NBL1 West Recap | Saturday Round 12

Both the Perry Lakes Hawks and Warwick Senators women won in milestone games for their captains in Saturday night's NBL1 West while the Joondalup Wolves handed the Rockingham Flames a second loss in 24 hours before Devondrick Walker fired Rockingham to another win.

Saturday night's Round 12 women's results saw the Perry Lakes Hawks beat the South West Slammers 96-54, the Warwick Senators defeat the Mandurah Magic 95-86, the Joondalup Wolves prevail 102-82 against the Rockingham Flames, and the Lakeside Lightning down the Goldfields Giants 74-59.

Then in the men's action, the Geraldton Buccaneers beat the Kalamunda Eastern Suns 98-91 while the Hawks beat the Slammers 97-71, the Senators defeated the Magic 117-93, the Flames downed the Wolfpack 114-102, and the Lightning beat the Giants 95-85.

NBL1 WEST RECAP | FRIDAY ROUND 12

PARKINSON REFLECTS ON JOURNEY THAT ALMOST NEVER WAS

ALWAYS TEAM FIRST AS JORRE DE ST JORRE REACHES 450

WOMEN

Lightning get crucial win to maintain playoff spot

There were stars missing on either side and in the end the Lakeside Lightning got an important 74-59 win in Kalgoorlie over the Goldfields Giants.

The Lightning arrived at Niels Hansen Basketball Stadium looking to bounce back from last week's loss to Willetton and maintain its top eight spot.

The Giants were missing Australian Opals forward Darcee Garbin but Lakeside did also arrive missing captain Caitie Jones, and it was Goldfields who started the better to lead by four at quarter-time.

Lakeside were able to turn things around in the second quarter with 25 points to 14, and then the Lightning were able to go on with the job to lead by as much as 21 points in the third term, and 25 in the fourth.

Lakeside would go on to score the 15-point win to improve to a 6-9 record to stay in the top eight while the Giants have lost three in-a-row at 3-11.

Lightning import Laci Hawthorne put up 22 points, eight rebounds and two assists on 9/14 shooting with Ruby Benn contributing 13 points, nine assists, six rebounds and three steals.

Emma Burke also had 13 points and six rebounds on 5/5 shooting with Jade Gowland adding 11 points and 14 boards, and Kylee Smith nine points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

Ash Sidebottom ended up top-scoring for Goldfields with 16 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals while Aimee Borchet contributed 15 points and nine boards, and Regan Turnour-McCarty 13 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks.

Wolves stay second, hand Flames second loss in 24 hours

The import combination of Teige Morrell and Robbi Ryan backed up by Emma Klasztorny proved too strong as the Joondalup Wolves beat the Rockingham Flames 102-82.

The Flames came into Round 12 of the NBL1 West on a nine-game winning streak to break into the top four but then lost to the Willetton Tigers at home by 11 points on Friday night.

They were attempting to bounce back at HBF Arena on Saturday up against the second placed Wolfpack who got back to winning last week beating the Perry Lakes Hawks after their winning run ended at the expense of the Cockburn Cougars.

Rockingham was going well leading by six points during the second quarter but then the Wolves went on an 11-0 scoring run and that helped the home team end up leading 41-36 by half-time.

The Wolfpack then dominated the third quarter with 34 points to 16 and their lead blew out to 27 points by the fourth period before going on to score the 20-point victory.

The result means that Joondalup improves to a 12-2 record to remain in second spot while Rockingham slips to 9-5 with the two losses this weekend.

Robbi Ryan delivered 32 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and two steals for the Wolves on the back of 11/19 from the floor, 5/9 from behind the three-point line and 5/5 at the foul line up against her Perth Lynx teammate Tayah Burrows.

Teige Morrell also put up another 20 points, 16 rebounds, five assists and four blocks with fellow front court member Emma Klasztorny delivering 22 points and nine boards on 9/15 shooting in the 245th game of her career.

Shani Amos also had nine points, two rebounds and two steals, Tia Ucich eight points, 11 assists and four rebounds, and Nes'eya Parker-Williams returned from injury with seven points and seven boards.

