Feature images supplied via NBL1.com.au / Emma Hoppo / @snapshotphotography31
The first week of the Mitsubishi Motors NBL1 Central Finals saw the stars come out to play as the Lions women made more history, a veteran rocket turned back the clock, the Eagles men showed they have another level and the Jackjumpers switched on into championship mode for the Bearcats.
Here are the results from Saturday's finals games:
Lions continue to roar outlasting Eagles in overtime
The Centrals Districts Lions Women have won their second ever finals match in their existence defeating a fired up Forestville Eagles 86-84 in overtime. The Lions have been a completely different unit during the regular season but an Eagles club that has seen finals action for five of the last six seasons would be the true first test.
The Lions were lit up early by import Lily Ritz who dominated the opening passages of play with six early points and was causing problems for the visiting Eagles. Casey Samuels found her range early to guide the Lions out even further 16-9 with the Eagles answering with a 0-6 run of their own.
The Lions responded with some handy handles from Tayla Levy and ferocious defence from Samuels to produce a couple of triples to take them out to a 24-15 lead. Aimee Brett of the Eagles however cruised with ease to the basket to make it 24-17 at quarter time.
Samuels opened the second with another triple but Aimee Brett was beginning to hit the scoreboard with some points - but Beth Dittmar also wanted to join the pine party with a quick five points herself. Ritz resumed her run putting it on the Eagles for a few more with Gabi Vidmar of the Eagles hitting right back immediately. Maddy Freer made three baskets in a row with a tough couple of turnaround jump shots to close it to 42-37 at the main break.
Samuels, already influential with 14 points and five assists and Ritz with 10 points and six rebounds, looked the game-breakers at the half with Freer accumulating 11 points with some help from Vidmar and Ella Sawyer with seven each.
Third term began with a scrappy opening before Tayla Levy resumed scoring with a timely triple. The Eagles needed some more from their stars and Jess Simons (11 points, seven rebounds and five assists) responded first with a set of triples then getting on the glass to pull it back to even 52-52.
The Lions were being met by the Eagles grinding finals style of game with Rachel King (12 points and seven rebounds) and co drawing them into a 13-17 quarter to set up yet another grandstand finish 55-54.
Samuels and Ritz awoke early in the fourth as did Levy (22 points with four triples, seven rebounds, three assists and steals) with a tip-in then a triple to push it back out to a slender six point lead 64-58. Simons again reeled them right back in with a couple of contributions with Vidmar’s long bomb making it 65-68. Sawyer also showed her ability late to close it again but Levy and Ritz pushed it out to 75-70.
Vidmar (17 points, six assists and five steals) made another layup with Samuels and Freer both making free throws - the Eagles then having two chances to hit the front on the offensive glass with Simons sneaking around any box out to grab a third consecutive one to storm to the free throw line to tie it again 77-77. The Lions were forced into a poor offence by the stout Eagles defence and timeout to Georgia Crouch gave them a chance to win it with 11 seconds remaining.
The ball was put into Sawyer’s hands but the single most important block shot of the season from Ritz would send it to a second consecutive overtime period between the two teams.
Overtime got underway with both teams struggling to find scoring options before Levy, Ritz and Samuels hit multiple times but the Eagles through King and Aimee Brett would not go away. Ritz’s free throw edged the Lions in front by a solitary point with Vidmar’s layup missing and the Lions forced into a rushed triple to Samuels giving Freer a chance to push the ball.
Ritz however claimed the steal and with Jasmin Fejo fouled out of the contest - sister Renai Fejo was fouled to send her to the free throw line with five seconds left. The smarts of Fejo were on full display as she made the first them shot the ball intelligently to rim straight down giving the Eagles no chance to rebound clearly and the Lions finally grabbed their first victory in a final since the elimination final of 2012 against the Eastern Mavericks.
Ritz was the game breaker all night causing all sorts of problems for the Eagles with 23 points, 18 rebounds and seven steals backed up by star Samuels with 27 points with five triples, eight assists and rebounds.
The Eagles were led by Sawyer with 18 points, eight rebounds and two assists and Maddy Freer with 15 points, nine rebounds and four assists. The Lions won the crucial rebounding contest 48-43 while producing 14 points from turnover and making 21 free throws at 72 percent.
CENTRAL DISTRICTS LIONS 86 (Samuels 27, Ritz 23, Levy 22)
FORESTVILLE EAGLES 84 (Sawyer 18, Vidmar 17, M Freer 15)
Webber lightning display fire Rockets to finals win
The North Adelaide Rockets have shattered a four game losing streak to oust the South Adelaide Panthers of the finals with a 69-72 win at the Jungle of Mitchell Park. It started however like an uncontrollable fire with the Panthers leading by as many as 14 points early.
