NBL1 West Recap | Friday Women's Round 3

The Mandurah Magic continued their impressive start to the NBL1 West Women's season on the night the legend Casey Mihovilovich equalled the league's games record with Round 3 Friday night wins also for the Warwick Senators, Lakeside Lightning and Joondalup Wolves.

The Wolfpack improved to a perfect 3-0 record with their Friday night Round 3 win with the Magic and Senators also winning their third straight matches to start 2022, and the Lightning made it three from four.

Casey Mihovilovich was playing her 512th game with the Mandurah Magic to equal the league's all-time record held by Sue Williams and she celebrated with a 67-48 win against the Perth Redbacks at Belmont Oasis.

Mihovilovich put up 20 points, nine steals and five assists as well to mark the occasion while Alex Wittinger had 14 points and nine rebounds, and Carly Boag 12 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Makailah Dyer had 18 points for the Redbacks.

The high-scoring thriller of the night took place at Mike Barnett Sports Complex with the Lakeside Lightning ending up beating the Rockingham Flames 103-101.

Caitie Jones put up 34 points with four threes for Lakeside with Sara Dickey adding 31 points with three triples. Taylor Ortlepp had 27 points for the Flames, Patty Brossmann 24 and Christina Boag 23.

The Warwick Senators continued their impressive start to the season even in the absence of Stacey Barr and Chloe Forster with the 95-69 win against the Kalamunda Eastern Suns at Warwick Stadium.

Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard put up 29 points and 14 rebounds in the win for the Senators while Marissa Pangalos finished with 24 points and six assists for the Suns.

The Joondalup Wolves kept their winning form going as well with the 83-66 victory against the Perry Lakes Hawks at HBF Arena.

Robbi Ryan impressed for the Wolfpack with 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists with Emma Clarke finishing with 22 points for the Hawks.

Round 3 in the NBL1 West season will continue on Saturday evening at 5pm with the South West Slammers hosting the Cockburn Cougars at Eaton Recreation Centre.

Then at 5.30pm, the East Perth Eagles take on the Goldfields Giants at Herb Graham Recreation Centre in Mirrabooka.

There is then another game on Sunday tipping off at 11am at Wally Hagan Stadium with the Cougars at home to the Giants before the round wraps on Monday with the traditional ANZAC Day clash between the Eastern Suns and Willetton Tigers at Ray Owen Sports Centre.

NBL1 WEST – 2022 WOMEN'S SEASON
ROUND 3 – FRIDAY NIGHT

WARWICK SENATORS 95 defeated KALAMUNDA EASTERN SUNS 69

The Warwick Senators were playing their first home game of the 2022 season and came away with the 95-69 win at Warwick Stadium over the Kalamunda Eastern Suns on Friday night.

The Senators opened the new season coming from behind to win on the road to the Perry Lakes Hawks before also winning last Thursday night away to the Perth Redbacks meaning they hit Warwick Stadium in some impressive form on Friday night.

The Eastern Suns are beginning a new era in 2022 as well with Tim Rendulic as coach and they got a first up win over the Redbacks before losing to the Joondalup Wolves on Easter Thursday.

That set up Friday's Round 3 clash at Warwick Stadium and it was the Suns who started impressively to lead 9-4 early. 

However, even without Stacey Barr and Chloe Forster in the line-up, the Senators worked back into the contest with the front court of Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard and Nat Burton getting better and better as the night rolled on.

Kalamunda still led 25-24 by quarter-time and then continued to impress in the second quarter with another 29 points to 25 to head into half-time leading 54-49.

The Senators ramped up things defensively in the second half, though, to hold the Eastern Suns to just the four points in the third quarter and 11 in the fourth while putting up another 46 points themselves to end up winning 95-69 to remain undefeated in 2022.

Fresh off her season in the WNBL at the Perth Lynx, Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard put up 29 points, 14 rebounds and two assists for the Senators on 11/18 shooting from the field.

Her front court partner, and Lynx assistant coach, Nat Burton has made an immediate impact at Warwick too after crossing from Perry Lakes with 18 points, 12 rebounds and four assists.

Nicole Jorre de St Jorre also finished with 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds, Jessica Goodluck eight points and four assists, Charlotte Blackburn seven points, and Alyssa Duncan six points, eight rebounds and four assists.

Marissa Pangalos delivered an impressive performance for the Eastern Suns despite the loss with 24 points and six assists with Georgia Denehey contributing 15 points and four assists, Alexis Bland 10 points, five boards and three assists, Ella Thornton-Elliott nine points and five rebounds, and Eleanor Hartill nine points and five boards.

 

ROCKINGHAM FLAMES 101 lost to LAKESIDE LIGHTNING 103

It was quite the offensive display both the Rockingham Flames and Lakeside Lightning put on at Mike Barnett Sports Complex on Friday night.

The Flames were back on their home floor having started the season with a loss to the Mandurah Magic and a thumping win over the South West Slammers while the Lightning won first up in Kalgoorlie over the Giants before a narrow loss to the Magic last Thursday night.

That set the stage for Friday night's battle to open Round 3 and by the end of the contest, the two teams combined for 204 over the 40 minutes in quite the exciting offensive spectacle.

