Featured image: Trent Moore | @Trent_Moore_Sports_Photography
Ashten Prechtel and Tad Dufelmeier fired the Dandenong Rangers to Sunday NBL1 South wins while the Diamond Valley Eagles and Kilsyth Cobras split their encounters with 37 points from Bryton Hobbs.
RECAP NBL1 SOUTH | ROUND 14 SATURDAY
RECAP NBL1 SOUTH | ROUND 14 FRIDAY
WOMEN
Dandenong Rangers (103) defeated Launceston Tornadoes (57)
The Dandenong Rangers ensured they will enter the finals on a six-game winning streak with Ashten Prechtel putting up 24 points in Sunday's 103-57 home victory against the Launceston Tornadoes.
The Rangers were back home at Dandenong Basketball Stadium having beaten the Nunawading Spectres back on Friday to open the last round to host a Tornadoes team also fresh off a victory against the Spectres the previous evening.
The Rangers were always going to finish third no matter the result but they still started impressively with 23 points to 13 in the opening quarter.
It was then a demolition job from there from Dandenong as they geared themselves up to make a championship push over the coming weeks.
The Rangers' lead got out to 22 points in the second quarter, to 41 in the third and then 49 in the fourth before they ended up securing the 46-point victory.
The result means that Dandenong finishes the regular season in third position with a 16-6 record and having won the past six matches to be in hot form entering the playoffs.
It was a dominant performance from the Rangers with Ashten Prechtel continuing her standout form with 24 points, 12 rebounds and two blocked shots on 11/16 shooting from the floor.
She had plenty of help too with Manuela Puoch adding 17 points, six boards, six assists and two steals, Imogen Rock 16 points, seven rebounds and four steals, and Dallas Loughridge 16 points, five assists and four boards.
Teyla Evans also had 12 points and six rebounds for Dandenong with Amber Smith contributing 10 points, four assists and two boards.
The Tornadoes season is now over with a 6-16 record with Trinity Oliver top-scoring with 18 points, seven rebounds and four steals.
Lore Devos also ended up with 15 points and 15 rebounds for Launceston, and Macey Crawford eight points three assists.
DANDENONG RANGERS 103 (Prechtel 24, M Puoch 17, Rock 16, Loughridge 16)
LAUNCESTON TORNADOES 57 (Oliver 18, Devos 15, Crawford 8)
Diamond Valley Eagles (83) defeated Kilsyth Cobras (68)
Both teams were looking for a positive finish to their seasons in the NBL1 South and it was the Diamond Valley Eagles who scored the 83-68 home win over the Kilsyth Cobras.
Neither team was still in the playoff hunt come the back end of the season but the Eagles were back home at Diamond Valley Sports and Fitness Centre having won their past two games ahead of hosting a Cobras team looking to avoid three straight losses to close 2024.
It was a stunning start to the contest from Diamond Valley as they put up 39 points in the first quarter including 13 in-a-row to be leading by as much as 24 points.
That put the result beyond doubt early and from there the lead did get out to as much as 26 points in the second period in favour of Diamond Valley who would be leading 57-34 at half-time.
Kilsyth did outscore the home team 34 points to 26 in the second half but still the Eagles scored the eventual 15-point victory to make it three consecutive wins to close the season with a 9-13 record.
Jennie Rintala finished with 17 points and six rebounds in the big win for Diamond Valley with Gemma Potter also providing 16 points, eight boards, six assists and six steals.
Abbey Ellis delivered another 15 points and four steals with Naomi Mbandu adding 14 points and six rebounds, Nikki Metcalfe eight points and four boards, and Carly Turner five points and six rebounds.
The Cobras finish the season with three straight losses with a 5-17 record with Paige Price producing 23 points, four rebounds and three steals.
Nikita Young also had 15 points, three assists, two rebounds and two steals, Georgia Booth 10 points and seven boards, and Tyra Whitehead eight points, 13 rebounds, four assists and two steals.
