The 2007-2008 Manchester Mystics season has officially come to an end after losing to the City of Sheffield Hatters 63-88 in the semi-final of the EBL Division One Women’s playoff game.  Rehana Khalil led the Mystics with 22 points. Georgia Jones and Joanna Clayden each chipped in 10 points, while Charlotte Stoddart had 8 points to go along with 8 rebounds. 
Despite the season ending with a loss, the Mystics have enjoyed one of their most successful seasons as they finished fourth in the league, and won their first-ever home playoff game to send them to the Final Four.  The Mystics will look to continue this success into next season.
Thanks again to all our supporters for everything you have done this season!!!

In the first year that England Basketball is hosting a Final Four, the Manchester Mystics will be a part of it. With the Mystics win in the Quarter Finals against the Nottingham Wildcats, 79-71, on Saturday afternoon, they have punched their ticket to the Final Four in Sheffield this weekend, 12/13 April.

On her 22nd birthday, Rehana Khalil led all scorers with 30 points, as she was determined to get the birthday present she asked for - a Mystics victory! Three other Mystics were in double figures, with Georgia Jones scoring 16, Megan Osmer with 13 and Joanna Clayden with 10. Charlotte Stoddart was also a big contributor with 9 points and a handful of rebounds.

The game was tight the whole way through, and the Mystics found themselves down by one point going into halftime. Outscored by five points in the third quarter, the Mystics found themselves down six points going into the fourth quarter. With the possible end of their season hanging in the balance, the Mystics stepped up, and completely took control in the fourth quarter, outscoring Nottingham 20-7.

The Mystics will face the Sheffield Hatters in a semi-final match-up at 12 noon on Saturday 12 April at the English Institute of Sport, Sheffield. For tickets and more information about the Final Four go to www.englandbasketball.co.uk.

The fourth-seeded Manchester Mystics will host the fifth-seeded Nottingham Wildcats this Saturday in the quarter finals of the EBL Division One Women’s playoffs at the Amaechi Basketball Centre.   The winner will move on to the Final Fours in Sheffield on 12/13 April.  The match-up will be a good one, as the two sides split during the regular season, each winning their home match. 
The Mystics win came in the beginning of December, when theybeat the Wildcats 82-70 with both squads at full strength.  The Wildcats win came in mid-February, 63-51, with a key player missing on each of their rosters.
The Mystics head coach, Sergio Lara-Bercial, is looking forward to the match-up. 
“We are very excited about the game against the Wildcats. After a very eventful season, we have clinched  fourth place and secured a home QF game, which is a testament to how strong this group of players is and their determination to succeed."

"The Wildcats are a very balanced team with strengths in many areas and a great work ratio. A lot of their players have stepped up big time since Jill Glessner went down with a broken foot and that has even made them stronger"

"We have had our own share of injuries this year but the team reacted very well to losing Georgia Jones back in February. Everyone in the team understood they needed to give a little more to stay in contention, and proof of that is the fact that we won four very tough games without her. Now that Georgia is back we are even stronger"

"I think the game on Saturday will be a very close contest and that the "little things" will determine the final outcome since both teams are very evenly matched".

The Manchester Mystics will take on the Nottingham Wildcats at 4:00pm on Saturday 5 April at the Amaechi Basketball Centre in Manchester.

With a little help from the Rhondda Rebels, the Manchester Mystics took sole possession of fourth place this weekend as they defeated UWIC 65-47 on Saturday night.   With the Mystics win, and Rhondda’s win over Nottingham, the Mystics finished one game above Nottingham, and will now play their opening round playoff game at home, against Nottingham.    
Joanna Clayden led the way with 24 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, with Rehana Khalil chipping in 20 points.  In her first game back from breaking her hand in the  February  U18’s Cup Final, Georgia Jones had 9 points and 3 assists in 32 minutes of play. 
The Mystics started off the first quarter hot, and at one point were up 19-4.  However UWIC surged back in the second quarter and the Mystics went into half-time only up 8 points.  In the third quarter, the Mystics would not be denied as they scored 20 points and held the Archers to only 6 points.  In the final quarter the Mystics were outscored by 4 points but still won by 18 points. 

