Featured images: Hyperfocus Images / Travis Anderson
The Geraldton Buccaneers were too strong in their NBL1 West Grand Final rematch with the Joondalup Wolves while the Mandurah Magic scored two big Saturday night wins, and the Goldfields Giants and Rockingham Flames split the honours.
The two Saturday night NBL1 West women's matches as part of Heritage Round saw the Mandurah Magic beat the South West Slammers 113-59 and the Rockingham Flames defeat the Goldfields Giants 91-51.
Then in the men's matches, the Magic beat the Slammers 129-85, the Giants defeated the Flames 97-73 and the Geraldton Buccaneers downed the Joondalup Wolves 100-89.
WOLFPACK CAPTAIN REACHES 250 IN HERITAGE ROUND
RECAP NBL1 WEST | HERITAGE ROUND FRIDAY
HERITAGE ROUND – THE FISHER FAMILY
HERITAGE ROUND – THE JACKSON FAMILY
NBL1 WEST MID-SEASON SNAPSHOT – MEN
NBL1 WEST MID-SEASON SNAPSHOT – WOMEN
WOMEN
Mandurah Magic (113) defeated South West Slammers (59)
The Mandurah Magic enjoyed a return to winning form with the 113-59 home victory against the winless South West Slammers on Saturday night.
It was the newly arrived trio of Sam Roscoe, Donica Cosby and Christina Boag who combined for 61 points in the win for the Magic on their home floor at Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre.
Mandurah managed to open up a 14-point lead by quarter-time before putting up 26 points to 11 in the second term to end up being on top 57-28 at the half-time break.
The Slammers did battle hard in the third quarter but then the Magic pulled further away with 28 points to eight in the final period to see their lead grow to 54 points and to win by that margin in the finish.
It's a fifth win on the season for the Magic as they attempt to break into a playoff position and they finished up shooting 56.4 per cent from the field for the game while hitting 10/20 from three-point land and 15/20 at the foul line.
Sam Roscoe was playing her second game of the season since arriving to join the Magic and the championship winner from 2018 with Lakeside starred with 25 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Donica Cosby was playing her fourth game with Mandurah too and delivered 19 points, seven assists and four steals with Christina Boag the other new addition having previously played at the Rockingham Flames where she also won a championship.
She produced 17 points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists on 7/8 shooting from the field and 2/2 from downtown.
Emma Klasztorny also finished with 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals, Sydney Meares 11 points and two assists, and the league's games record holder Casey Mihovilovich five points, four boards, three steals and two assists in her 566th appearance.
The Slammers have now lost all 12 matches of 2024 by an average of 47 points and beyond that they have now lost 44 consecutive games, and 85 in the past 86.
Zaya Black top-scored for South West with 14 points to go with six rebounds and two assists with Yasmeen Smith contributing 12 points and four steals, and Javene Fitch seven points and 10 rebounds.
The Magic remain at home to host the East Perth Eagles next Saturday with the Slammers to return home to host the Eastern Suns the same evening.
MANDURAH MAGIC 113 (Roscoe 25, Cosby 19, Boag 17)
SOUTH WEST SLAMMERS 59 (Black 14, Smith 12, Fitch 7)
Goldfields Giants (51) lost to Rockingham Flames (91)
The challenge was ahead of the Goldfields Giants even on their home floor on Saturday night and the undefeated Rockingham Flames came to Kalgoorlie and left with the unbeaten record intact.
Rockingham arrived at Niels Hansen Basketball Stadium for the Saturday night match up as part of the WA Day long weekend having won all 12 matches so far in 2024 by an average of 31.3 points.
That meant it was a significant challenge ahead of the Giants to take it up to the league-leaders and after the home team was up by four early, the Flames scored 10 straight points and would end up leading by 14 points at quarter-time.
It was another 25 points to 12 in the second period from Rockingham which saw them head into the half-time break in control leading 49-22.
Things started to get ugly in the third quarter with another 25 points to 11 from the Flames and the margin did grow to 44 points in the fourth term, but to the Giants credit they fought the game out strongly.
Goldfields even outscored Rockingham 18 points to 17 in the fourth quarter with the Flames going on to score the 91-51 victory.