They combined for 58 points in the opening quarter with the Lightning leading 30-28 by quarter-time before the Flames managed to take over a little in the second period to head into half-time on top 53-48.

Things really went up a notch in the third quarter as the Flames and Lightning combined for 64 points. Lakeside scored 38 of those in the most dynamic of displays led by new faces Caitie Jones and Sara Dickey.

That saw the Lightning lead 86-79 by three quarter-time and they appeared heading for the victory for much of the fourth period, but the Flames never went away and got back within a point in the final minute.

However, the Lightning held firm and two late free-throws from Jones ended up securing the 103-101 victory.

Caitie Jones has joined Lakeside from Warwick this season and is setting her new team alight. On Friday night, the emerging shooting guard put up 34 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals on shooting 12/20 from the floor and 4/6 from beyond the arc.

Sara Dickey is another new arrival to the Lightning this season and she was superb in Friday night's win with 31 points, five rebounds and two steals on shooting 10/21 from the floor, 3/8 from downtown and 8/10 at the foul line.

Opal Mader played under Blake Srdarev at East Perth last season and has joined him with Lakeside in 2022, and she put up 12 points and two rebounds with Ruby Benn contributing nine points, five boards and four assists, Jade Gowland six points, three rebounds and three steals, and Courtney Green six points, three boards and three steals.

Despite the eventual loss, Rockingham had some big performers as well on the night with Taylor Ortlepp putting up 27 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals including going 4/12 from three-point territory.

Patty Brossmann added 24 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, Christina Boag 23 points, nine boards, three assists, three steals and two blocks, and Chloe Napolitano 13 points, six rebounds and five assists.

 

PERTH REDBACKS 48 lost to MANDURAH MAGIC 67

On a night where she equalled the league's games record, Casey Mihovilovich sent a reminder that she remains one of NBL1 West's most outstanding players in a win for the Mandurah Magic against the Perth Redbacks.

Mihovilovich was playing her 512th game for the Magic on Friday night at Belmont Oasis to see her join Sue Williams atop the all-time games played list in league history, and she was tremendous once more in the win against the Redbacks.

The Magic had already started the new season beating the Rockingham Flames and Lakeside Lightning so they came into Friday's game with momentum against a Redbacks team who has lost to the Eastern Suns and Warwick Senators in between a big win over the South West Slammers.

Mandurah were never going to be denied on Friday night, though, and it was a standout defensive performance that was led by Mihovilovich. She had a remarkable nine steals for the game with the Redbacks coughing up 23 turnovers.

The Redbacks only managed 48 points for the night including just six in the fourth quarter on the back of shooting 16/62 from the field and 3/13 from downtown.

The Magic got the job done impressively to win 67-48 including 21 points in the opening quarter and another 19 in the fourth to close the deal.

On the night she equalled the league's games record, Casey Mihovilovich produced quite the standout performance to show the way for Mandurah with 20 points, nine steals, five assists and two rebounds.

She also shot 8/14 from the field and knocked down 3/7 from beyond the three-point arc.

Alex Wittinger also finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and three assists for the Magic, Carly Boag 12 points, 10 boards and five assists, and Grace Lawler 10 points.

Makailah Dyer finished with 18 points, three rebounds, three assists and two blocks for the Redbacks with Kayonna Lee contributing nine points and 10 boards, and Shenae Hartree eight points, eight rebounds, four steals and two assists.

 

JOONDALUP WOLVES 83 defeated PERRY LAKES HAWKS 66

The Joondalup Wolves continued their impressive start to the season with the addition of Robbi Ryan helping them to an impressive Friday night win at home to the Perry Lakes Hawks.

The Wolfpack were coming off strong wins against the Willetton Tigers and Kalamunda Eastern Suns to open the new season while the Hawks had split their two games to the Warwick Senators and East Perth Eagles.

It shaped as a fascinating match up at HBF Arena on Friday night and it was the home team who started impressively with Robbi Ryan starting on fire to help them to a 28-21 lead by quarter-time.

Joondalup extended that lead to 45-36 by half-time and the Wolves went on with the job in the second half with another 38 points to 30 to claim the eventual 83-66 victory to remain undefeated so far in 2022.

The shooting of the two teams was the major difference on the night with the Wolves finishing up going 32/73 at 44 per cent from the field and 9/23 at 39 per cent from three-point range. Perry Lakes went 22/66 at 33 per cent from the floor and 5/23 at 22 per cent from downtown.

Robbi Ryan settled nicely into her new life this season with the Wolfpack putting up 22 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals on shooting 8/12 from the field and 3/4 from three-point territory.

Nes'eya Williams has started the season impressively for Joondalup too and she had 19 points and 13 rebounds with Teige Morrell contributing 18 points, 10 boards and three assists, Chelsea Belcher 12 points and three assists, and Tia Ucich 10 points, four boards, three assists and two steals.

Emma Clarke did all she could to try to lift Perry Lakes with 22 points and eight rebounds while Mia Satie added 12 points and nine boards, Millie McCarthy 11 points, and Maddie Dennis 10 points and two rebounds.