Weekly WABL Wrap – Round 2 2021

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

Congrats to all our WABL players, coaches, managers and parents for bringing great energy to Round 3 of the 2021 WABL season. Here’s the wrap up of how all our teams went including comments from coaches:

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

Won against Joondalup Wolves 60-35

Coach comments:

We have been hit by injuries at the moment, which meant we only had 6 players. The girls were amazing and just kept fighting all game, even though they were exhausted.
Malia Williams had an amazing game. She used her pace to great effect and was very disruptive getting a hand in a lot of passing lanes.
Ella Welsh showed great leadership on the court. She was constantly communicating with her teammates and making sure everyone was organised on the court.
Scarlett Hill, Paige Ogden and Lainey Panizza all came down to support their teammates and cheer them on from the sidelines even though they were unable to play.

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

Lost to Rockingham Flames 39-15

Coach comments

I was impressed by the girls’ ability to hold their own defensively, even if the game was quite rough. It was also really good to see the girls being smart on the offensive end which led to many open layups.
Georgie Clark seems to impress me more and more every time she steps onto the court. Her lockdown defence and aggression led to many turnovers this weekend.
Nora Ostermeyer’s one-on-one defence was amazing – she pressured the Flames continuously and never gave up.
Ruby Taylor really held her own down low, getting many rebounds. Her ability to read the defence was amazing to see this weekend and shows she has a strong future in basketball.

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

Won against Joondalup Wolves White 35-26

Coach comments:

I loved seeing how the girls unequivocally support each other, whether things work or not. The support from players on the bench was vital and energetic. I was impressed how they helped each other make good decisions in defence.
Our shooting position choices are improving and Alessia Wladyka provided some solid assists that translated into points. Her shooting was also good, as was sister Jacinta’s.
Cara Hayes’ work under the basket was awesome.
Gracie Dillon played excellent defence and caused the opposition lots of headaches.

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

Lost to Rockingham 46-40

Coach comments:

This game saw a big improvement in execution compared to the first game this season.
In particular, our rebounding was much improved. We were especially good at keeping Rockingham off the offensive boards as the game went on.
Leeshar Tuialii was big with her rebounding today and finished with 10 boards. Her defence was also improved today.
Mafa Tuialii’s ability to get in the lanes defensively was excellent, her help defence was also improved.

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

Won against Hills Raiders 46-36

Coach comments:

I loved the “never give up” attitude all the girls displayed in this game.
I was extremely proud of all the girls. We had a strong focus on attitude and rebounding at training and the team put that into practice. The second and third efforts were what helped us win as they often resulted in baskets.

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

Won against Perry Lakes Hawks 45-41

Coach comments:

Our execution in the 4th quarter was wonderful – the girls listened to instructions and executed on them to secure our win.
Alex Temby and Izzy Budby gave us an energy boost coming into the 4th quarter which was critical to keep applying pressure.
Izzy also did a fantastic job at identifying backdoor opportunities.
Grace Almond and Indy Ballantine did a great job on the boards.
Anna Zittrisch and Sienna Duong pushed the tempo and never gave up.
Mila Reyes made her free throws in really stressful situations and stayed aggressive on defence.

U14 Division 4 Girls Grey – Lucy Dowling

Lost to Warwick Senators 58-25

Coach comments:

The girls didn’t stop trying at any point.
They also managed to execute certain things under pressure better than usual.
Our loose ball efforts and rebounding were good against the larger opposition.
Sienna Care played awesome lockdown defence on a much larger and highly skilled player.
Olivia Weddikkara played a great game with what we later found out was a broken finger.
Emily Horniman executed good defence and generated many steals.
Salma Rahmadavi played an excellent game in all areas – great assists and defence.

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

Won against Hills Raiders 55-37

Coach comments:

Our effort and intensity on the defensive end during the first quarter was outstanding, holding the opposition to 4 points.
Our ball movement was much improved which lead to quality shot selection and every player scoring.
Grace Dalton’s defensive effort to start the second half was excellent, with several steals and deflections leading to easy points at the other end of the floor.
Sagal Elmi showed what she is capable of and led the team in scoring 15 points.
Blaise Stancil set the tone in the first quarter with seven points.

