Marena Whittle and Marta Hermida fired the Ringwood Hawks to a crucial Friday night NBL1 South win as did Miela Goodchild and Haliegh Reinoehl with the Mount Gambier Pioneers while Bailey Nunn hit five triples to keep Knox Raiders in top spot and the Hobart Chargers stayed alive.
The Friday night First Nations Round women's results saw the Ringwood Hawks beat the Geelong United Supercats 72-71, the Launceston Tornadoes defeat the Keilor Thunder 87-65, the Mount Gambier Pioneers down the Hobart Chargers 99-81, the Kilsyth Cobras beat the Melbourne Tigers, and the Diamond Valley Eagles win 79-71 against the Knox Raiders.
The men's results saw Ringwood defeat Geelong United 75-68, Keilor beat North West Tasmania 92-77, Hobart prevail 102-87 against Mount Gambier, Kilsyth beat Melbourne 91-87, and Knox defeat Diamond Valley 99-70.
WOMEN
Hermida, Whitte keep Hawks in top four race
Marta Hermida and Marena Whittle combined to lead the Ringwood Hawks to a narrow 72-71 win at home to the Geelong United Supercats to stay in the top four race.
With Geelong sitting in fourth coming into the weekend and Ringwood knocking on the door of the top four, it was always going to be a pivotal match up at Norwood Secondary College.
Ringwood would open up a nine-point advantage by quarter-time and while they would lead narrowly most of the night, the Supercats never went away and it set up a thrilling finish.
With six minutes to play, the Supercats were back in front thanks to a bucket to returning Opal Chantel Horvat, but the Hawks would respond crucially over the next three minutes.
Marena Whittle hit a huge three with four minutes on the clock to put Ringwood up by four and while Horvat responded with a triple of her own to keep Geelong close, the Hawks would have the answers down the stretch.
After Sarah Elsworthy regained the lead for the Supercats, Marta Hermida put Ringwood back on top and that bucket with two minutes to play would prove the last score of the game with the Hawks scoring the one-point win.
The victory improves the defending champion Ringwood to a 13-8 record to stay right in the top four race while the Supercats to slip 13-6 to set up a fascinating end to the regular season.
Marta Hermida ended up with 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Hawks in the win while Marena Whittle added 17 points, 13 boards, four blocks, two assists and two steals.
Toni Farnworth also had 11 points and three rebounds, and Ariel Jones seven points and three steals.
Chantel Horvat came back from playing with the Opals at the FIBA Asia Cup and put up 26 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and two assists for Geelong with Sarah Elsworthy adding 14 points, five boards, five steals and four assists, and Monica Okoye 11 points and five rebounds.
DENIED by Marta Hermida ??
— NBL1 (@NBL1) July 7, 2023
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Tornadoes stay alive with win over Keilor
Despite still being without Keely Froling, the Launceston Tornadoes kept their dwindling NBL1 South playoff hopes alive with the 87-65 home win against the Keilor Thunder.
While Keilor are out of the playoff race, Launceston officially are still a chance but they did need to win their last three games over the final two rounds starting at home on Friday night.
Launceston was back home and started impressively and when they scored 10 consecutive points, the lead was already 18 in the opening term and still 12 by quarter-time.
The Tornadoes remained in control from there to lead 47-33 at the long break, and then the advantage got out to 26 points in the second half before Launceston scored the 22-point triumph.
The win keeps the Tornadoes' season alive with a 9-11 record with two games to go while the Thunder are now 5-14 unable to make it consecutive wins.
Riley Lupfer was terrific once more for Launceston with another 22 points and seven rebounds while landing 6/14 from behind the three-point line.
Taya Webb contributed 16 points and three steals with 4/5 three-point shooting while Macey Crawford finished with 14 points, six rebounds and six assists, Olivia West 14 points, four boards and three assists, and Micah Simpson 12 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals.
Lana Hollingsworth top-scored for Keilor with 18 points, three rebounds and two steals while Juna Umezawa added 11 points, 10 boards and two blocks, and last week's hero Anna Clephane 15 points, five steals and four rebounds.
