Essex vs. Caledonia

EDINBURGH, United Kingdom (Interstat) — Caledonia will host Essex on Sunday in a matchup of two of the top teams in Britain’s women’s professional basketball league, with the home side riding a 16-2 record across all competitions.

Tipoff is at Edinburgh Arena.

Caledonia (16-2) enters the game having won its last three outings, most recently a 87-82 victory over Manchester on May 2. The team’s only losses this season came against Sheffield and Oaklands, both in February. Essex (13-5) has won seven of its last eight games, including a 93-72 rout of London on May 2.

The teams last met Feb. 8, when Caledonia edged visiting Essex 74-72.

Player to watch for Essex is guard Quinesha Lockett, who has scored 20 or more points in four consecutive games. She posted a near triple-double against London on May 2 with 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in 28 minutes. In the previous three games, Lockett tallied 20 points against Manchester, 20 points in a win at Nottingham and 19 points against Leicester. She also grabbed nine rebounds against Nottingham.

For Caledonia, forward Tierra Hodges has been equally dominant. Hodges recorded 23 points and eight rebounds in 32 minutes against Manchester on May 2. In the prior game at Newcastle, she finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds. She also posted 17 points and seven rebounds against Manchester on April 19, and added 12 points and 10 rebounds in a win at Cardiff.

Caledonia’s May 2 win over Manchester featured strong supporting performances from Anastasia Warren (24 points, seven rebounds) and Ella Doherty (15 points). In Essex’s latest victory, Rhema Ogele led the team with 22 points and six rebounds, while forward Maria Blazejewski added 18 points and six rebounds.

Both teams have shown offensive firepower throughout the season. Caledonia has scored 92 or more points in four of its last six games, while Essex has topped 85 points in four of its last five outings.

Sunday’s game marks a potential finals preview as the regular season enters its final weeks.