The Manchester Mystics escaped a close one last Saturday night as they beat Sevenoaks 63-61 in London.  The game was a must-win game for the Mystics as they are still fighting to finish fourth in the league and secure home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Joanna Clayden led the way with 27 points, while Rehana Khalil scored 17 and Megan Osmer chipped in with 11 points. 
The Mystics started out hot and jumped to a 19-7 lead at the end of the first quarter, but by halftime Sevenoaks had fought their way back into the game and were only down by 5 points.   The second half was close all the way as the Mystics got outscored in both the third and fourth quarter.   However the Mystics kept their composure and were able to come away with the win.
The Mystics next and final regular season home game will be this Saturday 22nd March at 4pm.  The Mystics must win this game, if they want a chance to secure fourth place in the league!

The Manchester Mystics defeated the London Heathrow Acers 65-43 over the weekend.  With the win, the Mystics move into a tie with Nottingham Wildcats for fourth place in the league.  Joanna Clayden had a team high 18 points with Rehana Khalil adding 14 points.  Charlotte Stoddart had a huge game, scoring 13 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. 
The Mystics held the Acers to 43 points for the game, the lowest number of points scored against the Mystics all season in league play.  The Mystics held the Acers to only 15 points in the first half and went into halftime with a 19 point lead.  In the second half, the Acers picked up their scoring, but the Mystics stayed tough and went on to win by 18 points. 
The Mystics have two more regular season games, and must win both of them if they want a chance at finishing fourth in the league, and securing home court advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
The Mystics last regular season home game will be Saturday March 22nd at 4pm against UWIC.

The Manchester Mystics came up short against the league leaders, Rhondda Rebels, on St David's Day, in Wales, as they lost 55-69. Joanna Clayden had a team-high 21 points, with Rehana Khalil scoring 12 points, and Megan Osmer chipping in 10 points.

The Mystics hung with the Rebels and found themselves only down 6 after the first quarter. However, by half time, Rhondda's lead had grown to 17 points. In the second half the Mystics scrapped back, but just couldn't seem to get within single digits of the Rebels.

Rhondda shot 17 free throws while the Mystics only shot 9, and, the Mystics committed 23 turnovers while Rhondda only committed 17. The Mystics were also outrebounded by 6 and had fewer assists than the Rebels.

The Mystics will return home this Saturday for a big match-up with the London Heathrow Acers. Tip-off is at 4pm at the Amaechi Basketball Centre.

The Manchester Mystics got back on track Saturday, as they defeated London Towers at home 75-64. Joanna Clayden had a game high 22 points with Rehana Khalil scoring 13 points. Both Kelsey Bardsley and Nicki Blakeway played big minutes and really stepped up and gave the Mystics a lift, as Bardsley scored 12 points and Blakeway scored 11.

The Mystics received 21 points off their bench as Towers managed to only score 6 points from theirs. The Mystics were outrebounded by 6, but had 9 more assists and 3 less turnovers than Towers.

The Mystics led the entire game, but could never really break the lead wide open as they only ended up winning by 11. Despite the final score, it was a good team win as the Mystics are still trying to figure out how to fill the shoes of Georgia Jones. The win puts the Mystics back into fifth place in the league, as they continue to fight for the fourth place spot, and a chance to play at home in the first round of the playoffs.

The Mystics will face Rhonda away this Saturday 1 March.

Mystics: Joanna Clayden 22, Rehana Khalil 13, Kelsey Bardsley 12

After the City of Sheffield Hatters arrived 45 minutes late due to traffic, the Manchester Mystics jumped on them, and scored 16 unanswered points. However, the mystics found it difficult to sustain this and Sheffield began to slowly chip away, with the Mystics just holding on to lead by 7 at half time.

Unfortunately, the third quarter would again be the Mystics nemesis, as they only managed to score 9 points, while allowing Sheffield to score 28 points. The fourth quarter scoring was even but the Mystics could not manage to make up for their lack of scoring in the previous quarter, and ended up losing by 15 points.

Georgia Jones led the way for the Mystics with 27 points, while hitting 7/11 three pointers. Joanna Clayden had 20 points while Rehana Khalil chipped in with 13 points. Sheffield's Stephanie Gandy scored a game high 37 points.

The Manchester Mystics dropped a tough road game this weekend(2 February), as they lost 90-114 to Team Northumbria. The loss drops the Mystics to a tie for fourth place with Nottingham in the league standings. Joanna Clayden had a team high 30 points, with Rehana Khalil scoring 17 and Georgia Jones chipping in 14 points.

The Mystics played tough throughout the first half and were only down five points going into halftime. Still with the game in reach, the Mystics went into the third quarter down 11 points. Foul trouble for the Mystics and lights-out shooting from Northumbria, proved to be too much, as the game slipped out of reach in the fourth quarter.

