Weekly WABL Wrap – Round 12

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

Here’s the Round 12 wrap-up of how all our teams went, including comments from coaches:

12-1 Girls – Marcia Dowling (sponsored by National Geotech)

Won against Willetton 50-28

Coach comments

The first game back after a break always sees teams a bit rusty. And rusty we were in the first half of this one. Willetton came out hard defensively, causing a lot of turnovers while also making the most of their shot opportunities. After being down by as many as 8 points in the second quarter, we rallied to go into halftime down only 2. From there, our shots started to drop and our defence restricted Willetton’s scoring opportunities. A 34-8 second half saw us come away with a comfortable win in the end.
Darcey Hill’s game was full of her usual hustle and bustle at both ends of the court – she recorded 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals and a block
Izzy Nagamany was outstanding at staying on her player, intercepting and making good shot choices. She also grabbed 6 rebounds along with 4 points, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks
Elsey Lohman white was strong on the ball with 10 points to go with 5 steals and 4 rebounds
Josie Smith’s post-up work amazes me, and she showed her strength in this game, grabbing 3 rebounds and a steal to go with 2 points.
Zara Flynn may have only had one steal of her own, but she forced several more and was just great defensively – even recording a block!

12-2 Girls – Paul Philpott (sponsored by Infinity Designed)

Lost to Joondalup 24-41

Coach comments

While we wait for that beautiful day in the Redbacks neighbourhood, we continue to fight with passion and purpose. With a high foul count in both the first and second quarters, we were able to keep our arms in and bodies out for the latter portion of the game. Even with many amazing teamwork transitions, we did struggle to keep up with the Wolves’ sneaky handoffs.
Megan Ling returned from injury today with a strong defensive mindset, causing many turnovers for the Wolves.
Emily Cakar was like a tornado today, and, whilst greatly reducing her foul count, unfortunately, had a head knock ending her game in the last quarter.

12-3 Girls – Khalid Elmi

Lost to East Perth 23-27

Coach comments

This was a tough game, as we missed many of the shots we usually make, but the girls finished strong and just fell a bit short towards the end.
Eloise Watts had a great game, top scoring for us with 8 pts.
Hannie Ryu has been the most consistent offensive player, scoring 6 points and making her first ‘and 1’.
Millicent Kavanagh scored as well after a great team play. Proud of you girls!

12-1 Boys – Ofir Ben Dror (sponsored by Pivot Project Consulting)

Lost to Cockburn 53-63

Coach comments

Once again, the quarter-time margin was the full-time margin. We are playing a beautiful brand of basketball, but only for three quarters. Onwards and upwards.
Seth Cass was great on the defensive side, but his offensive game was his best this season. The opposition could not contain him in the second half.
Victor Muyna was great on both sides of the court. He showed leadership and called the right plays.

12-2 Boys – Dom Pitchen (sponsored by Sushi Wawa)

Won against Rockingham 83-42

Coach comments

The boys played very well for the whole game, moving the ball to open players quickly, which allowed for many open shots. They were moving wide on fast breaks, allowing them to score easily. Their defensive pressure was also excellent, which got them many stops and forced turnovers. Great job, boys.
Talin McCullough was everywhere on the court. He had a massive impact on the game, energising the boys and setting the tempo. Well done, Talin.
Pio Sampiano took great shots and hit just about every single one. He also did well moving the basketball to open players. Great job, Pio.
Noah Ouwendyk did very well not to foul while still being a very strong defensive presence. He moved the ball to open players and finished contested layups. Great work, Noah.

12-3 Boys – Craig Dropulich (sponsored by Profusion Planning)

Won against Rockingham Flames 51-32

Coach comments

There was plenty of growth from all my players after winning the Winter Classic last week, with two extremely close finals won. This week’s game was a great game for us too. We controlled the pace, tempo, and scoring right throughout the whole game. We got out to a 9-point lead from the tip-off and worked hard every minute that each player was on the court. In the second half, the players decided to cheer every good play on the court from the bench to bring an energy that we have not had too often in our games. I think the bonding and maturity from the Winter Classic is starting to bring a team-first mentality.
Ryan Karaki had a great game, nailing three mid-range shots from his preferred open spot on the court. He brought his customary aggression, fight for the ball, and lots of movement on offense. Ryan is starting to think his way through offense more now and taking the right shots at the right time.
Rintaro Haginiwa had a good game and is becoming our division’s most dominant big player on the court. He has worked hard on his positioning on court, rebounding, shooting and getting put-backs. Rintaro was a stand out for us in the Winter Classic.

