Maddy Rocci put up 33 points to lead Keilor Thunder to an NBL1 South opening win less than two weeks after the WNBL championship with the Southside Flyers while Kingsley Box starred for the Nunawading Spectres on Friday night.
There were two Friday night women's NBL1 South matches with the Keilor Thunder beating the Frankston Blues 80-76, and the Ringwood Hawks beating the Nunawading Spectres 90-55.
The corresponding men's clashes saw the Blues beat the Thunder 115-98 and then the Spectres defeat the Hawks 102-88.
RECAP NBL1 SOUTH | ROUND 1 WEDNESDAY
WOMEN
Frankston Blues (76) lost to Keilor Thunder (80)
Fresh off being a key part of the Southside Flyers' WNBL championship, Maddy Rocci was on fire to open the NBL1 South season leading Keilor Thunder to a tight 80-76 win against the Frankston Blues.
There was no shortage of high quality talent out there across both teams with not only Rocci lining up for Keilor but also fellow high level players Penina Davidson, Tera Reed and Issie Bourne.
They came up against a Frankston team featuring Rocci's Flyers' WNBL championship winning teammate Lou Brown along with Townsville Fire superstar Steph Reid so it was set up for a tremendous season-opening contest for both teams.
It didn’t fail to deliver either and it was the Blues who opened up a handy eight-point lead during the second quarter thanks to going on a 13-0 run, but by half-time scores were back level once more.
Frankston managed to get up by eight again in the third quarter, but Keilor turned the tide and were up nine themselves as they blew the game open late thanks to a triple from Bourne and then a couple of free-throws from Rocci with 45 seconds to play.
From there the Thunder held on to win by four points to open the 2024 season and Rocci was outstanding with 33 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Bourne continued from where she left off in the WNBL season at the Adelaide Lightning with 25 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals with Davidson adding 12 points and 14 boards.
Reid delivered 27 points, four assists, four steals and three rebounds for Frankston with Brown contributing 13 points and 14 boards, Tori Jackson 13 points, and Jacqui Trotto 10 points, three rebounds and two steals.
Frankston backs up to host the Eltham Wildcats on Sunday at 12.30pm local time via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App while Keilor next plays the Diamond Valley Eagles away next Tuesday at 6.30pm.
FRANKSTON BLUES 76 (Reid 27, Brown 13, Jackson 13)
KEILOR THUNDER 80 (Rocci 33, Bourne 25, Davidson 12)
Nunawading Spectres (55) lost to Ringwood Hawks (90)
The Ringwood Hawks continued their hot start to the NBL1 South season backing up an opening night win with another commanding performance to beat the Nunawading Spectres 90-55.
The Hawks opened the season on Wednesday night at home beating the Kilsyth Cobras by 28 points with the NBL1 South champions of 2022 showing they mean business once more in 2024.
Ringwood took on the Spectres at Nunawading Basketball Centre and it was in the second quarter where they put their foot down going on a 15-0 run to open up the 33-point lead, and going into half-time on top 54-21.
The Hawks also outscored the Spectres 36 points to 34 in the second half to end up winning by 35 on the back of the 28-point win on Wednesday while holding their opponents to 55 points on both occasions.
There was a lot to like from Ringwood with five players scoring in double-figures led by Ahlise Hurst with 20 points, four rebounds and four assists.
Jack Animam continued her impressive start with 15 points and 14 rebounds while Mikayla Peterson contributed 11 points, Lana Hollingsworth 10 points and four rebounds, and Annabel Deerbon 10 points and seven boards.
The contributors didn’t end there with Digna Strautmane adding nine points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks, and Zoe Jenkins seven points and four assists.
Batabe Zempare top-scored for Nunawading with 15 points and eight rebounds with Marie Forsyth adding 14 points and four boards, and Bride Kennedy-Hopoate eight points, four rebounds and three assists.
The Spectres are next in action on Sunday away to the Melbourne Tigers at 12.30pm local time via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App. The Hawks are at home to the Casey Cavaliers on Monday at 6pm.
NUNAWADING SPECTRES 55 (Zempare 15, Forsyth 14, Kennedy-Hopoate 8)
RINGWOOD HAWKS 90 (Hurst 20, Animam 15, Peterson 11)
MEN
Frankston Blues (115) defeated Keilor Thunder (98)
The Frankston Blues have sent an early season NBL1 South message with a dominant 115-98 victory at home to Keilor Thunder on Friday night.
Both teams were making their first appearances of the NBL1 South season at Dreamstreet Lending Arena and it was Frankston on fire from the start lighting it up with 38 points in the opening period.
Dan Trist was leading the way and he would end up with 19 points in the first half alone but Keilor made a game of it with 34 points in the second period to cut the Frankston lead to 61-55 by the half-time break.
The Blues were able to take back control in the third quarter, though, with another 32 points to 18 and from there they would score the 17-point win on the back of putting 115 points on the board with shooting 54 per cent from the field and nailing 15/30 from beyond the arc.
Trist finished the night with 23 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals for Frankston with Stokley Chaffee adding 16 points and six boards, and Klay Brown 21 points and five rebounds.
Lucas Barker also had 12 points, nine assists and five rebounds, Corey Hastings 12 points, Igor Hadziomerovic 11 points and four rebounds, and Brad Newley 10 points, seven boards and three assists fresh off retiring from the NBL at the end of the Championship Series on Sunday.
Despite the loss, there was plenty to like for Keilor with Jalen Gibbs producing 30 points and three assists with Perth Wildcats NBL guard Kyle Zunic putting up 27 points, four rebounds and four assists with 15/16 at the foul line.
Trevor Lakes also had 18 points and seven rebounds, and Daniel Poelsma 10 points and four boards.
Frankston backs up to host the Eltham Wildcats on Sunday at 12:30pm local time via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App while Keilor next plays the Diamond Valley Eagles away next Tuesday at 8:30pm.
FRANKSTON BLUES 115 (Trist 23, Brown 21, Chaffee 16)
KEILOR THUNDER 98 (Gibbs 30, Zunic 27, Lakes 18)
Nunawading Spectres (102) defeated Ringwood Hawks (88)
A combined 77 points from Kingsley Box, Trendon Hankerson and Jalen Johnson has lifted the Nunawading Spectres to a season-opening 102-88 home win against the Ringwood Hawks.
The Spectres were making their first appearance of the season hosted the Hawks at Nunawading Basketball Centre who had already played back on Wednesday night with a 29-point win against the Kilsyth Cobras.
Nunawading opened their season on fire piling on 31 points in the opening quarter and the Spectres remained on top from there leading by as much as 19 points in the final period before securing the eventual 14-point triumph.
The Spectres finished the game with 53 rebounds to just 32 from Ringwood including 22 to nine at the offensive end while both teams hit 14 three-pointers combining to go 28/70 for the night from deep.
Kingsley Box produced 34 points and five rebounds on 5/13 three-point shooting for Nunawading with Trendon Hankerson adding 24 points, five boards, four steals and two assists, and Jalen Johnson 19 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
Captain Jack Gandolfo also had nine points, eight assists and four rebounds for the Spectres.
Jonathan Lawton finished with 29 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals for Ringwood with Tom Carroll adding 15 points and four assists, and Ngor Nai 12 points and four rebounds.
The Spectres are next in action on Sunday away to the Melbourne Tigers at 2:30pm local time via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App. The Hawks are at home to the Casey Cavaliers on Monday at 8pm.
NUNAWADING SPECTRES 102 (Box 34, Hankerson 24, Johnson 19)
RINGWOOD HAWKS 88 (Lawton 29, Carroll 15, Nai 12)
