Weekly WABL Wrap – Round 4 – 18 May 2025

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

Here’s the Round 4 wrap-up of how all our teams went, including comments from coaches:

12-1 Girls – Kelly Webb (sponsored by CPR Electrical)

Lost to Willetton 20-67

Coach comments

• We struggled with our movement in the first half, however, we showed a lot of grit and intensity in the second half, which made a difference in the overall team chemistry. This is something we will be working on in the lead-up to the start of the game next week.

12-2 Girls – Charlize Nicolaou (sponsored by Mount Hawthorn Clinical Psychology)

Lost to Hills Raiders 10-62

Coach comments

• I had the super 7 with me on Sunday, although we had only 7 players, the girls did super!
• These girls stepped up to the challenge with more confidence than I’ve ever seen from them!
• Even with the high difference in score, the girls played the whole game like it was a 1-point difference the entire game, whether it was chasing after the ball on fast breaks or loose balls, to everyone rebounding, no matter what end it was at!
• I’m super happy with how the girls played and handled the pressure given to us by Raiders 🙂
• Caitlyn Lim was a literal ninja the entire game, stepping into the main ball handler role like a beast! She was an absolute menace on court the entire game! I was blown away by her ability and performance the entire game!!!
• K or Kitkat was an absolute force to be reckoned with, building on what we did at training the last 2 weeks to turn into an absolute beast! Whether it was getting rebounds (she got almost every rebound when she was on court) or stepping out of her confidence zone to help get the ball up the court!
• Anya was the backbone of our team on Sunday, being the “coach on court” the entire time! From setting up plays to telling girls to create space for their teammates to being an expert defender on the opposite team, teaming up with other teammates to help turn the ball over multiple times !
• My super 7: Caitlyn, Kitkat, Anya, Indi, Millie, Claire and Emily all played so well and hard together on Sunday and I’m 1 lucky coach to have them this season 🙂

12-3 Girls – Paul Philpott

Lost to Lakeside 24-37

Coach comments

• A real struggle for our girls today to stay in touch with Lakeside. The takeaway for our girls is that success is not final, failure is not fatal: we will continue to find the courage to stay at our best, and that is what counts! Whilst our defence continues to be quick and strong, producing many favourable turnovers, we also collected a high foul count and unfortunately failed to cash in at our end. We all know what we will be working on this week.
• Katie Cross had a breakout game today with a nice 10 points scored.
• Jean Grayson continues to improve each week, taking the lead today in many transitions through heavy traffic.
• Ellie Barrett scraped up many Lakeside crumbs, halting their attack.

12-4 Girls – Dave Power

Lost to East Perth 11-34

Coach comments

• We knew we were in for a tough game, playing against the top of the table team. Our team goal before the game was to hold them to less than 35 points. This was a huge ask as they have scored between 41 to 59 every game.
• The girls initially were a little shocked at the physicality, but once we got through the 1st quarter, we started making adjustments.
• At three-quarter time they had scored 32. The girls had held them outside the paint from mid-way through the 3rd.
• In the huddle going into the 4th, we wanted to protect the paint and worked really hard defending them to only 2 points (a mid-range jumper) in the 4th, keeping them under our target.
• Offensively, we had lots of good breakouts and some good shot attempts, a good learning experience against the older, more physical girls.
• This was a huge effort against the ladder leaders, great job ladies!
• We are getting little break out moments from every player every week now, every player had a good moment.
• Ella was much more aggressive both sides of the ball.
• Our defensive anchor, Wanda was the first back to stop the ball on breaks and protected the paint finishing with 6 blocks, huge effort for a shooting guard.

12-1 Boys – Craig Dropulich (sponsored by Profusion Planning)

Lost to Perry Lakes 39-73

Coach comments

• The Hawks brought loads of pressure in this one, which we handled alright in the first half. Just after half time, we were back to within 2 points, then their trap got the better of us, we made uncharacteristic mistakes and conceded 14 turnovers for the quarter to finish with 43 turnovers total for the match. It is the one stat that kills you at the U12 level.
• It was a good game for testing where we are and what needs to be worked on. The last quarter was played with more physicality and played to how the game was being refed so some lessons were learned today. Heads up, we will keep improving and on to the next challenge.
• Levi McKibbin never stopped trying and was efficient with his shots. Levi gets a different role each week and takes to it, executing every week. He puts lots of physical pressure on the ball and plays through contact.
• Frankie Etter also has different tasks each week in games. His defence was great toda,y and he keeps moving on offence to give us options. He has super quick feet and is not afraid of contact. He soaks up everything we tell him and asks all the right questions to show he is progressing well.

