Central Recap | First Nations Round Friday

By Tristan Prentice for NBL1.com.au

Feature images supplied via NBL1.com.au /  @snapshotphotography3 / Snap Shot Photography

Round 13 of the Mitsubishi Motors NBL1 Central got First Nations round underway with the first night of action providing some form restoring results, more of the finals puzzle outcomes clearer and changes that yielded many competitive and contested matches… 

Here are the results of Friday’s games:

Rockets run at Jungle moves on after downing Panthers             

The North Adelaide Rockets continued their recent stretch against the South Adelaide Panthers at the Jungle of Mitchell Park with a form restoring 60-76 win to open first nations round. 

The Rockets after some tough recent results trying to cling onto a top five position got off to the start they needed through Tayla Corrigan however were chased down by the Gardiner sisters as they proved a matchup concern 13-17 after a scrappy opening first term. 

The veteran presence of Mollie McKendrick took control in the second term for the Rockets as she collected seven second term points with some late Sarah Warner bombs giving the away side the lead at the half 33-38. 

Lauren Mansfield (13 points, four rebounds and three assists) impacted early in the third with a triple out of the half time break but the 100 gamer in Bella Stratford (Eight points, five rebounds and three assists) helped the Panthers keep touch but the Rockets through McKendrick again took the ascendancy 46-52 into the last change. 

As she’s done this season enter Jordyn Freer (12 points, four assists and rebounds with three steals) who flourished again in the final term with another handy contribution with Warner (11 points and three rebounds) making some late free throws to stretch the margin and claim the series against the Panthers.

Both Gardiner’s were strong through the four terms for the Panthers with Keira (20 points and nine rebounds) and Hannah (15 points, seven rebounds) leading the way while McKendrick for the Rockets was their clear best with 19 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.                

SOUTH ADELAIDE PANTHERS 60 (K Gardiner 20, H Gardiner 15, Rees, Stratford 8)

NORTH ADELAIDE ROCKETS 76 (McKendrick 19, Mansfield 13, J Freer 12)

 

Bearcats bounce away from Tigers in third term to take Cage win             

After a tight first half the West Adelaide Bearcats turned on the jets in the third term to bounce away from the Southern Tigers 62-80 at the Cage in Morphett Vale. 

The Tigers upset the Bearcats on ANZAC day in their last meeting and kept pace with the top three team led by Iva Belosevic (22 points, 10 rebounds and four assists) collecting and grabbing everything she wanted. Olivia Levicki (20 points and nine rebounds) of the Bearcats was unstoppable early as she and Ashlee Strawbridge (10 points and seven rebounds) kept the points ticking over for the aways side.   

Both sides found some support from their youth in a career high to Charlotte Southam-Clark (13 points) and Krystal Thompson (10 points and three assists) respectively - to leave it a tight 34-37 margin at the main break. 

That’s when the game turned as after struggling to score in the half court contained by the Tigers the Bearcats turned their jets on and got motoring as they grabbed 18 points in six minutes to finish with a 15-26 quarter. 

That set up the win for the Bearcats who stayed with the top sides temporarily grabbing equal first but still behind the Sturt Sabres on a five point split still to be decided.

    

Both teams go at it again tonight as they take on the Central Districts Lions and the Forestville Eagles in their double header weekend - catch the action of Kayo Sports Freebies via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App from 6:30pm ACDT. 

SOUTHERN TIGERS 62 (Belosevic 22, Southam-Clark 13, Bartsch 8)

WEST ADELAIDE BEARCATS 80 (Levicki 20, Coleman 12, Strawbridge, K Thompson 10)                    

 

Sabres secure win but Warriors hold split              

The Sturt Sabres eventually secured victory but a desperate last effort led again by Jasmin Fejo forged the Warriors into a winning position but took the consolation of securing the season split 75-71 in a thriller at Springbank.

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The Warriors got the 0-5 start with the Sabres responding quickly but Fejo was ferocious early leading the way from the front. Nicola Mathews had her usual impact early against the Warriors as she finished to give the homeside the lead 16-15 after one term.