Casey Samuels put up 21 points and five rebounds for Rockingham with Mehryn Kraker adding 18 points, four boards and three steals, Lisa Koop 11 points and seven rebounds, and Tayah Burrows 10 points and five assists.

Senators celebrate captain's milestone with win in Mandurah

The Warwick Senators were able to hit back impressively and celebrate the 450th game of championship winning captain Nicole Jorre de St Jorre in style with a 95-86 road win over the Mandurah Magic.

The Senators had been building their best form of the season before a narrow loss at home to the Cockburn Cougars last Saturday night ahead of Saturday's trip to Mandurah where last year's championship winning captain de St Jorre returned after missing last weekend.

She was back to celebrate her 450-game milestone where she became the third woman in league history to reach the mark, and her teammates weren’t going to accept anything less than the win to celebrate even away from home.

The Senators opened up a seven-point lead during the first quarter which grew to nine in the second and they were still leading 45-39 by half-time.

Mandurah was trying to break back into the top four and did hit back in the third quarter with 32 points to 26, and to grab the lead briefly and with scores tied at three quarter-time.

However, Warwick took back control in the fourth term with 24 points to 15 to claim the nine-point win and celebrate the milestone of their captain in style.

The victory improves the Senators to a 7-6 record in their championship defence while the Magic are now 10-5 having lost three of their past five.

Perth Lynx WNBL forward Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard put up 23 points, 13 rebounds and three assists for Warwick while shooting 9/13 from the floor and 5/6 from behind the three-point arc.

Stacey Barr added 18 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals, Chloe Forster 17 points, eight assists and six boards, Karly Murphy 14 points, five rebounds and three assists, and Nat Burton 14 points and 10 boards.

Captain Nicole Jorre de St Jorre celebrated her 450th game with eight points, three assists and two steals.

Sarah Toeaina top-scored for Mandurah with 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists on 9/12 shooting with Kat Tudor putting up 22 points and five boards, and Casey Mihovilovich 20 points, eight assists, four steals and three rebounds.

Hawks beat Slammers in captain's 200th game

The Perry Lakes Hawks kept in touch for a top four spot by beating the South West Slammers 96-54 down south on Saturday night.

The Hawks did arrive at Eaton Recreation Centre without import guard Nici Gilday but with captain Annika Renkema celebrating her 200th game, they weren’t short on motivation against the winless Slammers.

Perry Lakes put up 29 points to 10 in the first quarter while opening up a lead as big as 24 points.

That advantage for the Hawks grew to 31 points in the second term, 41 in the third and 47 in the fourth before they ended up scoring the 42-point victory.

The win improves Perry Lakes to a 10-5 record on the season while the Slammers remain winless in 2023 after 12 games having lost 24 straight date back to last year, and 65 of the last 66 going back further.

Hawks captain Annika Renkema knocked down a three on her way to three points, two assists and two steals while playing 19 minutes in the 200th game of her career.

Ash Isenbarger continued her tremendous form for Perry Lakes with another 20 points, four rebounds and two assists with Emma Clarke adding 19 points, nine boards and four assists, Sam Ashby 13 points and five rebounds, and Danika Pisconeri 11 points and six boards.

Kate Williams was playing her first game against her former team for the Slammers and top-scored with 13 points and four rebounds. Alexis Donovan added 11 points, Paris Duffield seven points, and Grace Adams six points, 10 rebounds and two assists.

MEN

Buccs hold out Suns to stay second

The Geraldton Buccaneers further consolidated their top two position in the NBL1 West by overcoming a spirited Kalamunda Eastern Suns 98-91 on the road on Saturday night.

The Buccs have been dominant at home so far this season winning all seven matches, but had gone 3-2 on the road to date coming into this weekend which started for them on Saturday against the Suns at Ray Owen Sports Centre.

It was a Kalamunda team still clinging to a top eight spot despite Friday's loss to the Perth Redbacks but it all pointed to a fascinating match up.

