NBL1 South Recap | Saturday Women's Round 11

It was a Saturday night for standout NBL1 South Women's performances with Sara Blicavs, Tess Madgen, Emma Pearce, Jade Melbourne, Nikita Young and Keely Froling among those to shine.

Round 11 in the NBL1 South began on Saturday night with wins for the Geelong Supercats, Casey Cavaliers, Bendigo Braves, Nunawading Spectres, Ballarat Miners, Kilsyth Cobras, Mount Gambier Pioneers and Launceston Tornadoes.

Round 11 in the NBL1 South began on Saturday night with the Geelong Supercats scoring an impressive 109-90 victory against the Waverley Falcons at The Arena.

Sara Blicavs starred for the Supercats with 38 points, 10 rebounds and five assists with Aimie Rocci returning with 25 points. Orla O'Reilly put up 23 points for Waverley.

It was a tight affair at Casey Stadium with the Casey Cavaliers overrunning the Frankston Blues for the 65-63 win.

Sarah Boothe top-scored with 27 points and 11 rebounds for Casey with Darcee Garbin putting up 22 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the Blues.

It was another nail-biter at the State Basketball Centre with the Bendigo Braves holding out the Knox Raiders to win 76-75.

Tess Madgen continued her hot form for Bendigo with another 31 points and five three-pointers with Alicia Froling scoring 23 points and 10 rebounds for Knox.

The Nunawading Spectres put together a dominant second half especially on the way to their 102-59 win at home to the Hobart Chargers.

Emma Pearce was outstanding for Nunawading with 27 points and nine rebounds with Paige Bradley delivering 18 points for the Chargers.

The Ballarat Miners started strongly at home to the Keilor Thunder on Saturday night on the way to the eventual 89-79 victory.

Jade Melbourne finished with 27 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists and four steals in the win for Ballarat with Isabella Brancatisano adding 25 points. Maddie Garrick top-scored for Keilor with 28 points.

The Kilsyth Cobras came from behind at three quarter-time to beat the Dandenong Rangers 86-80.

Nikita Young had a massive night for Kilsyth with 35 points while Gemma Potter top-scored for Dandenong with 28 points and 14 rebounds.

The Mount Gambier Pioneers started strongly on the road to the Diamond Valley Eagles and completed the job for the 99-74 victory.

Cassandra Brown scored 25 points for Mount Gambier, Haliegh Reinoehl 24 and Hannah Young 22. Sophie Burrows top-scored for Diamond Valley with 21 points.

The Launceston Tornadoes came from behind on the road on Saturday night to defeat the Eltham Wildcats 82-78.

Keely Froling was impressive for Launceston with 27 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots with Mariah Payne adding 24 points. Hailey Leidel scored 26 points for Eltham.

NBL1 South Round 11 will wrap up on Sunday with the Kilsyth Cobras at home to the Geelong Supercats with the Ringwood Hawks playing the Launceston Tornadoes and the Frankston Blues taking on the Hobart Chargers.

The Melbourne Tigers are also playing host to the Keilor Thunder with the Sandringham Sabres taking on the Mount Gambier Pioneers and the Waverley Falcons hosting the Eltham Wildcats.

NBL1 SOUTH – 2022 WOMEN'S SEASON
ROUND 11 – SATURDAY NIGHT

GEELONG SUPERCATS 109 defeated WAVERLEY FALCONS 90

The Geelong Supercats took charge more the longer the game went on Saturday night as they ended up beating the Waverley Falcons at home by 19 points.

The Supercats hosted the Falcons at The Arena to open Round 11 in the NBL1 South and it was a tight opening to the contest with Geelong leading by just the two points by quarter-time.

Even though the Supercats scored 10 straight points in the second quarter to lead by as much as eight, the Falcons stayed in touch and by half-time Geelong's lead was only three points.

However, the Supercats put their foot down throughout the second half with 26 points to 20 in the third quarter, and another 31 to 21 in the fourth to end up winning 109-90.

The result improves the Supercats to a 10-4 record on the season while the Falcons are now 7-6 following the defeat away from home.

It was quite the stunning shooting display from the Supercats who went 60 per cent overall but an incredible 15/20 at 75 per cent from beyond the arc. The Falcons weren’t too bad themselves going 47.3 per cent and hitting 12/16 from three-point land.

Sara Blicavs delivered a standout performance for Geelong made up of 38 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals while nailing 5/6 from the land of plenty.

Aimie Rocci returned for Geelong and made an immediate impact drilling 6/8 from three-point range for 25 points and nine assists with Taylah Simmons adding 17 points and five rebounds, and Sarah Elsworthy 10 points, six steals and five assists.

Orla O'Reilly top-scored for Waverley with 23 points with Carley Ernst adding 16 points and seven rebounds, Renae Mokrzycki 12 points and three boards, Amelia Todhunter 11 points and five assists, and Gemma Simon 10 points.

 

CASEY CAVALIERS 65 defeated FRANKSTON BLUES 63

The Casey Cavaliers overran the Frankston Blues at home on Saturday night for the eventual two-point victory.