12-4 Boys – Wayne Dropulich (sponsored by Playa Coffee)

Won against Eastern Suns 63-29

Coach comments

We played against the Eastern Suns and had all 10 of our playing roster available, which gave us a strong advantage. It was a good all-around game, with everyone getting on the scoreboard and showing the depth and versatility of our team.
An easy win was expected today because the Suns are lower on the ladder. So it was pleasing to see the boys maintain their intensity and focus throughout the game.
We won each of the first two quarters by 10 points, leading at halftime with a score of 34 to 14. This strong start set the tone for the rest of the match.
We came out even stronger in the third quarter, extending our lead by another 13 points. This consistent performance ensured that we had a comfortable lead heading into the final quarter.
With the game completely in hand, we relaxed in the last quarter but still managed to finish strong, ultimately winning the game with a final score of 63 to 29. Overall, it was a very good performance, demonstrating our team’s improvement during the season.
Franklin Etter had an outstanding game, scoring an impressive 21 points. Each of his baskets was well-earned, showcasing his skill and determination on the court. Frankie maintained a consistent scoring pace throughout the game, contributing significantly to our team’s performance. His ability to score under pressure and his relentless effort were evident in every play.
Santiago Cortez also had a good game, scoring 5 points and making valuable contributions to the team. Santi excelled in facilitating the offense, played strong defense, and brought a lot of energy to the court. His efforts were crucial in helping his team maintain a high level of play throughout the game.

14-1 Girls – Simon Daff (sponsored by Australian Financial Planners)

Won against Lakeside 44-38

Coach comments

After a two-week break and disruptions with training due to school holidays, it was nice to come away with a scrappy win. We didn’t shoot particularly well but did enough defensively to force them into many turnovers. The girls will be better for the run this week.
Scarlett Brown’s confidence seems to be growing every week. She is playing with high energy, making some big shots, and being disruptive at the defensive end. Her understanding of the game is growing every week.
Siena Mouttet is playing better every week. The more comfortable she is getting with her new teammates, the more aggressive she is playing. She never looks rattled or phased, and for a bottom-age player, that shows a lot of basketball maturity.

14-2 Girls – Reid Ballantine (sponsored by Fish Boss)

Lost to Slammers 33-34

Coach comments

We started the game playing really good basketball. During the first half, we dominated possession and had a lot of scoring opportunities, so it felt like we should be up by a fat margin at halftime. However, it was still a four-point game, as our shots were not dropping. We missed opportunities for second-chance shots by not running hard enough and following up our fast breaks.
Our transition spacing was a little narrow in this game, so passes were picked off. Bunbury did a good job of harassing us on the dribble with pick-pocket steals, so we were a little rattled. They stole momentum to lead by 5 in the closing minutes.
The girls did a good job of fighting to win the ball in the last minutes, so I am pleased they didn’t just watch Bunbury win. They really did fight for it at the end, and it was a one-point game.
There is no doubt this game stirred up some emotions, and a few of us were rattled during and afterwards (myself included). Fuel for the fire. Let’s bounce back this week 🙂
Congratulations Ava Armstrong for playing her 50th game today, sorry we couldn’t celebrate with a win. Ava’s cumulative experience on court is quite obvious with trademark good spacing and great chemistry with other players on the team.
After Harper Grace fouled off towards the end, although upset for a short moment, she composed herself and did a great job of supporting the team with great bench energy and confidence. Efforts to lift our team spirit on these tougher games will be really important in finals.