The Mystics will try and bounce back against the City of Sheffield Hatters this Saturday February 9th at the Amaechi Basketball Centre.

The Manchester Mystics got a huge victory this weekend (26 January) as they defeated the Solent Suns 88-81 in double overtime. With the win, the Mystics move to third place in the league and have swept Solent in the regular season.

All five of the Mystics starters scored in double figures with Rehana Khalil leading the way with 25 points. Georgia Jones scored 19, Joanna Clayden 17 and Charlotte Stoddart and Megan Osmer 11 points each. Clayden also had a game high 15 rebounds with Stoddart and Osmer each grabbing 8 each.

The Mystics came out hot as they went on a 23-6 run to open the game, but Solent fought back and were only down nine points by halftime. The Mystics couldn't find their rhythm in the 3rd quarter as they only managed to score 9 points to Solent's 20 points.

Going into the fourth quarter, the Mystics were only down by two points, but after an and-one play and two lay-ups by Solent, the Mystics found themselves down by 8 points with less then five minutes to go in the game. Back-to-back three-pointers by Clayden and Khalil brought Manchester back, and a lay-up by Osmer tied the game at 63 all, with one minute to go in the game. Solent had a chance to go ahead but missed three free throws. The Mystics got off a three-point attempt at the buzzer but it was off the mark.

In overtime the Suns quickly scored the first two baskets, putting them up 67-63. But clutch free-throw shooting by Jones, Khalil and Osmer put the Mystics up 69-67. Solent tied the game with two free throws of their own and a lay-up attempt by the Mystics at the buzzer rattled out.

In the second overtime, the game was back and forth the whole way, as both teams doubled their scoring from the previous overtime. With less then a minute to go, a brilliant and-one move by Stoddart put the Mystics up for good as Jones hit four crucial free throws in the final seconds to seal the win for the Mystics!

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The Manchester Mystics got a big win over the weekend as they travelled to Cardiff to play the UWIC Archers. This win puts the Mystics back into fourth place in the league, after dropping a couple spots earlier in the month with the loss to the London Acers.

Joanna Clayden led all scorers with 21 points, with Rehana Khalil scoring 20 and Georgia Jones chipping in with 13 points. The Mystics led the entire game and in back-to-back weekends, again held their opponent to only 55 points. In a great overall team effort, the Mystics defence was a huge key in the win, and everyone who stepped on the floor contributed.

The Mystics are back at home on January 26th against the Solent Suns at 7:30pm.

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The Manchester Mystics got back to their winning ways as they defeated Sevenoaks 67-55 on Saturday night at the Amaechi Basketball Centre. Joanna Clayden led all scorers with 24 points as Rehana Khalil scored 12 points and Lara Maestre chipped in with 8 points. Charlotte Stoddart pitched in by grabbing a game-high 9 rebounds.

Going into halftime, the Mystics were up 44-25 and looked as though they would cruise to an easy victory. Sevenoaks had other plans however as they mounted a 24-point third quarter to the Mystics 4-point effort.

Despite going into the fourth quarter down by one, the Mystics remained calm as they mounted a comeback of their own, holding Sevenoaks to just 6 points as they went on to win by 12 points.

The Mystics will be back at home again on January 26th against the Solent Suns at 7:30 pm.

The Manchester Mystics didn't quite kick off the New Year how they would have liked, as they lost to the London Heathrow Acers 68-60 on Saturday. Rehana Khalil scored a game high 24 points, with Joanna Clayden scoring 18 points and Georgia Jones pitching in with 7 points.

Going into halftime down by 11, the Mystics rallied, and by the end of the third quarter were only down 6 points. However, Manchester was never able to bring it closer than within 4 points. The Mystics never led in game, and only outscored the Acers in the third quarter.

It was a disappointing game for Manchester, as they missed several open lay-ups and had some costly turnovers towards the end of the game. The Mystics will look to get back to their winning ways this Saturday, as they host the Sevenoaks Suns at 7:30 pm at the Amaechi Basketball Centre.

Manchester Mystics lost a tough game at home, 62-86, to the Coca-Cola Rhondda Rebels on Saturday night. Despite losing by 24 points, the Mystics played better than the final score showed. Holding the Rebels to just 15 points in the third quarter, Manchester were able to bring the gap to within 6 points. However, Rhondda showed why they are undefeated, and ran away with the game in the 4th quarter.

