UW WORCESTER Wolves ladies’ National League squad won 68-55 at a tough Mansfield Giants team.

Giants set the tempo early on, jumping to a 25-13 lead after the first quarter.

The hosts extended the gap to 35-16 midway through the second before Wolves upped their defensive intensity behind Imogen Youd.

They went on a 17-3 run, sparked by Georgie Paul’s sharp shooting as she connected on back-to-back three-pointers to bring Wolves closer at 38-33 at the break.

In the second half, Wolves had the upper hand and took a deserved lead with Paula Bayon-Lopez hitting three threes in a row to prompt Giants into a time-out.

Following the break, Giants adjusted their defence and went on a run to finish the third quarter strongly.

With Wolves leading 56-50, Giants tried to close the gap but every time they came close the visitors had an answer, with Bayon-Lopez hitting back-to-back threes.

Kirsty Russell connected from beyond the arc on the buzzer to give Wolves their first win of the season.

Head coach Ryan Emery said: “I was impressed that our girls moved the ball so well against a very good zone defence and, as a result of our unselfish play, we created good shots for the team that we were able to execute.”