South Recap | Round 9 Sunday

Image credit: Rachel Louise - Rachel Louise Photography @rachellouisephotographyau

Nyadiew Puoch delivered 38 points in a big Sunday home win for the Dandenong Rangers before the Nunawading Spectres prevailed in a thriller in the NBL1 South men's match up.

SOUTH RECAP | ROUND 9 SATURDAY

SOUTH RECAP | ROUND 9 FRIDAY

WOMEN

Dandenong Rangers (86) defeated Nunawading Spectres (65)

Nyadiew Puoch turned on her best performance of the season with 38 points to lead the Dandenong Rangers to the 86-65 home win over Shaneice Swain and the Nunawading Spectres.

Both teams had already played this weekend with the Rangers hitting the road to come away with the win over the Mount Gambier Pioneers back on Friday while the Spectres went down to the Frankston Blues on Saturday in the first game with Swain in the line-up.

The two teams did battle in the lone NBL1 South game on Sunday afternoon at Dandenong Basketball Stadium with the home side clinging to a 22-19 lead by quarter-time.

Dandenong were then able to take control in the second term with 29 points to 16 to end up leading by as much as 16 and going into the half-time interval on top 51-35.

The lead continued to grow for the Rangers throughout the second half too getting out to 18 points in the third frame, and 21 in the fourth on the back of scoring 12 straight points to end up scoring the 21-point victory.

It makes it an impressive double win weekend for Dandenong as they improve to a 9-4 record to sit in fourth position with Nyadiew Puoch producing her most emphatic and dominant performance of the season.

She finished with 38 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals on the back of shooting 15/23 from the field, 4/7 from three-point territory and 4/8 at the foul line.

She had plenty of support too with Georgia Booth contributing 13 points, nine rebounds, three steals and two assists, Dallas Loughridge 12 points, six boards, three assists and three steals, Manuela Puoch 11 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Amber Smith 10 points on 5/8 shooting.

Nunawading remain outside of the top eight the two losses this weekend with a 6-7 record with Rachel Brewster top-scoring with 20 points to go with seven rebounds on 8/14 field goal shooting.

Shaneice Swain also finished with 14 points, two rebounds and two assists, Rachel Antoniadou 13 points, four boards and four assists, and Laina Snyder six points, seven rebounds and two assists.

DANDENONG RANGERS 86 (N Puoch 38, Booth 13, Loughridge 12)

NUNAWADING SPECTRES 65 (Brewster 20, Swain 14, Antoniadou 13)

MEN

Dandenong Rangers (84) lost to Nunawading Spectres (87)

Four clutch free throws from Joe Mutimer proved to be enough for the Nunawading Spectres to hold firm and overcome 28 points for the Dandenong Rangers for the 87-84 Sunday road victory.

Both teams had already played earlier in the weekend with the Rangers coming off a thrilling two-point win in Mount Gambier over the Pioneers on Friday while the Spectres lost a tight one at home to the Frankston Blues on Saturday night.

They both backed up for the lone Sunday afternoon game in Round 9 at Dandenong Basketball Stadium with both teams having their turn with the lead in the first quarter but it was Nunawading leading 2-19 by quarter-time thanks to hitting 5/10 from three-point range.

Nunawading then blew the game apart in the second term opening up a 16-point lead but the Rangers did well to turn the momentum going on a 9-0 scoring run and as a result the Spectres were only leading 46-40 at half-time.

Dandenong kept that momentum going into the third quarter completing an 11-0 run to open up their own five-point lead even though Nunawading were still clinging to the one-point lead by three quarter-time.

It set up a thrilling finish to wrap up the weekend's action in the NBL1 South and the scores were all level going into the last minute after a bucket for Dandenong from Sam Davidson.

Tristan Devers scored to return Nunawading to the two-point lead before Joe Mutimer stretched the lead to four with a couple of free throws.

Dandenong weren't going away, though, and Davidson knocked down a three to bring the margin back to one before Mutimer stepped up again to the charity stripe and made both to keep the Spectres up three.

Puoch Puoch couldn’t score up the other end with Nunawading getting the stop with Devers then having the chance to close the door at the foul line, but he missed both.

That left the door open for a miracle from Bryton Hobbs to get the game to overtime but it wasn’t to be and the Spectres secure the three-point win.

Nunawading improves to a 7-6 record as a result of the win with Christian D'Angelo finishing up with 23 points, three rebounds and two assists on 5/11 three-point shooting.

Tristan Devers added 16 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals, Cameron Cranston 13 points and two assists, Brian Mack II 13 points and 13 rebounds, and Joe Mutimer 11 points and two assists.

Dandenong are now 3-10 to remain in bottom spot by the end of Round 9 with Hobbs doing all he could delivering another 28 points, four rebounds and two assists on 13/22 field goal shooting.

Ruot Monyyong added 16 points and seven rebounds, Puoch Puoch nine points and 13 boards, Jack Roberts nine points and six rebounds, and Sam Davidson nine points and four boards.

DANDENONG RANGERS 84 (Hobbs 28, Monyyong 16, Davidson 9, Roberts 9, Puoch 9)

NUNAWADING SPECTRES 87 (D'Angelo 23, Devers 16, Mack II 13, Cranston 13)