Basketball: Caledonia Pride still hold play-off chance despite loss

Caledonia Pride have just two games left of their regular season schedule in their first season in the Women's BBL and they could still clinch a play-offs place despite their disappointing 86-70 defeat to Sevenoaks Suns at the weekend.

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Eight of the ten teams in the basketball league will go into the knock-out stages and Pride are currently lying ninth with four wins, just below Cardiff Archers who are in eighth place on four wins on account of their head-to-head advantage and ahead of Oaklands Wolves in tenth.

Archers play Wolves this weekend and if they were to win that game, then Pride would need to beat both 
Manchester Mystics at 
home at Oriam on Sunday (1pm) and Northumbria away at Newcastle in a game to be televised live at 5pm on Friday, April 21.

If Archers lose both games then Pride can clinch eighth spot by winning one of the 
remaining two fixtures.

Northumbria proved how tough they will be by coming from behind to beat Sevenoaks 67-63 at Newcastle last Sunday though Suns were probably tired after their journey north and double-header weekend.

Suns American coach Len Busch was full of praise for the Pride performance: “They’ve definitely picked up,” he said.

Natalie Bastian again led Pride with 16 points, Tricia Oakes bagging yet another “double double” with 15 points and 13 rebounds and Sarah Thomson 11 points including three from seven from three-point range.