Feature image via: Ian Knight
In tip-off games of the NBL1 First Nations Round, Nunawading closed out two wins on the road over Ringwood. Check out the game reports below:
Ringwood Hawks 71 defeated by Nunawading 74
The Nunawading Spectres closed out the Ringwood Hawks 74-71 on Wednesday night at Norwood Secondary College.
Nunawading's Batabe Zempare led the charge with a stellar 25 points and seven boards and six assists, while Bride Kennedy-Hopoate her own 23 points, shooting an impressive 60% from the field. The Spectres dominated inside, outscoring the Hawks 42-22 in the paint and grabbing a whopping 48 rebounds compared to Ringwood's 32. Their ability to convert second-chance opportunities, with 17 points, was crucial in their narrow victory.
Despite the close finish, the Ringwood Hawks struggled to find their rhythm from the field -- shooting only 36.7%. Annabel Deerbon put up 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds. The Hawks showed some resilience from beyond the arc, hitting 10 triples and maintaining a solid three-point shooting percentage of 35.7%. However, their efforts inside and on the boards weren't enough to overcome Nunawading's strong inside presence.
NUNAWADING SPECTRES 74 (Batabe Zempare 25, Bride Kennedy-Hopoate 23, Tayha Watkins 8).
RINGWOOD HAWKS 71 (Annabel Deerbon 16, Zoe Jenkins 11, Lana Hollingsworth 10).
The Nunawading Spectres will next play on Friday, July 12 against the Dandenong Rangers at 6:00pm local time live via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App.
Ringwood Hawks 80 defeated by Nunawading 96
The Nunawading Spectres secured a win against the Ringwood Hawks 96-80 on Wednesday night at Norwood Secondary College.
The Spectres soared past the Hawks with a standout performance from Jack Gandolfo, who dropped 30 points, lighting it up from outside six made three-pointers. While Trendon Hankerson's star power was also on display with 17 points, 11 assists and six rebounds. Nunawading dominated the boards, grabbing 49 compared to Ringwood’s 27, while their shooting was on point with a 52.8 percent field goal percentage and a 38.7 percent rate from beyond the arc.
The Hawks just couldn't keep up, only leading for five minutes of the match. Off the bench, Harry Sealey tried to maintain the momentum, scoring 31 points, but the team struggled overall with a lower three-point shooting percentage at 25.9 percent. Their efforts from the charity stripe were also lacking, only making 7/15 of their free throws.
NUNAWADING SPECTRES 96 (Jack Gandolfo 30, Trendon Hankerson 17, Nicolas Tata 13).
RINGWOOD HAWKS 80 (Harry Sealey 31, Braelen Bridges 16, Ngor Nai 14).
The Nunawading Spectres will next play on Friday July 12 against the Dandenong Rangers at 8:00pm local time live via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App.