Rehana Khalil's 3-point heroics kept the Mystics in the game throughout the first half, as she was 6-9 from the 3-point line and led the Mystics with a team high 27 points and 8 rebounds. However even Khalil's hot-shooting couldn't make up for the 26 turnovers made by Manchester throughout the contest.

Georgia Jones put up 16 points and Joanna Clayden chipped in with 10, while Megan Osmer grabbed a game high 9 rebounds. Kirby Copeland led all scores with 29 points for Rhondda.

All of the Mystics saw court time, while the younger players once again provided a much-needed lift when called upon.

Despite the loss, the Mystics will break for Christmas on a positive note, as they have had a fantastic start to the season. The first home game back will be Saturday January 12th against Sevenoaks.

Mystics' players Lara Maestre and Megan Osmer attended last week's 'Celebration of Women in Sport Conference' at Levenshulme High School for Girls, as guest speakers. The keynote speaker was Beth Tweedle, a renowned gymnast from Cheshire. She won Britain's first-ever World Gymnastics Championship gold medal in the uneven bars competition, and has won a National title every year since 2001.

The conference also included speeches by former and current students and performances by the cheerleading team and PE classes. It was a great opportunity to get some exposure for the Mystics, and promote the girls sessions that are run at the Amaechi Basketball Centre.

Saturday December 8th

After a long coach ride and a delayed start to the game, the Mystics still came out strong and defeated London Towers 74-43 on Saturday night. Rehana Khalil scored a game high 21 points, with Nicki Blakeway adding 10 points and Joanna Clayden and Lara Maestre chipping in 9 points each.

After a bit of slow start offensively, the Mystics really picked up the slack on the defensive end, and were able to get their offense going off of a couple turnovers by London, and went into halftime up 35-23. In the second half, Khalil provided some much needed scoring and the Mystics finished the game winning by 31 points. All of the Mystics saw action in the game, and the younger players especially made a big contribution towards the win.

With the win, the Mystics are now 4-1 in the league, and in third place overall, just below Rhondda and Sheffield. They continue to add to the best start ever in Mystics history, and look to put an upset on this season's resume, as they take on Rhondda this Saturday, 15th December, in their last game before Christmas break!

December 4th, 2007

The Manchester Mystics hosted a friendly with the Queen of Rosary Basketball Team from Nigeria. The Mystics got off to a bit of a slow start, but really pulled away in the second quarter to end the half up 39-22. In the second half, the Mystics stepped-up and showed their maturity as they only allowed Queen of Rosary to score 17 points for the rest of the game, ending with a final score of 92-39. Megan Osmer led the Mystics with 23 points, and Georgia Jones with 14 and Rehana Khalil with 10 points were the other main scorers.

It was a great opportunity for the Mystics and the Queen of Rosary girls to see that basketball can bring people together from across the globe, and gave the Queen of Rosary team a chance to see another country. We wish the Queen of Rosary Girls the best of luck for the rest of their season!

After two consecutive losses to The City of Sheffield Hatters, the Mystics are back on track after an 82-70 win over the Nottingham Wildcats. Joanna Clayden had a team high 22 points, followed by Georgia Jones with 21 points and Rehana Khalil with 15 points. Charlotte Stoddart had a game high 10 rebounds, while Khalil also grabbed 7 rebounds of her own.

The start of the first quarter was back and forth, with the Wildcats getting 12 of their 22 points from the free throw line, while the Mystics only scored three points in the last four minutes of the quarter to leave them with 16 points.

The second quarter saw the Mystics pick up their defence as they held the Wildcats to 13 points and went into the locker room up 43-35, after a brilliant half-court shot at the buzzer by Amelia Reynolds!

The scoring was even throughout the third quarter, but the Mystics got a lift off their bench from Kelsey Bardsley who scored a key three-pointer, as well as a pair of free throws, to end the quarter with the Mystics up 59-52.

The fourth quarter was tight all the way through as Manchester was only up four points with 23 seconds left. Jones scored on consecutive possessions with a lay-up and then two free throws. The Mystics got two more layups in the remaining seconds to end the game winning by 12 points.

Nottingham was led by Jill Glessner with 22 points and 7 rebounds.

