Feature images supplied via NBL1.com.au / Dan Cowley | @imagesby_dan
Round 13 of the Mitsubishi Motors NBL1 Central concluded with the Kayo Freebies Game of the Week with the Sturt Sabres making their move through Mathews to the top of the table thanks to last night's results in the Women’s. Big Ben then struck to send the Warriors out of the finals race and secure a finals berth for his Sabres.
Here are the results from Sunday's games:
Sabres second term takes Sturt to top with two to play
A strong 39 point second quarter setup the Sturt Sabres solid win 58-97 against the Woodville Warriors at the Castle of St Clair. The Warriors and Sabres played out a tight opening 7-5 with the Sabres through Nicola Mathews breaking it open to 9-17 at quarter time.
Nicola Matthews was everywhere today ??
Finishing with 17 Points, 5 Rebounds and 6 Assists ?
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That’s when things turned as Mathews (minus sister Kayla Mathews) and Sydney Brown (nine for the quarter) led the Sabres to a 16-39 term to set up a almost unassailable lead 25-56 at the main break. The Warriors goal after halftime was to break even and they did so in third thanks to Ida Andersson (10 points) and Natalia Lalic (Eight points, three assists and rebounds) as they won the quarter 21-17 but still trailed 46-73.
The Sabres managed to give their second unit some significant time as Paige Padroth (14 points and three assists), a career high for Chelsea Portus (12 points on four of six triples) and Mia Walker-Roberts (13 points, four rebounds and two blocks) as they ran away 12-24 in the final term to seal victory.
Nicola Mathews led from the front setting up the win with 17 points, six assists and five rebounds along with Sydney Brown with 17 points and six rebounds - both shooting it at over 66 percent from the field. Both Anderrson and Forbes grabbed 10 points each but no other Warrior managed double figures.
The Sabres have top and now have the desire to keep it - find out if they do as they take on the Southern Tigers in First Nations Round 6:30pm local time via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App.
WOODVILLE WARRIORS 58 (Andersson, Forbes 10, Lalic, Watkinson 8)
STURT SABRES 97 (N Mathews, Brown 17, Padroth 14)
Big Ben strikes second half to heave Warriors out of finals race
There is no better stage to perform than the Kayo Freebies Game of the Week and Adelaide 36er Ben Griscti showed what he is capable of as he announced himself to the nation in the Sturt Sabres 93-106 win over the Woodville Warriors at the Castle of St Clair.
The Warriors, desperate to keep their season alive, gave it their all in the first half 50-38 led by import Sharif Black with 17 points and Ben Janssen lighting up from deep with eight points for the half (finishing with 14 points at 67 percent). With only 38 on the board - Jacob Rigoni sat on nine points to lead the Sabres to the half needing a lift - and it came from an unexpected source
The third quarter became a Black versus the most important quarter of the early career of Gristci as “Big Ben” struck shot time with 34 second half points to finish with 36 points for the 36er with five triples, 10 rebounds and put the lid on a couple of slams. Gristci formed a deadly one two punch with Rigoni (16 second half points with five triples to finish with 25 points with four rebounds) to oust the Warriors 43-68 out of the match and out of the finals race.
Jordan Forbes snuck his way up to 17 points, eight assists and seven rebounds with Sam Daly (11 assists with six points) and Seb Griffin (eight rebounds and four points) playing key one percent roles in the performance. Sharif Black led the Warriors with 24 points, 10 rebounds and four assists and Nick Wurm tried to make some leeway late with 19 points with four triples and four assists.
The clock has struck for Big Ben and the Sabres - is it their time? Find out in First Nations Round next week when they take on the Southern Tigers 8:15pm local time via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App.
WOODVILLE WARRIORS 93 (Black 24, Wurm 19, Janssen 14)
STURT SABRES 106 (Griscti 36, Rigoni 25, Forbes 17)
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