Weekly WABL Wrap – Round 14

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

Here’s the Round 14 wrap-up of how all our teams went, including comments from coaches:

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

Won against Mandurah Gold 48-46

Coach comments

Coming up against a fast, well-prepared Mandurah defence, our start was rough and tough. Showing grit, the girls regrouped after a timeout and began to work their team-based magic without panic. Mandurah’s main two shooters kept getting a free drive from us. Again we re-grouped to remember how we play OUR game with OUR ball. Every team member committed, and we pulled back into a menacing defence, and our shot choices dropped more frequently. There’s nothing like a tight, hotly-contested game to keep the adrenalin pumping.
Maeve Whitehouse came out on fire, scoring our first four points. She also contributed a steal and a block. So awesome!
With several players in foul trouble by the half, we knew the nature of play. I was impressed with the defensive pressure Zara Flynn produced in transition, some against girls twice her dimensions!!
Darcey Hill flew all over the court in defence and made some great shot choices. She had three steals to go with 11 rebounds and 4 points.
All the girls put 100% into their defence in the fourth quarter which was great to see

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

Lost to Warwick Senators 20-36

Coach comments

Straight out of the gate, our girls looked awesome and ready to compete, demonstrating a great ability to work collectively together. Throughout the first half of the game, we worked hard to deny the Senators’ ability to score, keeping the margin narrow. As we moved through the third and last, the Senators unfortunately gained some momentum. Olivia and I continue to admire the development of all our girls and can smell that beautiful day approaching where we will all come together and achieve that long-awaited result.
Zoe Bartucciotto was absolutely on fire today, taking on the challenge of doing things she normally would not do. Well done, Zoe, for being brave, stepping out of your comfort zone and producing a spicy display of basketball skills.
Similarly, Zoe de Morton was furious in both defence and offence, producing one of her best games yet, both up and down the court.
Young Madison Le stood out today with her ability to find that open space and at times taking on Senator Players twice her size but remained unphased about this.

12-3 Girls – Khalid Elmi

Won against Joondalup 30-27

Coach comments (Paul Philpott)

What a great game to watch, with these girls showing some excellent development. Today, the message to the Wolves was that “teamwork was the fuel, and at just the right moment, we lit the match!” Whilst a close one, following the first quarter, the girls got serious and outmatched the Wolves in transitions, intercepts, and scoring. Well done, girls. This was a proud moment for all of you.
Millie Kavanagh was great in offensive positioning in being in the right spot at the right times today getting her hands on that ball.
Hannie Ryu played a powerful game and was a dominant annoyance for the Wolves. Her ability to steal the ball and transition towards the ring secured her a sweet 11 points.
Similarly, Eloise Watts was a major influence in creating her own passage, getting the ball forward, and also scoring 11 points.
Cairee Olowoyo on court was quick and determined in both defence and offence.
Anja Petrovic and Mina Bajin worked magically well together which benefitted both the team and the score.
Starssi Van De Putte and Elizabeth Doyle were towers of strength at both ends under the ring and were often seen wresting furiously for each ball against the Wolves.
Great job each and every one of you.

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

Lost to Willetton 70-41

Coach comments

I thought we had a really good game for the second week in a row. The final score does not reflect the effort. The only difference between the two teams was the difference in size and the shooting percentage. This Willetton team is above and beyond any other U12 team in the state, so I’m very proud of the boys.
Noah Mucjanko was outstanding in defence, stopping the opposition’s continued run and protecting the rim.
Seth Cass had another strong scoring game with 14 points
James Price was good at holding the ball and finding gaps in the opposition’s defence.

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

Lost to Perry Lakes Blue 36-70

Coach comments

The boys started a little slow and could not match Perry Lakes’s physicality and pace. The boys did well in the second quarter and fought hard to bring the score down to a difference of 7. In the third quarter, we went to sleep, and Perry Lakes ran away with the game.
Denim Hamilton was doing well to rebound and attack the ring getting multiple and ones. He also provided some presence around the ring, deterring shots. Good job Denim.
Noah Ouwendyk provided a strong presence on both offence and defence, making great passes and strong drives and being physical and aggressive at getting steals. Good work Noah.