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The Mystics Division 2 team defeated Ellesmere Port 79-38 in the second round of the Women's National Trophy on Sunday afternoon, 25 November, at the Amaechi Basketball Centre. Three players scored in double figures for Manchester, as Paige Livingston led the way with a game high 18 points. In her first Div 2 game, Sandra Guadalix played well and scored 17 points and had 7 rebounds, and Amelia Reynolds chipped in 14 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Charlotte Stoddart contributed 8 points and 7 rebounds, while Lauren Quigley also had 7 points and five rebounds. The game got off to a slow start, with only a couple baskets scored in the opening minutes of the game, but the Mystics finally got going and went into halftime with a 41-16 lead.

The second half proved to be similar to the first half and, once the Mystics got rolling again, there was no looking back as they coasted into the next round of the National Trophy.

The Mystics will match up against Bury Blue Devils in the next round.

The Mystics suffered their first league loss on Saturday, falling to The City of Sheffield Hatters 84-47. Manchester's offense was stagnant and Sheffield converted on several fast break opportunities, which led to a 38-18 halftime score. The Hatters did not look back in the second half, and the Mystics were never able to get within single digits of their opponents.

Georgia Jones was the only Manchester player who scored double figures, with 22 points, while Stephanie Gandy led Sheffield with 27 points.

The Mystics will travel back to Sheffield again this weekend, and look to perform much better as they look to move on in the National Cup.

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The Manchester Mystics are off to their best ever start with a 78-69 win over Team Northumbria this weekend. The win puts the Mystics to 2-0 in the league, which is the best start for the women in the Club's history. Once again it was a total team effort for the Mystics as 5 players were in double figures and they received 29 of their points off the bench, to Northumbria's 4 bench points.

Both Rehana Khalil and Lara Maestre had excellent performances for Manchester in their first games back from injury. Khalil was 3/3 from the 3-point line and led the team in scoring, while Maestre provided a spark off the bench with 5 points.

Georgia Jones and Charlotte Stoddart each had a double double for the Mystics, Jones with 11 points and 10 assists and Stoddart with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

J. Colbert led Team Northumbria with 31 points while only two other Northumbria players were in double figures.

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The Mystics easily defeated Bury Blue Devils on Wednesday night, 74-20, in the second round of the Cup. Bury had beaten Stockport in the first round, while the Mystics had a first round bye. Manchester led the game the entire way and never allowed the Blue Devils to score over double figures in any quarter.

Joanna Clayden scored a game high 17 points for the Mystics with Kristie Sheils chipping in 11, and Charlotte Stoddart grabbing a game high 8 rebounds. Manchester held Bury to 22% shooting from the floor and all 11 of the Mystics players saw significant court time, including Rehana Khalil and Lara Maestre, who are both gradually coming back from injury.

With the win, the Mystics will advance to the Quarter Final and meet up with the always-tough City of Sheffield Hatters on November 24th in Sheffield.

The Mystics' next home match is a league game on Sunday November 11th against Team Northumbria at 2pm.

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Solent Suns 68 - 75 Manchester Mystics

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Many congratulations to Kristy Lavin who was selected as Women's Player of the Year for 2006/07.

Kristy was a major contributor to England's Bronze Medal at Melbourne in the Commonwealth Games.

She is currently playing for Great Britain Women who are involved in the qualification process for the European Championships (See Stop Press for details of coming games at ABC).

Unfortunately for the Mystics, (but fortunately for Kristy), she will be playing in the Spanish Division 1 this coming season, having signed a 2-year contract.

Best of luck to Kristy for the future from all at the Club.

The Mystics needed to win this sudden-death play-off Quarter Final to progress to the Semi-Final and were without three of their key players, Georgia Jones, Charlotte Stoddart and Sabrina Sanchez. Nottingham were also without their GB guard, Emma Pass.

The Mystics started strongly, with Rehana Khalil, Jade Lucas, Kristy Lavin and Verity Peets in offence and good defence from Nicky Blakeway. Nottingham found their rhythm late in the quarter and were down only 19-21 by the end.

Few baskets were scored in open play in the second, with the defences in the ascendant and half-time was reached with the scores level 31-31.

The Mystics offence was more of the same after the break, but with introduction of two Under 16 players to the back court. Kelsey Bardsley and Kristie Sheils-Velazques both played more than 10 minutes and performed well beyond their years. The third quarter ended with Nottingham holding a narrow lead, 47-44.

The fourth quarter was a disaster for the Mystics. With the scores level at 60-60, in the dying seconds, Kristy Lavin scored a simple lay-up which should have won the game, but the officials, after two controversial decisions, disallowed the basket.

The game went to two periods of overtime and the home team eventually came out winners by 75-73.