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

Lost to Lakeside 57-36

Coach comments:

We had a much better pre-game warm-up which set the tone for an evenly matched Q1. We finished strongly in Q4 to match them on the scoreboard. Unfortunately, we were inconsistent during the middle parts of the game which cost us on the scoreboard.
We spoke during a time out about perimeter D pressure, boxing out and rebounding and the girls responded really well.
We brought the ball down the court comfortably but forced it too much and struggled at times to find the composure we needed in our offence.
We speak a lot about Focus, Intensity and Voice. Intensity was very good throughout the game and a lot more girls were a lot more vocal which was great to see (and hear) but we have a bit of work to do in terms of our vision and decision making if we are going to get the results we deserve from the effort the girls are putting in.
Overall a much better performance with a lot of positives and we will improve a lot more as the season progresses.
Abbey Macham is starting to assert herself more as an on-court general and continues to show great courage in attacking the paint against the tall timber.
Lily Leeder made a welcome and impressive return from injury, showing some lovely scoring touch in the mid-range to lead the team with 14 points.
Tegan Wilkinson’s on-ball defence in the midcourt was disciplined and everything we have practised at training. She forced a few important turnovers that led to scores for us.
Dinelka Fernando played with much more confidence at both ends and showed signs of how dangerous she can be.
Ava Lindegger’s defensive “double team, steal the ball” instincts were on show all game.
Matilda Thomson attacked well and played with great intensity in transition (as always).
Isabella Wolfenden may have let a few mistakes and referee calls get to her this week but I know in coming weeks she will get reward for the good effort she puts in.
Hannah Saliacus and Ellen Brieffies (a very tidy 7 points) with their second games under their belts are on a steep trajectory of improvement and as a coach, I am pretty excited about how they are going so far.
We missed Ainsleigh Passi who is away with her family and the big news is that Clarissa Sandjaja is having her knee reconstruction surgery on Friday. We all wish her well and hope to see her back on the court with us as soon as possible.

U16 Division 4 Girls – Geoff Alger

Won against Senators 54-38

Coach comments:

I was really pleased with how our players retained their composure and made good decisions with the ball. Our defence was also improved with more pressure and fewer fouls but most pleasing of all was the noise and encouragement from the bench.
Taijah Babich provided a masterclass in control, composure and decision-making with the ball and high-pressure defence that went a long way to securing the W for us.
Also huge thanks to Matilda Pyne who filled in for us from the U14-1s as we were short a few players this week and did a great job!

U18 Division 2 Girls White – Brayden Cook

Won against Perry Lakes Hawks 64-36

Coach comments:

It was great to see the whole team band together as a group in the second half to pull away to a commanding lead.
Lucy Dowling and Jasmin Wynne were great defensively against the Hawks’ bigs, contesting shots and being disruptive.

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

Lost to Joondalup Green 84-39

Coach comments:

We kept playing hard no matter the score and we tried out a few new things in defence which will help us moving forward
Charlotte Horniman had a great game in both offence and defence
Shaqirah Akune shot the ball well and grabbed plenty of rebounds
Kirsty Slinger continued as our rim protector with 10 defensive rebounds and 3 blocks
Leanna Fernando played well in all areas with very few turnovers
All the girls continued to grow and we’re improving as a team.

U12 Champs Boys – Dylan Vilardi

Lost to Hills Raiders 54-39

Coach comments:

For three quarters of the game, we were all engaged and giving 100% effort. We played well as a team and stuck to our rules.
Cash Surin did an amazing job in the second half shutting down the opposition’s top player. He was physical and stuck to him like glue.

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

Lost to Joondalup Wolves Green 63-38

Coach comments:

As a team, the boys gave their all to the very last second.
Aiden Little and Louis Daniel dominated the boards against much taller opposition with almost 20 rebounds between them.
Oskar Wang was instant offence from his first minute he hit the floor and attacked the basket all game.
Toby Deshon took a while to get some open looks, but when he did, he made sure those shots dropped.

