NBL1 West Recap | ANZAC Day Women's Round 3

The defending champion Willetton Tigers are building some momentum with their stars back after beating the Kalamunda Eastern Suns on Monday afternoon in the now annual ANZAC Day match up.

It was a huge Round 3 in the NBL1 West Women's competition that started back on Friday night and wrapped up on Monday at Ray Owen Sports Centre with the Eastern Suns hosting the Tigers.

The Round 3 action began back on Friday night with the Joondalup Wolves defeating the Perry Lakes Hawks 83-46 at HBF Arena. 

The Mandurah Magic also defeated the Perth Redbacks 67-48, the Lakeside Lightning beat the Rockingham Flames 103-101, and the Warwick Senators downed the Kalamunda Eastern Suns 95-69.

There was another pair of games on Saturday evening with the Cockburn Cougars defeating the South West Slammers 111-22 and the East Perth Eagles defeating the Goldfields Giants 78-62.

Then on Sunday, the Cockburn Cougars scored their third win from four games by keeping the Goldfields Giants winless with an 88-76 win at Wally Hagan Stadium.

Then on Monday at Ray Owen Sports Centre, it was the defending champion Willetton Tigers overcoming a slow start to defeat the Kalamunda Eastern Suns 94-59.

Following three rounds of the NBL1 West Women's season, the Joondalup Wolves, Mandurah Magic and Warwick Senators all hold perfect 3-0 records.

The Cockburn Cougars sit at 3-1 with the Willetton Tigers and Lakeside Lightning both 2-1, and the Rockingham Flames, Perry Lakes Hawks and East Perth Eagles 1-2.

The Perth Redbacks and Kalamunda Eastern Suns are both 1-3, and the Goldfields Giants and South West Slammers 0-3.

NBL1 WEST – 2022 WOMEN'S SEASON
ROUND 3 – ANZAC DAY

KALAMUNDA EASTERN SUNS 59 lost to WILLETTON TIGERS 94

The Willetton Tigers made it consecutive wins this NBL1 West season by beating the Kalamunda Eastern Suns in the annual ANZAC Day clash.

The 2022 edition of the traditional contest took place at Ray Owen Sports Centre and it was the defending champions proving too strong for an Eastern Suns team missing head coach Tim Rendulic and star Marissa Pangalos.

The Tigers started their championship defence with a loss to the Joondalup Wolves, but they've since welcomed back Alex Sharp and Emma Gandini, and been able to string a pair of wins together as a result.

The Suns actually got off to a flying start on their home floor beginning with a pair of three-pointers to Ella Thornton-Elliott. She soon added a third inside the game's first two minutes in a specatular start.

When Lexie Bland joined in the fun with seven quick points, suddenly Kalamunda led 18-6 and Willetton was right on the back foot. However, as all good teams do, they were able to stem the tide and were back within two points by quarter-time.

If the game was on the line at quarter-time, it didn’t stay that way for long with the Tigers unleashing in the second quarter by piling on 35 points to go into the half-time break leading 54-31.

The Eastern Suns did well to steady the ship and outscore the Tigers in the third quarter 18-16, but the deficit was too much to make up and Willetton end up recording the 94-59 ANZAC Day victory.

The Tigers ending up pulling down 55 rebounds to 34 from the Suns while shooting at 45.7 per cent opposed to 30.6.

Tigers' championship winning captain Desiree Kelley delivered 23 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals with reigning MVP and Grand Final MVP Alex Sharp adding 22 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and three steals.

Hayley Winter finished with 14 points and six assists, Tayla Hepburn 11 points and seven boards, and Eva Cooke nine points and four rebounds.

Lexie Bland top-scored for the Eastern Suns with 18 points and four rebounds while Georgia Denehey contributed 14 points, six boards, four assists and two steals, Ella Thornton-Elliott 12 points and three assists, and Eleanor Hartill six points and eight rebounds.