NBL1 West Recap | Men's Friday Round 17

Matt Leary proved the hero in a crucial double overtime win for the Perry Lakes Hawks on Friday night as the Lakeside Lightning suffered yet another heartbreaking loss in the NBL1 West season for 2022.

The Lightning have been significantly more competitive in the 2022 NBL1 West season than their now 4-16 record suggests but it was another tough loss to swallow on Friday night in double overtime, but the Perry Lakes Hawks just couldn’t afford to lose with their playoff hopes on the line.

The Joondalup Wolves were the other Friday night winners in Round 17 in what is the second last weekend of the regular season.

Round 17 in the NBL1 West got underway at HBF Arena and it was always going to be a fascinating night with former Joondalup Wolves stalwarts Seb Salinas, Rob Huntington and Reece Maxwell returning to their old home floor for the first time with the Kalamunda Eastern Suns along with dual championship winning coach Ben Ettridge.

The Wolves, though, proved too strong to win 88-63 and maintain their hold on a top four spot and stay in touch of the top two.

Jonathan Wade delivered 28 points and 11 rebounds on 11/16 shooting in the win for the Wolfpack.

Albert Almanza and Huntington both scored 13 points for the Eastern Suns.

It was then a double overtime cracking contest at Bendat Basketball Centre with the Perry Lakes Hawks escaping with the 104-100 victory over the Lakeside Lightning.

Matt Leary came up huge for the Hawks with 34 points including six three-pointers while Lakeside captain Nick Palleschi hit two clutch shots to force the game into the first and second overtime to finish with 18 points and four assists.

Round 17 in the NBL1 West continues on Saturday evening with the Mandurah Magic at home to the Joondalup Wolves while the South West Slammers host the East Perth Eagles, and the Goldfields Giants take on the Cockburn Cougars.

The Geraldton Buccaneers are also hosting the Warwick Senators while the Lakeside Lightning take on the Willetton Tigers while the Rockingham Flames are at home to the Perth Redbacks.

NBL1 WEST – 2022 MEN'S SEASON
ROUND 17 – FRIDAY NIGHT

JOONDALUP WOLVES 88 defeated KALAMUNDA EASTERN SUNS 63

The final scoreline of a 25-point win for the third placed Joondalup Wolves over the second last Kalamunda Eastern Suns might appear just your average night at HBF Arena on Friday, but it was anything but the case.

Kalamunda playing at the Joondalup venue meant that it was the first time that coach Ben Ettridge along with star veteran trio Seb Salinas, Reece Maxwell and Rob Huntington had returned in opposition colours to HBF Arena since coming together in 2022 at the Eastern Suns.

Ettridge coached the Wolfpack to two championships and six Grand Final appearances in a remarkably successful era while Salinas played in two championships and 317 games for the Wolves while Huntington and Maxwell were also 232 and 265-game stalwarts respectively.

The Eastern Suns also arrived at HBF Arena coming off their best win of the season last Sunday at home to the Goldfields Giants, but the Wolves had too much to play for to maintain their top four spot and to stay in touch of the top two.

Joondalup scored 20 consecutive points during the first quarter to lead by 22 already by quarter-time and there was no way back for the Suns from there.

The Wolfpack lead grew to 30 points during the second quarter and 35 in the third before the home team ended up winning 88-63.

The victory improves the Wolves to a 15-5 record on the season to be just behind the second placed Rockingham Flames (16-4) and ahead of the fourth placed Goldfields Giants (14-6).

Jonathan Wade delivered a standout performance for the Wolfpack with 28 points and 11 rebound on 11/16 shooting from the floor.

Julian Pesava added 17 points and four rebounds, CJ Turnage 17 points, six boards and four assists, Jordan Wellsteed seven points and 11 rebounds, and Joel Vaiangina four points, six boards and two blocks.

Rob Huntington finished with 13 points and five rebounds for Kalamunda, Albert Almanza 13 points, four boards and three assists, Cooper Lowe seven points, and Reece Maxwell seven points and three rebounds.

PERRY LAKES HAWKS 104 defeated LAKESIDE LIGHTNING 100

Not content with their overtime thriller at Lakeside Recreation Centre a month earlier, the Perry Lakes Hawks and Lakeside Lightning delivered a remarkable double overtime contest at Bendat Basketball Centre.

Perry Lakes and Lakeside did battle on Friday night to open Round 17 in the NBL1 West on the back of taking part in an overtime nail-biter back in Round 12 where the Hawks prevailed 90-89 thanks to a late Cooper Hamilton shot.

Hamilton wasn’t there this time around for Perry Lakes for the return encounter but former Lightning guard Jack Isenbarger was there to play his second game against his old team with Bailey Cole also back from injury for the defending champions.

It was a crucial game in the context of the season for the Hawks too as they are locked in a fight over eighth spot with the Perth Redbacks.

The Lightning weren’t interested in handing them anything, though, even if they couldn’t make the playoffs themselves.

Lakeside started well to lead 20-14 by quarter-time and to be up nine during the second term but by half-time the Hawks had got scores back level.

The Lightning then blew the game wide open in the third quarter and led by as much as 14 points and were still on top 63-52 by three quarter-time.

It was Perry Lakes co-captains Ben Purser and Rob Cassir who took it upon themselves to hit three-pointers late in the fourth quarter to bring their team back within three, and then Matt Leary added another to tie scores up.

Eventually Andrew Ferguson responded to a Dom Jackson bucket for Lakeside with a three-point play for Perry Lakes to put them up one but soon after Jackson knocked one down from beyond the arc to level scores back up.

Leary then hit a tough bucket to put the Hawks up but the Lightning had one last possession, and captain Nick Palleschi took the ball, called for the screen, went around it and got a good mid-range look.

He banked it in and the game went to overtime and it was again a similar script. With time running out it was Leary who drained another three ball to take Perry Lakes from a point down to two points up.

It was once again Palleschi who took on the responsibility and this time he drove to the rack and made the strong finish to force a second overtime.

Once again a couple of huge buckets from Leary helped Perry Lakes open up a lead before he and Ryan Smith got the job done at the foul line and the Hawks went on to score the crucial 104-100 double overtime victory.

Matt Leary had the night of 82-game career with 34 points, six rebounds and three assists while shooting 11/20 from the field and 6/13 from downtown.

Ben Purser added 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Hawks, Andrew Ferguson 16 points, 13 boards, five assists and two blocks, Lewis Thomas 14 points, eight rebounds, four blocks and three assists, and Rob Cassir 14 points, 10 boards, four steals and three assists.

Lakeside captain Nick Palleschi finished with 18 points and four assists with Ben Lee adding 15 points and three steals, Landon Taliaferro 14 points and four rebounds, and Liam Patterson 11 points and five boards.

Dom Jackson added 11 points and six rebounds, and Josh Davey 11 points and 26 boards as he continues to take over the legacy on the glass from Jarrad Prue.