Brentwood Sport
Natalie on fire for new country
11:54am Thursday 22nd July 2010
BASKETBALL: Leopards shooting guard Natalie Stafford has made a spectacular start to her Great Britain international career.
The 32-year-old guard scored 13 points in Saturday’s 72-50 victory against Portugal before re-writing the record-books in the following day’s 73-65 win against the same opposition.
Stafford poured in 15 points off six from seven shooting and added three steals in the first quarter to record the highest points tally in a quarter for GB.
The Australian-born guard was clearly delighted with her performance after the game, saying: “I couldn’t make a basket in the second half, but the first quarter was great. I think I jinxed myself after the first period, as I wondered just how many points I’d get.”
Harold Hill school teacher Stafford is the biggest surprise in Tom Mayer’s squad for the qualifiers next month.
The Australian played for Barking Abbey last season, finishing as the EBL division one top scorer.
She is now entitled to British passport having been married to a Brit for four years, but needs to get it before GB start their qualification programme. She beat former Sheffield Hatter Steph Gandy to the spot allowed for a naturalised player.
Fellow Barking Abbey player Harriett Yea played for GB under Leopards’ director of coaching Mark Clark before the clubs merged, but has missed out on a place in this year’s squad, while Joe Ickhinmwin played for GB under-20s while with the Big Cats.
Meanwhile, four Leopards’ players have helped GB under-20 women to an encouraging start in the European Championship B Division in Macedonia.
Ella Clark, Josephine Salmon, Mary Durojaye and Kashmere Joseph all played their part in GB’s wins against Hungary and Macedonia.