MATCH REPORT | LEEDS RHINOS 59-49 SARACENS MAVERICKS (NSL Rd 13)

Saracens Mavericks lost out to Leeds Rhinos at EIS Sheffield, as they missed the chance to close the gap to the top four.

Having come into this one off the back of two impressive victories, there was hope that Mavericks would be able to silence the Rhinos crowd.

They did just that as they started the match, with Jodie Gibson making life difficult for the Rhinos shooters and Ine-Mari Venter adding the goals down the other end of the court.

With Rhinos penalised for obstruction, Indya Masser and Georgia Lees wasted no time in getting the ball down the court for Venter and Kira Rothwell to edge their side into a three-goal lead.

Despite Geva Mentor making life difficult in the shooting circle, Mavs continued to stick to task, with Gibson and Razia Quashie both picking off feeds from the Rhinos mid-courters, to allow Venter to take her side into a five-goal lead at the end of the first quarter.

Mavs kept the pressure on at the start of the second quarter, with Rhinos penalised for a held ball, but Rhinos began to work their way back into the game, putting pressure on the Mavericks and cutting the deficit through Joyce Mvula.

Rhinos continued to apply the pressure and after a miscommunication in the shooting circle, they took their chance to hit the front, with four quick fire goals to take a four-goal lead into the interval.

Mavericks were struggling with the pressure applied by Rhinos now, with several held ball calls, as the hosts continued to suffocate Mavericks, opening up an eight-goal lead.

Quashie thought she'd managed to find her side a way back into the match with an intercept, only for the ball to bounce into touch, with Mvulva again taking her chance to add to her side's total.

Rhinos were beginning to dominate play now, as they took their lead out to double figures, before Mavericks found a second wind, as Venter closed the gap to five.

Heading into the final quarter, the hosts continued to keep Camilla Buchanan's side at arms length, with their attacking players doing well to pick-off passes through the court, which Mvula capitalised on.

Despite Aliyah Zaranyika popping up with yet another turnover in her impressive recent spell of form, Rhinos had more than enough in the tank to keep themselves out of reach, eventually playing out for a 10-goal lead that narrows the gap between themselves and Mavericks in the table.