14-3 Girls – Helen Pardini (sponsored by Access Hire)

Won against Cockburn 47-30

Coach comments

The girls have had an outstanding month of basketball. This win follows their Winter Classic triumph and extends their WABL winning streak to three games, a testament to their dedication and continuous improvement. We controlled this game from start to finish. For the first time this season, we won all four quarters, which resulted in our largest win margin so far.
We made excellent reads in offence and executed our inbound plays effectively. Our transition and help defence were solid. We dominated the rebounds and protected the paint effectively, leading to 8 blocks and limiting Cockburn’s scoring opportunities. This win is a testament to the team’s hard work and commitment, and it’s rewarding to see their efforts translating into success on the court.
Eva Blyth had her best game of the season, hustling hard on both ends of the court and being a constant offensive threat.
Alyssa Rullo was again solid on both ends. Her relentless pressure defence resulted in 5 steals and 3 blocks, and she also contributed significantly on offense with 16 points.
Molly Nicholas, Robyn Saw, and Mia Exeter dominated the boards, pulling down a combined 24 rebounds. Mia also added 3 blocks to her impressive defensive performance.

14-4 Girls – Rori Roberts (sponsored by Habitat Finance)

Won against Hills Raiders Grey 48-22

Coach comments

After a very slow start and not playing our style of basketball, we were down 10-4 at the first break. Our second quarter was better, going 10-0. In the second half, we were able to play our style of game and pull the lead out. The second half was all defence.
Darcy Brian was the standout of the game, getting to the ring and finishing strong. She also pulled in some big rebounds against much taller girls.
Jana Djurasovic gets better every game. She is super strong on both offensive and defensive rebounding and can get in the lane for steals.

14-1 Boys – Ben Hamilton (sponsored by Geist Consulting)

Won against Senators 64-50

Coach comments

The last time we played the Senators, they were very physical. It was pleasing to see our team stand up better to that pressure during this game. This was a steady and composed performance by our team, gradually building a lead and quickly countering any momentum swings.
Despite these positives, we were pretty ill-disciplined in the final minute of the game, giving away some open shots and some turnovers and lacking offensive patience and structure. Had this game been close, we would have been in real trouble.
Ultimately, however, it was our consistency over four quarters that earned us a comfortable 14-point victory against a pretty well-rounded opposition.
Texas Tierney continues to develop his half-court pressure and perimeter defence. On offense, he showed great versatility on the wing, passing well to the trailers, attacking the ring, sneaking in for rebounds and putbacks, and hitting the outside jumper. Congratulations, Tex, on doing all the little things that combine to make you a great asset to this team.
After a few absences, it was great to have Matthew Lucano back. His composure, vision and IQ are vital to our structure and we are always more controlled when he plays. Welcome back Matt.
Harrison Moyle was in foul trouble early but was disciplined enough to play three quarters without fouling out. His rebounding and defensive workload in the paint is huge for us and very problematic for the opposition. He has an impressive work ethic and his focus on balance and footwork is producing great results on offence. Well done Harry.
Special shout-out to Mason Wigmore for coaching solo during the first half – thanks Mason.

14-2 Boys – Fletcher Clemmence (sponsored by Ponosh Vascular)

Lost to Kalamunda 45-53

Coach comments

The boys played well – we had worked on a few key things at training and they executed them well. Kalamunda is just a hard team to beat
Elliot Birch provided great leadership defensively and with his hustle
Lucas Vojkovic exhibited great shooting and control of pace
William Holzheimer gave great effort on rebounding and attacking strong to the ring

14-3 Boys – Brad Holyoak (sponsored by Westbeck Capital)

Won against Flames Black 70-56

Coach comments

We had a solid 4-quarter-effort game against a Rockingham team that came to win. It took us overtime to win the last time we faced them. In this game, they came out hard, we weathered the storm and finished the first quarter level. In the second quarter, our new offence started firing and you could see the Flames start to sweat. After halftime we put our foot down, asserted our dominance and pulled away. To the Flames’ credit, they came back at us, but we took all they could throw at us and powered away to a 16-point victory from our most consistent 4 quarters of the season. The whole team contributed, and everyone did their bit. Well done to you all.
Will Ryan played fantastic defence like that annoying fly at a bbq and showed us some silky skills, handling the ball and finishing well on the rim.
Ted Jarlett played strong under the bucket, handling their monster 5 men, boxing out hard, and cleaning the boards.
Joaquin Cortes played well in a new role on the post running the lanes and doing all the things we asked.

