NBL1 West Recap | Saturday Women's Round 1

The Joondalup Wolves opened their NBL1 West Women's season on Saturday night winning their Grand Final rematch with the Willetton Tigers with the Mandurah Magic also winning as did the Lakeside Lightning in a thriller in Goldfields Giants debut in the competition.

The 2022 NBL1 West Women's season began on Friday night with the Warwick Senators beating the Perry Lakes Hawks 90-85, the Cockburn Cougars defeating the East Perth Eagles 91-84 and the Kalamunda Eastern Suns impressing in an 83-69 home win against the Perth Redbacks.

That led into three more matches on Saturday evening beginning with the Grand Final rematch between the Willetton Tigers and Joondalup Wolves at Willetton Basketball Stadium.

The Wolfpack had to watch the Tigers' championship banner unfurled, but they went on to produce the 78-66 victory even though Willetton has the knowledge that Perth Lynx pair Alex Sharp and Emma Gandini are to come back in.

There was still a lot to like from the Wolfpack with Nes'eya Williams putting up 24 points and nine rebounds, Teige Morrell 15 points and 10 boards, and Chelsea Belcher 14 points and three assists. Sam Lubcke fought hard for 13 points and eight rebounds for the Tigers.

Next up was the Rockingham Flames hosting the Mandurah Magic at Mike Barnett Sports Complex. Both teams have high expectations for 2022 and it was the Magic who made the winning start with the 73-57 road win.

Casey Mihovilovich was remarkable for Mandurah as she approaches breaking the league's games record with 27 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. Carly Boag also had 17 points and 18 rebounds while Taylor Ortlepp put up 14 points for the understrength Flames.

Last up was the Goldfields Giants making their first appearance in the NBL1 West Women's competition on their home floor in Kalgoorlie at Niels Hansen Basketball Stadium up against the Lakeside Lightning.

It turned out to be a thrilling contest to mark the occasion too even if the Giants were a little below full strength and it's the start of a new era at the Lightning under coach Blake Srdarev. 

In the end it was clutch free-throws from Ruby Benn that sealed the 66-63 win for Lakeside on her way to 18 points and five assists. Fellow new recruit Caity Jones had 21 points while Jaya Scafidi had 14 points for the Giants.

The Round 1 action will now conclude on Sunday afternoon with the Perth Redbacks playing the South West Slammers at Belmont Oasis.

NBL1 WEST – 2022 WOMEN'S SEASON
ROUND 1 – SATURDAY NIGHT

WILLETTON TIGERS 66 lost to JOONDALUP WOLVES 78

It was a Grand Final rematch to open the NBL1 West Women's season for both the Willetton Tigers and Joondalup Wolves at Willetton Basketball Stadium on Saturday night.

The two teams were the standouts of the 2021 season setting up a tantalising Grand Final match up which the Tigers were able to win. Then to celebrate that, they opened up the 2022 season on Saturday night by unfurling their championship banner.

If the Wolves needed any motivation to start the season strongly, then that surely would have provided it as they begin a new era under coach Marcus Wong following the departure of Charles Nix following last year's Grand Final.

Willetton did come into the game minus last year's league and Grand Final MVP Alex Sharp and reigning Best Defensive Player Emma Gandini who were both participating in the WNBL Grand Final for the Perth Lynx in Melbourne.

However, it's still a talented enough Tigers squad who were available on Saturday night but it was the Wolfpack who proved too strong coming away with the 78-66 season-opening victory.

After a tight opening term, the Wolves pulled away in the second quarter with 22 points to 11 to go into the half-time break leading the Tigers 41-26.

Joondalup maintained a double-figure lead for much of the third quarter before it expanded to 16 midway through the fourth period on a Teige Morrell offensive board and putback, and then a jumper.

The Wolves ended up cruising to the 12-point victory from there on the back of fighting hard for 14 offensive rebounds and to take 11 extra field goals and seven more free-throws in the end than the Tigers.

Nes'eya Williams would have been disappointed to not be in the WNBL again this past season but all she can do now is perform for the Wolves, and the signs were exciting based on Saturday night where she delivered 24 points, nine rebounds, three steals and two assists.

New recruit Teige Morrell added 15 points and 10 rebounds on debut for Joondalup with Chelsea Belcher contributing 14 points and three assists while hitting 4/9 from downtown.

Shani Cardwell made her return too with nine points and five assists while Hannah Duncan contributed six points and six rebounds, and Tia Ucich four points, eight rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Sam Lubcke top-scored for Willetton with another hard working performance made up of 13 points and eight rebounds with Desiree Kelley contributing 12 points and nine boards, Imogen Ayliffe 11 points and five rebounds, Hayley Winter 10 points, six boards and four assists, and Tayla Hepburn 10 points, nine rebounds and three assists.

ROCKINGHAM FLAMES 57 lost to MANDURAH MAGIC 73

The Rockingham Flames and Mandurah Magic are two teams with high expectations coming into the NBL1 West Women's season and it set the stage for a fascinating opening round match up on Saturday night.

The Flames were on their home floor at Mike Barnett Sports Complex but without Mehryn Kraker, Tayah Burrows and Christina Boag for the season opener, and in the end it was the Magic who claimed the impressive first up 73-57 victory.

Casey Mihovilovich was playing her 510th game in the league chasing down the record of 512 matches set by Sue Williams, and remarkably she was the difference between the two teams on Saturday night showing no signs at all that she is slowing down.

Everything the Magic did, it was Mihovilovich at the forefront of it as she was in the passing lanes and a pest defensively, running the floor hard and running the breaks, and finding her teammates impressively.

She had no trouble scoring herself as well and she helped the Magic to a 20-12 lead by quarter-time. Mandurah further stretched the lead in the second quarter with another 24 points to 15 to go into the half-time break leading 44-27.

The Magic lead got out to 20 early in the third quarter and it stayed around that mark most of the rest of way with Mandurah ending up starting the season with the 16-point victory.

Neither team had good shooting nights with the Magic going at 38 per cent from the field and the Flames 28, but Mandurah pulled down 55 rebounds to 39 including 18 at the offensive end with Carly Boag a huge contributor to that.

She finished with 17 points, 18 rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block but it was a night where Mihovilovich really stood out again with 27 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocked shots.

Aimee Brett added 12 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals for the Magic, and Rachel Pettit seven points.

Taylor Ortlepp battled hard for the Flames with 14 points while Paris Duffield finished with 10 points, four rebounds and two steals, and Patricia Brossmann nine points, five rebounds and three steals.

GOLDFIELDS GIANTS 63 lost to LAKESIDE LIGHTNING 66

It was a historic night in Kalgoorlie on Saturday night with the Goldfields Giants making their first appearance in the NBL1 West Women's competition hosting the Lakeside Lightning.

The Giants were given the main event slot for the occasion at Niels Hansen Basketball Stadium to celebrate their entry into the NBL1 West Women's competition, and while they didn’t win, it was quite the exciting first up match up with the Lightning.

Goldfields wasn’t quite at full strength for their debut appearance with Aimee Borchet, Ashlee Sidebottom, Emma Klasztorny and Lynette Deakin among those unavailable, but it didn’t stop them putting up a competitive debut showing.

It's the start of a new era in 2022 for the Lightning too under coach Blake Srdarev who has come across from the East Perth Eagles bringing Opal Mader and Jade Gowland with him while recruiting Caitie Jones from the Senators and Ruby Benn from the Cougars.

So the stage was set for a fascinating match up and not a whole lot separated the two teams for much of the game even though the Lightning did open up a double-figure advantage during the second quarter.

The lead did get out to as much as 16 points but the Giants refused to lie down in their debut appearance on their home floor.

After getting back within three points on a host of occasions, the Giants finally got scores back level with a triple from Jaya Scafidi. Lakeside responded with a bucket to Jae Flynn and triple from Caitie Jones before the lead was back out to six with an and-one play from Ruby Benn.

Riley Burd pushed the margin back out to eight but Goldfields kept coming thanks to a triple from Alexanda Clinch Hoycard and layup to Danielle McCray to make it a two-point game with a minute left.

It was still a two-point game with under 10 seconds left when Jemma Gatti was fouled. She made one of the free-throws and up the other end Benn was able to make both for Lakeside to end up clinching the 66-63 victory.

Caitie Jones was impressive for the Lightning in her first appearance at the new club with 21 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals with Ruby Benn delivering 18 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals.

Opal Mader added 10 points and five rebounds, and Jae Flynn five points, three rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots.

Jaya Scafidi ended up top-scoring for the Giants in their NBL1 West debut appearance with 14 points, four rebounds, four steals and three assists.

Danielle McCray added 11 points, 13 rebounds and five assists for Goldfields, Haley Waites 10 points, five rebounds and four blocks, and Jemma Gatti nine points, seven boards, six assists and two steals.