12-2 Boys – Dom Pitchen (sponsored by Candy Verse)

Lost to Perry Lakes 57-66

Coach comments

• The boys started well, matching with the Hawks and trying to move the ball around to find each other for good shots and to attack the ring strongly. The Hawks played a solid defence, which forced turnovers that in the end cost us the game, but the boys should be very happy with their efforts and are getting better each week.
• Gus Rafferty was strong bringing the ball up the court, drawing many fouls and starting multiple fast breaks for us. his defensive pressure was great and set the bar for how intense and how much effort the boys need. Great work Gus.
• Ioane Ivala-Kotua was a strong presence inside the key, crashing the glass to get second chance points and spacing the floor on breaks to allow the boys to have easy baskets. Good job Ioane.

12-3 Boys – Wayne Dropulich (sponsored by Axis Mineral Service)

Lost to Cockburn Blue 50-55

Coach comments

• We started Sunday’s game with excellent defensive energy, applying consistent pressure and forcing early fouls from the Cougars. Miles, Cayden, and Cody led the charge offensively, helping us jump out to a 12-4 lead. Quinn added a strong finish to the quarter, and Hudson calmly knocked down two free throws to close out the period with a 14-8 advantage.
• The second quarter began with us maintaining our momentum and lead at 17-13, thanks to steady contributions from Miles and Baxter at the free-throw line. However, Cockburn responded with a flurry of three-pointers and fast-break scores, closing the half on a 22-4 run. Despite our efforts, we struggled to contain their shooters and entered halftime trailing 35-21.
• In the third quarter, we showed great resilience. Hudson and Cayden led the comeback with composed free-throw shooting and strong drives, supported by Baxter’s energy and key baskets. By the end of the quarter, we had closed the gap slightly to 49-36 thanks to excellent team defence and smarter offensive decisions.
• We carried that momentum into the fourth quarter with Cayden continuing to attack the basket, Barnaby hitting a timely three-pointer, and Jesse and Cole contributing crucial baskets. Our defensive pressure and forced turnovers sparked a 14-2 run, bringing us within two points at 52-50. Despite a strong final push, Cockburn managed to hold on, and we fell just short, 55-50.
• Cayden Wedge delivered a strong all-around performance, finishing with 13 points, 11 rebounds, 7 steals and 3 assists. His aggressive drives created scoring opportunities and kept the pressure on the defence. On the other end, Cayden’s defensive intensity led to several key steals, helping shift momentum and energise the team throughout the game.
• Cody Ashworth showed great growth in his game, demonstrating improved defensive pressure and making smarter decisions on both ends of the court. His shot selection was more composed, contributing to a more efficient and effective performance.

12-4 Boys – Mason Wigmore (sponsored by Sushi Wawa)

Lost to Eastern Suns 43-59

Coach comments

• After a slow start to the game, our boys showed incredible composure and resilience, fighting back from two separate 16-point deficits. Ultimately, fatigue got the better of us, but there was no shortage of positive signs.
• Otis Tierney had his best game of the season, combining his usual effort with consistently good decision making.
• Kedar McCullough also impressed with his grit and hustle. Kedar was always first back to the basket or on a loose ball.
• Lachie Bright’s quickness up and down the floor was vital for our runs as he helped us move the ball up the floor with speed.

14-1 Girls – Helen Pardini (sponsored by Ferguson Corporation)

Lost to Cockburn 35-46

Coach comments

• We opened the game with a strong start, matching Cockburn in a tightly contested first quarter. A dominant second quarter followed, where we took control and held Cockburn to just 4 points, allowing us to head into halftime with a 3-point lead.
• However, Cockburn’s physicality began to take its toll in the second half. Despite staying within striking distance, we couldn’t quite bridge the gap. Foul trouble disrupted our rotations, and although we created quality scoring opportunities in the final quarter, we struggled to capitalise on them.
• We’ll continue to focus on improving our finishing under pressure and reducing turnovers moving forward.
• The girls gave everything they had—showing heart, resilience, and refusing to back down in a tough, physical contest.
• Mia Exeter provided early spark and momentum. Despite being on four fouls, she returned in the final quarter to deliver strong defensive efforts, helping to force several key stops. She finished with 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.
• Freya Whitehouse continues to grow in confidence and form each week. She displayed poise and control, contributing strongly on defence with 6 rebounds and 2 blocks.
• Isabel Nesa impressed with her defensive intensity. She positioned herself well, used her body effectively, and consistently stayed in front of her opponent.

