Weekly WABL Wrap – Round 5

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

Here’s the Round 5 wrap up of how all our teams went including comments from coaches:

U12 Girls Div 2 – Emma Ormond (sponsored by Baston & Co)

Won against Joondalup Wolves 54-24

Coach comments:

The girls put a lot of work into their defensive structure today. Their help defence was incredible, they were constantly putting their bodies on the line to get the ball back. They were also running the lanes effectively, which led to lots of scoring opportunities.
Soniya Karimi played some really good defence today. She was really solid defending ball carriers which often led to turnovers. Soni’s decision making is always next level but today she was really aggressive with scoring which led to a lot of easy scores for either herself or her teammates.
Jacinta Wladyka worked so hard at both ends of the court, causing turnovers and creating really good looks for herself and her teammates.

U12 Girls Div 3 – Marcia Dowling (sponsored by Access Hire WA)

Won against East Perth 25-22

Coach comments:

This was yet another tough and physical game for our girls who were playing with 7 for the third week in a row thanks to COVID and injuries. In this game they encountered a new challenge – how to play against a zone defence … I was so impressed with their amazing resilience and ability to adapt. Their on and off court communication was also excellent.
Mia Exeter played more minutes than ever and was relentless on the defensive end. Her tenacity was amazing.
Gracie Dillon stepped up again under the basket.
Neve Hayles-Stenhouse showed her improvement in game IQ with helpful spacing and positioning.
Gabbie Tetteh was strong rebounding as always.
Cyra Olowoyo and Allegra Care made excellent decisions when they handed off early.
Alyssa Rullo kept up her good shot count.

U12 Girls Div 4 – Paul Philpott (sponsored by Sushi Wawa)

Lost to Warwick 48-18

Coach comments:

As with previous weeks, our young girls continue to show lots of fight. Our transition and passing have much improved from last week. Well done girls!
Great to have Ella Fair and Freya Whitehouse back from illness. They worked exceptionally well together up and down the court.
Manisha Jeyamohan was a STAR with her hard ball work, often passing up a good shot for some great shots while still managing to score a few points herself.
Lauren Jones worked the keyway well, playing tall and denying many possible scores from the Senators.
Hope Campbell continues to perform well with a pretty sweet outside shot, bringing the crowd to their feet.

12 Boys Champs – Ash Brian

Lost to Willetton White 56-57

Coach comments:

I was really happy that the team was able to execute the defensive adjustments we needed to make against a well-drilled and coached team on the fly.
Erik Davies was massive for us in the paint pulling down 17 rebounds for the game and 9 in the final quarter.
Nate Cass and Matthew Lucano were instrumental in our defensive pressure with 4 steals each.

U12 Boys Div 2 – Alex Maude (sponsored by Inspiration Paints)

Lost to Joondalup Wolves 34-63

Coach comments:

I was very happy with our full-court pressure, rebounding efforts, great shot selection and efforts in transition in this game
Max Woods and Ethan Cooper ran hard non-stop along the wings to create opportunities and when they got the ball, they attacked the rim hard and were rewarded by going to the line a lot
Harrison Moyle led the rebounding effort on both ends of the floor

U12 Boys Div 3 – Ben Hamilton (sponsored by Euroz Hartleys)

Won against Joondalup 46-41

Coach comments:

We were down to 7 players this week so knew that defensive discipline was going to be crucial to being competitive. Not only did we have our lowest foul count of the year, but we led all major defensive statistical areas. It was a significant effort-based performance.
With only one big, and against a team with a lot of height, we knew we needed a full team focus on rebounding. Special mention to Kai Atfield who had a massive presence inside with 18 rebounds, 11 of them offensive.
Jackson Piccoli continues his rapid improvement, protecting the ball very well under a significant increase in ball-handling duties and making a valuable contribution on offence, including a clutch three when the game was in doubt.
This was a ‘whole-of-team’ performance to deliver our first win of the season, but we couldn’t have done it without the lock-down defensive assignment taken on by Oliver Colangelo and Franek Cytowski.
Well done to the whole team and their supporters.