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

Lost to Mandurah 39-41

Coach comments

It was an interesting game vs Mandurah this week. We seemed a little bit off, and that always gives anyone a chance to beat you. We had a slow start and were made to claw back into the game all day. Credit to this team not to give up at any stage but pressure was mounting. We rushed our offence and put up a lot of shots that were not us. We were made to play a lot of defence and left players open on the weak side block for easy shots at a high percentage that really hurt. Mandurah worked harder for rebounds and won that battle too. We did not give up, and 10 points down with 4 minutes to play, we launched a comeback that fell 2 points short. We had the last shot of the game from 3 that just rimmed out. It would have been a game we stole, but it has shown me the fighting character of these boys.
Levi Giglia had a great all-round game and finished equal highest scorer with 8 points. He moved fast up and down the court to help impact our offense and defense. Good work.
Lance Dela Vega played great minutes for us and was our best rebounder with a great boxing-out technique. He worked hard up and back and got to good positions on the court on offense to score four points. Well done.

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

Won against Lakeside 67-46

Coach comments

This week we took on the Lakeside Lightning, who were ranked 3rd. Last time we played them, we lost by 2 points in an away game with two train-ons playing. This time, we were at home with all 10 players.
We started the game strong. After just 5 minutes and 2 rotations, we were already up 11-4. We continued our impressive play for the rest of the quarter with Thomas Stephenson scoring 8 points in just over 2 minutes, leading us to a 21-5 advantage going into quarter time. Our incredible first quarter was mostly thanks to our defensive play, where we got 11 steals and 11 points off turnovers while limiting the opponents to 17% shooting.
In the second quarter, we knew we had to stay strong on defense, and we did. On offence, the opponents gave up 5 fouls in only 2 minutes, putting us in the bonus. Thanks to this, we maintained our momentum and went into halftime up 37-10.
After halftime, we tried to continue our dominance, but we didn’t play as well as we did in the first half. Most of the 3rd quarter was back and forth, but Lakeside went on a 7-0 run in the last 2 minutes to cut the lead back to 22 points at the end of the third.
To start the fourth, our game plan was to be patient and not give up our lead easily. However, the game became very uncontrolled, leading to many back-and-forth fast breaks and scores. Thankfully, we continued to score as much as Lakeside, and we slowed down towards the end to finish the game at 67-46.
The boys were very happy with the win, especially following the 2-point loss last time we played Lakeside. The game showed how much all the boys have improved and how capable we are with all 10 players.
Thomas Stephenson had an impressive game with 16 points, shooting 44% from the field. He also contributed significantly on the boards with 9 rebounds. Not only did he lead the team with 3 assists, but he also made a strong defensive impact by securing 4 steals, which was the second-highest on the team.
Ioane Ivala-Kotua had an outstanding performance, scoring 7 points. He also led the team in rebounds, securing 16. Additionally, he contributed defensively with 2 steals and 2 blocks during the game.
Franklin Etter had an exceptional performance, scoring 9 points and grabbing 9 rebounds. Notably, he had 0 turnovers, demonstrating his careful handling of the ball. Additionally, he led the team with 6 steals, showcasing his defensive prowess.

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

Won against Eastern Suns 33-29

Coach comments

This was a big game – the top two teams fighting it out for the top spot. As expected, the game was physical and a bit of a scrap. Once again, though, the girls showed resilience and held firm. They are showing great mental toughness in the fourth quarter.
It’s nice for the girls to be at the top of the ladder; they deserve it after all their hard work.
Chelsea Karsum had a great all-around game and continues to improve every week. Not only did she do a great defensive job on their best player to keep her to 6 points, but she also contributed points and rebounds. She was easily our MVP for this game.
Olivia Birsa continues to battle as our undersized big. She plays tough and physical and never backs down. Without her presence inside, we wouldn’t be where we are now, being one of the smaller teams in the league.