U12 Division 4 Boys White – Tyler Cusworth

Lost to Perry Lakes Hawks 52-32

Coach comments:

The game was very close for three quarters and we showed just how competitive we can be. Unfortunately, Perry Lakes got on a roll in the fourth but still, this game represented a big improvement on Round 1.
Mitch Thompson and Jake Chew continued to put points on the board. I thought Zach Snell really stood out with his passing and effort. Luca Genovese stood up well on defence.

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

Won against Warwick Senators 71-41

Coach comments:

The boys were engaged from the start. Our press worked exceptionally well and had us up 20-0 late in the first quarter. We had an even spread of scorers across the game demonstrating we are playing team-first basketball.
Tate Mucjanko set the tone for the game and made the most of his scoring opportunities.
Max Woods made life easy for his teammates by consistently making the correct pass and hitting the scoreboard on a few fast breaks.
Will Hemingway (train on) made his WABL debut yesterday and looked very comfortable on the floor. He kicked off his WABL scoring with an “and 1”.

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

Won against Rockingham Flames 58-54

Coach comments:

The team showed great resilience under four quarters of pressure, played with maximum effort and energy and showed their ability to execute the game plan as a unit.
Cleon Ryder’s rebounding paint beast mentality
Mason Clark’s execution
Ben Galvin’s competitor attitude at both ends floor
Zac Anfuso’s constant voice pressure.

U14 Division 2 Boys – Mitchell Jesson

Won against Hills Raiders 51-48

Coach comments:

We faced the exact same circumstances as in Round 1 where we held a small lead going into the final minutes. This time, however, we handled the pressure better and took out the win by 3 points.
It was also an outstanding team effort on the boards. Outrebounding the opposition is one of our team KPIs and we pulled in 26 (!!) offensive boards to go with 26 defensive boards to out rebound Hills 52-24.
I was also proud of the boys for adhering to our other KPI of always being courteous to referees and opposition.
Kade Mendes started with the toughest defensive assignment for our team and helped hold that player to 3 points while also finishing as our equal top scorer with 11 points and pulling in 7 (!!) offensive boards.
Stirling Barnett and Samuel Peirce epitomise that the score sheet isn’t a true reflection of what happens in a game. Both were tireless in providing passing options when we were pressed, hitting the boards and running back hard in defence.
Cuba Brian (equal top scorer) made his shots and free throws down the stretch. But I particularly want to highlight his positivity on the court and on the bench. He lifts us all (coach included).
Shout out to Hamish Gibson too. They don’t come much tougher than making 2 free throws with a broken finger

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

Won against Perry Lakes Hawks 74-63

Coach comments:

The team played great together and their defensive pressure was good.
Kano Kudray – controlled the tempo of the game and was great at attacking the defence with his dribble penetration and finishing at the rim.
Anthony Flores – spaced the floor well with his shooting and finishing at the rim.
Jack Dowd and Michael Ryan both battled hard on the boards and were influential on the game.
Cooper Poustie and Jackson Doyle were both very good at keeping the tempo of the game in our favour.
Kane Matondo and Lionel Chitiyo battled hard all game and applied good defensive pressure.
Special mention to Noah Hugo and Zakarayah Magdy. Both had tough starts to the game but managed to reset and played well and contributed very well with renewed mindsets.

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

Lost to East Perth Eagles 62-58

Coach comments:

We showed great intensity from the start
Our full-court pressure created many opposition turnovers
Our rebounding was excellent
Our shot selection was good
Jalen Dunstan played an amazing game racking up 23 points and 11 boards. Jalen did everything I asked him to do and it showed on the stats
Flynn Hamilton kept his head high after getting in some early foul trouble. And he shut down East Perth’s main scorer whenever he was defending him.

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

Won against East Perth Eagles 93-52

Coach comments:

We played strongly in the first quarter and restricted the Eagles to just 2 points. This set a positive tone for the game and allowed us to provide extended minutes to all players. Even though the Eagles challenged us in the second half, we were able to maintain a decisive lead.
Congratulations to all players for their receptiveness to feedback, willingness to support one another, and focus on continuing to build our team’s culture. We have made significant progress in the opening games of the season, compared to the preseason grading tournament.

U16 Division 3 Boys White – Luke Simonette

Lost to Hills Raiders 67-56

Coach comments:

We started well and had good ball movement early.
Our defensive principles were good.
Harrison Clarke displayed good leadership throughout the game
All players got around the Pink round and happily wore pink shoelaces for the game

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

Won against Joondalup Wolves 71 – 70

Coach comments:

We played a Wolves team who were bigger and stronger and took an early commanding lead.
We stayed positive and united with no negativity in the team and slowly out-hustled them. Our energy and effort continued to elevate throughout the game as we first hung on and then in the final minutes took the lead.
The boys thoroughly deserved this outstanding win!
Jordan Yum continued his aggression at the basket as well and produced a clutch three in the final minute.
Kalisto Ubu and Andrew Cook rebounded hard against bigger and taller bodies and the guards continued their unrelenting harassment all the way down the court which was key in the last quarter when their guards tired.
This was another great team effort, however, with everyone playing valuable minutes, every player scoring, and every player deserving a mention.

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

Lost to Lakeside 104-45

Coach comments:

This was a very tough game against very strong opposition, but the team were positive, stuck together and kept fighting. We quickly realised this game was about learning and developing and finished the game with a positive outlook on the season ahead.
Riley Panizza and Naoki Thomas-Walker were strong on the point against tough defence.
Josh Welsh and Sasha Zugic were aggressive at the basket and consequently rewarded with some great baskets.
The team as a whole were upbeat and positive despite a significant margin.

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

Lost to Cougars 79-71

Coach comments:

This was a close-fought game the whole way and we made some good second-half adjustments to manage the pressure. While we did lose our heads a little in the last 3 minutes (we were in the lead at that point), we will learn from the experience.
Victor Komaiya had a great game. It wasn’t that he led the team in scoring, it was the fact it was a very physical game and he matched it with Cockburn and excelled at the same time. His rebounding and work inside is all class.
Maxx Della Franca also had a great game matching the physicality of the game. He played smart and with the right level of aggression and got rewarded for his work.

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

Won against Rockingham Flames 89-84

Coach comments:

Our ability to turn defensive stops into offensive transition, to run the fast break and share the ball well was great to see
We rebounded well and kept our heads when the other team started to lose their bundle.
Finn Warner was aggressive, getting to the basket and attacking the rim.
Jesse Wilcox controlled the tempo in our offensive half court really well.
Miguel Chaitika’s defence was much improved this week and his pace in the fast breaks meant he got the basket a lot.
Oliver Pedley and Luis Uribe were beasts on the boards and ran the floor well on fast breaks.

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

Won against Cockburn 114 to 85

Coach comments:

Our effort for the whole game was excellent and we shot a little better this week. Also, our execution on offence was better which probably helped our shooting percentage.

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

Lost to Joondalup Wolves 81-77

Coach comments:

We had a great first half in this game, taking a solid lead by playing pressure D and shooting very well off ball movement. Our boxing out was much improved but dropped off as the game progressed. After a tough third quarter where we lost the momentum, we did very well to battle back and be within 2 points in the final minute.
Declan Pyne and Thanos Snooks-Holding both shot the ball with great form and without hesitation, going 5/7 and 3/4 respectively.
Jake Vilardi’s stat-line showed 4 assists, 7 rebounds, 6 deflections, 3 steals and 12 points. He came up with some big 3’s late in the game.
Tsepo Mhlope led the team in rebounds and brought a lot of energy to our high-low offense.

U20 Men White – Michael Clarke

Lost to Rockingham 92-83

Coach comments:

Despite a slow start, we kept at it and got within a couple of baskets late in the game.
It was a very even, all-around team contribution.

U20 Men Grey – CJ Jackson

Lost to Hills Raiders 72-58

Coach comments:

The players are to be commended for how hard they worked and the excellent attention they paid to my instructions.
Kaden Morcombe worked his butt off with rebounding, hustling and scoring. In addition to scoring 18 points, he was strong on defence and did a lot to keep us in the game.