Mystics coach Sergio Lara-Bercial put in an official protest after the game, asking for the game to be replayed, but on Wednesday the English Basketball Association turned this protest down, so Nottingham go on to face Sheffield Hatters in the Semi-Final.

With a weakened side and against one of the strongest teams in the Division, this was one of the Mystics' best performances of the season. Certainly their coach was delighted by the way they played. They can remember this when their disappointment is only a memory.

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The Mystics had to beat the visitors by more than 7 points if they were to finish above them in the final regular season table. This was clearly going to be no easy task, with the students starting confidently and scoring freely. But the Mystics responded well and held a narrow 18-17 lead at the first interval.

By half-time they had gone into a 4-point lead, but the visitors were proving a well-organised squad who could shoot the ball and defend well.

The third quarter was a similar even and strongly contested affair, with both teams bringing sound players off the bench. Melville was proving difficult for the Mystics to control under the basket and she scored plenty of close-in points. But The Magic were well-served as ever by the energy and commitment of Kristy Lavin and Rehana Khalil and the calm control of Georgia Jones. All their other players contributed well, even when they were not figuring much on the score sheet. The last quarter started with the Mystics clinging to a precarious 51-50 lead and all to play for. After 3 minutes the scores were level at 55-55. Georgia Jones hit a long 3-pointer and the Mystics stepped up their game. Two minutes later, Charlotte Stoddart hit a long 3 to make it 65-59 to the Mystics, the Northumbrians seemed to tire and it was all over. They had won a very tough game and by 9 points, meaning they end the season in 5th place. They will play at Nottingham in the Quarter Final of the play-offs on 14/15 April.

Both sides started the game with personnel difficulties. The Rebels were without their star player Andrea Congreaves, suffering from a back injury and the Mystics had two key players who had already played a full game for their school in Hemel Hempstead that morning. Georgia Jones played a key part as usual and so did Charlotte Stoddart.

This was a very different Mystics from the team who struggled to find some form in the early season and they took the game to the high-flying Rebels from the start, leading 13-8 after six minutes. Then Meagan Hoffman, who had an excellent game for the Rebels, levelled the scores 15-15 from the line and the Welsh girls led at the end of the quarter by 24-20.

In the second quarter the Rebels steadily increased their lead, despite heroic efforts by the Mystics. Kristy Lavin played a real captain's game fighting for every ball, top-scoring and being an inspiration to her team. Notable among the other Mystics were Nicki Blakeway, whose numbers were not wonderful, but whose effort was enormous and Jade Lucas, who gave her usual 100% effort. The first half ended with the Rebels showing little sign of fatigue, in spite of their small squad and looking in charge with a slim lead of 41-33.

The third quarter started well for the Mystics, with Lavin as energetic as ever and Rehana Khalil putting huge energy into her all-round game. This team effort started to have an effect on the Rebels, who lost their composure a little and lost the quarter by a point to go into the last quarter 56-49 ahead.

Fatigue was affecting both teams now, but the Mystics were better placed, with their bench players coming on and giving a good account of themselves. With 2 minutes to go, they had got to within 3 points. The small but noisy crowd of home supporters sensed a possible win, but Verity Peets' two made free throws at 6 seconds to go were not enough. The Rebels, using all their strength and experience, won the game by 73-67. Andrea Congreaves looks to have a bright future in coaching.

Mystics have their last home game of the regular season next Saturday 31 March at 5:15pm against Team Northumbria.

On the day of the Women's All-Star Game recently held at the Jesse Boot Arena in Nottingham, the Mystics were involved in both of the Cup Finals, the Under 16 and the Under 18.

After four minutes of the first quarter they led by 14-0 and never looked back. By half-time they led by 30 points, the result of good teamwork, especially in defence, with Amelia Reynolds and Kristie Shiels prominent.

The second half was more of the same, with Kelsey Bardsley scoring heavily, and a great all-round performance from Charlotte Avery. She finished with 8 points, 7 rebounds and 8 steals.

Lauren Quigley was adjudged to be the Most Valuable Player in the game, as the Mystics ran out clear winners.

The second game was a much closer affair. Charlotte Stoddart, who had hurt her ankle in the first quarter, came out with it strapped up and played so strongly she was almost the top scorer. The Mystics went into an early 6 point lead, but the Suns fought back spiritedly and were only 2 points down at the end of the quarter.

