However, the Cannons fired back the following day to take the league points as the teams squared up quickly again.

It was basketball galore at Oak Tree at the weekend as all Giants’ national league teams competed in their respective leagues, and all came away with wins on the Saturday as Giants U16 Girls played Hinckley and Bosworth and won 113-9.

Next was the senior women beating Leicester 64-47 to take them into the quarter-final to play either Wellingborough Phoenix or Southend Swifts.

WNC Mansfield Giants U18s played local rivals Ilkeston Outlaws and walked away with a convincing 86-73 win, and the final game of the day saw the senior men take on top of the league Sheffield Sabres who boast four ex-BBL players, and turn in an outstanding display to chalk up a 99-86 victory.

On Sunday Giants U13 Boys played their first home game of the season as they competed against Derby Trailblazers.

Giants fought hard and never gave up but the Derby team was physically taller and stronger and Giants lost 56-39.

Giants Senior Women again were in action against Leicester, but this time in the league. And fortunes were reversed as Leicester came away with a 42-58 win.

The major game of the weekend was the senior men against Sheffield Sabres.

Giants got off to an excellent start with Sabres not knowing what had hit them as captain and influential point guard Matt Shaw scored two big threes.

Mike Elland was found on fast breaks to score two important baskets and scored a further two three to take the lead 16-5 before Sabres called a time out to change things. Sabres emerged from the time out with baskets scored from Windle, while Shaw got an excellent ‘and 1’.

Paul Kelly came into the game and was fouled attacking basket, earning free throws and scoring both. Sabres continued to score through Windle and Anderson to make a come back but Giants led at the end of the first quarter 28-24.

Shaw again opened the second quarter with another big three as Danny Richards stepped up to score another for Giants.

Windle continued to dominate inside and score important threes for Sabres as Giants found him difficult to contain.

Guard Craig Swinton came into the game and scored another three for Giants.

Shaw proved too difficult to defend for Sabres as he was sent to the free throw line nine times as Sabres found themselves unable to stop him without fouling.

Big man Ben Coy scored another basket and Chandley replied with a three for Sabres but the deficit was still too much and Giants ended the half 54-47 ahead.

Giants’ normally sleepy third quarter didn’t happen as Shaw again came out of the half draining two three pointers.

Gary Collins and Richards were fouled going to basket and sent to the free throw line.

Coy stepped up and scored some important jump shots as Giants began to pull away 65-49.

Again Windle replied with more points for Sabres, mainly coming from the free throw line, but Giants held on to the lead as they ended the third quarter 73-63.

Richards scored a great basket from an excellent pass from Shaw and Aaron White stepped up to score both free throws awarded as Mansfield started the final quarter well.

But Sabres began to make a comeback with nine consecutive points from Windle and Chandley to take the score line to the closest all game at 81-77.

Shaw again was found on the three point line to nail his sixth three pointer of the night.

Richards again was found on the long pass to score more points while Windle again scored another three.

Giants found Elland at the other end on the three point line to score another three with seconds remaining of the game, and Giants ended with an outstanding 99-86 win.

Scorers: M. Shaw 25, D. Richards 20, M. Elland 16, B. Coy 14, P. Kelly 9, G. Collins 9, C. Swinton 4, A. White 2, M. Boot, P. Whitehead, I. Burton.

Giants’ ladies began with their customary slow start and were 12-4 down before a time out was called.

Giants started to strike back trading basket for basket with the visitors as Parry stepped up to score six of 10 points in the game, with RAF point guard Carter adding two and Richards rounding off the first quarter scoring for the Giants with a massive three-point shot to close 18-12 down.

The second quarter was much closer as the home side settled in to their rhythm with Wood hitting two foul shots, Bailey making four points off good inside play with Taylor and Madeley sinking a three-pointer each to win the quarter 16-14 and trail by just four at 32-28.

The third quarter was the turning point for the Giants as first Bailey then Madeley balanced the deficit.

With the scores now level at 32-32, the Cannons briefly fought to hold on to their slender lead and pulled away to a 39-34 margin.

Giants emerged from another time out in the sixth minute re-energised with a change of defensive strategy and hit 12 unanswered points to stretch a 49-39 lead.

The fourth quarter saw the Giants take control of the game as the Cannons resorted to fouling, Mansfield scoring seven from 16 foul shots.

Top scorers for Giants: Madeley 17, Parry 10, Bailey 8 Richards 88.

Sunday’s return match started well for the Giants as they took an early first quarter lead.

Madeley hit six points from the foul line as Giants built a 13-10 lead.

This spell of dominance was to end in the second quarter as the Cannons piled on the defensive pressure and took the quarter with an impressive 18 -7 turn round to lead 28-20 at the half.

In the third the Giants fought back valiantly, but were unable to pull back the lost points though held the Leicester team to a 36-30 lead.

Giants had no answers to a better team on the day in the final quarter as Cannons enjoyed their revenge.

Top scorers for Giants: Parry 12, Madeley 11, Bailey 5, Wood 5.

l Giants’ senior men play Derby Trailblazers this coming Sunday in the league, which is expected to be another hard fought game.

Giants U18s are also in action as they play Lincoln Comets away whilst Giants U13 Boys play Notts Nova and Sheffield Junior Sharks also away in Nottingham.

WNC Mansfield Giants maintained their unbeaten home start to the season as they made it three wins from four games overall with an impressive 86-73 victory over local rivals Ilkeston.

In an extremely entertaining game the youngsters produced their finest offensive performance of the season so far with five players in double figures.

Scorers: Davy 21, T Hook 20, Burton 16, Denholm 15, A Hook 10, Higgins 3, Parr 1.

The victory takes WNC to joint second in the table. This week Giants are away against Lincoln.