Perth Redbacks Weekly WABL Wrap

The Weekly WABL Wrap is proudly sponsored by Woods Insurance Brokers.

Congrats to all our WABL players, coaches, managers and parents for bringing great energy to Round 14 of the 2021 WABL season. Here’s the wrap up of how all our teams went including comments from coaches:

U12 Champs Girls – Josh Wallace (sponsored by Welsh Real Estate)

Won against Perry Lakes Hawks 48-44

Coach comments:

We found ourselves down 15 points in the second quarter facing a very motivated Hawks team. The girls did not drop their heads. Instead, they came out in the second half and went to another gear. After a tremendous defensive effort, they won the third quarter 18-4 and went on to snatch the win. It was not the win that impressed me about this game, it was the fact that the girls embraced the challenge and chose to compete rather than give up.
Scarlett Hill was, unfortunately, struggling with growing related pains and made the very mature call that she did not think she could compete at the level required. Instead, she cheered the girls on from the side and did everything she could from the bench to contribute.
Ella Welsh’s communication on D and positioning in defensive transition was instrumental for us in the second half.
Paige Ogden, to go along with her amazing rebounding, did a great job applying full-court pressure on the ball.
Jem Barr never stopped working and came from behind to tap the ball away from the ball carrier multiple times.
Sasha Nona was amazing on the boards, particularly the offensive ones. Getting lots of extra scoring opportunities for the team.
Grace Butcher was a workhorse on the boards, while also knocking the basketball out of bounds multiple times to stop the Hawks from completing passes.
Remy Sumich did a great job applying full-court pressure, while also working really hard to get back in transition D.
Lainey Panizza showed really good composure on the offensive end of the court. She made good decisions and looked after the ball.

U12 Division 3 Girls – Emma Ormond (sponsored by DLA Piper)

Won against Warwick Senators 32-26

Coach comments:

The girls always knew that this game was going to be a tough one as we lost to Warwick by 18 last time we played them. Every second each girl was on the court, they fought and worked incredibly hard, which is what kept them so competitive. I could not be prouder of how far these girls have come.
Our help defence has also come such a long way and I think this pressure really startled Warwick.
Nora Ostermeyer locked down Warwick’s main scorer, forcing her to make decisions. This led to turnover after turnover.
If I had a dollar for every time Ruby Taylor dove on a loose ball, I would be rich. Rubes is constantly putting her body on the line to fight for the ball which also led to many turnovers in our favour.

U12 Division 4 Girls – Marcia Dowling (sponsored by One for Women)

Won against Joondalup Wolves Green 43-16

Coach comments:

Having played this team twice already this season, we were reasonably sure of a win. To keep the girls focused, we set ourselves a margin goal, and a ‘stretch’ margin goal. The girls protected each other in offence and helped each other in defence to achieve a final margin higher than our stretch goal.
While Jacinta Wladyka scored 17 points to continue to lead our division in scoring, she also played the quickest defence of any player on court.
Mia Exeter and Allegra Care both showed resilience to return to the court after being hurt during play – Mia after a hard fall and Allegra after receiving a hard knock while fighting for a jump ball.

U14 Champs Girls – Haylee Smyth (sponsored by Mount Lawley Orthodontics)

Won against Joondalup 46-42

Coach comments:

Our on-ball defence was improved especially in the second half
In her 50th WABL game for Perth Redbacks, Matilda Pyne stepped up with a really good performance. She played her best defence of the season and brought the ball up with confidence.

U14 Division 2 Girls – Shannon Ball (sponsored by Active Discovery)

Lost to Perry Lakes 51-47

Coach comments:

Super effort again from the girls. We were leading until the end – so close again. The girls can really hold their heads high with how far they have come this season. Every single player has improved. I was very proud to receive feedback from the opposition coach as well as parents stating how much the team has improved since we last played.

U14 Division 4 Girls White – Zac Belton (sponsored by Redink Homes)

Won against Perry Lakes 52-28

Coach comments:

I loved seeing our ball movement in this game. We really worked as a team and emphasised our defensive principles.
Sienna Duong did a very good job remaining focused throughout the game.
Alex Temby brought some fantastic energy.
Indi Ballantine and Grace Almond didn’t give up running.
Emily Livingstone, Mila Reyes and Anna Zittrisch never gave up and continued to apply pressure and cause deflections and turnovers.

