outside hopes of a place in the Division Two play-offs end as an injury-hit side went down 68-55 against Thames Valley Cavaliers II on Saturday evening.
With Cleo-Lewis Gayle, Stella Piscitelli-Ekblad and Joanna Akpan already missing through injury, Wolves lost captain Caitlin Ryan late in the first period when she damaged her shoulder after colliding with a team-mate, and although the hosts had a good third period, Cavs held on to seal place in the post-season.
Lily Harkness (above) had her best game of the season, draining 22 points to lead the hosts, while Rosie Porter marked her final game with the academy with 15 points and Sarah Adepoju added nine.
Wolves never got going in the opening period as they trailed 17-6 at the first break, and Cavs took a 40-21 lead into the locker room. A good third period saw the deficit cut to 51-38 at the final break and Wolves twice got the margin down to ten before the visitors closed out the victory.