U12 Boys Div 4 – Matt Strika (sponsored by Global Cabling)

Won against Joondalup 61-41

Coach comments:

Another example of great hustle and teamwork from the boys this week to notch up a solid win against a quality opponent. Every player turned up on game day ready to run and execute the game plan. I’m very happy with the brand of unselfish basketball being played with every player having a positive impact on the scoresheet.
Oliver Tuohy had his best game of the season thus far with an impressive 6 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists.
Texas Tierney battled all day on the boards to rack up a team-high 20 rebounds.
Ben Handke, Jayden Austin, Noah Mucjanko and Elijah Mancini were all relentless on defensive pressure and contributed an impressive 31 points between them.

U14 Girls Champs – Josh Wallace (sponsored by Welsh Real Estate)

Lost to Joondalup Wolves 50-51

Coach comments (Emma Ormond):

While the girls have been struggling a bit in the past few weeks with their energy levels and staying engaged, I could not fault their energy and intensity today. They were sprinting to get back tips, jumping on loose balls and hunting rebounds even when were incredibly exhausted due to us only having 7 players. Unfortunately, our exhaustion got the better of us at the end of the game but they all played really good basketball today.
Ayla Harris came out firing today. She really lifted the intensity and energy of the team when she was on the court. She was being really smart with her help rotations which meant the ball pretty much fell into her hands quite a few times.
Ella Welsh’s aggression at getting to the basket really opened up the game for us. Her communication on defence was really good to see as well. She directed her teammates, which allowed us to transition smoothly from offence to defence.
Sienna Duong has been putting a lot of work into the mental side of the game and it really showed today. Her intensity and energy didn’t dip at all today, whether we were up or down, whether she made or missed shots, she was still locked in.
Leeshar Tuialii’s help defence stopped so many drives I lost count. Her aggression to go get the ball whether it was rebounding, getting loose balls or chasing fast breaks was like no other today and it really helped us keep momentum in the game at times.
Maddie Makavilitogia was really strong with the ball. She was really getting knocked around but she held her ground and rebounded really well despite the physicality of the game.
Mafa Tuialii was a workhouse. She chased down fast breaks to either slow them while her teammates got back or cause turnovers. Mafa is always a great teammate but today when the game got tough she was encouraging and supportive which really helped with the team’s chemistry on and off the court.
Millie Stancil’s confidence on the offensive end is at a level I haven’t seen from her in a while. She was creating so many good looks for herself and her teammates almost every time the ball went down our end.

U14 Girls Div 2 – Zac Belton (sponsored by Redink Homes)

Lost to Willetton Tigers 57-28

Coach comments:

Very impressed with how the girls walked into this game, having almost the entire team out with COVID for the past week and really giving things a good crack. It was fantastic to see.
Mila Reyes played a good 95% of the game, just kept going and didn’t give up for a second!
Ella Baxter, who literally good out of iso that morning just in time to play, showed fantastic effort.
Anna Zittrisch was able to get onto the court for a good stretch of game time after having dealt with injuries since grading! It was fantastic seeing you back on the court again Anna!

U14 Girls Div 4 Red – Lucy Dowling (sponsored by Aussie Fencing)

Won against Lakeside 58-41

Coach comments:

I am very proud of the girls this week as we went into the game with only 7 players. However, we also went into this game with our usual positive mindset and in the end that’s what got us through. The resilience of these girls continues to impress me. Each week I finish the game even more amazed than the last!
Grace Butcher and Ada-Mae Burke both had another strong game offensively racking up a good set of points.
Charlotte Foster (Charlie) is improving at a rapid rate and this week out-rebounded almost everyone, even when they were a head taller than her.
Charlotte Dillon and Alessia Wladyka both played vital roles defensively, generating many steals from their great pressure.
Chelsea Ferris had a strong game back after Covid. Her energy radiates around the team so it was great to have her back and she brought the ball up the court with great composure.
Mya Slee stepped up and played our main big role. She did well defending the opposition and keeping them contained, as well as attacking the basket more which I love.

