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Jul 30, 2023

NBL1 CENTRAL FINALS Week Two Recap

By Tristan Prentice for NBL1.com.au

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Finals week two concluded two days of intense finals rivalry, performances and finishes that either saw teams through to the decider or have their finals torch snuffed for season 2023…

Here are the results from Saturday and Sunday’s games:

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Womens

Qualifying Semi-Final: Sturt Sabres vs Norwood Flames

Sabres through and through to Grand Final after Brazel-liant second half

The Sturt Sabres women are through to their third grand final in the last four seasons after a master coaching stroke and second half performance from the Gems Tayla Brazel 66-54 at the Cave.

The Sabres came out full of hunger and aggression attacking the glass on the back of back-to-back Halls Medallist Mikayla Williams with six early points including four offensive rebounds cleaning up the lack of Flames defence. The Flames led by Ally Wilson chipped back into the game evening up the glass with a 0-5 run but the Sabres pressure had them in front 15-10 at the first break.

Williams and the Sabres started the second with some help from Brazel who stole the ball while falling out of bounds, starting a fast break from mid-court which she received back then Williams grabbed the finish for her tenth point. The Flames started to attack the Sabres downhill sending Kayla Mathews and Williams to the pine with three fouls a piece. Sharna Thompson (7 points for the term) and Alek Akuen with the steal and finish off-balance off the window continued to hit some big shots towards the backend of the second to give the Flames an unlikely lead 28-32 at the half.

After a quiet first half Brazel emerged as a scoring threat with seven points for the third term. Jada Rice of the Flames found another gear in the second half moving her way into the game with a huge block to inspire her team – but then her teammate Ally Wilson trumped her lining up Meg Prosser and sending her back. Neither team was able to break away as the stanza ended 44-44 a piece with one grandstand final quarter to go.

The Sabres coach of the year Tim Shortt threw the Flames a curveball in the final term going small ball with Williams sitting on the pine as the zip of Brazel, Jasmine Rigoni (two triples for the term), the Mathews sisters and Zoe Walker-Roberts ripped apart the Flames defence keeping Wilson scoreless in the final term to match the third term lockdown. Jorjah Smith hit a bank triple to cut it back to eight with 34 seconds to go but a couple of charity stripe visits from the Sabres sealed their passage to their second consecutive grand final.

Brazel was brilliant for the home side with 16 points, 11 rebounds, three assists followed by the Halls medallist in Williams with 12 points and 15 rebounds. Nicola Mathews big second half got her up to 13 points and was influential in the final term as part of the “Sabre small” lineup. The Flames Smith was the leading scorer across the second half with 12 of her 14 points coming through the half but no other players reached double figures with Wilson the next best with 9 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, five steals and two blocks.

Elimination Semi-Final: Southern Tigers vs South Adelaide Panthers

Tigers ten on the tear extends Panther pain

The Southern Tigers have made it ten on the tear of their opponent since 2016 eliminating their rivals the South Adelaide Panthers from the finals with a comprehensive final term 87-64 at the Cage.

The Tigers roared out of the Cage off the back of superstar Morgan Yaeger again as she shelled off 13 points as they hit six of nine in the opening term to have the Panthers already on the back foot 26-15.

The run continued in the second with a 9-0 run and the Panthers desperately needing an answer to stop Yaeger and the rampaging Tigers 37-19. They got one through Ash Spencer and Holly Forbes as collectively attacking the paint they sent a couple of Tigers to the pine to cut it back to 42-26 at the half.

The Panthers threw their best defence as they did the previous week against the Rockets and managed to capitalise off it with Sam DeFrancesco finding 11 points for the term and held the Tigers to 14 percent from the field closing the gap through the determined Forbes to 55-42 with one to play. This movie however we’d seen before in previous finals series.

Play out like the previous ones it did unfortunately for the Panthers as the Tigers launched into an 18-10 run courtesy of their outside game from Yaeger (12 points) and Bianca Stasinowsky (13 points) as they held the Panthers to 25 percent from the field in the final term and closed this one comfortably.

Yaeger got it rolling from the very start with 30 points with six triples at 60 percent, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals but what was most impressive was her ability to handle the faceguarding heat when it came at her in various times of the match which will likely come again via the Flames next week. Stasinowsky’s last quarter haul sealed a memorable night for her in a big final with 21 points with five triples and Brittany Hernandez (13 points and 12 rebounds) and Mollie McKendrick (14 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks) backed up the big scoring performances. Spencer was the best for the Panthers with 15 points and six rebounds and got help in the second half when she needed it from Forbes (13 points and 14 rebounds), DeFrancesco and Jordan Hunter (Eight points and assists) but needed more help at the crunch times of the contest.

The Sturt Sabres will meet the winner of next week’s Norwood Flames/Southern Tigers final at the ARC - in the Grand Final at the Adelaide Arena on August 12.