14-2 Girls – Reid Ballantine (sponsored by Access Hire)

Lost to Hills Raiders 48-61

Coach comments

• We got off to a flying start, which was very encouraging. Our best first quarter so far, and lots of great highlights, and our highest scoring game yet! Every single player on court got points, rebounds, and steals.
• There were holes in our defensive transition all game, and to be fair we were lucky Raiders missed some conversions earlier in the game, but they finally came good in Q4 and punished us. We need to improve our reaction time and speed and hustle back on D.
• We went 0/13 from deep with too many rushed shots, definitely missed opportunities given we converted nearly 50% when in the paint, so we need to be more patient and not hoik it up so early.
• Elsey Lohman White gave us a great start to the game with the first 5 points and after that Alyssa Rullo (14 points) and Eva Blyth (10 points) were dangerous when driving into the paint.
• Allegra Care was back to her best, speedy self on cour,t generating deflections and steals and was very reliable on the ball.

14-3 Girls – Rori Roberts (sponsored by National Geotech)

Lost to Suns 31-40

Coach comments

• Tough loss, but lots of learning from this game.
• Offensively, the ball just would not go in the hoop. We had a number of very good looks that just didn’t fall. Defensively, we had some really good patches; however, we went to sleep a few times and the Suns were able to get a few baskets to extend the lead.
• Kate McKern had her strongest game of the season. Rebounding the ball hard and finishing strong.
• Kyra Hiew stepped up and played her first WABL game of the season, knocking down a big 3 and playing some amazing defence.

14-4 Girls – Lucy Dowling (sponsored by Gobsmacked Mouthguards)

Won against Kalamunda Blue 36-29

Coach comments

• We were missing some height in this game, but it didn’t stop us from crashing the boards.
• Suns fought back in the third quarter as we slowed down, but we came back strong in the fourth and picked our energy back up.
• We did well to follow/relocate when our teammates attacked the basket, and our decision-making is improving every week.
• Zara Flynn and Zoe Bartucciotto boxed out much taller opponents and put their bodies on the line.
• Maeve Whitehouse continues to impress everyone with her fast breaks and quick footwork.
• Ally Taylor and Matilda Thompson kept the team motivated with their constant positive Energy.

14-1 Boys – Adam Gunnis (sponsored by Paragon Corporate Training)

Lost to Mandurah 67-73

Coach comments

• Another tough game that didn’t end with our first win. We started slowly but showed great resilience in fighting our way back into the contest. Credit to the boys — they’ve been working hard and adapting to new offensive actions and concepts each week. It’s helping build their basketball IQ, but naturally, the lack of continuity from week to week is showing.
• Jo Cortes has been our jack of all trades this season, stepping into different roles not just game to game, but quarter to quarter. He’s adapted impressively well and has shown significant growth in his guard/wing skills and overall understanding of the position.

14-2 Boys – Mitch Jesson (sponsored by E&M Electrical)

Won against Mandurah Gold 87-67

Coach comments

• Heading into this contest 0-3, there was a fair bit riding on getting our first win. We’d been in every game so far, but we had locked into winning this game by the mantra “playing our game for longer”.
• We had our best training session of the year on Wednesday and turned this into a 87-67 victory. After a shaky first quarter, we really played the next 3 quarters like it mattered and the highlight was a 31 to 14 third quarter.
• Key metrics were all there – winning rebounds by +14, -5 on turnovers and dominated transition with a +13 margin. There were times when really beautiful basketball was on show, and I was very proud that every single boy was a contributor.
• To quote one of our boys ….”Let’s keep the streak going”
• Harry Frame was one of the boys who worked out where his role in the team lies. We have some boys who can score and they often draw the attention of the defence. Harry consistently runs harder than his opponents in transition and punishes them for it. 15 points made Harry our second-highest scorer, with one all-net 3 and a chase-down block being the bonus.
• Kruz Viesca had his first game back free of restrictions. Kruz is a Rolls Royce guard – he’s too quick for most defenders and he just broke open the defence time and time again. Shooting 13 points at over 50%, 3 assists, 3 steals and 8 boards demonstrate why we are so glad to have him back.
• Tom Smith is a dangerous offensive player. When we move the defence around – very few players one one-on-one will keep him out of the key. Tom finished with 26, including 9 free throws at over 80% and a double-double with 10 boards. We’ll keep challenging Tom at the defensive end of the court and to play defence without getting early fouls.