Reinoehl, Goodchild fire Pioneers to win in Hobart
The Mount Gambier Pioneers withstood 56 points and 11 three-pointers from Cori Coleman and Paige Bradley to stay in touch with the top two beating the Hobart Chargers 99-81 on Friday night.
The Chargers were back home at Hobart Netball and Sports Centre on Friday night looking for a strong finish to the season but the Pioneers could still finish top two if they kept winning, and also still needed to lock in a top four position.
The Chargers did start well to lead by five at quarter-time but the Pioneers took charge in the second stanza including scoring nine consecutive points and 29 to 15 overall to go into the interval on top 50-41.
Mount Gambier continued to build on that advantage throughout the second half to lead by as much as 18 points in the fourth quarter on the way to winning by that margin.
The victory improves the Pioneers to a 14-5 record with three games still remaining while the Chargers are 7-13 having now lost their past three.
There was plenty to like in the performance from Mount Gambier with Haliegh Reinoehl producing another 27 points and eight rebounds including making 12/15 from the free-throw line.
Perth Lynx WNBL signing Miela Goodchild also put up 26 points and 12 rebounds including making 6/12 of her three-point attempts.
Cass Brown contributed 15 points, eight boards and four assists, Imogen Rock 14 points and five rebounds, and Sherrie Calleia eight points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
Paige Bradley had a big performance despite the loss for Hobart with 32 points, six rebounds and six assists including making 6/10 from behind the three-point arc.
Cori Coleman also ended up with 24 points, four assists and three rebounds with 5/6 three-point shooting as Lauren Mills contributed 10 points and eight boards.
Paige Bradley dominated tonight ?
— NBL1 (@NBL1) July 7, 2023
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Cobras stay alive with win over Tigers
The Kilsyth Cobras kept their outside playoff hopes just alive on Friday night by beating the Melbourne Tigers 89-65 at MSAC.
To be any hope of still breaking into to the top eight over the last two weeks of the regular season, the Cobras need to win all three remaining matches so they couldn’t afford a slip up against the Tigers.
Kilsyth started well scoring 11 straight points in the opening quarter to open up a nine-point lead and they would never look back from there.
The lead for the Cobras got out to 17 points in the second quarter before they went into the half-time break on top 47-30.
It was more of the same from Kilsyth throughout the second half as they saw the lead grow to 21 in the third period and 29 in the fourth on the way to the eventual 24-point victory.
As a result of the win, the Cobras improve to a 9-11 record to just keep their season alive while the Tigers are 4-16 having now lost 10 straight.
Alisia Jenkins had a tremendous night for Kilsyth finishing with 24 points, 10 rebounds and three assists with Nikita Young adding 19 points, nine boards and six steals while hitting 4/7 from behind the three-point arc.
Georgia McBean also had 12 points, five rebounds and three assists, and Georgia Booth 11 points and three boards.
It might be a season with just the four wins for the Tigers, but Sam Simons has been a standout and had another 20 points, six rebounds and two steals.
Tylah Hooper also had 16 points and two assists, and Mikayla Peterson nine points and four rebounds.
Diamond Valley with pivotal win over Knox
The Diamond Valley Eagles produced a strong second half to close in on an NBL1 South playoff spot with the 79-71 road victory against the Knox Raiders.
It was a crucial game for both teams who come into the last two rounds of the regular season outside the top eight as they did battle on Friday night at the State Basketball Centre.
Both teams had their time in charge throughout the evening and by quarter-time it was Diamond Valley leading by four but then Knox put on 24 points to 15 in the second term to head into half-time leading 48-43.
It was Diamond Valley's chance to grab the momentum in the third quarter with 20 points to 12, and from there the Eagles converted that into an eight-point victory.
The result was significant for both teams with the Eagles improving to a 10-10 record with two games to go while the Raiders are 9-10 with three still to play.
Jennie Rintala was instrumental in the win for Diamond Valley with 17 points, 13 rebounds and two assists with Kara Tessari contributing 13 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals, Jade Compton 13 points, five boards and three steals, and Allison Day 12 points and three rebounds.