14-4 Boys – Ethan Saliacus (sponsored by Skyward Roof Plumbing)

Won against Rockingham 66-45

Coach comments

This win against a good side was a testament to what we’ve been building. Everything that was needed to get done to get the win was completed. Our defence was the best we’ve put out all season, and we moved the ball on offence which led to open triples and open layups no need for tough shots
Jayden Austin, who’s been away in America on holiday, came back and was a beast on both ends and was probably in every single 50-50 rebound or steal and won it
Tristan Leslie played with great poise and was also a beast on both ends. They couldn’t keep up with him when he went middle which created opportunities for his teammates to score

16-1 Girls – Sam Fox (sponsored by Sushi Wawa)

Lost to Joondalup 59-61

Coach comments

It took us a while to get to our normal level of competitive intensity in this game, which allowed the Wolves to get their stuff going. We went back and forth all game and, in the third, took the momentum. The Wolves are a quality side, and they took it back, getting up by 9 points with 2 minutes to go. We called time out at that point, and it was great to see the belief and determination to get the win. We put the pressure on and forced a heap of turnovers to get within 2 points. Though it was a tough loss, our high trust and committed play, especially in the end-of-game scenario, was great to see. We know we will always compete, stay unified and give ourselves a chance to win tough games.
Lailah Tasker was fantastic this game, bringing high-intensity defence, making great reads and hitting some clutch buckets, including a three on the halftime buzzer and a clutch assist on our last bucket to get us within 2.
Ella Welsh was dominant in offense, scoring a team-high 20 points, mostly by cutting off the ball and finishing with great efficiency.

16-2 Girls – Vance Karimi (sponsored by Packaging Perth)

Lost to Joondalup Wolves 52-59

Coach comments

The girls all played a cracking game. Our objectives today were to focus on our transition offence and never give up when beaten in defence. Grace and I were impressed with how well our girls transitioned in offense, passing the ball to open up advantages and opportunities. We knew the Wolves were a fast-paced, fit team, so the girls really stepped up to run back in transition defence and protect our basket. We pressured the ball all over the court, reading and denying passes and diving on loose balls. We mostly balanced the court well in offense and made good shot decisions. We even hit the lead briefly at the start of the forth. We were unfortunate with many missed shots but on the up side, they were the right shots based on good decisions.
Izzy Swann played a great game this week. She read the ball all over the court, pulled down offensive rebounds, and hustled all over the ball. I’m not sure if she knew it, but she blitzed the ball on a screen and immediately had drop coverage to take away the big on the roll.
Sam Morgan was amazing in defence, stayed low, remained big and contained her players all game. She was constantly communicating with her team mates on the court with great support and leadership, boxing and getting great rebounds.
Chelsea Ferris had a great game and brought her never-give-up attitude throughout. She pushed the ball in transition really well and denied some great passes by taking well-calculated risks reading the ball and aggressively denying.

16-3 Girls – Dave Ogden (sponsored by Kai Rho Consulting)

Lost to Perry Lakes 36-40

Coach comments

The girls played the undefeated Hawks at home. Both teams struggled to find an offensive rhythm, but we finally found a groove in the last 6 or 7 minutes of the game.
In the last quarter we came from 19 points down to within a basket and had a couple of shots to tie the game up.
After a few days of reflection, we turned a long day at the basketball stadium into a win of sorts and will hopefully gain some belief from our comeback and the manner in how we did it going forward.
Paige Ogden was the game high scorer with 15 and was equally effective at the defensive end all game.
Scarlett Hill came to life in the last quarter and hit a couple of team lifting threes and gave her team great energy in our whole court press.
Abi Leslie was in foul trouble all game but attacked the game with the right approach and showed she could play against the best players in our division.