14-3 Boys – Dave Ogden (sponsored by Balance My Books)

Lost to Cockburn 47-54

Coach comments

• The boys were away at Cockburn and played a really solid first half, which saw us up by 11 at halftime. We kept a good Cockburn team to under 20 points and were able to score freely ourselves.
• We competed well on the boards, looked after the basketball and created some really good shots.
• We were missing a couple of players and I think maybe some fatigue and the lifted intensity of the Cockburn team was ultimately too much to overcome, we gave the ball back cheaply at times and got overrun but plenty of positives in the first half and highlights some areas for us to go away and work on.
• Jeremy Zhu played his first game for the team as our train-on and top scored for us with 10. He showed the ability to see a good scoring lane and finished his work, and his athleticism can have an impact for us.
• Laurence Gil Yape worked really hard against a bigger opponent and did what he could to compete on the glass and give us an inside presence.
• In a game of turnovers for us in the last half, I thought Noah Ouwendyk and Maz Tepania showed the confidence to trust and express their dribble skills and be prepared not to dribble in straight lines.

14-4 Boys – Ethan Saliacus (sponsored by Meritus Legal)

Won against Hills Raiders 55-39

Coach comments

• This was a positive game on both ends, especially in the first half as a lot of our buckets came off assists and our offence. We held them to ten points in the first half but in the second, turnovers crept in and our defensive intensity dropped from the first. This led to a closer game than it should’ve been
• Tyler Carter’s shots weren’t dropping but he ran the offence well and gave the aggression and high-intensity pressure on defence, forcing turnovers
• Matt Price was amazing on both ends. His defensive pressure caused havoc and plenty of turnovers, leading to points for himself and his teammates
• Elliot Grierson was also great, taking good drives to the bucket, limiting his turnovers, and always playing great defence in our press

16-1 Girls – Nigel Esau (sponsored by F45 Vic Park)

Won against Cockburn 67-64

16-2 Girls – Simon Daff (sponsored by West Coast Reinforcing)

Won against Slammers 85-57

Coach comments

• We have been working on slowing the game down the last few weeks to make better decisions and reduce turnovers and today we did that. We led from start to finish and had our best scoring quarter of the year with 31 points in the 3rd.
• We had 5 girls in double figures this week, which shows we aren’t relying on one person to do the job. The girls are playing for each other.
• Alessia Wladyka once again controlled the game at point. Her ability to stay calm under pressure and always make the right play. When the ball is in her hands, we look like a different team.
• Halle Griffiths had her best game of the season. Usually, I rely on her great defence, but today she blended both to be rewarded with 12 points. Her rebounding today was very strong.
• Ellie Pike once again led from the front as captain. Her energy and hustle to dive on loose balls and always win the 50/50 ball just showed why she is the captain and a barometer for our team.

16-3 Girls – Dahney Chamberlain (sponsored by Total Digital)

Lost to Eastern Suns 60-65

Coach comments

• Both teams came out strong in this game. Our girls worked super hard and did not for one second drop their heads and give up. They gave the Suns a run for their money, but in the end, the Suns unfortunately came out on top. Seeing as we have won three games in a row it was definitely disappointing, but we are determined to come out on top next time we play the Suns! An incredible game to watch and amazing effort 🙂
• Daisy Dalla-Costa played an incredible game this weekend. She was strong under the basket, scoring 17 points. Defensively, she was switched on and played really well off the ball.
• Ella Moffat played a great game as well, putting some really good shots up and getting back in defence. Her improvement is amazing to see.
• Anabella Lewis shocked me this weekend, her confidence was amazing and defensively she was super ball hungry! Her improvement over the past few games has been crazy and it’s very exciting to see

16-4 Girls – Caitlin Rawes (sponsored by NewSmile Dental Centre)

