Manchester Basketball fell 73-71 away at Oaklands Wolves in the Women’s Super League Basketball Championship.

It was a game that Manchester fought to the wire. There was just one point in it with 2:29 on the clock, but neither side was able to find the bottom of the basket until Shanice Beckford-Norton’s free throw with six seconds remaining.

And on the second foul shot, Beckford-Norton grabbed her own rebound to seal the game for the hosts.

Frannie Hottinger led Manchester’s valiant efforts with 16 points, backed by 15 points and 5 rebounds from Tiarra East. Maaja Bratka dominated the boards to grab 10 rebounds on the night.

But by a single score, it wasn’t enough for Manchester to emerge victors in an intensely fought game. The sides entered the fourth quarter tied, and the biggest lead either team had in the final 10 minutes was just three points.

Manchester shot the lights out from deep, hitting them at a 47% rate, and hit a number of important triples to remain in contention down the stretch. But shockingly, for two of the league's top three offenses, points were hard to come by late.

Oaklands and Manchester combined for 24 points in the fourth, nearly half of what they’d be expected to score from their season averages, but it was the Wolves who got the decisive score at the very last.

With the defeat, Manchester fell to 4-5 in the league.

Manchester gets an immediate opportunity for revenge in the SLBW Cup semi-final. They host the Wolves at the National Basketball Performance Centre, and the winner will book a spot in the Final in Manchester.

The game will take place on Sunday, February 15, at 6pm.

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