Featured image: Eric Paul Goldie
Friday in NBL1 West saw Melisa Brcaninovic and Jillian Archer combine for 40 points and 18 rebounds in a big Willetton Tigers win while Michael Harris and Todd Withers had 62 for Warwick Senators and Gavin Field hit another six triples as his career nears the end.
The two Friday night women's match ups saw the Cockburn Cougars defeat the Lakeside Lightning 87-76 while the Willetton Tigers beat the Warwick Senators 79-67.
The men's clashes then had the Cougars beat the Lightning 98-90 and the Senators defeat the Tigers 119-82.
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RECAP NBL1 WEST | ROUND 14 SUNDAY
WOMEN
Lakeside Lightning (76) lost to Cockburn Cougars (87)
The Cockburn Cougars kept their hopes alive of still finishing in the top two as the defending champions with the 87-76 road win over the Lakeside Lightning.
Both teams came into the match up at Lakeside Recreation Centre coming off defeats with the Lightning losing to the Mandurah Magic last week while the Cougars went down to the league-leading Rockingham Flames.
With Cockburn still a chance to finish second and Lakeside to still end up in fourth, it set the stage for the Friday night match up and by quarter-time it was the Cougars leading 20-14.
Cockburn were still leading 39-33 by half-time before then extending that advantage with 28 points to 19 in the third frame to go into three quarter-time on top 67-52.
From there the Cougars went on to score the 11-point win to improve to a 14-4 record on the season and with Warwick's loss also on Friday night, were in striking distance of their 15-3 with each having a game to play.
Israeli centre Daniel Raber once again put up 22 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals in the win for Cockburn on 8/11 shooting from the field, 2/3 from deep and 4/4 at the foul line.
Jewel Williams also contributed 18 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals in the 149th game of her career while Alex Ciabattoni added 18 points, nine boards and eight assists, and Steph Gorman 11 points, five assists, three rebounds and three steals.
Lakeside lost a chance to stay in the top four hunt having now lost consecutive matches to be 9-7 with Caitie Jones putting up 22 points, four rebounds and two assists.
Teige Morrell also had 20 points and 13 rebounds on 9/12 shooting for the Lightning with Tia Ucich adding 14 points, four boards and four assists, Molly Wilson 10 points and nine rebounds, and Marnelle Garraud eight points, five assists, four steals and four boards.
The Lightning back up to take on the Perth Redbacks on the road on Saturday with the Cougars up against the Eastern Suns next Friday night.
LAKESIDE LIGHTNING 76 (Jones 22, Morrell 20, Ucich 14)
COCKBURN COUGARS 87 (Raber 22, Ciabattoni 18, Williams 18)
Warwick Senators (67) lost to Willetton Tigers (79)
The impressive front court of Jillian Archer and Melisa Brcaninovic combined for 40 points and 18 rebounds as the Willetton Tigers made it five straight wins beating the Warwick Senators 79-67.
Both teams came into the Friday night match up at Warwick Stadium in hot form with the Senators clear in second spot on a seven-match winning run while the Tigers are still an outside chance of the top four having won four in-a-row.
Willetton had been building nicely on the back of playing in the past three Grand Finals in the NBL1 West as they took on the 2022 champions on their home floor, and would end up making a statement.
Warwick were without Marena Whittle while two-time MVP Stacey Barr lasted just over a minute through injury, and Willetton were able to take full advantage in the second quarter.
Scores were level at 22-22 at quarter-time, but the Tigers then produced 24 points to 13 in the second term to lead by as much as 13 points and to be up 46-35 by the half-time break.
Willetton remained in control through the second half as well leading by as much as 16 points and then ending up scoring the 12-point win away from home.
The result makes it five wins in succession for the Tigers to improve them to a 10-7 record on the season with the front court pair of Jillian Archer and Melisa Brcaninovic again outstanding.
Archer finished with 22 points, eight rebounds and two assists on 10/12 shooting with Brcaninovic contributing 18 points, 10 boards, five assists and three steals.
Captain Desiree Kelley also had 14 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals with Claire Jacobs adding 13 points, six boards, three assists and two steals, and Amy Jacobs eight points, four assists, four steals and three rebounds.
The loss ends the seven-game winning run of Warwick to leave them with a 15-3 record with Chloe Forster top-scoring with another 24 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals.
Karly Murphy added 16 points and 16 rebounds, and Nat Burton nine points, five boards and three steals.
Willetton is back home on Saturday to play host to the Joondalup Wolves with the Senators on the road to the Goldfields Giants next Saturday.
