WA SBL Round 7: Flames topple Lightning in clash of undefeated women
Rockingham is the only women’s side to be without a loss in SBL season 2014 after they sent the previously undefeated Lakeside packing in a potential grand-final matchup. In the men’s competition, Rockingham suffered their second loss as the standings bunched up even further, with just 2 losses now separating the entire top eight after seven rounds of action.
SBL Men
Rockingham continues to firm as the team to beat in season 2014 after a 94-83 road win over South West Slammers to open round seven. The Flames started slowly but came to life in the third term to condemn the Slammers to their fifth straight defeat. Cooper Land (26 points, 12 rebounds) and Thomas Remmerswaal (24 points, 4 rebounds) did the damage for the Flames, who are now riding a nine-game winning streak and lead the league with a 9-1 win-loss record. Clive Weeden had 22 points and 11 boards for the Slammers, while Ty Harrelson (21 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists) found his way into triple-double territory despite the loss.
Cockburn won their first game away from home to snap a month-long losing streak in a 101-85 victory over out-of-form East Perth Eagles. After a tight first three quarters, the Cougars ran away with it in the final term to record the win on the back of a 51% shooting clip and Gavin Field’s (29 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 6 blocks) monster game. The Eagles were smashed on the glass but still created enough opportunities to stay in the contest throughout, with Sunday Dech netting 26 points on 11-of-17 shooting in the defeat, which is East Perth’s fourth straight.
Willetton continued their impressive run and kept Kalamunda rooted to the bottom of the table with a 111-99 victory at home. A 38-22 third term and a 28-14 second half on the boards set up the win for the Tigers, while a 28-15 foul count saw the home side head to the line 26 times at an 81% return compared to just 7-of-11 for the visiting Suns. Quinn McDowell (32 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists) and John Dickson (31 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists) were a class above for the Tigers, while Louis Timms (29 points, 9 rebounds, 14-24 FG) and Ben Smith (23 points) led Kalamunda.
Lakeside continued their slide down the table with a heavy 121-97 defeat at the hands of Geraldton, with a 30-11 final term sealing the result for the Buccaneers. Bennie Lewis and Odartey Blankson were simply uncontainable for the visitors, with Lewis dropping 41 points on 16-of-27 shooting and dishing 6 assists and Blankson doing his best to match him with 40 points of his own at a 61% clip to go with 16 rebounds and 4 dimes. It was a clear difference given the Lightning’s high points man was Tom Parkinson (19 points, 11 rebounds), who led six players in double digits. Lakeside was missing SBL all-star and rebound machine Jarrad Prue.
South West Slammers bounced back into the winners’ circle with a 106-92 road win against struggling Goldfields. The visitors wore down the Giants across all four quarters in the win, with Ty Harrelson exploding for 38 points on 14-of-21 shooting, 10 rebounds and 7 assists to lead his side to victory, while Clive Weeden netted 28 points and pulled in 10 boards as well. Miles Tierney (27 points, 11-17 FG), Duran Blue (21 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists) and Tommy Hannon (18 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists) were gallant in defeat for the Giants, who played with just eight players.
Perth continued their impressive form with a 113-93 win at Perry Lakes, with a blistering 44-point opening term setting up the win. Dennis Tawhiti (22 points, 8 rebounds, 10-15 FG) led a balanced attack for the Redbacks, with six players reaching double figures and four netting 18 points or more. Justin Cecil collected 22 points for the Hawks, while Corey Easley added 21 despite both playing limited minutes.
Mandurah edged Kalamunda in an entertaining and high-scoring clash, with the Magic shooting at an astonishing 65% from the field and 63% from long distance in a 126-115 result. Paul Hafford (32 points, 9 rebounds, 13 assists, 12-18 FG) and Tim Mullenax (32 points, 12 rebounds, 13-16 FG) were the catalysts in the win despite the pair combining for 16 of their side’s 35 turnovers. Adhir Mayen dropped 36 points for the Eastern Suns, including 10-of-10 at the foul line, while Ben Smith (27 points, 6 assists, 4 steals) was also solid despite the loss.
Stirling continued their recent run of wins with a 108-94 win over Geraldton, snapping the Buccaneers’ six-game winning streak in the process. The Senators were outrebounded 52-38 but finished ahead on the scoreboard thanks to 31 points and 8 rebounds from Josh Throns as five Senators netted 14 points or more in a well-balanced performance. For Geraldton, Bennie Lewis (3 points, 1-5 FG) played just 10 minutes before injuring his ankle, leaving the workload to Carter Cook (34 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists) and Odartey Blankson (32 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists). The Buccaneers now sit third after seven weeks of action.
