Hawks Deighton Comeback Falls Short

The West Yorkshire Hawks Deighton women’s team fought hard but couldn’t overcome a slow start, falling 50-63 to Leeds Trinity Tigers at the University of Huddersfield.

Tigers came out firing with suffocating on-ball defense and relentless transition offense to seize control early. By the end of the first quarter, they had built a commanding 13-point lead, leaving the Hawks with an uphill battle.

Hawks adjusted well in the second quarter, tightening up defensively and slowing the Tigers’ tempo. However, their offensive struggles persisted, and Leeds Trinity extended their lead to 21-37 heading into halftime.

True to form, the Hawks refused to back down. They found their rhythm in the second half, outscoring the Tigers in both the third and fourth quarters. Rachel Tunnacliffe led the way with 15 points, while Ghinny Neher added 12. Despite their strong finish, the deficit from the opening period proved too much to overcome.

“We can’t afford to give good teams like Tigers that kind of start,” said Hawks head coach Ula Kostka. “We made it unnecessarily difficult for ourselves, but I’m proud of how we dug deep and fought to get back into the game.”

Hawks will look to close out the regular season on a high when they face Walkley Cottage Arrows on the road on the 19th February.