A 6-0 start to Panthers courtesy of Brittany Hodges in the block saw that extend out to 10-2 with the timeout finally coming the way of the Rockets. Hodges continued to dominate the offensive glass to make it 18-4 before Shannon Webber entered the game and splashed the much needed triple. Brooke Basham gifted Genna Anderson a couple of crucial contributions with the two vets getting the Rockets slightly back into the contest 18-10 at the end of the first quarter.
Jordyn Freer and Webber pushed it back to 25-18 with Freer - Webber dropping another deuce foreshadowing a big much needed night for her team 30-25. Tayla Corrigan hit the scoreboard from the corners with Basham coming up with a stepback triple to make it 33-32.
Foul trouble seemed to track Corrigan again however forcing the Rockets to go deeper into their bench - the margin closing back to 36-32 at the main break.
Basham tried to get herself going from the free throw line to close it to 42-40 with Anderson helping the Rockets take the lead. Webber hit her third triple of the night preceded by a deuce to see the Rockets to the lead.
Darcy Rees (Nine points and six rebounds) managed a couple of handy baskets for the Panthers but Webber pushed it out further with another timely basket just before the buzzer to give the Rockets a five point edge 47-52 and on the cusp of a minor upset.
The Rockets started the better in the fourth before Lauren Gibbons' triple was one of a rare brace. Webber made another three triples back to back to continue her flamethrowing form of the night to rocket it out to 57-69 with timeout to put the Panthers in disarray.
Full court pressure was turned up by the Panthers giving Hatti Cox (Nine points and rebounds) the opportunity to capatalise at the three point line. The Rockets again missed golden opportunities to close it with Ash Spencer making plays and Cherita Daugherty making a corner two - then peeling off three free throws to cut it to 67-69.
Basham’s fadeaway shot gave the Rockets a small gap with a 69-71 lead with the Panthers taking timeout. The Panthers made the error on the turnover with the Rockets getting a shot up then Basham reeling in the loose ball off the rim to create the free throw for Rockets captain Lauren Badenoch to break a four game losing streak to stay alive in season 2024 and eliminate the Panthers from the finals.
Webber relieved her glory days of past shooting spree in finals with 23 points with five of seven triples and four assists with stars Brooke Basham (16 points, five assists and rebounds and four steals) and Jordyn Freer (10 points and six rebounds) quelled.
She had great backup from fellow veteran Anderson with an influential double double of 10 points and rebounds. The Panthers Hodges was huge all night with 19 points and 16 rebounds supported by Spencer with 17 points and four rebounds.
SOUTH ADELAIDE PANTHERS 69 (Hodges 19, Spencer 17, Cox, Rees 9)
NORTH ADELAIDE ROCKETS 72 (Webber 23, Basham 16, Anderson, J Freer 10)
The Sturt Sabres will now meet the Central Districts Lions in the first semi-final for a spot in the 2024 Grand Final while the Forestville Eagles will host the elimination semi-final against the North Adelaide Rockets next Saturday night 27 July.
Watch NBL1 Central Finals via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App
Eagles stifle Sabres sets to fly to next phase
The Forestville Eagles may have been beaten twice in the regular season by the Sturt Sabres but they rose to another level as they closed out the win to move to the semi-final 85-106 at the Cave of Springbank.
The Eagles immediately committed to stifling the ball movement of the Sabres after they were torched by the Sabres with 24 assists in both games with the isolated ball play of the Sabres forcing limited scoring opportunities.
Uche Dibiamaka took advantage with 10 opening quarter points and along with Brad Rathjen gave the Eagles a 14 point lead. It took a couple of late baskets for Sam Daly and Jacob Rigoni to bring it back to ten points 20-30 at the first change.
The Sabres found some form through Jordan Forbes (12 points) and Ben Griscti early in the second but Forbes struck foul trouble sending him to the bench. Griscti's enormous presence didn’t phase Greg Mays who despite being blocked regathered and finished with Daniel Johnson was automatic from all parts of the offensive floor with 12 second quarter points.
The Eagles kept the Sabres at wing length thanks to a final few minutes of the term of 0-7 but triples to Rigoni and Griscti kept things interesting 51-58 at the main break.
Dibiamaka had 14 at the half along with DJ and Rathjen with 13 points - but the Sabres strengths had been vastly quelled with only two points from turnovers and three of ten from beyond the arc.
Both teams struggled to find points at the start of the third as both increased their defensive intensity. DJ continued to find his mark as did Mays, Rathjen and Adam Doyle who continued to feed and supply big time plays to his teammates.
Hayden Meakes (10 points) and Gristci tried to make some big plays on the rim drawing fouls and heading to the charity stripe but the Eagles again found multiple scores in a row to go ahead 67-74 with one to play.