U14 Girls Div 4 Black – Ofir Ben Dror

Lost to South West Slammers 27-44

Coach comments (Adrian Warner):

I had the pleasure of filling in as coach this week. We only had 7 players and got run over a bit in the second half – Slammers’ deeper bench had an impact – but I was really pleased with the effort and intensity from all the girls. They all listened well and tried to apply my instructions during play. There is a lot to like about this team – it has nice balance and good harmony between players.
Cara Hayes was strong on the boards at both ends and made some strong moves in the paint with some good passes in transition. Intimidated defensively in the paint.
Salma Rahmadavi looked to pass more in the half-court and had some nice assists as well as getting open for some nice shot opportunities.
Nadia Slee’s effort and intensity was first-rate and didn’t drop all game. She listened well, made the adjustments I asked for and forced a few turnovers and scores from others.
Ava Chinnery showed good ball-handling skills and made some nice passes in transition and the half-court
Niamh Murphy played with great defensive intensity all game and while she fouled out late in the game she stuck to the team discipline of “no cheap hands fouls”.
Lottie Ballantine worked hard but was a bit tentative with the ball at times. When she did attack with confidence good things happened.
Sienna Care worked hard at both ends and got some nice shots and a few assists. Solid game.

U14 Boys Champs – Aleks Lackovic (sponsored by DLA Piper)

Won against Wolves 77-58

Coach comments:

This was a controlled effort where we won all four quarters.
Our team continues to develop a defence first mentality with a primary focus on ball pressure, containment and deflections. Voice pressure was a team-best this season and all players achieved a steal through sustained pressure rather than reaching or over-committing.
Cooper Hewer had a nice start to his birthday scoring 22 pts (including 6 three-pointers) on the 22 May wearing #22
Jackson Doyle had a breakout game, controlling game tempo and achieving an amazing scoring efficiency of 89% including 2/3 three-pointers on his way to 17 points.
Our game break and advantage were set up thanks to our hustle kings: Jaden Exeter (11 rebounds, 1 deflection, 1 steal, 2 blocks), Ano Sharu (8 rebounds, 1 deflection, 5 steals, 17 points) and Tyler Murphy (5 steals, 5 deflections, 4 assists)
Zak Magdy continues to demonstrate an excellent team-first attitude, facilitating teammates with great passes and screens that create space and scoring opportunities for others.

U14 Boys Div 2 – Kevin Dunstan (sponsored by United Steel)

Lost to Joondalup Wolves 62 to 52

Coach comments:

We were a couple of players down this week but it was a valiant effort by everyone on Sunday
It was exciting to see the high level of energy and intensity throughout all four quarters at both ends of the court even though we didn’t achieve the desired result

U14 Boys Div 4 – Andrew Logan (sponsored by Drafting Now)

Game postponed

U14 Boys Div 5 – Isaiah Walley-Stack (sponsored by S&M Group Bobcat and Truck Hire)

Lost to Kalamunda 66-57

U16 Girls Champs – Bryn Arnold

Lost to Cockburn 62-88

Coach comments:

After a tough first quarter, we responded well to play some very good basketball over the last three quarters. When we control the tempo of the game by looking after the ball and executing on the defensive end, we can match any team in the division.
Miki Deshon produced her best game for the season. She was aggressive on the offensive end and scored a season-high 21 points.
Ebony Cox showed what she is capable of, with a strong performance on both sides of the ball.