It didn’t disappoint with the Eastern Suns putting up a good fight despite both teams missing a key big man with Kalamunda still without captain Rob Huntington while Geraldton's Liam Hunt remains on a trip to the United States.

The Buccaneers did manage to open up a nine-point lead in the first quarter and while they never surrendered the advantage, the Suns did keep on coming.

The Buccs managed to lead by as much as 23 points during the third quarter but by the time Tom Atkinson scored with 5:30 to play for the Suns, it was just a three-point ball game.

The Suns kept on coming and then when 506-game veteran Seb Salinas hit a three ball with three minutes to play, it was back to a four-game game. Albert Almanza then landed another to make it a one-point game with 2:30 to go.

However, Geraldton kept on answering including with a huge three from Shaun Stewart before two late dunks from Zac Gattorna and Malik Meunier secured the seven-point road victory.

The Buccs are now 11-3 on the season ahead of taking on the Warwick Senators on Sunday with the Suns slipping to 7-8 with the double loss weekend.

Zac Gattorna produced 23 points and six rebounds for Geraldton with Malik Meunier contributing 20 points, 10 assists and three boards, and 423-game veteran Aaron Ralph 18 points and seven rebounds with 6/9 three-point shooting.

Johny Narkle added 11 points, four rebounds and two assists, Shaun Stewart 11 points and eight assists, and Fletcher Klasztorny eight points, nine assists, four boards and two steals.

Albert Almanza delivered his best performance of the season for Kalamunda with 33 points and seven rebounds while draining 8/12 from beyond the arc.

Joe Cook-Green finished with another 26 points, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals, and Seb Salinas eight points, eight boards and three assists.

Lightning maintain form to win in Kalgoorlie

The Lakeside Lightning inflicted some more pain on the Goldfields Giants with the 95-85 Saturday night road victory in Kalgoorlie.

The Giants were back home at Niels Hansen Basketball Stadium trying to arrest a four-game losing slide but the Lightning arrived on their best patch of form of the season having broken into the top eight with the last two wins.

Lakeside was without impressive import Hayden Brown but Goldfields were also without Mayo Malek and Lafonzo Smith.

The Giants ended the first quarter leading by four points trying to get back on the winner's list but the Lightning took charge in the second term with 26 points to 15 to be leading 48-41 at the half-time break.

The Lightning went on with the job to open up a 17-point lead in the third stanza with the advantage growing to 21 in the fourth before they held out the fast finishing Goldfields to win by 10.

The victory gives Lakeside three consecutive wins to improve to an 8-8 record with Goldfields falling to a fifth straight loss at 5-11.

Rowan Mackenzie continued his fine form with the Lightning upon returning from college with 23 points, six assists, three rebounds, three steals and two blocks while hitting 5/9 from beyond the arc.

Max Richards put up 18 points, four rebounds, two assists and two blocks for the Lightning, Ben Lee 15 points, nine boards and four assists, Josh Davey 12 points and 14 rebounds, and Kyle Armour 10 points and five assists.

Giants captain Jerome Reid top-scored with 22 points and seven rebounds with Michael Dupree adding 18 points and five assists, Damon Ballantyne 12 points and four rebounds, Hamish Cummings 12 points, and Kon Anguik 12 points, six boards, two assists and two steals.

Walker fires again as Flames maintain top spot

The Rockingham Flames maintained top place in the NBL1 West thanks to another dominant showing from Devondrick Walker to beat the Joondalup Wolves 114-102.

The Flames beat the Willetton Tigers by 32 points on Friday night before backing up at HBF Arena on Saturday against a Wolfpack team attempting to snap a two-game losing slide.

But from the outset Rockingham was in control of the contest racing to a 16-point lead during the first period before leading 32-17 by quarter-time.

The Flames' lead grew to 18 points in the second term and the defending champions were still in control 60-48 at the main break.

Joondalup did hit back in the third quarter with 29 points to 21 including going on an 8-0 scoring run to make it a contest, but Rockingham had the answers in the fourth period to go back up as much as 19 and eventually winning by 12.