Tayla Brazel (10 points) off the back of her player of the week win took control early in the second but Laura Erikstrup (14 points and nine rebounds) was causing all sorts of problems in the low scoring affair as both teams stayed tied to each other. The Sabres did get out by as many as nine but that was reeled back in by the Warriors to keep it 36-32 at the main break. 

Fejo got it going again in the third but found a First Nations combo with Ambah Kowcun draining some big triples covering the absence of Erin Phillips and Genna Anderson-Abbey. Katia Stamatelopoulos cut her way through the keyway to cut the Warriors a plenty backed up by Meg Prosser (12 points, five rebounds and four steals) but the Warriors responded again to 60-56 with one thrilling stanza ahead. 

Mathews (Nine points and three assists) continued her strong night against the team she’s always played well against - but the Warriors could not be shaken as it stayed tight in the final term. Kowcun cut it to 71-69 with another triple, Stamatelopolous (12 points, five assists and rebounds with two steals) made two tough layups and finishes inside to take it to 75-69 with a late basket to Kowcun (14 points and five rebounds) determining the final margin. 

Zoe Walker-Roberts through four quarters at both ends was highly influential with 15 points and seven rebounds leading an even performance while Fejo was nearly the difference again with 28 points, seven rebounds, three assists and steals.

         

STURT SABRES 75 (Z Walker-Roberts 15, Prosser, Stamatelopoulos 12, Brazel 10)

WOODVILLE WARRIORS 71 (Fejo 28, Erikstrup, Kowcun 14)

New North push Panthers in positive performance              

The South Adelaide Panthers ran into the awkward matchup you don’t want with a new looking North Adelaide Rockets lineup taking the floor. They were pushed hard in three quarters but eventually prevailed at home to keep tabs with the top three 82-70 at the Jungle in Mitchell Park. 

The Rockets went into the contest with no Bijan Johnson and Phillip Dopud instead bringing Joel Dyer back into the starting five and keeping Jaxon Sangster (Seven assists) at the point guard position. Kaleb Warner (13 points, five rebounds and three assists) for the Panthers got off to a flyer to take the Panthers out to a 12-3 start missing Christian Brandon and Jarryd Hoppo. After a slow start the Rockets fired up through Tobias Dowdell (17 points, nine rebounds and three assists), Dyer with a few triples and a massive quarter time jam for Koop McCalop to make it 23-22 after one. 

Skipper Tom Kubank found some elite triples from deep and got his team out to a 36-24 lead but seemed to injure his lower back blocking an unsuspecting Rockets guard on the drive. McCalop slashed the margin back to put the Rockets in front by a single basket 36-37. The Panthers turned to their pine and got some points from Babb and some more from Codey Ellison (14 points and 10 rebounds) to take a 49-37 lead into the main change. 

Kubank (15 points and 10 rebounds) returned in the third term but the hot hand of Dyer (21 points with five triples and three rebounds) put the Rockets right on the heels of their opponents 51-49. The Panthers found a few more points but McCalop put them in front again and the Rockets were right there in the third term sniffing the upset 57-56 with one to go. 

McCalop (21 points and 11 rebounds) kept finding open lanes and was in his groove as he grew in confidence that not only him but his team could do anything, getting it to 70-67 with three minutes left. The hand of Lloyd McVeigh (15 points, seven rebounds and four assists) late though sealed the win as the Rockets finally ran out of fuel and the Panthers 12-3 final few minutes secured the much harder than anticipated victory.

                 

SOUTH ADELAIDE PANTHERS 82 (Kubank, McVeigh 15, Ellison 14, Warner 13)

NORTH ADELAIDE ROCKETS 70 (J Dyer, K McCalop 21, Dowdell 17, M Machar 10)

 

Tigers take thriller to topple Bearcats at Cage             

The Southern Tigers finally found a way to suffocate the West Adelaide Bearcats perimeter power taking a thriller 91-88 at the Cage in Morphett Vale. 

The highly entertaining contest was on from the start with Tiger Harry Morris (24 points with five triples and six rebounds lighting up early for the home side but not able to be stopped again were Lat Mayen (16 points, five assists and four rebounds) and Cameron Huefner (20 points and seven rebounds) as the Wildcat duo took the Bearcats to a 25-28 lead at the end of the first. 