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

Lost to Joondalup 43-46

Coach comments

Joondalup did a good job of disrupting our flow, however when we tried the same we got penalised with 31 fouls and 3 players fouling out … so we lost a lot of momentum and assertiveness. Joondalup capitalised with 16 made free throws underwriting their score. In a few ways, this was actually a good game experience for the team, as we had to fight back twice. Midway through the second quarter we were down by 4 and flustered, however after a timeout and reset, the team jumped on court energised and contained Joondalup with 5 stoppages and 5 consecutive buckets to steal a 10 point run. Unfortunately, the Wolves fired up in the third, took the lead and stretched it to 8 points, so we played a patient half-court defence and slowly had a grind at it, getting within 1 point. We had a chance in the last 2 minutes, but it was hard to steal possession with the whistle going against us, so we will take it as a learning experience and train some end-of-game scenarios this week.
First, I will give a shout-out to Soniya Karimi, Harper Grace, and Nora Herring-Ostermeyer, who did foul out of the game (with some hard luck) but gave everything on the bench to keep the team fired up.
Cyra Olowoyo was fast and furious this week and put a lot of pressure on the Wolves all game. She played her 50th Game for Redbacks with great energy. Congratulations Cyra!
Ella Fair was back to her best, confidently taking it to the rim for 8 points this week.
Teah James had a solid 15 points and did well to play the game out on 4 fouls.

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

Lost to Slammers 52-54

Coach comments

This week’s game gave us an opportunity to compare ourselves to the team at the top of the ladder.
The game was tight all the way through, with numerous momentum swings and multiple lead changes in each quarter.
By the end of the fourth quarter, the score was tied, sending us into overtime. In the end, we fell short by 2 points.
It was a great game, and all the girls really stepped up against a very strong side. It’s pleasing to see the team improving each week, playing with confidence and for each other.
Alyssa Rullo had one of her best games this season, she played a key role both offensively and defensively, making great reads and attacking the basket effectively, finishing with 24 points.
A special mention to Freya Whitehouse for reaching her 50th game milestone. Freya always has a significant impact defensively, reads the game well, and plays with control to steady the team. Congratulations, Freya.

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

Won against East Perth 41-27

Coach comments

As a team, we are really starting to put everything together, and it’s coming at the perfect time, right before finals. Our defensive pressure in this game created 40 turnovers for East Perth from which we were able to score 21 points.
Bianca Bajin had another stand-out game, putting up 14 points. She also had an important match-up on defence and was able to stop her player.
Matilda Miles had her best offensive game, finishing with 7 points.

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

Won against East Perth 81-67

Coach comments

This was a much closer game compared to our first encounter in round 7, which is a testament to the Eagles’ much-improved discipline and offensive structure. It also reflects our ill-disciplined warm-up and the resulting slow start, which saw us trail by 1 point at the first break.
We earned a small lead by half-time, which we were able to maintain largely due to a dominant performance on rebounds and also a strong inside game on offence.
Our inability to contend with their flow offence was a worry and gave them a lot of easy looks at the baskets and some good momentum in the third. Thankfully some minor adjustments were enough to hold them out in the fourth quarter and give us some new areas to focus on.
Nate Cass rebounded well and continues to accept match-ups against opposition wing players. His ability to contain them on the drive is much improved but his perimeter defence is still a work-in-progress. On offence, he was hard for them to handle during large portions of the game, spending more time in the backcourt and on the wing, punishing them from inside and out to finish one point short of his season-high with 37 points. What a way to celebrate your 50th game milestone Nate – well done.
If it wasn’t Nate it was Harrison Moyle controlling the boards and protecting the ring. He continues to show his development and confidence with the ball, pushing the transition offence and attacking off the dribble when appropriate. His increasing elevation and balance at the hoop continue to give him a great advantage, which he exploited well during this game on his way to 16 points.
Christian Cvitan was the stand-out defensively in the first half, keeping the pressure up on their ball handlers and tagging their cutters hard. His ability to shift roles based on who’s on the court makes him a very versatile defender. This, coupled with his ability to rebound and get to the hoop, makes it tough to not have him on the court. With more back-court duties in the past month, it has been incredibly pleasing to see the development in Christian’s passing game as well as his confidence bringing the ball up the court.