DIAMOND VALLEY EAGLES 83 (Rintala 17, Potter 16, Ellis 15)
KILSYTH COBRAS 68 (Price 23, Young 15, Booth 10)
MEN
Dandenong Rangers (81) defeated North West Tasmania Thunder (75)
The Dandenong Rangers secured their place in the playoffs with the 81-75 home win against the North West Tasmania Thunder with Tad Dufelmeier delivering 24 points.
The Rangers were back at Dandenong Basketball Stadium on the last day of the regular season knowing that a win would take everything else out of the equation and book them into the post-season.
They were playing host to a Thunder team that might have been out of the playoff hunt, but was dangerous and wouldn’t be handing the Rangers anything.
Dandenong did manage to open up a five-point lead by quarter-time before extending that to 11 by half-time at 51-40.
It was still a double-figure lead for most of the second half for the Rangers until the Thunder made a late charge and sent a real scare into Dandenong with their season potentially on the line.
North West Tasmania even made it all the way back to hit the front with a bucket to Seth Swalve early in the fourth quarter.
However, Tad Dufelmeier responded with the next six points for Dandenong to put his team back in front before a huge three from Jack Roberts and from there the Rangers managed to secure the important six-point victory.
Dandenong finishes the season now with a 13-9 record in sixth position with Tad Dufelmeier producing a starring performance with 24 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four steals on 9/16 shooting from the floor and 6/6 at the free-throw line.
Mason Peatling also had 20 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots on 9/13 shooting with Jacob Tryon contributing 13 points, five boards, three assists and two blocks, and Jack Roberts 10 points and three rebounds.
North West Tasmania ends the season with two road losses this weekend with a 9-13 record with Tre Armstrong top-scoring with 23 points on 6/11 three-point shooting.
Seth Swalve added 16 points and two assists for the Thunder, Archer Woodhill 13 points, eight rebounds and two steals, and Sejr Deans 11 points.
DANDENONG RANGERS 81 (Dufelmeier 24, Peatling 20, Tryon 13)
NORTH WEST TASMANIA THUNDER 75 (Armstrong 23, Swalve 16, Woodhill 13)
Diamond Valley Eagles (79) lost to Kilsyth Cobras (80)
There might have been nothing but pride and bragging rights to play for, but that didn’t stop the two teams putting on a thriller with the Kilsyth Cobras ending up beating the Diamond Valley Eagles 80-79 despite some Bryton Hobbs brilliance.
The two teams arrived at Diamond Valley Sports and Fitness Centre out of the playoff mix but were looking to finish on a high note with the Cobras looking to back up a win against Bendigo and Diamond Valley to avoid consecutive losses.
Kilsyth did manage to be in front the entire afternoon leading by nine points in the first quarter, by 15 in the second and then 23 in the third, but the Eagles weren’t going away.
Despite the Cobras still being up by 11 points early in the last quarter, Diamond Valley fired back and they had Bryton Hobbs who was doing everything to finish his first NBL1 South season on a winning note.
He hit a big three to bring the margin back to eight points before three more buckets as he brought the Cobras back within just four points with six minutes to play.
Corey Jeffs responded for Kilsyth to put them back out to an eight-point lead but Hobbs wasn’t done yet and when he hit two free throws with just under two minutes to play, scores were level.
The Eagles had all the momentum but in the end it was a free-throw from Mitch Dielemans that sealed the one-point win when Hobbs couldn’t nail his game winner at the buzzer for Diamond Valley.
Kilsyth finishes the season with consecutive wins for a 7-15 record with Corey Jeffs finishing with 26 points, six rebounds and three assists on 5/11 shooting from behind the three-point line.
Deng Riak also had 10 points and eight rebounds, Ben Ursich 11 points and six boards, and Adrian Tomada nine points, five assists and three rebounds.
Diamond Valley ends the season losing two straight for a 6-16 record with Bryton Hobbs spectacular with 37 points, seven rebounds and two assists on 15/29 shooting from the floor and 5/6 at the foul line.
Jock Perry also had 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Eagles, BJ Symons eight points and five boards, and Jay Mackenzie five points and six rebounds.
DIAMOND VALLEY EAGLES 79 (Hobbs 37, Perry 14, Symons 8)
KILSYTH COBRAS 80 (Jeffs 26, Ursich 11, Riak 10)