The chess pieces were being moved around at high octane pace as Lem Ajith (11 points and five rebounds) proved a matchup issue for the Bearcats while Jacob Tryon’s long arching hits (11 points and five rebounds) from outside kept spreading the Tigers pack. Jarvis Doles, extremely quiet for a majority of the time, woke himself up finding a lane and getting one up on the rim with octane authority…

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The Bearcats held the lead slightly 51-52 at the main change thanks to their star four including Keanu Rasmussen quietly amassing solid numbers. 

The Tigers needed the turnaround and they got it through Doles (17 points and seven rebounds) who answered the need for money from the field with 10 third quarter points to snatch the lead back for the Tigers as the Bearcats triple threats began to dry up 73-71 with one to go. 

The last quarter returned to high octane play with Rasmussen (29 points, four assists and rebounds with three steals) capatalising on all mistakes and single handedly carrying the away side to the finish line. The brilliance late of Sunday Bol (10 points, seven rebounds and five assists) and Jarvis Summers (16 points and five assists with three steals) however stole the victory from the Bearcats who desperately were trying to claw onto fifth place on the table. 

While only mathematical, the win kept the Tigers slight hopes alive as they claimed the split on the Bearcats in the process but have it all ahead of them tonight to keep that momentum going.

 

Both teams go at it again tonight as they take on the Central Districts Lions and the Forestville Eagles in their double header weekend - catch the action of Kayo Sports Freebies via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App from 8:15pm ACDT.       

SOUTHERN TIGERS 91 (Morris 24, Doles 17, Summers 16)

WEST ADELAIDE BEARCATS 88 (Rasmussen 29, Huefner 20, Mayen 16)                    

Warriors spoil Big Ben birthday special from Sixer for Sabres              

The Woodville Warriors crashed the party late at Springbank spoiling “Big Ben” Griscti birthday special match with a 77-82 win at the Cave in Springbank. 

After being stifled last weekend by the Eastern Mavericks - on his birthday the Adelaide 36er rookie who has a penchant for playing big time performances against the Warriors in a short career took the Sabres to the early lead 25-20. He slashed his way through the paint and dunked all over the Warriors early but the Warriors by committee closed the margin at the first change.

The youth of Steve Parfitt and Toby Woolcock with no Joe Jackson available brought the Warriors the lead with a 0-9 run - it took a classic Jack Turnbull triple to break the drought for the Sabres but scoring became a challenge as the Warriors upped their armour and with Parfitt rolling through them the Warriors took control 48-39 at the main interval.

The Sabres needed more answers with Hayden Meakes joining the party while Jordan Forbes (a near triple double of 12 points and rebounds with eight assists) started to get things going his way but the handy contributions of Bryce Sloan (13 points and nine rebounds) made life tough to bridge the margin. The Warriors still held a double digit lead going into the last term 55-66. 

Needing the spark the Sabres turned to their Sixer in Ben Griscti as he made the tip in at the basket, a triple then threw one down to cut it right back to a single basket. Both him and Seb Griffin (Seven points, four rebounds and three assists) kept the Sabres in touch with a half a term left in the final minutes. So often for the Warriors enter Nick Wurm who made some crucial late makes and Parfitt closed the contest for the evening with the late points to make life now very difficult for the Sabres to sneak into the top five. 

Griscti had big moments in the match producing 22 points and 13 rebounds with Meakes providing his best hand for the season with 18 points and six rebounds. With no Jackson Parfitt stepped up to the plate delivering 17 points and 10 rebounds in as many minutes while Wurm once again found his mark whenever needed with 23 points with four triples, eight assists, four steals and three rebounds.           

 

STURT SABRES 77 (Griscti 22, Meakes 18, Forbes 12)

WOODVILLE WARRIORS 82 (Wurm 23, Parfitt 17, Sloan 13)

The Warriors are almost there for the Mens and the Womens have a must win versus the Norwood Flames now with results falling their way this weekend already - catch the action of Kayo Sports Freebies Game of the Week Monday Night via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App from 6:30pm ACDT. 

Watch the NBL1 Live & Free on NBL1.com.au, NBL1 App and Kayo Sports Freebies.