Central ABL Round 15 - Lady Panthers Extinguish Flames
Round 15 is in the books, and with only three rounds remaining in the Central ABL regular season for 2014, the competition is heating up as teams duel it out for their finals chance.
Eastern Mavericks v North Adelaide Rockets
Women’s: Eastern Mavericks 51 – 87 North Adelaide Rockets
North Adelaide had a tune up game this week against the just off the pace Mavericks, on top for the entire 40 minutes of game time, and winning every period along the way. The Rockets posted a 45% field goal clip, forced 10 more turnovers and grabbed eight extra boards along the way to their dominant win.
Eastern were once again led by their MVP for this season, and Halls medal smokey, Emma Hooley, who finished with 15 points and a monster 19 rebound effort. However she couldn’t find much help from her teammates with Jaimi Rock (10 points) the only other player in double figures.
North veteran captain Jo Hill, who had a court at Hillcrest named after her and signed ala Brett Maher style during the week, led her side with 25 points, 16 rebounds and 3 assists. Shannon McKay also had one of her better performances of the season, scoring 19 points and 7 rebounds. Tiger ex-pat Genna Anderson had the hot hand, with 16 points on 70% from the field.
Eastern have moved ahead of the Tigers on percentage, to move them to 8th on the ladder. The Rockets stay in 3rd place tied with wins against the Panthers. The Round 17 clash against the Panthers, in which they hold a 9-point advantage in the split, will be crucial to determine who will play in the first round elimination final.
Men’s: Eastern Mavericks 89 – 83 North Adelaide Rockets
The Mavericks men have scored win number two for the season, against the same side in which win number one came, the Rockets. North have slipped to a new low, with this season being on par with about their worst ever. North have a talented group of good players, and played finals with a list not too dissimilar to the one they are sporting. It was a tight contest throughout the night, however the Mavericks were better down the stretch, getting to the line and convert where North couldn’t.
Eastern were led by point Curtis Scipio, with 20 points, 6 assists and 4 steals, as well as Dylan Shorne who had 23 points at 58%. Haydn Barnes had his best night out all year, going for 13 points and 4 rebounds at 60% in 18 minutes of game time.
The Rockets found buckets from Luke Mapunda, by far his best outing for a number of years, as he went off for 30 points and 15 rebounds. Pero Vasiljevic also had a quality evening, with 21 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 blocks, however their effort wasn’t enough to get them over the line.
Eastern stay on the bottom of the ladder, one game behind the 9th placed Rockets.
Norwood Flames v South Adelaide Panthers
Women's: Norwood Flames 59 – 77 South Adelaide Panthers
The Panthers have shocked the Flames, now the second side to dethrone the title favourites in the back half of the season. With the Sabres also showing they are capable enough to beat Norwood, the finals race just became a whole lot more interesting on the women’s side of the league, now wide open for anyone to take.
The Flames were a point behind going into the main break, and after a poor third quarter they needed to turn the screws in the last to close the gap. However the screws fell out, as they could only make 2 of 15 field goals for the period, and were forced into 22 turnovers for the game, their worst performance all season. The reliable Amy Lewis performed as always, with 20 points and 7 rebounds at 63%, however only Jess Good could join her in double figures, taking home 10 points at 57%. Kelsey Ireland (4 points on 1 of 9, 4 turnovers and 5 fouls) was outplayed by the Panthers Jess Mahony, and Cara Boothey struggled to find the bottom of the net going 3 of 13 for the game.
South have been good all season, but with the inclusion of their college recruits, they certainly look the goods to go deep into the finals race. Centre Ashleigh Spencer continues to stamp her dominance, going for 20 points and 7 rebounds at 64% in 24 minutes of game time. Import Janae Howard cashed in with 19 points and 10 rebounds at 52%, and Jess Mahony finished with the slimmest of margins away from her second consecutive double double, taking home with 9 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Flames still remain on top of the ladder, one game clear of the Sabres, and the Panthers sit in 4th place, tied with the Rockets, however they have an easier run home than North, but their Round 17 clash may be critical to securing a second chance.
Men’s: Norwood Flames 80 – 73 South Adelaide Panthers
The Flames men have hit double digits for their win streak, polishing off the Panthers for win number 10 in a row. A massive first period saw the home side jump out to a 13 point lead, before the Panthers began to chip away at the lead, however ran out of time to push the Flames.
Norwood continue to play the team game, spreading the load this week amongst 4 players, with Matthew Lycett their best for the night, finishing with 29 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Matthew Long put together an efficient game, with 16 points and 4 rebounds at 80% in 21 minutes. Todd Matthews (11 points, 4 assists, and 7 rebounds) and Ian O’Boyle (13 points) also chipped in.
The Panthers fought valiantly until the end, with veteran Tom McKenzie scoring 28 points and grabbing 18 rebounds. South were without centre, and this seasons MVP, Bradley Reid, which significantly impacted their performance.
The Flames are one game clear in top spot, whilst the Panthers sit in 8th place, tied with the Tigers on wins.
Southern Tigers v Forestville Eagles
Women’s: Southern Tigers 54 – 114 Forestville Eagles
The Eagles have made a mockery of the Tigers, demolishing them by 60 points on their home court. A full 40 minutes effort at both ends of the floor, has relegated the Tigers to 9th place on the ladder.
Southern were lucky to get away with only a 60 point loss, as they were embarrassed all over the court. Kaylee Biddell provided the Tigers only resistance, with 19 points and 14 rebounds, with only Lauren Fisher (10 points) and Kelsie Rutland (11 points) scoring all but 14 of the teams points.
Samantha Defrancesco enjoyed the C grade competition with 28 points and 10 rebounds in 20 minutes of game time. Danielle Angley (15 points), Carla Borrego-Williams (12 points and 8 rebounds) and Jasmine Trimboli (10 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals) also had solid performances in the less than challenging game.