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

Won against Kalamunda 52-48

Coach comments

Kalamunda came out of the gates strong and had a 10-point lead early. Our boys were intimidated by their size and switching rotations but our second unit, led by Jacob, really stepped up and brought the physicality and tore up their defence to bring us back into the game. We took a team that beat us quite comfortably last time to overtime and finished with a win, proud of the boys for their perseverance.
Jacob Tan was able to slice through the switching offence and played some great on-ball defence, leading the charge for others to step up their defence. Jacob also had the game-tying basket that led us to OT.
Lucas Vojkovic, Mr. Cool, never seems flustered. He kept his composure, leading the game with 18 points and having some crucial and-1 Plays.
Man we are proud of the steps Ethan Kingsbury has made with his physicality on the defensive rebounding end, stopping their best player multiple times by always having contact on the box out and rewarding himself with 11 points!

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

Lost to Suns 65-73

Coach comments

We had a top-of-the-table clash. The winner would go outright first, and the game didn’t disappoint it was everything a 1v2 should be. It was tough, fast, and frantic. We played some fantastic defence, making it difficult for the Suns to use the obvious size difference they had over us, while attacking the lane and creating opportunities at the other end. We had a tough week on the training track with all the illness that was going around, but even still, we played hard, hung tough, and only got run over at the very end. Incredibly proud of the boys this week.
Nathan Jetajobe, as always, was rock solid, grabbing boards, running the ball, and attacking the lane hard.
Will Ryan, for his third week in a row, was slicing and dicing his way through the Sun’s giant defence, creating absolute havoc and scoring at will.
Beau Morgan, with his flat-out hustle and effort plays, made a huge impact.

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

Lost to Eastern Suns 48-72

Coach comments

We had a game plan that wasn’t executed straight away which made it a tough first quarter. Then the boys pulled it back but foul issues (three players on 4 fouls going into halftime) really made it hard for us to come back. But the boys fought hard and didn’t give up regardless of the circumstances
Leo Burton came off the bench and did exactly what was wanted on defence and made it hard for the opposition
Loki Griffiths adjusted after the first quarter and took one of their best players out of the game with his defence and boxing out

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

Lost to Warwick 65-45

Coach comments

This week we came up against the team to beat, Warwick, with only one loss to their name all season. Our players had worked hard and shouts go out to Coach Zach who carried training while I was out with Covid. The preparation was clearly evident in the first half as we stayed with Warwick to be down by 2 points and limited them to 25. Our defence, both in full-court and half-court situations, was intense, and this was the first big game where we won both the O and D board count. Unfortunately, we started the third with a series of lapses in defensive execution and Warwick capitalised. At the beginning of the fourth, we were only down 10 but were unable to find the unity and execution we’d displayed in the first half. Nevertheless, in a very tough three-game stretch against top contenders, we’ve been right there for the vast majority of games, and if we meet these teams in finals, we know we can compete with them.
Lailah Tasker has been very consistent against the top competition and she played with great intensity and poise in this this one too; making great reads and playing excellent D.
Lola Bingwa showed increased finesse with her scoring in this game and brought her trademark defensive pressure. She was loud all game and led us off the bench.
Niamh Murphy made a major impact in the third when we were struggling, giving excellent energy off the bench when we needed it the most and scoring a tough and-1 bucket to stop a run.

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

Lost to Warwick 57-82

Coach comments

This week was another emotionally intense game for our girls. There were moments of amazing play at both ends. When we worked together as a team in defence, we caused turnovers all over the court. When we worked together as a team in offence, passing through the press, we transitioned so well and often with minimum dribbling. It was a strong first half so the girls know they can hold their own. Unfortunately, this week, we were rushed in the third, forcing our dribble through the press too often and pushing for the early finish in contested scenarios. It’s great to see the players building their basketball IQ and starting to recognise changes to opponent defence and communicate that to their teammates. We had a great run in the fourth after a timeout to reset. We had some great player movement, pushing the ball so well in transition, maintaining great spacing and sinking clean shots and open layups.
Sam Morgan went hard in defence but was also a great sport, helping up her player when she went down hard. Sam was all over the ball and was there in help defence, boxing out first before hunting rebounds and bumping her cutters every time.
Chelsea Ferris was ready to pounce and contest anything she could in defence and pressure the ball in the mid-court. She also saw some good finishing opportunities and attacked the gaps.
Charlotte Dillon put great pressure on the ball when she sniffed a turnover and moved well, not giving up that relentless pressure.
Mya Slee was great in defence, working hard to put pressure on the ball and containing her player up the court. She found great space and timed her cuts well to finish.
We had two players achieving their 50-game WABL milestones this Sunday – Chelsea Ferris and Arabella Kahl. Huge congrats to both!