16-4 Girls – Marcia Dowling (sponsored by Professional Web Solutions)

Lost to Mandurah 59-62

Coach comments

Mandurah came out of the blocks fast in this game scoring the first 7 points. We fought back hard to score the last 8 points of the quarter to level things at 15-15 at quarter time. From there, it was a game of little runs and many lead changes. With scores level with a minute to go, Mandurah called a time out and were able to score from that. We fought well and got ourselves in a position to make a game-tying shot with seconds remaining, but unfortunately, it didn’t drop. Full credit to the girls for their effort and fight.
Offensively, it was an even contribution all round from the team. Alessia Wladyka, Ella Djurasovic and Macaela Tugwell all contributed 8 points, Madison McKibbin had 10 and Meg White, 14.

16-1 Boys – Mitch Jesson (sponsored by DLA Piper)

Won against Eastern Suns 67-58

Coach comments

The Suns are a team that always put in a big effort against us regardless of how either team’s form line is.
Our key goal in this game was to use our size advantage. The Suns could double the post on offense (and they did), but a season-high 51 defensive boards helped keep this game within our control. While our turnovers were still too high, as good teams do, we still found a way to get the win on the road. A shoutout to our supporter group too. We never feel alone on the road and we appreciate the cheers from the sideline.
Tait Dalton was never lonely, as the moment he touched the ball he had company. Tait did what a lot of boys are unable to do, he focused on being valuable to the team in other places. He was constantly the release on the Sun’s press and set up others, as well as just monstering anyone driving the lane (5 blocks).
Jaden Exeter slotted in for his first game back from a successful Nationals campaign. In a workmanlike performance, Ex racked up a double-double with 12 points and 18 boards, 2 threes, 5 steals and 5 assists. Jaden is learning to dominate games and take what the opposition gives him.
Mark Sunkar comes off the bench and would be one of the most selfless players I’ve coached. He runs hard, rebounds big, and brings a free-flowing attitude to the game, which is great to watch. A favourite amongst his teammates, we all just want to see Mark grow as a player in remaining games and start to look to score.

16-2 Boys – Dan Cartwright (sponsored by Triple Seven)

Won against Lakeside 100-76

16-3 Boys – Francis Crawshaw (sponsored by Teqar IT Consulting)

Won against Lakeside 82-55

16-4 Boys – Cheyne Kerp (sponsored by Perth Safety Deposit Boxes)

Lost to Mandurah Magic White 55-86

Coach comments

The first quarter saw our lowest score of the season thus far. Down 8-13, we rallied back by playing more intense D and being more patient on O, to be only be down 2 at the half
Unfortunately, Mandurah went on a 22-7 run to start the third quarter, and in the last quarter, we allowed Mandurah to continue their momentum, outscoring us 57-28 in the last half.
In the 2nd quarter, there was some pleasing d, and we got some intercepts/turnovers from our full-court press.
Need to sustain our effort and energy for 4 quarters

18-1 Girls – Kelly Webb (sponsored by Aussie Fencing)

Lost to Joondalup 42-87

Coach comments

Our team had a rough game against the Wolves. In the end, the team with more willpower, deft shooting, and physical consistency took the win.
Jenna Jackson and Blaise Stancil showed amazing leadership qualities.
Mikayla Deshon (18pts) was a consistent scorer throughout the game.
Anais Adnams, Charlotte Broadbent, Kate Anderson and Ella Ferris took more responsibility on the offensive end which is a good improvement.
Improvement on the defensive end could be observed for Matilda Thomson, Tiana Alger and Chloe Atkinson.

18-2 Girls – Steve Herring (sponsored by MD Building Maintenance)

Won against Lakeside White 73-57

Coach comments

It was a bit of a slow start, and we were neck and neck with Lakeside for the first half. We stayed with the game plan and started getting ahead in the third, and then we finished with a strong fourth quarter to seal the game.
Stephanie Hunt had a great offensive game with 25 points
Theory Snooks-Holding had a great supporting game on both ends, playing a solid rear defensive line
Jessica Kerp played a great supporting role with assists and effective defensive efforts.