U14 Division 4 Girls Grey – Lucy Dowling

Lost to Warwick Senators 55-26

Coach comments:

For the first half, we were keeping up with the Senators’ energy really well and keeping the score even. Our defensive pressure caused them to have trouble making critical decisions and we took advantage of that. Unfortunately, the Senators pulled away in the second half but we didn’t give up. Now we just have to work on performing every quarter well
Charlotte Dillon’s resilience in this game was fantastic – she got knocked around and got back out there contributing some good steals and assists.
Olivia Weddikkara played very good lockdown defence on one of the Senators’ top scorers and helped disturb the Senators’ scoring patterns.
Ella Baxter had an overall very good game, good composure, good ball control, outstanding effort going for rebounds among girls taller than her.
Arabella Kahl had a good offensive game – her footwork has been improving consistently recently and she pulled through with some strong euros today which was good to see

U16 Division 2 Girls – Bryn Arnold (sponsored by Smart Capital)

Lost to Perry Lakes Hawks 77-44

Coach comments:

This game was always going to be a tough task against the top of the table Hawks, but we showed some great signs early and fought hard in the first quarter to go into the break down only 3. The second quarter was a tough one but again the team showed some great resilience to compete hard and fight out the second half. We showed that at our best we are able to match the top team for periods, we just need to put it together for 40 minutes.
Blaise Stancil and Sagal Elmi battled hard all day and led the team on the offensive end.
Jenna Jackson has really grown over the last three weeks and is starting to become a quality floor general.

U16 Division 3 Girls – Adrian Warner (sponsored by MSP Electrical)

Lost to Perry Lakes Hawks Blue 58-48

Coach comments:

We had a brilliant start against a top-four team and came storming home with a great fourth quarter. Our defensive intensity in Q1 was matched by much-improved composure and control in offense and scores were even at the first break. The Hawks had a mini-run early in Q2 but I was impressed by how the girls were able to refocus and regroup to prevent a blowout. Q3 we didn’t get the reward for our efforts but the last quarter was super impressive with great mid-court and on-ball pressure D forcing a lot of turnovers. We got back from 19 points down to under 10 with a few minutes left but in the end, we ran out of time. Hawks made 18 FT to our 5.
There were many positives to come out of the game.
Abbey Macham has really stepped up in recent weeks to operate not only as a great on-court general at the point guard, making good reads and executing well to bring others into the game, but also with better decision making in attacking the basket – leading all scorers with 14 points!
Matilda Thomson continued last week’s strong form and played with greater confidence in the half court to make some nicely timed moves to attack the paint and take the open shots.
Dinelka Fernando, despite being a bit sick and still a lot bruised from last week’s heavy fall, played with much more confidence with the ball in her hands and showed everyone she has the skills to bring the ball down the court under pressure.
The most pleasing aspect of the game was that we stayed together as a team for the entire game. The last time we played Hawks it was a messy 32-61 loss, which shows how far we have improved but also tells us that our success on the court is down to what we do i.e. staying focused and playing with intensity. I am looking forward to a great finish to the season in the coming weeks 🙂
It was also so great to have some of the Redbacks senior women players staying on after their D-League game to support the younger girls. Special thanks to Michelle Fletcher who sat on the bench with us in the second half.

U16 Division 4 Girls – Geoff Alger

Lost to Joondalup Wolves 49-39

Coach comments:

I really enjoyed watching our team chemistry improve as the game went on. After a brief chat about commitment and securing the loose ball, our girls really stepped up to dive on anything that came loose.
I also loved seeing more of our players willing to drive and challenge offensively.
Casey Meyer’s strong drives caused headaches for the Wolves defenders drawing fouls and adding team points.
Bhuvana Prasad showed good positioning in defence and used her speed to cut and drive confidently and fast in offense when she got the chance.
Anais Adnams provided a good presence at both ends of the floor.
Aaliyah Nunes and Amelia Weber dove on and secured many loose balls.

U18 Division 2 Girls White – Brayden Cook

Won against Kalamunda Suns 72-70

Coach comments:

This was our best win of the season. The game came down to the very last play and I’m so proud of how the girls dug deep and played fantastic defence on every possession late in the game.
It was awesome to see everyone playing their role to get a team win.
Jasmin Wynne was strong inside finishing with 13 points.
Mickayla Little’s scoring power was outstanding with 26 points.
Lucy Dowling was solid defensively not allowing anything easy for the opposition.
Kerry Hayden, Tyra-Lee Moody and Rosie Leeder were all reliable.

