Sevenoaks Suns Coach Len Busch has been awarded Molten WBBL Coach of the Month for February after his team went unbeaten and strung together a series of key victories in recent weeks.
Suns are still yet to lose in the WBBL Championship and reached the WBBL Trophy semi-finals in February – subsequently making the final with their first game of March – leading to Busch winning a monthly award for the second time this season, following his November recognition.
Most significantly, the league-leaders, with a current 14-0 record, scored two massive victories over third-placed Sheffield Hatters who had previously been right in the title race with just one defeat up to that point. They twice held the high-scoring Hatters – who average 84 points per game, second most in the WBBL – under 60 points, with the first game being a tight affair that they won 57-54 after overturning a deficit in the last five minutes on consecutive Cat Carr scores.
Coach Busch made the necessary adjustments following that game, and two weeks later won more comfortably 69-55 on the road in Sheffield, leading from tip-to-buzzer after holding their rivals to just 11 points in the first quarter. In between those two games Suns had their best defensive performance of the season, and the best of any side, in beating Oaklands Wolves 86-26 at Surrey Sports Park.
That is characteristic of Busch’s team as they have by far the best defensive record in the WBBL, conceding an average of just 49 points per game and holding opponents to a stifling 29% from the field – they are the only team in the league that keeps teams below 50 points and 30% shooting. They also lead the league in rebounding and play hard honest defence, committing the fewest fouls of any team.
Interestingly, there was an exception in February, when Sevenoaks conceded 71 points on the road at Essex Rebels – the highest since the opening game of the season in the Cup against London Lions – but they switched it up and still prevailed in that game by scoring a season-high of 86, making the WBBL Trophy semi-finals in the process. Fittingly, they did hold their hosts that day to 12 third quarter points to take control of a one-shot game.
Suns now have a potentially season-defining March with the WBBL Trophy Final and a road clash at the league’s other unbeaten team, London Lions.