Men

Qualifying Semi-Final: West Adelaide Bearcats vs Forestville Eagles

Eagles soar to decider in Bearcat boilover

The Forestville Eagles are into their first grand final since 2019 after upsetting the West Adelaide Bearcats at the death at Port Adelaide 81-83.

The Eagles flew out direct through Greg Mays who got the alley-oop from skipper Adam Doyle, but the Bearcats hit back quickly through the underrated Nik DeSantis (8 points in the opening quarter) with Tasmanian Jack-jumper Anthony Drmic and 36ers Mitch McCarron pushing the margin in favour of the homeside 19-12.

The game ebbed and flowed with both teams getting on runs. Drmic got on some open runs as did Mays who flushed a one-handed slam down on his opponent for the afternoon Lachlan Olbrich as they scored 14 points and 12 points respectively for the half-time. The half-time lead extended with a bank fadeaway triple from former 36ers DP Joel Spear with the black and red in front 44-40 at the half.

Brad Rathjen of the Eagles keeping the Eagles also in it with this tough move...

Malith Machar showed his growth and maturity with a huge third term (16 points) especially with his skipper Adam Doyle quiet on the scorecard points wise but dishing it up to Machar at every opportunity and gave the Eagles the ascendancy 62-65 at the final change.

The final term was highlights of players getting one on their opponent then returning the favour on the next play. Drmic was hitting more triples in the final term before Brad Rathjen came back at him via a baseline two handed throwdown. After Machar had put the Eagles up 75-78 Mays blocked Drmic’s drive but on the next inbound play then his teammate Olbrich got his revenge on Mays for the earlier slam using his speed to get around him and slam down the two-handed flush.

In a pulsating final few minutes Drmic put the Bearcats in front with a basket 79-80. With twelve seconds left and the ball in the Eagles hands Doyle made the big-time layup. Out of the time out Drmic took a heavily contested layup away from the window and in forcing to foul managed to send Machar to the line for a free throw. Drmic tried for redemption from half court coming up agonisingly short with the ball rimming and the Eagles through to the decider – the Bearcats with the double chance next weekend.

Machar led all scorers with 26 points including four triples, six rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks but had plenty of help from Mays with 20 points and seven rebounds. Drmic played all minutes for the Bearcats with 25 points with five triples, six rebounds, three assists and steals while former 36ers teammate Mitch McCarron narrowly missed a triple double with 15 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists and three steals. Olbrich and DeSantis both finished with 16 points, and both had impact at different times on the contest.

Elimination Semi-Final: Sturt Sabres vs South Adelaide Panthers

Sabres send Panthers out of semis in efficient fashion

The Sturt Sabres have ousted the depleted defending champions 98-71 but took nearly three quarters to do so as the South Adelaide Panthers hung tough at the Cave of Springbank.

Minus their superstar Alex Starling with an injury and D1 college acceptant Lloyd McVeigh - the Panthers jumped out quickly through Sam Johns and Daniel “DJ” Johnson. After a forgettable last quarter the previous week it was the Sabres Tobias Dowdell who roared to life for the home side with seven opening quarter points. Coaches MVP Jordan Forbes also got rolling early with eight of his own but thanks to another arrow from the “Hawkeye” of Andrew Barton the Panthers closed the gap to 22-19 at the end of one.

Sabres rookie for the MSU Comets Sebastian Griffin (Nine points, five rebounds, four assists and three steal) sparked the Sabres into the lead early in the second bookmarked by an athletic reverse layup from Sam Daly. But the DJ was in the house as he swamped the Sabres for 22 in the first half with his array of pull up jumpers and nonchalant triples – but the Sabres held the slender lead at half-time 51-44.

Johns opened the quarter with a pair of triples then Jarryd Hoppo followed it up with another to make it a one basket game 59-58. Led by Jacob Rigoni and Forbes the Sabres went on a pulsating 10-0 run to swing momentum back their way but a huge quarter from Todd Davies kept the Panthers within striking distance 73-63 with one quarter left.

The last quarter started with some physical play but Robert “Bobby” Brennan brought home his side with a commanding final term as the Sabres swamped all-over the depleted Panthers in a 25-8 final term to send the Panthers out of the semis and move onto to play for a spot in the Grand Final.

Forbes was one of many who were best in their role for the afternoon with 21 points, 10 rebounds and six assists and two blocks but Dowdell’s start was underestimated in impactfulness with 14 points and five rebounds. Brennan finished with 13 points and six rebounds while Daly was consistent through all four stanzas with 13 points, five assists and four rebounds. Quieter in the second half DJ finished with 22 points, 13 rebounds and four assists as he paced veterans Davies (22 points and three assists) and captain Sam Johns (11 points, five assists and three rebounds).

The Forestville Eagles will meet the winner of next week’s West Adelaide Bearcats/Sturt Sabres final at Port Adelaide - in the Grand Final at the Adelaide Arena on August 12.