Won against Cockburn 64-62

Coach comments

• This is the first game the girls have come out and been hungry for the ball. They played amazingly as a team in that first quarter, securing themselves a good head start coming out of the first. Harper and Soni had some great feeds to each other, leading to some open layups. Saachi and Nora also stepped up this game and played a key role in defence. Some foul trouble for us brought the score a bit too close for comfort, and the Cougars came out hard in the second half to bring the score to a draw with 50 seconds on the clock remaining. We called a timeout with 23 seconds left on the clock. The girls did amazing with a big crowd watching and 16-4 boys at the baseline cheering them on as well (thank you). Happily, we got a score off the timeout in the last 10 seconds to secure the win.
• Harper Grace is a midsize player playing as a big, and she is playing that role well.
• Something clicked in Saachi T’ien today – it was easily her best game yet
• We put Nora Ostermeyer in an important position defensively where she wouldn’t usually be, and she killed it

16-1 Boys – Francis Crawshaw (sponsored by Pivot Project Consulting)

Lost to Willetton 80-101

Coach comments

• The final score doesn’t really reflect on how we played. This was probably our best game of the season – we played really well for 3 and a half quarters, then fell apart with 5 minutes to go.
• We were getting in the lane with ease, and our shooting percentage was up from previous weeks. Our turnovers and allowing Tigers to get offensive rebounds down the stretch was probably what killed us in the end. And we struggled to guard the post. But each week we are seeing improvements.
• Shout out to Riley Barmentloo who had 27 in this game. Nate Cass had 12 and Kimzy Matondo 10

16-2 Boys – Dave Power (sponsored by F45 Vic Park)

Won against Lakeside 78-55

Coach comments

• We locked in defensively from the tip-off.
• We knew they wanted to shoot from deep and we chased them off the line or made them shoot contested 3’s. They only hit four 3’s, which were only made very late in the 3rd, and three of them in the 4th.
• Our defence held them to 10, 10 & 9 for the first three quarters, solid effort pressuring the ball and defending well in the half court.
• Offensively we played our best game so far being aggressive in sets and patient finding the extra pass. We had control of what we wanted for most of the game.
• Tace Rankin was a threat from deep, hitting four 3’s, and being aggressive off the dribble, getting to the basket. Being a threat and moving well off the ball as well, Tace spaced the floor, allowing his teammates room to attack. Tace finished with a game high 26.
• Sebastian Doyle was able to get to the paint or create space 1v1 whenever he got the ball, hard to stop on the left side of the floor.
• Erik Davies found his touch by being patient and moving to gaps for his shots, then taking up space on defence getting rebounds and deflections.

16-3 Boys – Ash Brian (sponsored by Cogito Psychology)

Lost to Slammers 75-77

Coach comments

• In a top-of-the-table clash, we knew coming away with a win in Bunbury with just seven players was going to be a tough challenge.
• We got off to a hot start, fueled by Lucas Vojkovic’s early three-point shooting, which helped us take control of the game. But as fatigue set in, we struggled to maintain the lead — especially against their press and on the boards — allowing the Slammers to take over down the stretch.
• Christian Cvitan put in another complete performance, contributing across all areas of the stat sheet.
• Lucas continued his strong shooting form, finishing with six threes.
• While Matthew Lucano was quiet on the scoreboard, his impact was huge with 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals.
• Harrison Moyle worked relentlessly inside, finishing with his season-high in rebounds, including some big ones late in the game while we were still within striking distance.
• A big shoutout to injured teammates Tex and Kobe, who made the trip down to Bunbury and stepped up as Assistant Coaches for the game.

16-4 Boys – John Revelle (sponsored by Wille Creek Pearls)

Lost to Mandurah Gold 59-73

Coach comments

• In our second home game of the season, the boys played Mandurah Gold fairly even throughout the contest, losing each quarter by a slim margin of just 3.5 points on average. For perspective, one extra defensive stop and one extra basket per quarter, and we win the game. Unfortunately, the free-throw line was not kind to us this weekend, as we could have won it there as well. The good news is, we have plenty defensively to work on to ensure a different result the next time we play Mandurah Gold on 17 August in their gym.
• Jacob Tan (13 pts) led a balanced attack along with Tom Burnett (11 pts) and Ethan Cooper (10 pts) each scoring in double figures.
• Parker Dunstan and Will Holzheimer were each one FG away from cracking double figures, with 8pts and 7pts respectively.

