After the 130-mile trip to Nottingham, the London Heathrow Acers bus got to within two miles of the court and was then held in traffic for more than an hour.

Running into the arena 10 minutes after tip should have happened wasn’t the best preparation for the game!

The first quarter proved to be close with the teams trading basket for basket. The Cobham-based Acers were finding space inside and moving the ball well on offense.

A lapse in concentration at the end of the quarter allowed the home side to take control of the game as they went on a 10 -0 run. At the first break, Wildcats were leading 20 - 13.

Once the home side established a lead, there was no looking back.

As Acers found form from beyond the arc to compliment the strong play inside, but Wildcats also stepped up their offense, hitting Acers on the break and by half time they had increased their lead to 10 points.

The third quarter saw both the Wildcats imports take control. With 10 points from Caitlin Flood and the point being controlled by Sabra Wrice, the home side extended their lead further.

Going into the the final stanza, Acers were down by 23. Acers won the final quarter by 1 point, but it was too little too late.

The home side took the game 78 - 56.

Acers: 13, 32, 44, 56 Scorers: Schweikert 14, Da Silva 11, Murphy 11, Wildcats: 20, 42, 67, 78 Scorers: Flood 23, Wrice 23, Prior 14