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

Won against Joondalup 61-44

Coach comments

Big game – third v fourth at home and our girls stood up in a hard fought win.
Earlier in the season, we had our worst performance of the year against the Wolves. This game showed the growth our team has had over the last few months – we were too strong for them in the last quarter.
It is a nice reward for our playing group for the efforts at training over the last few months and the maturity of our team.
We didn’t have it our own way, and had to work hard to turn the game back in our favour at the end of the third in what was a squad effort, and everyone had some nice moments.
Our guard group of Ani Farrant, Talia Tzotzis, Summer Chalder and Abi Leslie has become a real point of difference for us. Hard-working, offering us run in transition and security on the ball. Ani is starting show the offensive side of her game and Talia always put her body on the line to defend.
Paige Ogden, Cara Hayes and Lottie Ballantine competed against bigger opposition and won the rebound count. Lottie gave us some important points off the bench with some repeat efforts for O boards. It’s a tough group to get a shot up against!
Halle came on in the first and changed the energy of the game. Both she and Matisse are showing improvement with the experience they have gained this season.
Scarlett Hill equal top-scored and has really become a two-way player this season. Great to see.

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

Lost to Lakeside Lightning Purple 49-50

Coach comments

This was one of the most promising games of our season. Playing the team third on the ladder, the girls made many effective choices in offensive transition and played committed defence throughout four quarters. Even though this was a loss, keeping the margin to one point (for the second week in a row!) has seen us move from 10th to 8th on the ladder and stay in the hunt for finals. Well done girls.
Ella Djurasovic showed grit and resilience in this game. Her rebounding was persistent, and she individually stopped at least four shots.
Meg White was outstanding – she was our other main defensive rebounder even though she fought against girls quite a lot bigger. Her ball handling and shot choices were such a pleasure to watch

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

Won against Cockburn 83-74

Coach comments

Our opponents came out and played a fast-paced game from the outset, which really should have suited our team. But we lacked intensity for large stretches of the first half, especially at the defensive end, and bad habits crept in. We rallied and had a very good third quarter, winning it 28 to 13, and this effectively allowed us to establish a match-winning lead.
My post-game address was focused on playing hard, and that being a team player for four quarters is what is required. Anything less is a disservice to the individual, the team and the club.
Rodney Lovasi is our high-flying center who has, unfortunately, re-injured his ankle. Rodney is at training, putting up shots and helping where he can. At games, he is a positive presence on the bench cheering his team on. The world needs more Rodneys.
Jenson Harders is an impact player who changes games with his defensive intensity. Against Cockburn, Jenson took the game on a lot more and twice made open layups after Cockburn tried to help off him.
Tait Dalton plays the game hard. He is a constant presence in the post, and defensively, he goes after it (as 6 blocks will attest). My shout out to Tait is for the improvement he has made at the line. A season ago, I would sub Tait if the game was close in the last couple of minutes. The 7/8 from the line is testimony to his hard work.
Congrats to Jaden Exeter, who played his 100th WABL game for the Redbacks in this game. He had a great all-around game: 22 points, including 3 three-pointers, 13 boards, 4 assists, and 4 blocks.