The Cavs took on the Blues at Casey Stadium and it turned out to be quite the dramatic come from behind finish in the end.

Frankston started well away from home to take a six-point lead into quarter-time but the Cavs were able to work back into the contest in the second term including going on an 8-0 run to be back within four points by the long break.

Both teams had their turn with the momentum during the third quarter but ultimately by three quarter-time it was Frankston still clinging to the 56-51 advantage.

Casey were able to score eight straight points to grab the lead in the fourth quarter but it was still a grandstand finish.

Kate Gaze connected on a three for Frankston with two minutes to go to tie scores up before ultimately the game winner was hit by Rachel Bell to give Casey the 65-63 victory.

The result improves the Cavaliers to an 8-6 record on the season while Frankston is now 4-10.

Sarah Boothe finished the evening with 27 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks on 12/16 shooting in a terrific all-round display for Casey.

Rachel Bell added 23 points, eight rebounds and three assists with Louis Brown contributing eight points and 17 boards, and Taylah Giliam five points and four assists.

Darcee Garbin put up 22 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals for Frankston with Kate Gaze contributing 21 points and eight boards, and Ella Batish 10 points.

 

KNOX RAIDERS 75 lost to BENDIGO BRAVES 76

The Knox Raiders produced a strong finish but it wasn’t quite enough to get over the Bendigo Braves on their home court on Saturday night.

The Raiders played host to the Braves at the State Basketball Centre as part of Round 11 in the NBL1 South and it was the visitors who started strongly scoring seven straight points in the opening term to end up leading by nine at quarter-time.

Bendigo kept that momentum going in the second quarter completing an 11-0 run to go up by as much as 15 points but Knox hit back scoring seven points in-a-row themselves and by half-time had pulled the deficit back to nine points.

Knox managed to work their way into the lead during the third period on the back of scoring 13 straight points but the momentum swings continued right to the end.

Kelly Wilson put the Braves back up six early in the fourth quarter but then Knox hit the next eight points capped off with a bucket from Alicia Froling to see them back on top with just over a minute remaining.

Tess Madgen then hit a huge three for Bendigo to see them back on top before Froling scored to put Knox back in front. However, the game winning bucket came from Madgen on the next possession with the Braves holding on to win 76-75.

There were plenty of starring performances on the night from either side with Tess Madgen continuing her hot recent form for the Braves with another 31 points, 11 rebounds and six assists while connecting on 5/8 from three-point range.

Megan McKay added 20 points and 12 rebounds, Abbey Wehrung 10 points and eight boards, and Kelly Wilson 10 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and five steals.

Alicia Froling had another impressive night for the Raiders with 23 points and 10 rebounds with Kara Tessari adding 20 points, six boards and four assists, and Klara Wischer 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocked shots.

 

NUNAWADING SPECTRES 102 defeated HOBART CHARGERS 59

The Nunawading Spectres caught fire in the second quarter and kept their foot on the throats of the Hobart Chargers the rest of the way to end up with the 43-point home win on Saturday night.

The Spectres hosted the Chargers at Nunawading Basketball Centre as Round 11 got underway on Saturday night with the visitors able to stick with the home side throughout the opening term.

However, Nunawading began to stamp their authority in the second quarter by scoring eight straight points to end up leading by as much as 18 points by putting up 34 points to 24 to go into the half-time break leading 57-44.

The Spectres then scored another 18 points to nine in the third quarter, and then 27 to six in the fourth to end up with the commanding 102-59 victory.

The victory sees Nunawading improve to an 11-4 record on the season midway through Round 11 while Hobart is now 1-13 following the defeat.

The Spectres collecting 38 rebounds to 27 on the night including 13 at the offensive end to eight while they also forced the Chargers into 27 turnovers which helped them take 19 extra field goals for the night while shooting 54.2 per cent.

Emma Pearce had a huge night for the Spectres finishing with 27 points and nine rebounds on 9/13 shooting including 3/4 from downtown.

Cassidy Mihalko added 15 points and five rebounds, Megan Mullings 13 points, four boards and three steals, Rachel Antoniadou 13 points and four rebounds, and Maighan Hedge nine points and three assists.

Paige Bradley top-scored for Hobart with 18 points, four rebounds and three assists with Angela Tompkins contributing 16 points and 11 boards, and Sharna Thompson 14 points.

 

DIAMOND VALLEY EAGLES 74 lost to MOUNT GAMBIER PIONEERS 99

The Mount Gambier Pioneers hit the road and came away with the strong 25-point victory against the Diamond Valley Eagles on Saturday night.

The Eagles hosted the Pioneers at Diamond Valley Sports and Fitness Centre and it was the visitors who started strongly going on a 10-0 run to close the opening quarter to end up leading 30-15 after one.

Diamond Valley managed to limit the damage in the second term but still Mount Gambier were on top 50-36 going into the half-time interval.