U16 Girls Div 2 – Holly Moore (sponsored by Mt Lawley Orthodontics)

Game postponed

U16 Girls Div 4 – Geoff Alger (sponsored by MD Building Maintenance)

Won against Eastern Suns 58-57

Coach comments:

With our full bench back it was great to hear the loud support for our teammates throughout the game.
You can’t win all the close ones but our girls did everything they could to make it happen and their resilience, determination and discipline to fight to the end and snatch the win were inspirational.
Basketball-wise we showed improved discipline in the backcourt, good intensity in defensive transition and made good steps forward with some of our best offensive transition so far.
Talia Bentley and Grace Almond both showed improved touch in their finishing this week to get scoreboard reward for their determined efforts across the game.
Maddie Wade, Alex Temby, Keira Tran and Giselle Dale made a huge difference with their efforts on the defensive end with Alex’s chase down effort in particular inspirational.

U16 Boys Div 2 Red – Luke Simonette (sponsored by TECC)

Won against Rockingham Flames 83-76

Coach comments:

This was a great four-quarter effort in a really tough and, at times, chippy game. We fought through a barrage of threes from the opposition, continually making them shoot tough shots and did not drop our heads when they made low percentage shots. We got the Flames in foul trouble by continually being aggressive and getting good shots around the basket.
Lazar Jovanovic had a WABL coming out party with a tidy 23pt, 15rb performance
Romain Suraweera was thrown into a tougher role and embraced it
Issac and David Moore were another two thrown into a different role than usual and thrived

U16 Boys Div 2 Black – Luke Notley (sponsored by MSP Electrical)

Lost to Wolves 77-83

Coach comments:

Giving up 46 points to the opposition in the first half was always going to make winning this game difficult. Credit to our team though, we clawed it back and were even up by 7 points partway through the 4th quarter. Unfortunately, our transition defence and 1v1 containment let us down this week and we turned the ball over too many times under pressure from Wolves. Credit to Wolves, they knocked down some key free throws to seal the win close to the end of the game after we got within 2 points from some hustle and a beautiful three-point shot from Ben Galvin.
Jeremiah Davies kept fighting all game long and didn’t give up – he top-scored for us with 25 points.
Jay Hazell and Levi Hewett knocked down some great shots when we needed them and kept running all game long.
Zac Anfuso was a great contributor for us, always keeping the team positive and showing great voice on the bench.

U16 Boys Div 3 – Mitch Jesson (sponsored by Community Bank North Perth)

Lost to Slammers 82-64

Coach comments:

In Slammers we came up against an opponent that had an average winning margin of 45 points this season, so our expectation was for a testing game.
Out of the blocks we were 10 points down but rallied back behind some great run from our wings and guards and rebounds from our bigs. We lost by 18 being bettered in each quarter by 4 points.
We came away with a clear sense of what we need to work on. We acknowledge our opponents but there is a sense in our ranks that we will gain a lot from this game.
Jude Garbenis was a welcome returning player – he just constantly goes hard at opponents and showed real leadership in matching up on Slammers’ main scorer.
Caleb Diacov Braga was another returning player who we managed in quick bursts and he really helped us be competitive. Caleb’s athleticism in the open court really troubled Slammers and we look forward to building his minutes.
Noah Rees-Turner was our leading scorer with 19 points, and is just a constant presence in the key on rebounds, driving and on the step out. I was most proud to see more ‘we’ thinking than ‘me’ thinking at the game.

U16 Boys Div 5 – Tom Swindale

Won against Lakeside Lightning 104-84

Coach comments:

We came into the game really needing a win as it’s been a slow start to the season. The team locked in and got the job done, especially in the third quarter when we turned a 9 point lead into 20.
I want to highlight Ben Maine. Ben got given the task of guarding the player on the other team doing the most damage to our defence. He brought the energy to do just that and caused chaos for the other team.
Another obvious highlight was Josh Welsh. It’s only his second time playing with the team and he finished with a monster 38 points while also being a major factor for us on defence.