The win improves the Flames to a perfect 13-0 record on the season and they remain without the services of two-time MVP Alex Sharp.
Robbi Ryan was playing her third game of the season with Rockingham and starred with 26 points, four assists, four steals and two rebounds.
Georgia Pineau continued her strong form with another 19 points and seven rebounds with Nes'eya Parker-Williams contributing 16 points and 11 boards, Emma Gandini 11 points, nine rebounds and two assists, and Jess Jakens nine points, 11 boards, five assists, two steals and two blocked shots.
The Giants are now 2-9 on the season following the defeat with Lauren Fech top-scoring with 10 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
Jhazmin Joson added eight points, four rebounds and four assists with Ash Monaghan contributing seven points, three boards and two steals, Anne Zipser six points, 12 rebounds and three assists, and Kate Sidebottom six points and three boards.
The Giants remain at home to play host to the East Perth Eagles on Sunday evening with the Flames back home to the Lakeside Lightning next Saturday.
GOLDFIELDS GIANTS 51 (Fech 10, Joson 8, Monaghan 7)
ROCKINGHAM FLAMES 91 (Ryan 26, Pineau 19, Parker-Williams 16)
MEN
Geraldton Buccaneers (100) defeated Joondalup Wolves (89)
It was a hotly anticipated Grand Final rematch and the Geraldton Buccaneers pulled away in the second half to maintain top spot with the 100-89 win against the Joondalup Wolves.
The Saturday night match up at Active West Stadium was the first time the two teams have met since last year's Grand Final where the Wolves were on top a lot of the evening before the Buccs stormed home to claim the championship in a reversal of a heartbreaking loss the year before.
There hasn’t been too much in the way of pleasantries shared between the two since as well so there was plenty of feeling on both sides coming into the Saturday night match.
Joondalup was also celebrating the 250th game of captain Jordan Wellsteed while the Buccaneers welcomed former league MVP Josh Braun back from a hamstring injury along with new signing Junior Garbrah making his debut.
It was a tight contest throughout the first half with no more than five points separating the two teams with the Wolfpack leading by a point at quarter-time and still by that margin at the half, with the score 41-40.
The game was waiting to be broken open and the defending champions did exactly that the longer it went starting with outscoring the Wolves 32 points to 28 in the third period.
It was then another 28 points to 20 in the final stanza with Geraldton going on to lead by as much as 15 points before securing the 11-point victory.
The win means that the Buccaneers remain in top spot in the NBL1 West with an 11-1 record with South Australian point guard Nik DeSantis again shining with 23 points, nine assists and eight rebounds on 10/10 free-throw shooting.
Joshua Keyes produced another 18 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two blocks for the Buccs while captain Aaron Ralph knocked down another 5/7 from three-point land for 17 points and six rebounds.
That takes him to 1050 three-pointers on his 446-game career to be just 47 behind all-time league leader Ryan Neill.
Grand Final MVP from 2019 Liam Hunt also had 12 points, 11 rebounds and three assists while the league's MVP from that season, Josh Braun, returned and had 12 points and five assists as well.
The Wolves now slip to an 8-3 record having lost three of their last four matches with Caleb Davis producing 25 points, five rebounds and five assists on shooting 9/16 from the floor and 5/6 at the foul line.
Jonathan Wade added 23 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals for Joondalup, CJ Turnage 22 points, six boards and three assists, and Christian Jurlina eight points, five assists, four steals and three rebounds.
The Buccs back up on Sunday evening at home to the Perth Redbacks with the Wolves on the road on Friday night to take on the East Perth Eagles.
GERALDTON BUCCANEERS 100 (DeSantis 23, Keyes 18, Ralph 17)
JOONDALUP WOLVES 89 (Davis 25, Wade 23, Turnage 22)
Mandurah Magic (129) defeated South West Slammers (85)
The Mandurah Magic continue to show they are a force to be reckoned with in 2024 with perhaps the most firepower across the league after the 129-85 win at home over the South West Slammers.
The Magic were back to Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre on the biggest winning streak in the competition having won the last four matches ahead of hosting a Slammers team fresh off beating the Eastern Suns.