Alicia Froling delivered 22 points and 13 rebounds for Knox with Emily Fisher 12 points, three rebounds and three assists, Aneta Bandilovska nine points, four boards and three assists, and Emilie Hesseldal four points and 13 rebounds.
MEN
Lawton lifts Ringwood to win over Geelong
Jonathan Lawton continued his exciting form for the Ringwood Hawks to lead them to the come from behind 75-68 win at home to the Geelong United Supercats on Friday night.
Coming off the Wednesday night victory against the Waverley Falcons, the Hawks played host to the Supercats at Norwood Secondary College on Friday.
The Hawks might be out of playoff contention but are finishing the season with some momentum while the Supercats need the win to keep their finals dream alive.
It took both teams to warm up offensively as they combined for just 25 points in the opening quarter but then Geelong put up 25 in the second and Ringwood 20 with the Supercats leading 36-32 going into the half-time break.
Then after the Supercats were still on top three early in the fourth stanza, the Hawks took charge with Lawton leading the way to outscore Geelong 24 points to 16 on the way to the eventual seven-point triumph.
The win is a fourth straight for the Hawks to improve them to 8-13 while it could be a fatal blow for Geelong's finals hopes sending them to 9-10.
Jonathan Lawton ended up with another 25 points, five rebounds, four steals and two assists for Ringwood to turn match-winner once more.
Kyle Daggett contributed 17 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and two blocks with Matthew Roberts adding 10 points, three boards and three assists, and Luke Shelley eight points with 2/3 three-point shooting.
George Blagojevic had a huge performance for Geelong United with 24 points and 20 rebounds with DeMarcus Gatlin adding 13 points, six boards, five assists, three steals and three blocks.
Gabe Hadley also had 12 points, five rebounds and four assists, and Matthew McCarthy 11 points and six boards.
Keilor with road win over North West Tasmania
Playoffs might have been out of reach for both teams coming into the final two rounds but there was plenty to like in the eventual 92-77 win for Keilor Thunder against the North West Tasmania Thunder.
Both teams had seven wins to their name coming into the final two rounds of the NBL1 South season as they locked horns at Mazda BT-50 Thunder Stadium.
It was an exciting opening quarter as well as they combined for 55 points with Keilor leading 29-26 by quarter-time.
Keilor was then able to pull away further in the second quarter to lead by as much as 19 points and being in control at 57-40 by the half-time break.
From there it was Keilor who was able to extend that lead to 22 points in the second half on the way to the eventual 15-point victory.
That sees Keilor improve to an 8-11 record on the season while North West Tasmania is 7-13.
There were plenty of standout performers with Oliver Hayes-Brown top-scoring for Keilor with 23 points and 10 rebounds on 9/14 shooting from the floor.
Zac Triplett added 22 points, four rebounds and four assists, William Jenkins III 20 points, 14 boards, four steals and two assists, and Cirkook Riak 14 points and two assists.
Sekou Sylla continued his impressive late season form for North West Tasmania with another 23 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and two steals with Vionte Daniels contributing 21 points and five boards, Tre Armstrong 14 points and three rebounds, and Joe Chilcott 11 points, three boards and two steals.
Reigning champs keep season alive
The Hobart Chargers continued to breathe life into their championship defence with Sam McDaniel and Devin Watson inspiring them to the 102-87 win against the Mount Gambier Pioneers.
To be any hope of reaching the playoffs to defend their NBL1 South championship, the Chargers need to win their remaining games and hope for a bit of luck from the teams above them, but the first task was hosting a Pioneers team on a seven-game winning streak.
That was a significant challenge for Hobart but the home team started on fire putting up 37 points to 26 in the opening quarter to set the tone for the rest of the evening.
The Chargers would end up leading by as much as 19 points in the second quarter and then 21 throughout the second half on the way to the season-boosting 15-point win.
The win keeps Hobart's season alive with three wins in-a-row at 10-10 while it's a blow for the Pioneers to lock in a top four spot with them sitting at 13-6 with their seven-game winning streak ending.
Devin Watson was outstanding running the show for Chargers finishing with 29 points, six assists and three rebounds including knocking down 4/11 from three-point range.
Reigning Grand Final MVP and the Brisbane Bullets bound Sam McDaniel also produced 27 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals on 10/17 shooting from the floor and 6/6 from the field.
