By Dave Ryan

 

City of Sheffield Hatters clinched their 16th Women's Division One regular season title with a 71-38 hammering of Barking Abbey on Saturday.

 

The visitors travelled to the Steel City without Division One's leading scorer Natalie Stafford due to illness and they made the worst possible start as they were outscored 19-4 in the first period.

 

Hatters shaded the second quarter 16-15 to lead by 16 at half-time, but they stepped up to seal the game with a 22-5 third period and a 24-14 final stanza.

 

Katie Crowley led all scorers with 16 as Hatters won their third title in succession, with Helen Naylor and Lisa Hutchinson each adding 12. Jamila Thompson led Abbey with eight points, with Harriett Yea and Ella Clark each hitting seven.

 

Abbey did collect one victory over the weekend as basement side Birmingham A's conceded Sunday's game at the Brentwood Centre and the east London side are still in with a shout of finishing fifth.

 

Brixton Topcats sealed a place in the playoffs with a 66-58 victory at Wellingborough Phoenix on Sunday.

 

Topcats led for the duration, with Charmaine Payne opening the scoring as they sunk the first six points of the game and they went into the first break 16-8 ahead.

 

The Londoners' lead fluctuated between 8 and 12 points throughout most of the second period, but back-to-back Victoria Hinds baskets cut the Topcats' lead to 30-25 going into the locker room.

 

After Olufunke Ademiji had opened the third period scoring, Naomi Sterling's trey 48 seconds into the second half made it a four point game, but that was as close as Phoenix came in the quarter and Rochelle Davids' free-throw sent Brixton into the final break 48-40 ahead.

 

That lead shrunk to one at the midway stage of the fourth period after Meriem Eerikinharju sunk a pair from the foul line.

 

It was a five point game going into the final minute, and Eerikinharju cut the hosts' deficit to three with 26 seconds on the clock. But Davids wrapped things up with three-from-three at the line.

 

Eerikinharju led all scorers with 24 points, with Crystal and Naomi Sterling adding ten and seven respectively. Davids finished with a 20 point, 11 rebound double-double, with Payne chipping in with 18 points and Ademiji 12.

 

D1 Women - full weekend results