The Mystics intensified their defence and improved their shooting and led by 16 at half-time. Again, the Suns came back and cut the deficit to 11 going into the last, but the Mystics defended even more strongly and held on for a well-earned win.

Verity Peets won the award for Most Valuable Player and was the top scorer.

These two victories mean the Manchester girls have won the Under 16 National Cup for the second year running and the Under 18 National Cup for three years in a row. In both games, the key to their success was teamwork and intense defence.

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The Mystics started brightly and after three minutes had gone into a 14-0 lead, as the Suns struggled to get into their game. By the end of the first quarter the Mystics led by 18-8, but they were already beginning to miss their shots.

Kristy Lavin played a captain's role for them in the second, keeping them in contention, as Turner and Powell brought the Suns back to be only 22-27 in arrears at the half.

As so often this season, the Mystics were playing well enough, but they could not find the basket. After five minutes of the third quarter, the Suns were in the lead 33-32, despite the best efforts of Lavin and Rehana Khalil. It looked as if the Suns' home win was going to be repeated. Then the Mystics fought back and in the last 20 seconds of the half Khalil drove to the basket for a lay-up, followed by Georgia Jones doing the same on the buzzer. Their lead was now 45-38.

Up till then, very quiet, Megan Osmer opened the last quarter with a basket, followed by two successful free throws and the score was 51-40 after two minutes. From then on, the Mystics grew in confidence and the Suns faded as they tired. The last few minutes were the Georgia Jones show, as she played with all the fluency of which she is capable, ending the game with two shots from the line. For ten minutes, the Mystics had been back to their best.

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The Mystics came to this game needing a win after a run of close defeats and nearly achieved it. The Acers started the game well, moving and shooting the ball well, but the Mystics held them to a one point lead at the end of the first quarter, 17-18. This was after some good work by Kristy Lavin and young Charlotte Stoddart. They went ahead briefly after a full-court press was called.

Jade Lucas made an impact in the second quarter, but the Mystics were finding free shooting harder than the Acers, who averaged 83% for the game. Nevertheless, the Manchester girls played well enough to go to half-time only 34-38 down.

The third quarter was a low-scoring affair and the Acers increased their lead by only one point to go into the last quarter 51-46 ahead.

A long 3-pointer from Georgia Jones put the Mystics ahead 57-56 in the fifth minute and from then on they could have won the game. Good scoring by Jones and Stoddart meant the scores were level 67-67 with half a minute to go. Acers then scored a 3-pointer with 9 seconds left, Jones was fouled in the act of shoting a 3-pointer to bring the game to overtime. She missed her shots, and the game was over. Jones may blame herself for the defeat, but this would be quite wrong. Without her excellent play in the last quarter especially, the Mystics would have been nowhere near a chance to win the game. The Mystics are very close to getting back to their true standards. With better shooting they would have won this game comfortably.

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The Mystics controlled the game from the word go, establishing a 12-2 lead through some very aggressive defence and some very accurate perimeter shooting from Kristy Lavin and Charlotte Stoddart.

After a timely time-out, Andy Ballam's team came out fired up and started to chip away at the Mystics' lead. Despite this, the Mystics kept their composure and finished the half leading by 10 points 37-27.

The beginning of the second half saw the Mystics stretching the lead to 17 points, thanks to a very good sequence of defensive plays leading to some break-away lay-ups. From there on, the Mystics' lead fluctuated between 19 and 15 for the duration of the game, until the final whistle saw the teams 13 points apart 65-52.

A strong performance from the home side against a very well organised and motivated team, and should give them confidence for the rest of the season.

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Once again the Mystics are trying to push the boundaries a little bit further and, same as last year, they have started their morning training sessions at the Amaechi Centre. So far 4 players have committed to these early work outs (7am-8.15am). These are Rehana Khalil, Kristy Lavin, Sabrina Sanchez and Megan Osmer with the ocassional guest appearance from Sara Abbiss and Verity Peets.

These sessions give players and coaches alike an opportunity to concentrate on aspects of the game that are normally neglected due to lack of time or sheer numbers. So far, the emphasis has been on advanced ball handling skills, 1v1 perimeter and post moves and overall shooting technique.

The players are showing great commitment and determination to excel and are already reaping the benefits of the extra work in games. To make the early training more enjoyable Kristy Lavin has set up a mini Juke Box (Ipod and Speaker!) that blasts out motivational tunes from 7am onwards and keeps everyone going!