18-3 Girls – Andy Zell (sponsored by High Octane Automotive Services)

Lost to Joondalup 50-85

Coach comments

This week, we played away against an improving Joondalup side. After the holidays, we were a little rusty but full of energy.
We started off well, flowing the ball to our bigs, driving confidently through lanes and pushing through Joondalup’s full court press with ease.
However, in the middle of the second quarter, one of our players suffered an injury and Joondalup were able to get a run on. Although we matched Joondalup in patches, we were unable to wrest the momentum away from the home side.
In the final quarter, we were able to change some of our rotations and play with fun and flair.
Em Strika played a wonderful game. She adjusted to a slightly different style of play and drove expertly from the left.
Yusra Handle also played a stellar game. She was strong in the paint, collected rebounds against strong opponents and impacted Joondalup’s ability to drive to the lane.

18-1 Boys – Andrew Logan

Won against Mandurah 90-64

Coach comments

A game where we were in front from start to finish. It was good to shake the rust and prepare for tougher competition in the upcoming weeks.
Alex Pardini continues to impress as a floor general, prioritising setting his teammates up to score. On D, he consistently read the opposition picking off their passes creating easy transition buckets for us.
Max Wishart battled hard as our only true 5 for the game. He was punished physically but kept a cool head, delivering another double-double.
Luke Dropulich and Xavier Tanner came on in the first quarter and ratcheted up the intensity of the game. Their D set the tone for the rest of the game. It was great to see Xav splashing a three and Luke getting some buckets.

18-2 Boys – Marshall Robinson (sponsored by Integrity Fencing and Gates)

Lost to Warwick 83-121

18-3 Boys – Louis Timms (sponsored by Icon Plumbing Solutions)

Won against Joondalup 76-52

Coach comments

Joondalup came ready to play and stuck around for the first half with quick and early transition baskets. Once our boys were able to take that away the tempo of the game shifted in our favour allowing us to control possessions and eventually score out of our defense more effectively.
Mitch Kensett-Smith was a standout for us scoring 20 points to go along with a solid defensive game.
Michael Ryan was big for us on rebounds in the second half
Zac Anfuso’s reliable intensity has become a key part of our team’s success.

18-4 Boys – Nick D’Elia (sponsored by Mortgage Choice – Emma Tyler)

Won against Hills Raiders 94-72

Coach comments

This week, we started strong. New offences that we’ve been working on were extremely efficient from the first play of the game. Our defense was also strong and we put on a good lead early and never looked back. We got lots of fast breaks and cheap buckets via great rebounding from our bigs.
Deegan Castle had a huge putback dunk
Gabe Fode came off the bench and top-scored with array of drives
Zadyn Thomas bullied the opposition on both offense and defense.

21-1 Girls – John Care’ (sponsored by Fine Food WA)

Won against South West Slammers 67-64

Coach comments

We had a slow start to the game, and we knew that playing top of the ladder team would not be easy. However, in the 2nd and 3rd, we were giving up 10-12 point lead to then bring it back, closing out the quarters within 3-4 points. In the 4th, we managed to get on a 8-0 run which swung the momentum in our favour. Slammers brought it back within three and applied enough pressure to make it very un-easy; however, the girls managed to hang on and win the game.
Ella Summers’ debut game brought great poise in offence and pressure in defence.
Hannah Saliacus had an amazing 4th quarter with 10 points.
Dahney Chamberlain’s defensive pressure on the ball and energy off the bench were fantastic.

20-1 Boys – Graham Jones (sponsored by Bendigo Bank Community Bank North Perth)

Lost to Joondalup 62-133

20-2 Boys – Dario Povia (sponsored by Bendigo Bank Community Bank North Perth)

Lost to East Perth Red 67-93

Coach comments

We started well after a long WABL break but couldn’t maintain our level after quarter time, and the game gradually slipped away. Our opposition played with more energy and hunger—they were simply better than us in most areas on the day.
Despite the loss, we had some decent players on the day but this was a pretty balanced effort across the team. A shout out to Tom Muntz, who suited up for the game after a long layoff.