The victory keeps the Flames in top spot with a 12-3 record having now won five straight while the Wolves are struggling at 9-7 having lost three in-a-row.

Devondrick Walker was an unstoppable presence once more for Rockingham with 35 points, seven assists and three rebounds on shooting 13/22 from the floor and 6/12 from three-point territory.

Marshall Nelson added 27 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Flames, Jeremy Combs 14 points, five boards and three assists, Tom Jervis 14 points, nine rebounds and four blocks, and Justin Beard 11 points, three boards and two assists.

Quintin Dove was back into the Joondalup line-up and delivered 27 points, five rebounds and two assists with Bryan Michaels adding 25 points, seven boards and five assists, and new big man Ioannis Dimakopoulos 17 points, seven boards and five assists.

CJ Turnage also had 14 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Wolfpack, and captain Jordan Wellsteed 11 points, two steals and two blocks.

Ellis, Davis set up big Senators win in Mandurah

The Warwick Senators regained some form and confidence ahead of hosting the Geraldton Buccaneers on Sunday with Caleb Davis and Cody Ellis setting up the 117-93 victory against the Mandurah Magic.

The Magic did come into the clash at Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre having won two of their last three matches while the Senators made the trip south on the back of losses last weekend to the East Perth Eagles and Cockburn Cougars.

However, Warwick welcomed back Ellis from an illness last weekend and also introduced new import guard Ilarion Bonhomme Jr, and they came out breathing fire.

It was Davis setting the tone in the opening quarter for the Senators as he knocked down three triples on his way to 15 points with his team leading 31-21 by quarter-time.

His captain Ellis then took charge in the second period and by half-time he had 19 points to his name on the back of shooting 5/8 from beyond the arc with the Senators on top 63-42.

Warwick maintained the advantage throughout the second half to end up winning by 24 points in a crucial win in the battle for a top eight spot. The Senators are now 7-7 ahead of hosting the Buccaneers on Sunday.

Cody Ellis finished with 25 points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocks for the Senators while knocking down 6/12 from three-point territory.

Caleb Davis added 19 points, five rebounds and four assists with emerging point guard Ethan Elliott putting up 18 points and four assists.

New import Ilarion Bonhomme Jr showed encouraging signs with 12 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals while Tyler Shand contributed 12 points and five boards.

George Pearl also had 11 points and nine rebounds, Connor Mincherton nine points, eight boards and three assists, and Hussayn Ford eight points, seven rebounds and two steals.

Ray Turner did what he could to keep Mandurah in the contest with 26 points, 13 rebounds and two emphatic blocks on 12/17 shooting.

CJ Bobbitt also had 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals for the Magic, Dequan Abrom 23 points and nine assists, and Kai Daniels 10 points, three blocks, two rebounds and two assists.

Hawks hit back with big win over Slammers

The Perry Lakes Hawks were able to control their contest all evening on the road to the South West Slammers to end up winning 97-71.

The Hawks travelled to Eaton Recreation Centre looking to bounce back from last week's loss to the Perth Redbacks that saw them slip from first to third position in the NBL1 West standings.

Perry Lakes took control early on Saturday night against South West to lead by as much as nine points in the first quarter with that advantage growing to 13 in the second period.

The advantage for the Hawks grew to 20 points in the third stanza and then 26 in the fourth which was the final margin.

The victory improves Perry Lakes to a 12-4 record on the season while the Slammers were unable to make it consecutive wins and slip to 3-11 as a result.

Daniel Alexander ended up top-scoring for the Hawks with 22 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals on shooting 10/12 from the floor.

Andrew Ferguson delivered 19 points, six rebounds and five assists, Ben Purser 13 points, four steals, three assists and three rebounds, Mitch Clarke 12 points, 10 boards and six assists, and Lewis Thomas 10 points and four rebounds.

Buay Tuach put up 24 points, three rebounds and two steals for the Slammers while Ben Stevens contributed 17 points, nine boards and two blocks, and Deng Makuach nine points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists.