NBL1 West Recap | Men's Saturday Round 12

Cooper Hamilton shot the Perry Lakes Hawks to a critical overtime win over the Lakeside Lightning on Saturday night while Perth Wildcats pair Oliver Hayes-Brown and Kyle Zunic were dominant forces for the Willetton Tigers and Warwick Senators respectively.

Round 12 in the NBL1 West Men's season began on Friday night with the Lakeside Lightning beating the South West Slammers while it was the most remarkable of overtime contests between the Perth Redbacks and Rockingham Flames at Belmont Oasis.

In the end, Marshall Nelson scored 10 points in a matter of seconds in the dying stages in the most dramatic and incredible sequence of events on his return to his old home court to deliver the Flames the 114-110 win.

Then on Saturday night, the Geraldton Buccaneers maintained their hold on top spot in the Men's NBL1 West by beating the East Perth Eagles 99-77 at home.

Shaun Stewart scored 25 points for the Buccs, Malik Meunier 23 and Ryan Blanchett 18. Justin King top-scored for East Perth with 17 points.

The Willetton Tigers returned to the winner's list to keep their playoff hopes alive with the 99-72 victory against the Kalamunda Eastern Suns.

Perth Wildcats development player Oliver Hayes-Brown produced 24 points and 24 rebounds in the win for the Tigers while Albert Almanza had 25 points for the Eastern Suns.

It was quite the tantalising and eventful match up at Wally Hagan Stadium and in the end CJ Turnage came up huge for the Joondalup Wolves in the 100-93 victory against the Cockburn Cougars.

Turnage hit the two biggest shots of the game on his way to 40 points to secure the win for the Wolfpack while Carter Skaggs nailed six three-pointers on his way to 23 points for the Cougars.

The Goldfields Giants further consolidated their hold on a playoff position and handed the Mandurah Magic another loss when they won 87-71 in Kalgoorlie.

Lafonzo Smith top-scored for Goldfields with 15 points while Hussayn Ford had 11 points and 12 boards, and Jesse Ghee 10 points and 10 assists. Christian Jurlina and Dequan Abrom both scored 18 points for Mandurah.

The Warwick Senators didn’t have it all their own way at home to the South West Slammers on Saturday night but they did end up prevailing 107-82.

Kyle Zunic finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Senators while Raphell Thomas-Edwards had 22 points and 18 rebounds in just his second appearance with the Slammers this season.

The last match of the night turned out to be a remarkable overtime battle between the Lakeside Lightning and Perry Lakes Hawks. In the end it was a Cooper Hamilton three-point bomb that sealed the 90-89 win for the Hawks on the road.

Ryan Smith returned for the Hawks and had 18 points on 3/5 shooting from deep while Andrew Ferguson finished with 16 points and 16 boards against his old team. 

Majier Garang might have had 16 points, nine rebounds and three blocks for Lakeside but his three-point attempt to close the game wasn’t quite the best decision with his team down one.

NBL1 WEST – 2022 MEN'S SEASON
ROUND 12 – SATURDAY NIGHT

GERALDTON BUCCANEERS 99 defeated EAST PERTH EAGLES 77

The East Perth Eagles might have had their big three all available, but they were still no match for the league-leading Geraldton Buccaneers in Geraldton on Saturday night.

The Buccs were back home at Active West Stadium without the services of Mathiang Muo who was with the South Sudanese national team while the Eagles had the services of Justin King, Lee Roberts and Shaquille Maharaj for just the second time this season.

Despite that, Geraldton still opened up a double-digit advantage during the opening quarter and went into quarter-time on top 27-19.

The Eagles were fighting hard but struggled to keep pace with the Buccaneers and the home team's advantage grew to 18 points on the back of another 8-0 run with Geraldton going into half-time in control 53-35.

It was more of the same in the third term with another eight straight points from the Buccs helping their lead grow to 28 points, and it got to 30 in the fourth term before they went on to score the 99-77 victory.

The win improves the Buccs to a 13-1 record on the season to remain clear on top of the NBL1 West standings while it was a ninth consecutive loss for the now 1-13 Eagles.

Shaun Stewart finished the night with 25 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals for Geraldton on an efficient 8/11 shooting and 9/10 from the foul line.

Malik Meunier added 23 points, five assists and three rebounds on 10/12 shooting for the Buccs, Ryan Blanchett 18 points, eight boards and four assists, Cameron Coleman 14 points, four rebounds and three assists, and Johny Narkle 13 points and three rebounds.

Justin King finished with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists for East Perth, Fabian Johnson 13 points and three boards, Sergio Diego Soarez 12 points and four rebounds, Shaquille Maharaj 10 points, and Lee Roberts 10 points, three boards and two steals.

 

WILLETTON TIGERS 99 defeated KALAMUNDA EASTERN SUNS 72

The Willetton Tigers kept their playoff aspirations in the NBL1 West alive with a 27-point win at home to the Kalamunda Eastern Suns on Saturday night.

The Tigers had lost their past three matches coming into Saturday's contest against a Kalamunda team fresh off their third win of the season, but it didn’t take long for Willetton to flex their muscles.

Willetton led 25-17 by the end of the first quarter before they scored another 10 consecutive points in the second term to lead by as much as 26 points, and then to be well in command at 54-28 at half-time.

The Tigers lead got out to 34 points during the third quarter and then another 26 points to 20 in the fourth period saw them end up winning 99-72.

The victory saw Willetton stay in the playoff hunt with a 6-8 record while Kalamunda slips to 3-11 with the defeat.

The Tigers ended up with 50 rebounds for the night to 32 including 14 at the offensive end to six while shooting 50.7 per cent from the field opposed to 41.2.

Perth Wildcats development player Oliver Hayes-Brown was a dominant force for Willetton with 24 points, 24 rebounds and three assists with Hunter Clarke adding 19 points, eight assists and five boards.

Travis Fee contributed 15 points on 4/5 shooting from deep with Tom Gerovich finishing with 12 points and three rebounds, Damien Scott 10 points and nine assists, and Michael Vigor six points, six assists, five rebounds and two blocked shots.

Albert Almanza produced 25 points and five rebounds for Kalamunda with five three-pointers while Jacob Formosa added 12 points and seven rebounds, captain Carl Aylett eight points and two assists, and 275-game veteran Reece Maxwell eight points, two assists and two steals.

 

COCKBURN COUGARS 93 lost to JOONDALUP WOLVES 100

The Cockburn Cougars and Joondalup Wolves were battling over a top four position and in the end it was CJ Turnage that proved the match-winner on the road for the Wolfpack.

Cockburn played host to Joondalup at Wally Hagan Stadium with the Wolves coming into the game at fourth spot at 10-3 with the Cougars fifth at 8-5 so there was plenty on the line coming into the Saturday night match up.

The Cougars got off to a flying start and scored 10 straight points in the first quarter to lead by as much as 12 and still 22-13 by quarter-time.

The Wolves did work their way back into the contest in the second period going on their own 11-0 run to end up putting up 38 points to 25 in the quarter to go into half-time leading 51-47.

While Joondalup opened up a 13-point lead in the third quarter, Cockburn fired back with Carter Skaggs knocking down some big shots and it set up a thrilling finish with plenty on the line.

Cockburn tied scores up with five minutes to go thanks to a Nathan Pond offensive rebound and putback before another three-point bomb from Skaggs put them up 89-86 with four minutes to play.

Seva Chan stretched the lead to five soon after with a layup, but jumpers to Turnage and Maris Colton soon had the Wolves back level. 

Turnage was just warming up and the biggest play of the night was when he wasn’t boxed out and grabbed an offensive rebound for the easy putback. 

That took him to 37 points on the night to put Joondalup back in front and then with under a minute left, he went to 40 points by knocking down a three-point bomb that proved the sealer in the eventual 100-93 victory.

Turnage ended the night with a match-winning performance for the Wolves with 40 points, nine rebounds and four assists showing the form that saw him win an MVP award in South Australia.

Julian Pesava was back on his old home floor against the team he won a championship with and had 17 points and six rebounds for the Wolves with Jonathan Wade contributing 12 points and five assists, Mitch Newton 11 points, and Jordan Wellsteed 10 points, nine rebounds three assists and two steals.

Carter Skaggs top-scored for Cockburn with 23 points while hitting 6/17 from three-point range with Josh Hunt contributing 19 points and six rebounds.

Seva Chan added 13 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals, Gavin Field 11 points, three assists, two steals and two blocks, Luke Phillips 10 points and four boards, and Paschal Chukwu four points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots.

 

GOLDFIELDS GIANTS 87 defeated MANDURAH MAGIC 71

The Goldfields Giants kept their top four prospects alive with an impressive 16-point home victory against the Mandurah Magic on Saturday night.

It was a big game for both teams in Kalgoorlie as they try to stay in the top four hunt with the Giants coming into the game at Niels Hansen Basketball Stadium at 8-5 with the Magic arriving just one game back at 8-6.

So the stage was set for a terrific contest and by quarter-time it was Mandurah leading narrowly 19-17.

Goldfields worked their way on top during the second quarter going on an 8-0 run to lead by as much as six, and to still be leading 38-34 at the main break.

The Giants stretched their lead out to double-figures during the third quarter and then another 22 points to 15 in the fourth quarter saw them secure the impressive and crucial 87-71 victory.

It was an incredible dominance on the glass from the Giants who pulled down 50 rebounds to just 27 from Mandurah while they also shot at a tremendous clip going 52.4 per cent from the floor opposed to 37.3.

Lafonzo Smith ended up top-scoring for Goldfields with 15 points, three rebounds and two assists with Mayo Malek contributing 12 points and four boards, and Hussayn Ford 11 points, 12 rebounds and three assists.

Jerome Reid added 10 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals with Jesse Ghee contributing 10 points and 10 assists, Gairges Daow eight points, and Hamish Cummings eight points and four rebounds.

Christian Jurlina ended the night with 18 points, three rebounds and three assists for Mandurah while Dequan Abrom contributed 18 points, seven boards, five assists and three steals, Riley Parker nine points, and Byron Pearson nine points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists.

 

LAKESIDE LIGHTNING 89 lost to PERRY LAKES HAWKS 90

Cooper Hamilton turned hero for the Perry Lakes Hawks with the dagger blow in overtime in a Saturday night thriller against the Lakeside Lightning.

The Lightning and Hawks have built up quite the rivalry in recent years with both championship contenders.

Both teams might have had their struggles so far in 2022 with Perry Lakes clinging to eighth spot and Lakeside having won just two games coming into Saturday night's match up at Lakeside Recreation Centre, but that didn’t stop them putting on quite the spectacle.

Each side had their hold of the momentum in the first quarter before Lakeside finished strongly to go into quarter-time leading 26-19.

The Hawks ended up outscoring the Lightning 26 points to 20 in the second term and that cut the Lakeside lead to just a point at half-time.

Perry Lakes worked their way on top during the third term to lead 64-59 by three quarter-time, but it was always set for a thrilling finish.

Majier Garang was putting together quite the performance using his length and athleticism at both ends to great effect. When he drained a three with five minutes to play, it kept the Lightning in the contest after they had fallen down eight.

When he knocked down another three ball, it made it a two-point ball game and then a stunning block from Donnie Vaughn, and then offensive rebound and put back up the other end from Liam Patterson gave Lakeside the 79-77 edge with just over half a minute left.

It was former Lakeside big man Andrew Ferguson who scored down low for Perry Lakes but he couldn’t convert the three-point play leaving scores tied.

Lakeside couldn’t score a game winner at the buzzer leaving the game to go to overtime where the twists continued.

Perry Lakes made the first break to be up four before a couple of impressive moves and finishes at the basket from Vaughn brought Lakeside back level.

A three-point play from Landon Taliaferro then put the home team up one before Garang came up huge again firstly with a block on former Lightning player Jack Isenbarger and then he was fouled up the other end. He made one to put Lakeside up 89-87.

Perry Lakes had the last laugh though. A drive from Ben Purser saw him dish it out to Cooper Hamilton who drained the go ahead three. Lakeside had one more chance down one, but Garang's three-point attempt wasn’t a percentage play, it barely scraped the rim and Perry Lakes won 90-89.

Ryan Smith finished with 18 points on 3/5 shooting from downtown for Perry Lakes with Andrew Ferguson contributing 16 points and 16 rebounds, and Rob Cassir 15 points, eight boards and four steals.

Matt Leary also had had 11 points for the Hawks and Cooper Hamilton 10 points with his one three-point make being the game winner.

Majier Garang finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and three blocks for Lakeside with Justin Bennett adding 14 points with four threes, Landon Taliaferro 14 points and three assists, Ben Lee 12 points, Liam Patterson 12 points and four assists, and Donnie Vaughn 11 points, five rebounds and three assists.

 

WARWICK SENATORS 107 defeated SOUTH WEST SLAMMERS 82

The Warwick Senators were made to work hard against the South West Slammers on Saturday night but came away with the eventual 25-point victory.

The Senators came into Round 12 in second spot in the NBL1 West while the Slammers were in last place with just the one win coming into the contest at Warwick Stadium.

However, this was a more competitive South West line-up with new import Raphell Thomas-Edwards playing his second game and playing alongside Buay Tuach for the first time.

Despite that, the Senators did work their way on top during the opening quarter going on a 12-0 run to be leading 30-16 by quarter-time.

The Slammers had come to play, though, and despite losing experienced leader Cory Richardson to injury early in the game, they fought back strongly in the second quarter with 29 points to 20 be just five points down by half-time.

The longer the game went, the more fascinating the battle between Slammers import guard Tuach and his defensive menace Jay Thwaites became, and Warwick were able to throw Tuach off his game and get under his skin.

That helped the Senators take back control of the contest to go on a 13-0 run during the third quarter to lead by 21 points, and then score another 11 consecutive points in the fourth period to end up winning 107-82.

The win improves Warwick to an 11-3 record on the season in second position while the Slammers remain last at 1-14 having lost six in-a-row following their breakthrough win against East Perth.

It was an impressive shooting performance from the Senators who went 53.1 per cent from the floor as a team and hit 14/39 from three with the Slammers going at 36.2 overall and nailing just 3/24 from deep.

Perth Wildcats guard Kyle Zunic finished with 21 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals for Warwick while George Pearl added 15 points and five boards.

Jarrod Hodge added 12 points and five assists, Tyler Shand 11 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks, Nick Hodge 11 points and two assists, and Caleb Davis 10 points, eight boards and five assists.

Raphell Thomas-Edwards ended up top-scoring for South West with 22 points, 18 rebounds, four assists and two steals with Buay Tuach adding 20 points, eight boards, six steals and four assists.

Caleb Van De Griend also had 13 points, eight rebounds and three assists, and Brody England nine points and four boards.