NBL1 South Round 1 Saturday Women’s Recap

Here is all the action from the opening night of the 2021 NBL1 South women's competition. 

Melbourne Tigers 62 def by Sandringham Sabres 87

It was a dream start to the 2021 NBL1 season for the Sandringham Sabres, as they handedly took care of business on the road against the Melbourne Tigers.

After a tight opening term, the Sabres pulled ahead with an impressive 14-4 to close the quarter. 

There was simply no stopping the Sabres, who continued their run into the second term, outsourcing the Tigers 25-6 behind some stellar play from Jenna O’Hea, who finished with an impressive 27 point, 10 rebound double-double.

The second half saw the Tigers come out with more intensity behind new addition Zitina Aokuso and Geraldine McCorkell, the latter of which notched 15 points in just 21 minutes.

It was too little, too late for the Tigers in the end, as the Sabres were able to weather a competitive second half and come away with a 87-62 victory.  

Hobart Chargers 61 def by Launceston Tornadoes 91

Keely Froling has put together one of the most dominant games the NBL1 has ever seen, leading the Launceston Tornadoes to a massive victory over their Tasmanian rivals in Hobart.

It was the Froling Show from the very outset of the game.

The forward poured on 19 points in the first quarter, which included a perfect 9-9 showing from the free-throw line and eight rebounds.

Madeleine Garrick did her best to match Froling with 13 points of her own, including a perfect 3-3 from downtown.

Garrick continued to impress in the second quarter, finishing the half with 17 points, however lacked help from her teammates, who combined for only nine points on 4-22 shooting from the field and  0-10 on triples.

The third quarter was a different story for the Chargers however, with Tayla Roberts stepping up alongside Garrick to outscore the Tornadoes 24-9 in the term.

It would not be enough in the end, as Froling and Launceston could not be stopped in the final term, pulling away as 30 point victors.

Froling finished the game with a ridiculous 42 points, 22 rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Frankston Blues 90 def Nunawading Spectres 78

The Frankston Blues have ridden some hot outside shooting to a win in their opening match of the season, overcoming a spirited effort from Nunawading at home.

It was a tight game from the outset, with the score locked at 21-21 to close the first quarter.

Blues guard Darcee Garbin was looking for her shot from the first tip, which played a huge role in Frankston being able to pull ahead after the first term.

Garbin finished the game with 30 points, including six deep bombs, and was helped by the ever-reliable Tessa Lavey, who ended the game with 23 points and nine boards.

Spectres guard Izzy Wright did her best to push her side towards a comeback, tallying 23 points, however a cold shooting night from behind the arch (3-20 as a team), saw Nunawading finish round one without a W. 

Knox Raiders 79 def Geelong Supercats 72

The Knox Raiders showcased how to operate an efficient pick and roll game in their victory over the Geelong Supercats as State Basketball Centre.

Guard Leah Santomaggio and Centre Marianna Tolo were dominant working together from the outset, combining for all 24 of the Raiders' first quarter points.

The duo were slowed to an extent in the second term as Geelong pushed back into the game, outsourcing Knox 20-15 to close the margin to only four points as half time.

15 first half points from Aimie Clydesdale had Supercats fans excited to see what she could do in the final two terms, however her hot hand would cool off dramatically, finishing with just those 15 points.

Despite the Supercats dominating on the offensive glass, the Raiders were able to hold onto their lead thanks to efficient shooting and great passing (22 assists on 32 made baskets).

Santomaggio would finish the game as the leading scorer (22 points), followed closely by Tolo (20 points).

Eltham Wildcats 82 def Ringwood Hawks 51 

The Eltham Wildcats have flexed their muscles in their season opener, dominating the Ringwood Hawks 82-51 at home.

After a tied first quarter, the Hawks just couldn’t keep up with the inside/outside attack Eltham was implementing.

The Wildcats, led by Anneli Maley, poured it on in the second term, outsourcing the Hawks 23-8.

Maley was simply too strong inside for Ringwoods forwards, tallying a monster double-double of 26 points and 26 rebounds.

She was helped out by some hot shooting from teammate Erin Riley, who’s five three-pointers led all players for the game.

Diamond Valley Eagles 65 def by Dandenong Rangers 79

The Dandenong Rangers have come away with a tough win on the road over the Diamond Valley Eagles.

After a close first period, the Rangers pulled ahead in the second thanks to some impressive work inside from Emily Harmon.

Harmon’s work scoring and on the boards helped steady the Rangers when Diamond Valley made a push in the third quarter, led by Olivia Bontempelli who finished with 17 points.

While it looked scary for Dandenong at times, the Rangers were able to hold on thanks to a pair of double-doubles with rebounds from Harmon and Gemma Potter (26 and 10, 14 and 11 respectively) and some impressive shooting from Tenaya Sooalo, who tallied 18 points and a trio of triples.

Albury Wodonga Bandits 61 def by Ballarat Rush 93

The Ballarat Rush have put on a shooting clinic to come away with a dominant 32-point victory over the Albury Wodonga Bandits on the road.

Everything was going the Rush’s way from the opening tip, with Ballarat jumping out to an early 25-18 lead thanks to some sweet shooting from downtown.

That hot shooting would continue for the whole game, with seven of the Rush’s nine players connecting on a three pointer over the course of the game.

On the other side of the court, Emma Mahady did her best to match what Ballarat threw her way, finishing with 26 points.

It would not be enough to keep the Bandits in the game, as the Rush continued to pull away in the second half.

Impressive outings from Kasey Burton (21 points on 9-12 shooting) and Clair Constable led the way for Ballarat. 

Mt Gambier Pioneers 54 def by Bendigo Braves 60

The Bendigo Braves have used a potent inside attack and some solid work at the foul line to secure a win on the road in their opening game of the season.

The Braves were able to hold the Pioneers at bay for much of the first half behind the duo of Tess Madgen and Kate Oliver, who combined for 34 points on the evening.

It was clear Mt Gambier was hoping to use the three-ball and tight defense to get themselves back into the contest, however Bendigo seemed to have an answer for everything they threw their way.

Pioneers guard Shakera Reilly did her best from outside, knocking down a trio of triples on her way to 16 points, however it was not enough to secure the win.

With the game in the balance, Braves guard Abigail Wehrung came up large on what was a quiet for her up until that point. 

Wehrung sank a pair of vital free-throws to extend the Braves lead to six points, before blocking a shot down the stretch to seal the win. 

Kilsyth Cobras 84 def Waverley Falcons 74