The Pioneers pulled away further with 31 points to 21 in the third quarter and that saw their lead grow to 25 points, and then as much as 29 in the fourth term before they ended up winning 99-74.

The victory improves Mt Gambier to a 12-2 record on the season to maintain second position while Diamond Valley is now 1-14.

The Pioneers finished up collecting 42 rebounds to 28 on the night while they shot 56.3 per cent from the field and hit 14/33 from three-point land at 42.4 per cent. The Eagles shot 41.8 per cent and went 7/23 from downtown.

Cassandra Brown ended up top-scoring for Mount Gambier with 25 points, three rebounds and three assists on 10/15 shooting from the floor and 5/9 from beyond the arc.

Haliegh Reinoehl added 24 points, five rebounds and three assists, Hannah Young 22 points and six boards, and Jasmin Howe 13 points and three assists.

Sophie Burrows delivered 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists for Diamond Valley, Imogen Rock 12 points and two steals, Kate Oliver 12 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals, and Hope Terdich 13 points and three assists.

 

ELTHAM WILDCATS 78 lost to LAUNCESTON TORNADOES 82

It was a tight affair at Eltham High School on Saturday night with the visiting Launceston Tornadoes ending up beating the Eltham Wildcats by four points.

The Wildcats played host to the Tornadoes as part of First Nations Round in the NBL1 South with Eltham scoring nine straight points early but Launceston also had their own 6-0 run in the first term before leading 22-19 at quarter-time.

It was Eltham who grabbed the momentum in the second quarter with 22 points to 13 and that saw the home team head into half-time leading 41-35.

The momentum swings continued in the third quarter with another 8-0 run from the Tornadoes and that meant scores were all square by three quarter-time.

It was a fascinating fourth quarter with Eltham going back up by eight points early on but then Launceston hit back to finish the better and grab the lead in the final minute and hold on to win 82-78.

Keely Froling put together a tremendous performance for the Tornadoes with 27 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots while hitting 13/15 from the foul line.

Mariah Payne added 24 points and four rebounds, Micah Simpson 15 points, seven boards and four assists, Charli Kay eight points, four assists and three rebounds, and Makala Bingley eight points.

 

BALLARAT MINERS 89 defeated KEILOR THUNDER 79

The Ballarat Miners had to work hard to hold out the Keilor Thunder at home on Saturday night but were able to do so for the eventual 10-point victory.

The Miners hosted the Thunder at Selkirk Stadium and they opened up a 24-18 advantage by quarter-time before scoring eight straight points during the second period to lead by as much as 14 points.

Ballarat were on top 46-35 still by half-time but Keilor hit back in the third quarter going on a 9-0 run and to outscore the Miners 25 points to 18 to be within just four points by three quarter-time.

The Miners were able to hit back, though, to score nine consecutive points and to go back up 14 in the fourth quarter before ending up winning 89-79.

The win improves Ballarat to a 9-6 record on the season while Keilor is now 6-8 following the defeat.

Jade Melbourne was the standout player on the court and delivered 27 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists and four steals in the win for Ballarat while shooting 10/16 from the floor.

Isabella Brancatisano also produced 25 points, seven rebounds and four steals for the Miners, Kristy Rinaldi 13 points and four boards, Stephanie Gorman 13 points and five rebounds, and Zitina Aokuso six points, six boards and six assists.

Maddie Garrick did all she could to try and will Keilor to the win with 28 points and six rebounds while knocking down 5/10 from the land of plenty.

Monique Andriuolo added 16 points and 11 rebounds, Christa Reed 14 points, five boards and three assists, and Chloe Hildebrand eight points and three rebounds.

 

DANDENONG RANGERS 80 lost to KILSYTH COBRAS 86

The Kilsyth Cobras came from behind with a strong fourth quarter to score the six-point road victory over the Dandenong Rangers on Saturday night.

The Rangers played host to the Cobras at Dandenong Basketball Stadium and it was the home team who made the flying start racing to a 12-point advantage during the opening term.

Dandenong still led 24-18 by the end of one and the home team maintained their advantage during the second quarter to go into half-time leading 44-39.

Kilsyth stayed in touch during the third quarter to be within three by three quarter-time and then it was all the Cobras in the fourth period with 25 points to 16 to end up winning 86-80 away from home.

Kilsyth improves to a 7-8 record on the season as a result of the win while Dandenong is now 3-12 following the loss.

Nikita Young produced a standout performance in the win for the Cobras with 35 points, three rebounds and three steals on shooting 13/25 from the floor and 7/10 at the foul line.

Carly Turner added 19 points and nine rebounds, Isia Lopes 14 points, five boards and four assists, Georgia Booth nine points, eight rebounds and three assists, and Bree Whatman nine points, four boards, three steals and two assists.

Gemma Potter had a big night for Dandenong finishing with 28 points, 14 rebounds and six assists while making 5/16 from three-point territory.

Maddison Zugna added 11 points and five boards, Luisa Fakalata 10 points and three rebounds, Tenaya Sooalo nine points and five boards, and Clare Camac eight points, seven rebounds and six assists.