Jacob Richards landed 4/4 of his three-point attempts for 16 points, five rebounds and two assists, Jarred Bairstow 13 points and seven boards, and Zach White 12 points, three rebounds and two assists.
Despite the loss, Jacob Lampkin produced 31 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and two steals for Mount Gambier on 13/16 shooting from the floor, 2/3 from downtown and 3/5 from the free-throw line.
Nick Marshall also had 18 points, three rebounds and two assists, and Dylan Marshall 14 points and three rebounds with 3/6 shooting from three-point territory.
Cobras finish strongly to deal Melbourne cruel blow
Despite the best efforts once more from Jack Purchase, the Kilsyth Cobras dealt a dagger blow to the finals hopes of the Melbourne Tigers with the 91-87 Friday night road victory.
The Tigers saw their playoff hopes dwindling already after losing to the Waverley Falcons having won tehri previous four matches and they couldn’t afford any more slip ups coming into Friday's clash with Kilsyth at MSAC.
It turned out to be quite the seesaw battle throughout the evening with Kilsyth finishing the first quarter well to lead 28-22 by quarter-time.
The Tigers fired up in the second period with 29 points to 19 which saw the home team head into the locker room leading 51-47.
The momentum shifts continued with Kilsyth outscoring Melbourne 23 points to 14 in the third stanza before leading by as much as eight points in the fourth term, but the Tigers weren’t lying down.
Jack Purchase added to his big night to put them in front with four minutes to play but scores were back level thanks to a Nick Feller offensive rebound and putback with two minutes to go.
Eventually it was at the foul line where Kilsyth was able to secure the four-point win thanks to Mitch Dielemans and Jamie Ahale.
The win improves the Cobras to a 9-11 record on the season with the Tigers slipping to 9-11 as well with finals all but out of reach of both with two games remaining.
Chris Galbreath continued his strong form for Kilsyth with 21 points, 12 rebounds and three assists with Mitch Dielemans contributing 19 points and two boards, Adrian Tomada 16 points, four assists, and three rebounds, and Jamie Ahale 10 points, six boards and four assists.
Jack Purchase continued his spectacular form throughout the second half of the season for the Tigers with another 32 points, eight rebounds, four blocks and two assists with 4/10 three-point shooting and 8/8 at the foul line.
Felix von Hofe had a big performance too for Melbourne with 22 points and three rebounds on 8/12 shooting from the floor and 3/6 from downtown with Callan McDonald contributing 12 points, 12 boards and four assists, and Michael Wearne eight points, four rebounds and two assists.
Nunn fires and Knox consolidate top spot
The Knox Raiders ended the winning streak of the Diamond Valley Eagles and extended theirs to seven to move further clear on top of the NBL1 South with the 99-70 home win.
The two teams came into the contest at the State Basketball Centre as two of the form teams of the competition with Knox sitting top having won six straight while Diamond Valley had move into sixth spot having won five in-a-row.
Knox asserted its control of the contest early and scored 10 consecutive points on the way to the 16-point lead by quarter-time.
From there, the Raiders remained in control the rest of the way to lead by as much as 29 points in the second quarter, 34 in the third and 35 in the fourth to end up winning by 29.
The victory sees Knox move further clear in top spot with Mount Gambier losing on Friday with a 15-4 record and having won seven straight. Diamond Valley's winning run ends with them now holding a 12-8 record.
Bailey Nunn finished up top-scoring for Knox with 22 points, two assists and two steals while landing 5/8 of his three-point attempts.
Ke'Jhan Feagin added 18 points, seven assists, four steals and two rebounds for the Raiders while also hitting 4/9 of his three-point bombs.
Wayne Stewart Jr also had 12 points and five rebounds, Mason Peatling eight points, nine boards and four assists, Deng Acouth seven points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks, and Madut Akec seven points and five boards.
Luke Liesegang top-scored for Diamond Valley with 11 points and four rebounds with Erik Kafritsas contributing 10 points, four rebounds and three assists, Ngor Manyang nine points and four boards, and Ryan Bowkett nine points and two rebounds.