The Eagles move a game clear in 5th place, whilst the Tigers crash to 9th, behind the Mavericks on percentage.
Men’s: Southern Tigers 73 – 93 Forestville Eagles
The Eagles have propelled themselves into serious contention on the back of a 5 game win streak, with the chance to steal third place if the results continue to fall their way. Forestville took care of the patchy Tigers side, in a three quarter effort securing a 20 point victory.
The Tigers didn’t play badly, they just couldn’t get to the line enough or crash the defensive glass, giving up too many second chance looks. Sam McDaniel had a great night out, with 27 points at 75%, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks. Codey Ellison was also a force, taking home 12 points and 14 rebounds. The undermanned Tigers lacked options and rotations, landing too much pressure on their stars shoulders.
Forestville were once again in sync, as the league would now be taking notice of the Eagles again. Volume scorer Jake Rios had an unstoppable night, with 40 points at 54%. Trent Fildes continues to impress with 20 points and 10 rebounds, as he shapes up to be a critical key to the Eagles successes.
The Tigers are out of contention in 7th place, three games out of the five. The Eagles are in 4th spot, and with a tough game against the Flames this week, then the bottom two sides the weeks after, Forestville have every chance to climb to 3rd spot.
Sturt Sabres v Woodville Warriors
Women’s: Sturt Sabres 80 – 67 Woodville Warriors
The story of the Warriors year continued in Round 15, being competitive but not quiet good enough to get the job done. The Sabres extend their win streak to 8 on the trot, and don’t look like losing anytime soon.
The Sabres had an average first half, leading by a point at the main break. But an all round second half performance saw them win every key statistic and put the Warriors away. Natalie Novosel top scored for the game, with 23 points and 6 rebounds, and Hannah Richards who had 19 points, 4 blocks and 16 rebounds in 30 minutes of game time supported her.
Woodville looked again to lean on its star duo. Katherine Perkas finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Carmen Reynolds has 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Warriors poor shooting performance of 33% from the game, and 13 less attempts at the line summed up their fate.
The Warriors fall to 7th place, one game behind the Eagles in 5th. The Sabres are now one game clear in 2nd place.
Men’s: Sturt Sabres 93 – 100 Woodville Warriors
The Warriors men continue to steady the ship on route to this years finals, putting away the contending Sabres and potentially ending their season in the process. A tight game throughout the evening was clinched at the free throw line in the last period by the Warriors.
Sturt found production from their go to players, with Tim Klaosen finishing with 24 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Import Dexter Moore shot his way out of his rut, going home with 25 points. But it was Dylan Rawson who overshadowed them both, top scoring for the game with 30 points at 62%.
The Warriors also lent on their stars, with Alexander Starling scoring 24 points at 69%, 6 rebounds and 5 steals, Darren Ng scored 29 points at 54% and 5 rebounds. Luke Stanbridge and Cameron Wilson combined for 30 points at 59%, as the Warriors shot the lights out.
The Sabres are in dangerous territory, out of the five in 6th place and one game back from the pack. However the Sabres play both the Bearcats and the Lions who are one game ahead, and assuming they run over the Tigers in the last round they still remain a chance. The Warriors are in a clear 2nd place two games ahead and one game behind the Flames, and likely to stay there.
Central District Lions v West Adelaide Bearcats
Women’s: Central District lions 79 – 90 West Adelaide Bearcats
The Lions have put in their best performance all year, pushing the Bearcats to the line but ultimately falling 11 points short. The Bearcats have kept their season alive, but face a serious uphill battle to get there.
Demi Skinner had a breakout game for Centrals with 22 points and 7 rebounds, whilst Caitlin Arnold finished with 14 points, and Amy Onaca scored 12 points and 4 rebounds. Aimee Herriman struggled to put the ball in the hole, but dished 7 assists.
The Bearcats Anna Carbo was the games best player, finishing with 27 points at 61%, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Sky Langenbrinck landed 19 points and 4 rebounds, and Megan Mcleod had 14 points for the game.
The Bearcats stay in 6th place, within striking distance, but facing the two best sides in the competition it seems unlikely. The Lions are still winless in last position.
Men’s: Central District Lions 100 – 78 West Adelaide Bearcats
Credit: Photo Credit: Tanya Fielding Photography
Not even the inclusion of Daniel Johnson into the West side could stop the defensive haemorrhaging by the Bearcats, as the Lions lit up the scoreboard for a 64 point first half before putting hitting autopilot for the easy win.
Centrals were unstoppable for the first 20 minutes, and Chris Clausen took full advantage of playing elite level competition in Daniel Johnson, as Clausen cashed in for 33 points and 10 rebounds, including 8 of 13 triples and 63% from the floor. Dan Carlin (16 points and 9 rebounds), Jordan Centernera (18 points, 5 assists and 7 rebounds) and Kyle Miller (17 points, 11 assists and 5 rebounds) all support Clausen on route to the dominant display.
West’s top scorer for the game was Kurtis Phillips who had 19 points and 5 rebounds, whilst Paul Rankin (12 points) and Jason Dawson (10 points) supported him. Oddly though was the rotation of the big man Blake Truslove (10 points and 6 rebounds in 21 minutes) for Daniel Johnson (13 points and 5 rebounds in 24 minutes). Truslove is having is best season in many years, and should have played a lot more minutes than he did, regardless of DJ being there or not.
The Bearcats sit in 3rd place tied with the 4th placed Eagles and 5th placed Lions, but face 2 tough challenges in the desperate Sabres and on fire Flames. The Lions face the Sabres in Round 17 in what will be a critical match up.
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