18-1 Girls – Sam Fox (sponsored by Woods Insurance Brokers)

Lost to Rockingham 51-81

Coach comments

• We started this game as the stronger team, leading almost to half-time before letting the Flames go on a run and take the lead back. Unfortunately, in the third quarter, we let their pressure speed us up and totally get us out of our offensive system. This was a game that illustrated what happens if we don’t play with commitment to our style. There was strong resolve after the game to correct this trend, and we’re still holding fifth in the ladder, so we know we have the opportunity to turn it around.
• Lemafa Tuialli and Leeshar Tuialli showed what leadership looks like when a game goes badly; they kept giving maximum effort throughout and modelling responsibility.
• Matilda Pyne and Harriet Woods were both aggressive and creative at both ends, getting steals and creating shots for themselves and others.
• Amina Handule played solid defence against an excellent Flames big and is continuing to grow in her role.

18-2 Girls – Geoff Alger (sponsored by The Loan Company)

Lost to East Perth 46-55

Coach comments

• This was a much improved effort with longer periods of higher intensity defence and rebounding intent, which were missing last week.
• Ultimately, we weren’t on for long enough or polished enough to capitalise when we were on to win the match. The final margin was decided by periods where our opposition was able to capitalise on our turnovers and defensive lapses.
• Some well-executed offensive sets were a nice sign of things to come.
• Loud and positive support from the bench and our family support group is a real plus for this team.
• Lola Bingwa filled the stat sheet with rebounds, steals, assists and high efficiency shooting. Just as importantly, her commitment to secure loose balls is now a trademark highlight of her game.
• Lilly Flynn can also be trusted to dive on the loose ball and brings great energy and intent every minute that she’s on the court, and consistently disrupts opponents’ offense with pressure defence.
• Matilda Wyatt worked hard to secure 10 boards, with 6 of these on the offensive end and was another who is able to cause opposition turnovers from defensive pressure.

18-3 Girls – Marcia Dowling (sponsored by Packaging Perth)

Won against East Perth 75-40

Coach comments

• From the start, our team showed resilience against a very tactile team. The girls made great passes up court and their defence was incredibly consistent throughout four quarters. Every player finished shots, played great help in both offensive and defensive plays and were vocal and encouraging.
• Ella Baxter and Charlie Foster shot consistently well and also played essential roles in assists.
• Once again, Paige Wigmore and Sam Morgan fought hard under the basket.
• Sienna Care and Mya Slee were so flexible, flipping roles as needed due to us only having nine players.
• Charlotte Dillon recovered well after an early fingernail in the eye. She and Meiling made transition very tricky for the Eagles.
• Chelsea Ferris played her best game yet, fighting in offence and taking great three-point shots

18-1 Boys – Stephen Charlton (sponsored by Cannington Mazda)

Won against Cockburn 105-76

Coach comments

• Another game where we came out strong, established a lead early, and held it through to the end. This was a game where everyone hit the scoreboard, and we had six players in double-digits, so a great all-around team effort.
• Special mention to Zayde Parriman, who was back today after a few weeks out. He contributed 18 points.
• We’ve had four different leading scorers in our four games this season, which speaks well to the evenness of our team. Koby Kalebic led us today with 22.
• Cuba Brian had a tidy double-double of 10 points, 10 assists in this game too.

18-2 Boys – Nick D’Elia (sponsored by EJL Mechanical)

Won against Redbacks 18-3 100-64

Coach comments

• This week, we were struck by the injury bug and we went into the game with only 7 players. In a derby ‘must-win’ game for us, we started slow in the first quarter, with none of our shots falling, and Redbacks 3 pulled away to an early 10-point lead.
• We kept chipping away, however, and adjusting our defense to avoid getting into early foul trouble which we could not afford. Finally, in the second quarter, a few outside shots started to drop. However, every time we scored there was a quick answer at the other end with Riley and Hunter Mettam trading 3s.
• At half time we had managed to stay out of foul trouble and the monkey was off our back – we didn’t have to be so conservative on defence anymore. I don’t know what JR did at halftime, but he caught fire, dropping 3s and punishing them with strong drives to the basket on his way to a 35-point game. Before we knew it, we had a good lead as everyone contributed on the scoreboard. Hamzam Elmi and Deegan Castle dominated them on the rebounds and contested shots.
• It was great to see everyone get involved. They played a great game of basketball.