Meakes made an early triple in the fourth to bring it back to 70-76 but the Eagles took over from there as they reeled off a 9-1 run through Doyle with some heads up plays but a technical foul on Rathjen appearing to attest contact made by Daly on Doyle threatened to get the Sabres back into it through the free throw line. Back to back triples from Dibiamaka took it out to game high 16 points at 80-96 and that was it from there as the Eagles put themselves into the semi-final.
The Eagles shared it out amongst the starting five in a fully laden stat line. Dibiamaka led from the front with 24 points with Mays not far behind with 23 points and 13 rebounds. DJ contributed 23 points, six assists and rebounds in a nice all-round night while Rathjen (18 points, six rebounds and four assists) and Doyle with 14 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals were strong in the guard positions to lead the starting five assault.
The Sabres Rigoni was clearly their best with 22 points and six rebounds with Griscti backing up a nice collection of 16 points and eight rebounds.
STURT SABRES 85 (Rigoni 22, Griscti 16, Forbes 12)
FORESTVILLE EAGLES 109 (Dibiamaka 24, Johnson, Mays 23, Rathjen 18)
Drmic daggers down Lions to keep Bearcats in back-to-back calculations
The Central Districts Lions pushed the West Adelaide Bearcats in their first final since the mid 2010s but the daggers of star Jackjumper Anthony Drmic drove them out of calculations - the Bearcats back-to-back dreams alive 110-98 at the Bearcat Cave at Port Adelaide.
It was 5-0 start with Drmic and Joel Spear’s triple sparking an early timeout to the Lions with an not happy Rupert Sapwell with their start. Mirko Djeric fired a triple to make it 13-2 with Fabian Krslovic continuing the early pain to make it 21-8.
The Lions however started to turn the momentum with a steal and one handed flush to Magnus Richards then Koen Sapwell made the clean finish to bring it back to 25-14. Krslovic fed Gak for the two handed throwdown with the Bearcats up 30-18 after one.
Richards (17 in the second quarter) led the Lion hearted Lions back into the second term with some work on the rim but Drmic made his shots look easy despite the degree of difficulty to make it 39-29. Caleb Jewell tried to look for an easy one but Gak was having none of it with a spike block to set up Hamish Staude for the and1.
Richards continued to impact with Koen Sapwell setting him up for the nice finish above the rim with Sapwell hitting back with another triple then making a tough finish with the move under the rim then a one legged fadeaway followed by a euro move with reverse finish to keep the scoreboard ticking back in favour of the Lions.
He then fed Jewell for the upstairs jam with the Lions closing it to one point at the main break 50-49. Both Koen Sapwell and Richards with 19 points at the half but the Jackjumper threats of Drmic and Krslovic still loomed in the second half.
The Lions took the lead through Richards early in the third with Kalani Sapwell hitting a mid-range then rolling one home from the three point line to make it 52-60 with a quick timeout to the Bearcats.
Djeric made another difficult triple to cut it back as the Lions held a 57-64 small buffer. Koen Sapwell went coast to coast to extend it out to 61-70 but Branden Jenkins fifth foul saw him out of the contest much earlier than needed as the Bearcats eyed off a window of opportunity.
First Drmic then Krslovic down hill off the pass from Staude slid them closer with Krslovic nailing another triple then Drmic hitting a highly improbable triple off an immediate turnover on three quarter time to bring it back to 74-74 with one to play - the feeling the Lions were just hanging on.
Drmic opened the fourth with a triple as the Jackjumper flicked his switch into championship mode as did Krslovic with another triple split by Kalani Sapwell’s roof touching triple. Drmic at the defensive end got the huge block on AJ Day of the Lions - Day after Drmic made another and1 play, got one back with a triple of his own to keep them just in touch 85-82.
The Bearcats with some nice high low touches found Gak on the rim for the alleyoop with Drmic dropping another triple then a floating shot off the window 92-82. From there Drmic continued to pound the scoreboard with flashes of brilliance from Gak to push the margin out even further to cap the 36-24 final term.
Drmic was at his championship best with 39 points with five triples paired with eight assists while Krslovic pulled in another merry monster with a bacon double double of 26 points, 20 rebounds and seven assists - Gak complimented nicely with 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Richards was lion-hearted all night with 27 points, seven rebounds and three steals while the Sapwell’s combined for the highest total of the season of 47 points with Kalani scoring a season high 25 points and Koen with 22 points, seven assists and rebounds.
WEST ADELAIDE BEARCATS 110 (Drmic 39, Krslovic 26, Gak 18)
CENTRAL DISTRICTS LIONS 88 (Richards 27, Ka Sapwell 25, Ko Sapwell 22)
The South Adelaide Panthers will now meet the Forestville Eagles in the first semi-final for a spot in the 2024 Grand Final while the Sturt Sabres will host the elimination semi-final against last year’s champions the West Adelaide Bearcats next Saturday night 27 July.
Watch NBL1 Central Finals via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App