Any National League players (male or female) wishing to follow suit are welcome to join these FREE sessions. Contact Sergio for more details

The Mystics were expecting a hard game and they certainly got one. They started quite well, matching the Hatters for points in the first quarter, but there were ominous signs of a lack of confidence in their shooting, while Stephanie Gandy was already looking unstoppable under the basket. Going into the second quarter only 3 points down, the Mystics held their top-of-the-table opponents well for the first 8 minutes of the second. Then it all fell apart for them. They lost concentration and gave away easy baskets. By half-time they were 11 points down and they never recovered. One bright aspect of a disappointing performance by most of the Mystic’s strongest players was a very lively game from point guard Sabrina Sanchez.

The game became scrappy, as the Hatters relied on Gandy to score the points while the rest of the team defended strongly and mainly fed her the ball. Mystics coach Lara-Bercial was called for two Technical Fouls,and thus ejected from the game. Hatters coach was similarly penalised for fielding a player not on the team sheet, ex-Mystics Jenny Field. The Mystics have had a difficult time at the start of this season and need to settle down quickly if they are to achieve much by the spring.

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It was difficult to see what the Mystics could get out of this game, such was the gulf between the two teams. From the start, the Mystics asserted their superiority in every aspect of the game and encountered little resistance.

Coach Sergio Lara-Bercial was able to use the occasion to give plenty of court time to his less-experienced players, but such is the sparseness of the Division 1 programme that he was hardly in a position where he might have wanted to rest his first five.

The Panthers stuck to their thankless task with a remarkable good humour and determination, but their efforts can have brought them little reward or satisfaction. Certainly the Mystics need tougher opposition to put to the test all the hard work they are putting in on the practice floor.

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The Mystics had a new-look squad, with American centre Megan Osmer and Spanish point guard Sabrina Sanchez. They were also missing their influential point guard Georgia Jones, out with a hand injury. Not surprisingly in their first game of the season, they started tentatively and allowed their opponents to gain a 10-point lead at the end of the first quarter. The rest of the game was even.

In the second quarter they got their game together and almost levelled the score at half-time, 33-35.

After the interval, they lost their composure somewhat, and the Wildcats started shooting the ball very well from distance and from the line. Megan Osmer and Kristy Lavin dominated the boards at both ends, but neither was on top shooting form close in. Only the 3 point shots of Rehana Khalil and Jade Lucas kept the Mystics in contention.

The last quarter saw the Mystics intensify their defensive efforts in an attempt to disrupt the Wildcats’ offence, but the Cats stayed cool and withstood the pressure. In the end Nottingham were comfortable winners and the Mystics coach Sergio Lara-Bercial was left wishing the first game of the season had been against slightly easier opposition.

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The Mystics have again been honoured by the inclusion of 3 of our local girls in the GB Women's squad, currently preparing for European competition.

Kristy Lavin from Trafford is vying for a forward spot - she has spent the Summer in Australia, playing in their league, and she is determined to make her mark with GB.

Two of our star younger players, Verity Peets and Georgia Jones, are also in the squad, which is a terrific accomplishment for girls so young. Verity has just played in the Under 18 European Championships and Georgia in the Under 16.

Congratulations to all and best of luck for those final places in the team.

Sabrina Sanchez Munoz, who has been playing for Real Canoe N.C. (Spanish Div1) has signed for the Mystics for 2006 - 07.

Sabrina is a very experienced pointguard who has played at the highest level in Europe for a number of years. She will bring a lot of 'knowing-how-to-when-it-matter' to our young team and will be a great help for the development of our younger guards (Georgia, Jade, Rehana and Jamie). Standing at 1.65cm, she is a strong defender who can shoot the 3-point shot, and excels at game direction and on-court composure. Sabrina turned down offers from other Clubs in the UK, convinced that what the Mystics has to offer, both from the personal and basketball point of view, was no match for other Clubs.

We welcome Sabrina with a big HOLA and wish her MUCHA SUERTE with the Mystics.

The Mystics have gone to Florida for their foreign player this coming season. Megan Osmer, a 3-year starter at NCAA Division 2 Lynn University, has committed for 2006-07.

At 6' 2'', she will be the tallest player ever to play for the Mystics. Sergio Lara-Bercial, the Head Coach, was suitably pleased when Megan tried out at the Amaechi Basketball Camp this Summer. ''Megan is just what we need - a quality inside presence, with a great attitude''.

We wish Megan well with our Club and look forward to seeing her for pre-season training in September.

See www.lynn.edu