U18 Division 2 Girls Grey – Brad Dowd (sponsored by Protek)

Lost to Hills Raiders 41-40

Coach comments:

We played good basketball for three quarters, leading at all breaks. We managed a lot of scoring opportunities throughout the game and could have taken some big leads, but our shots just weren’t dropping. Hills came out firing in the fourth to first take the lead and then hold on for the win. We had our least number of turnovers this game and had we shot more accurately we would have walked away with the win. But every loss is a lesson, so I am sure the girls will get more shots up in their own time this week.
Meg Capewell shot the three-ball well, shooting at around 60% and nearly winning us the game with a three-pointer with 30 secs to go, only to have the Hills return fire with a 3 of their own to win by 1.
Emma Jones was a menace on defence with 8 steals and forced numerous turnovers.
Leilani Avia rebounded well down the defensive end.

U12 Champs Boys – Dylan Vilardi

Lost to Perry Lakes Hawks 65-31

Coach comments:

Despite being down throughout most of the game I was proud of the boys for never giving up.

U12 Division 2 Boys – Ash Brian (sponsored by Drafting Now)

Won against Joondalup White 77-56

Coach comments:

This was the game of the season so far for us. The last time we played Joondalup White, they beat us by 2 points in a nail biter, so for a few weeks now, we have been itching for vengeance. We got out to an early lead and showed we were the better team for the entire first half, but Joondalup rallied early in the 3rd quarter to bring the game back to a draw. Rather than falling apart, the boys cleaned up a few small skill errors and went on to a 35-16 point run for the final quarter and a bit.
Our team is built on defence and after Joondalup rallied, the switch of momentum was largely a result of Cooper Roskell causing three steals in a row in the 3rd quarter. Cooper and Matthew Lucano were also given a tag role, which was instrumental in our team’s win today. They both took on that role with great focus and discipline.
We also dominated the rebound count with almost 50 rebounds for the game and one of our guards, Jett Murphy really stepped up here with a massive 7 boards.
Today was another great spread of scoring. While Oskar Wang and Aiden Little scored 37 points between them, it was great to see every single player hit the scoreboard.

U12 Division 4 Boys White – Tyler Cusworth

Lost to Perry Lakes 72-57

Coach comments:

Loved seeing the effort from our bench and knowing that on our best day we can easily match it with these guys.
Vincent Ryder had himself a day. Steals and just enormous efforts. Jake Chew continues to dominate each week.

U12 Division 4 Boys Grey – Andrew Logan (sponsored by MD BuildingMaintenance)

Lost to Warwick Senators 48-46

Coach comments:

Tough game! I was very proud of the way the boys left it all out on the floor. We stuck to our structures all day and unfortunately, we were on the wrong side of the scoreboard at the end of the game. We keep losing the close ones! Another opportunity this coming week against a good side.
Kimzy Matondo! What a game. He had 14 points, numerous steals and marshalled our offense like a pro.

U14 Champs Boys – Aleks Lackovic (sponsored by Sto WA)

Lost to Joondalup Wolves 65-55

Coach comments:

We had yet another team ‘PB’ week at training as we prepared to face a strong opposition who had recently beaten the previously undefeated #1 ranked team in our division.
Despite being without our most improved player and starter Cleon Ryder (who leads us in rebounding and efficiency), our boys executed the game plan near perfectly, had fewer turnovers, won the rebounds and FGA’s. It took an incredible display of final quarter three-point shooting from Joondalup to secure them the win.
We are extremely proud of how mature the boys are, week in week out, and how well they represent the club, themselves and their families.
Ben Galvin and Mason Clark (in his 50^th WABL game for Perth Redbacks) continue to lead the team at both ends of the floor. Their effort and energy are always at 100%, they excel each week due to their ability to make great decisions under extreme pressure and deliver team efficiency.