Joondalup arrested their sliding momentum with a 99-89 victory of a plucky East Perth Eagles side on the back of big nights from Rob Huntington and Seb Salinas. Huntington finished with 38 points, 14 boards and 5 assists while shooting at 16-of-25 from the floor in a brilliant display, while Salinas (26 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists) recorded a big triple-double. Only 27 points and 8 rebounds from Sunday Dech kept the Eagles in it, with a 16-point halftime deficit proving too much to overcome.
Lakeside rounded out the weekend with a come-from-behind 111-106 upset win over Rockingham, handing the Flames just their second loss of the campaign. With Jarrad Prue (12 points, 23 rebounds, 4 assists) back in the line-up the Lightning looked a far better side and rode a monster night from Caleb Palkert (43 points, 7 rebounds, 6 blocks, 7-10 3PT) to victory. The Flames fell short despite three players notching 20 points or more, with Cooper Land (31 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists) and Andrew Bowman (29 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists) leading the way.
SBL Women
A dominant 101-74 win over South West kept Rockingham’s undefeated start to 2014 intact, with the Flames far too strong for the struggling Slammers. Samantha Whitcomb (26 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists) missed a monstrous triple-double by a single assist despite playing just 21 minutes, while Darcee Garbin (20 points, 8 rebounds) and Jacinta Bourne (19 points, 5 rebounds) were also strong in limited game time. Amy Patton (17 points, 12 rebounds) led the Slammers, who have now lost four straight games to sit second last to the winless Redbacks.
Cockburn got over the top of East Perth in an up-and-down contest, with the Cougars finish 75-60 winners despite scoring just 8 points in the third term. The visitors netted 51 points in the second and fourth terms combined to cancel out their poor third quarter, with Sam Richards (23 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists) and Emma Pass (21 points, 4 assists) taking charge for their side. Stephanie Jones had 17 points and 13 rebounds in defeat for the Eagles, who remain at least a win off eight spot after dropping to a 2-6 record.
Willetton fell in a big second-half hole to succumb to a devastating 80-52 loss to mid-table rivals Kalamunda. A 47-20 run over the final two quarters blew the game wide open and consigned the Tigers to a second loss in as many weeks as Jennie Rintala (18 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals) led five players in double digits for the victors. The Eastern Suns needed to overcome 20 points from WNBL star Antonia Edmonson, but as the floodgates opened it all became too much for the home side as they slipped to a 3-5 record and dropped out of the top eight.
Perry Lakes produced a 23-12 final term to snatch a 76-73 win over the winless Perth Redbacks in a thrilling contest. The visitors put in their best performance of the season but were denied a breakthrough victory by the Hawks’ barnstorming finish, with Kate Anthony (28 points, 6 rebounds) the dominant player on the court. Monique Kickett poured in 22 points for the unlucky Redbacks, while Alix Hayward (18 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists) did a little bit of everything and Jessica Jakens (18 points, 14 rebounds) was solid.
Mandurah consolidated third spot on the table for another week with a thrilling 76-75 win over Kalamunda Eastern Suns, with the Magic holding on in the tense final stages as the home side rallied. Hailey Dunham netted 27 points and collected 9 boards for the Magic, who continue to impress early in the season. Alison Schwagmeyer (21 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists) was strong in her second game for the Suns, who are sitting just inside the top eight despite the loss.
Joondalup edged past East Perth Eagles in a low-scoring affair, with the Wolves claiming a 62-56 win. Both teams shot at 32% from the floor and connected on 21-of-65 field goals, however the Wolves benefited from an extra 17 trips to the foul line to claim the victory. Shani Amos (16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals) led her side, while Ellyce Ironmonger (10 points, 15 rebounds, 6 steals) was also brilliant. The Eagles were again led by import Stephanie Jones, who had 17 points and 10 boards in the loss.
Rockingham and Lakeside clashed in the final matchup of the round as the only remaining undefeated sides in the league, with the Flames coming out on top in a 76-61 win. A solid four-quarter performance from the home side saw the Lightning suffer their first loss as Samantha Whitcomb continued her excellent form with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. The Lightning played with just seven players and were eventually worn down despite 21 points and 8 boards from Emily Fielding, as well as a monster double-double from Kari Pickens (12 points, 21 rebounds).
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