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

Won against Willetton 65-63

Coach comments

It’s a sign of respect when a team goes from being the hunter to being the hunted. Willetton came in with a clear plan to slow us down and make it tough for us. They got back behind the ball quickly, denied us penetration and allowed us very few uncontested looks at the basket. This resulted in a low-scoring game, which was ultimately decided by the last play of the day. With 14 seconds on the clock, scores level and Willetton with the ball from the side and in the bonus, most Redbacks fans were just hoping for a stop. Our boys were in man-on-man D and desperate to avoid losing a tight one. Willetton inbounded the ball and got it to their main man in the paint. Riley Thill, who had their guys measure all day was again there turning up the heat. Our help defenders arrived on time and forced up a tough shot. Seina Pirmorady managed to tip the loose ball to Koby Kalebic who released the pass to Hunter Mettam. Hunter, under much pressure from two defenders, managed to beat them up the court and make a contested layup with three seconds on the clock. Our bench and our supporters erupted as the nine-game winning streak was stretched to 10.
Although we won the game, we saw that it’s always tough to win when you’re not at your best. Perserverence, determination, and a never-say-die attitude are intangibles that go a long way. Good teams find a way to win when they don’t have it their own way, and this group of boys is a good team.
As a team, we pride ourselves on winning the rebound count every week. This week was the first time in 10 games that we lost the rebound count, 47-52. It is a good reminder of what can happen when we don’t take care of business.
Special mentions to Tom Lindegger had his best game of the season scoring 9 points, taking 11 rebounds, making three blocks and two steals.
Seina Pirmorady was a menace on D and scored 10 points, which included two threes.
Riley Thill continues to stake his claim for defensive player of the year after again containing the opposition’s biggest scoring threat while adding nine points and four steals.

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

Won against East Perth 69-65

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

Lost to Mandurah Black 82-87

Coach comments

Playing against top teams two weeks in a row was going to be another big test for the boys. To their credit, they carried over their effort and team playmaking from last week. Pushing the other top team all the way and only going down by 5 was again a testament to their growth and maturity over the course of the season.
With high energy, we created turnovers from our full-court press, and we were more patient on O, waiting for the best option available. I am very pleased with the boys’ effort for the full four quarters (normally, our third lets us down, but we outscored our opponents 22-21).
I could not fault the fight, effort, and camaraderie within the team for the second week in a row. This was again a win for the boys in my books, regardless of the end result. Keep it up boys. Very proud. Well done.
Louis Daniel played an awesome game, top scoring with 14 and also gathered 5 rebounds.
Matjak Soklich played a solid game, giving us some toughness at the rim and collecting 7 rebounds and 13 points.
Joaquin Imperial hasn’t been well but came down to Mandurah and played an important role.
But I have to mention again, all the boys played well and I loved the positivity on the bench. Well done to all.

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

Lost to Warwick 76-89

Coach comments

This was a good effort considering we played the top of the ladder team and were down by 30 points at half time. The girls had a combative comeback in the second half, closing the gap to 11 points difference at full time.
Jenna Jackson and Anais Adnams did a great job cheering and keeping a positive energy level throughout the game.
Mikayla Deshon (26pts) led the team offensively in a very determined approach.
Matilda Thomson, Kate Anderson and Tiana Alger outdid themselves on their defensive intensity.

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

Won against Joondalup 107-40

Coach comments

Another amazing game from the team, everyone demonstrated a champion’s winning attitude and posture. We were relentless, dealing up pressure that hardly allowed the ball to get past the long arc and if it did, it was met with dominance in the paint and lightning transition. We posted the highest score in the competition so far. It was amazing to watch, and more amazing is this team when all the cogs mesh; if we weren’t knocking them down from 3, we were penetrating or tossing downfield goals, and the output didn’t stop when bench changes were made. All round a great game for our finals preparation.
So hard this week to give shout-outs, however, Stephanie Hunt – had her best game of the season showing real grit and response all around the court firing up and making sure everyone knew about it, super game.
Lilliana Flynn performed really well in defensive pressure and followed up in offence as well, including astute court positioning and commitment to chase downs.
Grace Almond – one word – strength. I think the only competition with the ball that Grace lost was when Amina (our player) just had the hops to snatch the ball from her fingertips.

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

Lost to Eastern Suns Black 54-91

Coach comments

This week, we played an away game against the Eastern Suns, who are currently third on the ladder in our division. We started out really strong, pushing them hard, shutting down their dangerous players, and holding our own against their diamond press.
It was a bruising game, with two girls sustaining significant injuries during play. While we couldn’t quite match the Eastern Suns’ polish around the net, I was very proud of our team’s four-quarter effort.
Yusra Handule had a break out game. She dominated the paint with 15 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks. She was well supported by the team, with Maddie Wade (8 points, 3 rebounds) contributing strongly off the bench and Em Swan (8 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists) working hard for four quarters.