U14 Division 2 Boys – Mitchell Jesson

Won against Lakeside 59-56

Coach comments:

If this game had been a loss, I’d have mentioned how hard it is to overcome losing both your point guard to an ankle injury and one of your gifted shooters to a knee knock midway through an already challenging game. But it ended up being a great team win that reflected the resilience we have built as a team over the course of the season.
Down by 16 in the first half, and turning the ball over at an alarming rate, I asked the boys to dig deep and steady the ship. Not only did they rebalance but we played Redbacks basketball to slowly but steadily reduce the deficit and then get ourselves in front with only a couple of minutes to go. From there, we showed great composure to retain the lead and record successive victories for the first time this season.
James Bowen and Jay Hazell have combined recently to form quite a dynamic duo – we very much enjoyed their combined stats line of 36 points, 19 boards, 4 steals, 2 blocks and 2 assists.
After losing our point guard just after halftime, Ewan Maclean stepped up big time for the team. Ewan’s ability to ride the bumps of the opposition’s defence and advance the ball at speed saw us commit zero turnovers in the third quarter and only three for the second half (after we had 18 in the first). He also led the team with 4 assists.
Jaden Exeter accepted that due to match-up issues he was likely to see more bench time than normal but committed to working hard in the minutes he got and the team benefited from his efficient output of 6 points and 6 rebounds. The most important of those rebounds came at the end of the game when he took an offensive board off a missed free throw with seconds left and calmly got the ball into a guard’s hands to ensure we retained possession to secure the win. He didn’t think ‘score’ – he thought ‘team’.

U14 Division 3 Boys – Ron Flores (sponsored by Euroz Hartleys)

Lost to Perry Lakes 65-45

Coach comments:

The boys started this game a bit flat and so we found ourselves down early and for the whole game. Despite this, we showed great fight during the last part of the third period and all of the fourth.
We showed good ball movement at stages. The boys were able to communicate openly and freely during periods when things were tough and it was great to see how they recognised where the adjustments were required.

U14 Division 4 Boys – Alex Maude (sponsored by Masterwall)

Won against Warwick Senators 69-66

Coach comments:

This was a great win against the only undefeated team in our division. We achieved it through defensive pressure that lasted the whole game, great transition offence and defence, boxing out for rebounds, great shot selection and everyone putting their bodies on the line to dive on loose balls.
This was our best basketball of the season.
Jalen Dunstan and Tom Jakimowiez worked hard to box out taller opponents to grab the rebounds, and controlled the keyway on the offensive end by playing high-low and creating space in the keyway
Tyler Murphy and Mateo Rea did a fantastic job of being the ‘floor generals’, bringing the ball up the floor, making great passes and cuts, and lastly shutting down the opposition’s main shooter
Lachie Wheals and Flynn Hamilton used their speed, height and athleticism to take advantage of smaller opponents and score on them. Their defensive pressure was also crucial.
Kobe Kalebic was hot from the start, leading the scoring and applying great defensive pressure to allow his teammates to get steals.
Lenoxx Lyszkowicz’s defensive pressure saw him lead the team in steals, which he then used to make some great passes to his teammates running in transition. He also took some great shots and hit a crucial 3 pointer late in the fourth.
Seb Bourne was relentless with his rebounding and making great passes.
Cooper Thompson helped with bringing the ball up the floor, made some great off-ball cuts and ran hard in transition.
Lastly, Hamish Maude brought great energy from the bench, getting up whenever a score was made, on defensive possessions and when ‘and 1s’ were called.
This was a phenomenal game where everyone contributed.

U16 Division 2 Boys – Paul Cassir (sponsored by Infuse Life)

Won against Perry Lakes 105-96

Coach comments:

We did an excellent job of working our way back into the game, closing the margin after trailing by 15 points, and then consolidating our lead once we gained it. I was proud of this resilience and composure.
Andrew Chilufya and Cooper Deshon scored the ball well and placed pressure in the passing lanes to lead into transition opportunities.
Riley Ford did an exceptional job in containing the opposition’s main scorer in the second half.
Harry Cuerden was active on defence and this generated many deflections and created physical and mental pressure leading to opposition turnovers.

U16 Division 3 Boys White – Luke Simonette

Lost to Perry Lakes 82-60

Coach comments:

We played good team defence early and continued with positive attitudes throughout a game where many things did not go our way. We had a season-high 51 rebounds as a team
Ben Wesseldine was strong in pulling down 9 rebounds after arriving in Perth from a school camp at 7.30am.
Lachlan Steele was great defensively and took some good charges

U16 Division 3 Boys Grey – Anthony Nixon (sponsored by Auto Control Systems)

Won against South West Slammers 84-73

Coach comments:

With no Taj, Kalisto and Caleb this game was always going to be a challenge. Ethan Logan and Ethan Harders were both carrying injuries but were determined to play. We somehow convinced Ollie Graham from Div 4 to sit in the car for 4 hours after already having played that morning … and with that medical trauma suite we limped south to Bunbury.
When Max Millard declared in warm-up that he’d injured his ankle and really couldn’t take the court we were down to four fully fit players, Ollie who’d already played and two sore Ethans. (We started canvassing parents about their basketball skills and ability to suit up – and I have to say, parents, you were underwhelming in your response!)
So our goal for the game was to somehow get to the fourth quarter with the minimum of fouls and after that to then somehow get the win as ‘ugly’ as it might be. And wow was it was ugly!
It was awesome to have the injured players making the effort to join the team in Bunbury and cheer loud from the bench.
Ollie Graham playing up from Div 4 was appreciated just to have an extra body to put on the court. But to then drop two huge threes on his way to 9 points? Thank you Ollie … great job!
Josh Richards and Andrew Cook both continued their strong improvement protecting the paint without Kalisto. They both had a strong 13 points.
Jordan Yum attacked at every opportunity for 16 points.
Huge credit to both Ethans who played through injuries and pain to have strong games.
Benji had 26 points against very targeted defence – great effort Benj!
Incredible effort from all the players to get this win for the club. Redbacks spirit was on display everywhere.

U16 Division 4 Boys – Anthony Nixon (sponsored by TECC and Insight)

Lost to Cockburn Cougars 74-57

Coach comments:

We were again hit hard with injuries with Riley Panizza needing another week to recover and Romain Suraweera not able to take the court.
With our main point guards out, Ollie Graham and Josh Welsh (with the support of Noah Rees-Turner and Sasha Zugic) stepped up against strong full-court pressure.
We fought hard all game (and led for good parts of the game) but with three starters out and only 7 players, we faded in the end.
Huge credit to Josh and Ollie who fought hard to bring up the ball and also led the scoring with 13 and 17 points.
Declan Kenny continues to get stronger in the post and played a full game without Romain.
Noah and Sasha worked hard bringing the ball up the court against strong pressure.

U18 Champs Boys – Simon Daff (sponsored by Della Franca Farms)

Lost to Perry Lakes Hawks 99-60

Coach comments:

We had a great first half to jump Perry Lakes in the first quarter and get out to a 12-point lead. It was our best help defence and ball movement combined for a quarter and we were rewarded for it on the scoreboard. It shows we can compete with anyone when we’re switched on.
Maxx Della Franca had a nice return from injury – he plays with a great level of physicality offensively and defensively.
Rory Charles always provides energy and hustle. I never have to push him to play hard.

U18 Division 3 Men White – Luke Notley (sponsored by McDonalds Karratha)

Won against Redbacks Grey 83-74

Coach comments:

We played fantastic pressure defence all game long. We forced our opposition out of their half-court sets and applied great pressure on the ball handlers. We crashed the rebounds very well and pushed the ball on the fast break where we could expose the opposition’s slow transition defence.
Miguel Chaitika, Jesse Wilcox and Darren Fernandez played great pressure defence on the ball carriers. Finn Warner, Luis Uribe and Oliver Pedley were fantastic in the paint on rebounds and getting to the basket.

U18 Division 3 Men Grey – Brandon Riley (sponsored by Inspirations Paint)

Lost to Redbacks White 83-74

Coach comments:

I thought we really had a great run in the second half. Our effort was great, we just needed to close out better.
Malik Powell had a big offensive game with 33 points including 7 three-pointers.

U18 Division 3 Men Silver – Sam Fox (sponsored by Strut Specialists)

Won against Rockingham Flames 75-67

Coach comments:

This was a crucial win for us and a measure of how far we’ve come as a team. Last time we faced this team we went down by 20. This time we were dominant for large stretches of the game, especially on D. This wasn’t our cleanest run, but I loved our grit. We responded whenever Rockingham tried to muscle back in.
Thanos Snooks-Holding made some incredibly precise interior passes and I love how he is growing in a power forward role.
Harry Maude had another great game and led our free-throw shooting with 6/6.
Aiden Cannington had a great shooting game and Tsepo Mhlope brought toughness the whole way through.

U20 Men White – Michael Clarke

Won against Lakeside 84-74

Coach comments:

A great effort to lead for the whole game and keep our finals hopes alive.

U20 Men Grey – Rob Gordon

Lost to Kalamunda Suns 94-71

Coach comments:

I loved our energy levels in this game. The intensity to perform was high.
Josh Dohler and Cooper Mason contributed strongly at the offensive end, scoring 25 points and 19 points respectively.