It was a shootout between the two teams from the outset and they would combine for 55 points in the first quarter with Mandurah heading into quarter-time leading 31-24.
It was the Magic better equipped to keep the pace going of an up-tempo, high scoring affair with the playmaking talents of Lachlan Bertram, scoring talents of Joel Murray and Julian Pesava, shooting of Jarrod Molnar, and then imposing presence inside of Michael Durr.
That combination helped Mandurah to put up 34 points to 20 in the second term to go into the half-time break in control 65-44.
The Magic kept it going all through the second half as well with another 33 points to 20 in the third frame, 31 to 21 in the fourth to end up leading by as much as 49 points, and to end up winning in the end by 44.
It's a fifth consecutive victory for Mandurah as they improve to a 9-5 record on the season with MVP fancy Joel Murray a standout once again with 33 points and eight assists on 11/20 shooting from the floor, 3/5 from downtown and 8/9 at the foul line.
He had plenty of help too with Mandurah finishing the game shooting 60.3 per cent from the field, knocking down 19/32 from three-point range and hitting 28/32 at the foul line.
Julian Pesava also put up 25 points, six rebounds and three assists on 5/8 shooting from downtown with Jarrod Molnar making 6/8 from deep for 25 points, Lachlan Bertram 18 points and four rebounds, and Michael Durr 15 points, 20 boards, four assists and four blocks.
The Slammers slip to 3-10 on the season following the defeat despite another 25 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals from Buay Tuach.
Alex Holcombe also contributed 16 points, four rebounds, three blocks and two assists, Manyiel Wugol nine points, four boards and four steals, and Byron Jonker eight points.
The Magic remain at home to host the East Perth Eagles next Saturday with the Slammers to return home to host the Eastern Suns the same evening.
MANDURAH MAGIC 129 (Murray 33, Pesava 25, Molnar 25)
SOUTH WEST SLAMMERS 85 (Tuach 25, Holcombe 16, Wugol 9)
Goldfields Giants (97) defeated Rockingham Flames (73)
The Goldfields Giants were able to take charge of a Rockingham Flames team minus Devondrick Walker to make it consecutive wins with the 97-73 victory.
The Giants were fresh off a double overtime classic that they managed to prevail in seven days earlier ahead of being back at Niels Hansen Basketball Stadium on Saturday night to play host to the Flames.
Rockingham arrived with Tasmania JackJumpers NBL centre Gorjok Gak back in the line-up but still without two-time MVP Walker, and having lost three straight matches.
After Rockingham had an early lead, Goldfields put together 16 straight points in the first quarter to end up leading 27-23 at quarter-time.
The Giants would end up leading by as much as 12 points in the second period before then going into the half-time break leading 56-44.
Without the brilliance of Walker to call upon, the Flames didn’t quite have the firepower to mount a fightback through the second half and the Giants were able to continue to build on their advantage.
Goldfields would end up leading by as much as 21 points in the third quarter and 30 in the fourth before ending up winning by 24.
The victory is a second straight for the Giants who now improve to a 6-6 record on the season with Randy Bell showing the way with 26 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals on 10/15 shooting from the field, 3/5 from long-range and 3/4 at the charity stripe.
De'Sean Parsons also had 20 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and two steals for Goldfields, Mayo Malek 19 points and nine boards, and Damon Ballantyne 13 points, five rebounds and two steals.
The Flames now slip to 7-6 with a fourth straight loss and having lost five of their past seven.
Jono Janssen continues to be a shining light for Rockingham during this tough stretch since his arrival and he delivered another 21 points, four rebounds and two steals on 8/10 shooting from the floor and 3/4 from behind the three-point arc.
Gorjok Gak returned to provide 14 points and seven rebounds while Quintin Dove contributed 10 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and captain 317-game captain Ryan Godfrey three points and seven assists.
The Giants remain at home to play host to the East Perth Eagles on Sunday evening with the Flames back home to the Lakeside Lightning next Saturday.
GOLDFIELDS GIANTS 97 (Bell 26, Parsons 20, Malek 19)
ROCKINGHAM FLAMES 73 (Janssen 21, Gak 14, Dove 10)