WARWICK SENATORS 67 (Forster 24, Murphy 16, Burton 9)
WILLETTON TIGERS 79 (Archer 22, Brcaninovic 18, Kelley 14)
MEN
Warwick Senators (119) defeated Willetton Tigers (82)
The Warwick Senators produced an emphatic and dominant showing with 62 points from Michael Harris and Todd Withers in the 119-82 win over the second placed Willetton Tigers.
The Senators were back home at Warwick Stadium having won three straight to be locked into a playoff spot and an outside chance of breaking into the top four should they keep winning.
The Tigers arrived having lost their past couple of games and were without gun import guard Michael Dupree and 299-game championship winning centre Michael Vigor, and the Senators put them to the sword.
From the outset it was Warwick producing a dominant showing at both ends of the floor including scoring 10 straight points in the first quarter to end up leading 31-18 by the end of one.
The Senators then saw that lead get out to 16 points in the second quarter and by half-time the home team was on top 59-44.
It was even more of an emphatic performance from the Senators in the second half with Todd Withers and Michael Harris proving unstoppable, and Brody England providing a spectacular highlight with a big dunk.
Eventually Warwick would end up scoring by 37 points in the third quarter and 40 in the fourth on the way to the eventual 37-point victory.
The win improves the Senators to an 11-9 record with four straight wins on the back of putting up those 119 points on the back of shooting 53.7 per cent from the field and knocking down 21/46 from three-point land. Warwick also outrebounded Willetton 47 to 32.
The dynamic duo were spectacular for the Senators with Michael Harris putting up 31 points, six assists and three rebounds with 4/11 from downtown while Todd Withers finished with 31 points, five board and two assists with 7/11 three-point shooting.
George Pearl also had 18 points, seven boards, three assists and three steals, Brody England 13 points including that dunk, and Tyler Shand four points, 15 rebounds and nine assists.
The Tigers are now 14-5 having lost three straight to be in danger of dropping not only from the top two but top four this weekend with Tom Gerovich top-scoring with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists.
Captain and 282-game veteran Andrew Black added 14 points, three rebounds and three assists with Damien Scott contributing 12 points and four boards, and Travis Fee 12 points, three rebounds and three assists.
Willetton is back home on Saturday to play host to the Joondalup Wolves with the Senators on the road to the Goldfields Giants next Saturday.
WARWICK SENATORS 119 (Harris 31, Withers 31, Pearl 18)
WILLETTON TIGERS 82 (Gerovich 16, Black 14, Scott 12, Fee 12)
Lakeside Lightning (90) lost to Cockburn Cougars (98)
Gavin Field is making sure he ends his career swinging delivering another match-winning shooting performance as the Cockburn Cougars beat the Lakeside Lightning 98-90.
With Field having announced this will be the last season of his glittering career at the Cougars where he is a championship winner and seven-time club MVP, he is making sure he goes out with a bang.
He delivered a stunning performance with 35 points last Saturday night in a drought breaking win against the Rockingham Flames and wanted more on what will be his last game at Lakeside Recreation Centre.
With both teams out of the playoffs hunt, it was a free hit for both teams and with Kyle Armour putting on a show with ball in hand on his former home court to set up shooters Field and Rhys Vague, the Cougars soon got on top.
Cockburn opened up a 31-21 lead by quarter-time and the advantage for the Cougars would get out to as much as 18 points in the second period before they went into half-time on top 53-41.
The Cougars were able to maintain a double-figure advantage through most of the second half as well on the way to the eventual eight-point win to make it consecutive wins on the back of a 12-game losing run.
It's the first time this season under coach Mark Clayden that Cockburn has won consecutive games with Gavin Field hitting another 6/11 from beyond the arc on his way to 22 points and six assists in the 337th game of his career.
Rhys Vague also provided 26 points, six rebounds and three assists on 5/10 shooting from deep with 309-game veteran point guard Kyle Armour ending up with 18 points, eight assists, four steals and three rebounds.
Emerging pair Austin Crowe-St Jack (10 points, three rebounds on 3/4 from deep) and Charlie Dimmock (eight points, three rebounds on 4/4) also showed encouraging signs.
It's a fourth loss in-a-row for the Lightning who now sit on a 5-13 record as a result despite the 33 points, 12 rebounds, six steals and two assists on 14/19 shooting from Marshawn Blackmon.
Max Richards added 18 points and 10 rebounds for Lakeside, Mike Adewunmi 13 points, seven assists and five boards, Dom Jackson 11 points and four rebounds, and Tim Hollick nine points, three assists and two steals.
The Lightning back up to take on the Perth Redbacks on the road on Saturday with the Cougars up against the Eastern Suns next Friday night.
LAKESIDE LIGHTNING 90 (Blackmon 33, Richards 18, Adewunmi 13)
COCKBURN COUGARS 98 (Vague 26, Field 22, Armour 18)