18-3 Boys – Dan Cartwright (sponsored by Meyer Shircore Architects)

Lost to Redbacks 18-2 64-100

18-4 Boys – Jess Tiwade (sponsored by Dental Gallery Mt Lawley)

Won against Hills Grey 85-67

Coach comments

• Heading into our fourth game, we hoped for another win; however, we knew it would be tough with two players out with illness and a few recovering from injury and illness. The first quarter caught us trailing behind as we faced a bigger, more physical team, and pressure was applied to our bigs, both in rebounding and on the boards. We changed our defence, which supported our offensive composure, and saw us up in the second quarter.
• Making another shift in defence to change the offence tempo of Hills saw the 3rd quarter as our best, we held a 19-point lead.
• Congratulations to the full team; it was certainly a team effort.
• Mark Sunkar plays an impressive, consistent game every week. Mark is a team member who is dependable both offensively and defensively. So impressive to see his composure, IQ and ball handling. Great game Mark!
• Jimmy Ford had another great game. As a strong defensive player, Jimmy played extremely well offensively with 13 points.
• Tom, Will and Max were the top scorers with a total of 51pts!

21-1 Girls – John Care’

Lost to Slammers 80-88

Coach comments

• The girls had a great start to the game, bouncing back from the game the week prior. Their effort, energy and execution were fantastic on both ends of the court. Unfortunately, halfway into the game, we lost Tahlia to a fractured/broken nose and foul trouble, which made things very hard for us to hold our lead and then play catch-up. With the Slammers resorting to playing through 1 player, it was making it very hard for us to contend.
• Nevertheless, it was a game in which I was proud of the girls’ heart to bounce back and prove we can take it to every team with that kind of effort.
• Jenna Jackson with 25 points, brought a lot of composure and smarts in both offence and defence.
• Talia Adams, whilst only playing half a game due to a fractured/broken nose, her defensive pressure was missed in the second half.
• Congrats to Kate Anderson, who played her 100th WABL game for Perth Redbacks on Sunday.

20-1 Boys – Andrew Logan (sponsored by IPI Packers)

Won against Willetton 77-75

Coach comments

• We started strong, easily outplaying our opponent in the first half. With good D and ball movement, we found it easy to score. The third quarter did not go our way. Willetton hit everything and we reverted to a one-pass shot offence. Down 5 for most of the last quarter, the boys stayed composed and eventually got the game back on our terms.
• Cooper Deshon had a big impact catching off curls and cuts to hit 5 threes. He was excellent when the game was there to be won in the fourth quarter.
• As always, Aiden Foley led the team with defensive pressure and intensity. Aiden made three from 3 free throws to put us up 2 with under a minute left. Great shooting under pressure.

20-2 Boys – John Foley

Lost to Cockburn 81-85

Coach comments

• The first quarter started with the Cougars coming out red-hot — they couldn’t seem to miss a shot, while we struggled to find our rhythm offensively and get the ball through the hoop.
• But the second quarter was a completely different story. We came out blazing! The boys lifted on defence, shared the ball beautifully, and created some fantastic scoring opportunities. It was some of the best basketball I’ve seen from this team. We dominated the quarter, winning it 24–12.
• We carried that momentum into the third quarter. The defence stayed strong, making it tough for the Cougars to get easy looks. To their credit, they still managed to knock down some tough shots, but our boys didn’t back down. They stuck together, communicated well on court, and made smart decisions under pressure. We took this quarter too, 24–21.
• The fourth quarter began just like the last two — strong defensive pressure that forced the Cougars into late shot clock situations and poor shot selection. The boys gave it everything and kept us in the game right to the final buzzer. We fell just short, going down 81–85, but the effort was outstanding.
• Alex Tinlin and Josh Welsh were fantastic around the paint, finishing strong and contributing solid points.
• Ethan Harders and Benji Berardis hit some clutch shots when we needed them most.
• A special mention to Ethan, who celebrated his 100th game for the Redbacks in style with a game-high 19 points and some brilliant assists. His timely 3-pointer gave the whole team a huge lift — well done, Ethan!
• A tough loss, but a great team performance full of heart, hustle, and teamwork.