U18 Girls Champs – Mya Dimanlig (sponsored by Titan Finance)

Lost to Lakeside Lightning 65-47

Coach comments (Zac Belton):

I loved how we came out with an emphasis on energy and defence, holding Lakeside scoreless for the first 6 minutes of the game. The girls then had a stretch where we came back from 15 points down with high up-tempo energy which was fantastic to see!
Charlotte Horniman had a fantastic game attacking the basket and getting to the line a few times.
Grace Dalton did a fantastic job applying pressure in the full court.
Overall, I want to shout out the whole team for making the adjustments on the court needed to get back into the game when things got away from us a bit.

U18 Girls Div 2 – John Care

Lost to Perry Lakes Hawks 46-110

Coach comments (Adrian Warner):

I filled in as coach this week due to John’s COVID enforced absence and was really pleased with the effort and intensity in the first half. Athletically we were well matched but it was our errors that resulted in easy transition buckets and most of the Hawks’ lead at the halftime break. Unfortunately, the Hawks came out with great pressure D in the third quarter and we struggled to advance the ball down the court. To their great credit, our girls regrouped at three-quarter time and played the game out hard until the final siren.
Lucy Waller played with great intensity, attacked the paint relentlessly and competed tenaciously on the boards all game.
Hannah Saliacus played more assertively in the paint and will make more of an impact as she improves her finishing close to the basket. She also ran the floor well.
Tatum Cooper played with more confidence and attacked 1:1 a couple of times to good effect which was really pleasing to see.
Aaliya Shelhot showed great offensive touch in the first half and responded positively when I called for her to increase her on-ball intensity in the second half
Georgia Edwards worked hard against bigger opponents and showed her skills with some lovely inside moves going both left and right.
Scarlett Hayes played with great intensity on the boards, cleaning up some loose balls and displaying some good on-ball pressure.
Leilani Avia had a solid game – her good spacing in the half-court led to some nice shot opportunities and she finished with smooth shooting form.
Izzy Woods made some great reads in the half-court to find the open player

U18 Boys Champs – Brandon Riley (sponsored by Willis Temby)

Lost to Lakeside 109-83

Coach comments:

We were down some players so it was great to have guys stepping in and playing different roles in this game.
Malik Powell was a beast on the glass again.
Aiden Cannington and Kade McMillan took on all the ball-handling duties.
Ethan Saliacus’s defence and ability to execute what was asked was as helpful as always.

U18 Boys Div 2 – Sam Fox (sponsored by MacDonalds Karratha)

Lost against Perry Lakes 78-59
Won against Mandurah Magic 84-75

Coach comments:

We had missed two Sunday games due to Covid and, in our first make-up game at Perry Lakes on Thursday night, we were not ourselves at all. The team did a great job of contextualising that sub-par performance and getting back to our style of play three days later with a strong win in Mandurah.
Our one-on-one D was excellent. In O, we capitalised on our transition game and shot the three-ball really well off fantastic ball movement in the half-court. We also dealt with some other in-game challenges with integrity. Most of all, I’m proud of the confidence and commitment our players showed this week.
Jake Vilardi gave fantastic defensive effort, moved the ball with skill and unselfishness, and had a strong scoring game himself.
Miguel Chaitika needed to make some adjustments in the first quarter. He ended up having his best game so far, being impactful all over the floor and making some big shots from deep.
Ethan Gonsalves and Mandla Magwenzi played major roles in the runs that built our lead, shooting the ball with confidence and applying constant full-court pressure.

U18 Boys Div 3 – Simon Daff (sponsored by Grange Risk Solutions)

Won against Slammers 66-63

Coach comments (Lloyd Port-Louis):

I was really pleased with the way the boys stayed focused and motivated under really tough and trying conditions.
Great leadership was shown by Cooper Deshon
Andrew Chilufya attacked the defence from the whistle and never let up.
Riley Ford led by example in rebounds.

U18 Boys Div 4 – Mitch Nixon (sponsored by Maude Family Lawyers)

Won against Kalamunda 69-64

U20 Boys Champs – Caleb Kingston

Lost to Rockingham 88-73