18-1 Boys – Andrew Logan

Won against Warwick 94-77

Coach comments

After a few weeks of slow starts, the boys came to play, gaining a 21-2 advantage, forcing Warwick to use their 2nd time out of the quarter. We played inside-out basketball, getting to the rack and forcing the refs to make calls. It was critical in getting it done on a cold morning when the touch wasn’t there in the first half to hit our outside shots. Max Wishart went down early in the 2nd leaving us without a centre for the rest of the game. The boys continued to work hard, and we never looked in danger.
Jude Garbenis had a day out scoring 41! Well done to Jude who kept relatively calm and punished an opponent who was chirping at him for long parts of the game.
Max Wishart was influential early when the game was there to be won, getting offensive boards regularly and making sure we came away with a bucket. He was dominant against the best bigs Warwick could throw at him before going down early in the second.
David Moore had a great game – he showed real leadership, played great D by not fouling, staying straight up which led to turnovers and blocks. He controlled the pace of the game all whilst scoring a very efficient 24.
Huge congrats to Isaac Moore who played his 50th WABL game for Perth Redbacks today.

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

Lost to Cockburn 75-84

Coach comments

There were some really positive aspects to our game. Our pressure defence was excellent, and some players openly adopted different strategies that we have tried to implement all season. Unfortunately, our transition defensive let 20-30 points go, which was too much.
Ethan Harders was absolutely outstanding with just his will to fight for everything. I was so impressed with his character and willingness to do more, his job was never finished
Other noteworthy performances were Josh Welsh, James Reid, Cameron Todorovic and Hunter Grieve

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

Lost to Lakeside 77-81

Coach comments

Lakeside did a great job for the majority of the game, beating us on penetration inside the key, which gave them dump-down passes and offensive rebounding opportunities. I think our boys were a bit slow to adjust to the speed of their guards who did a nice job at pushing the pace. Despite our relatively lacklustre shooting, we were up for the majority of the game. However, Lakeside lifted their energy in the 4th quarter and really controlled possessions. In the end, their bigs were too good and showed dominance on the boards to secure the win.
Michael Ryan was a catalyst in the third quarter, showing a strong desire to rebound and make hustle plays
Jack Saliacus has returned to form, showing his improved ability to shoot the ball

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

Lost to Rockingham 76-98

Coach comments

This week we came into the game a little bit overconfident and let a few fumbles early on and a few interesting calls from the umpires put us off our game. We dug ourselves into a hole in the first quarter, didn’t run our offence well and played too much individual ball. We had a few runs in the second and third quarter; however, any time we got close, they hit big threes and blew out the lead again.
This was one of those games where everything seemed to go wrong. That being said we still had flashes on defense from Zadyn Thomas, great individual play from Zayde Parriman and Noah Baker and a great overall game from Curtis Carroll. However, it was not enough to get us over the line.

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

Lost to East Perth 38-94

Coach comments

The girls played a good game, considering a tough East Perth side. However, it just wasn’t our day. We take the learnings from this game and be ready for our next game.

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

Won against Warwick 94-91

Coach comments

We jumped out to a solid halftime lead of 21 in this one off the back of a 34-17 first quarter. Warwick fought hard to bring the margin down to 7 at the three-quarter-time break. We pushed the lead out to 18 by the middle of the fourth, but Warwick kept coming. In the end though, we did enough to secure the hard-fought win.
Aiden Cannington led the way offensively with 30 points but also contributed 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals and a block.
Cooper Deshon shot the ball efficiently for his 16 points, including 4/7 from three and also had 5 assists.
Luke Ogden was strong with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists.
Ethan Saliacus had an excellent game in his 100th WABL game for Perth Redbacks with a super efficient 7/9 from the field for his 15 points to go with 8 rebounds and 3 assists.

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

Lost to Perry Lakes 79-104

Coach comments

It was clear from the onset that Perry Lakes was set for this game—they played with high intensity from the start and didn’t let up for the whole game. We couldn’t match their pressure, and they forced us to panic, often resulting in poor decision-making offensively. Our defense was okay in patches, which did give us some scoring opportunities in transition, and our guys kept their effort up throughout.