NBL1 West Recap | Sunday Men's Round 14

The shorthanded Geraldton Buccaneers went ever so close to a double win weekend on the road but it was the Warwick Senators who made it two wins in Round 14 as did the Cockburn Cougars with a Sunday win in Kalgoorlie.

They were the last two match ups of Round 14 in the NBL1 West Men's Division and it turned out a dramatic and tight contest at Warwick Stadium which the Senators just prevailed in while it was tight in Kalgoorlie too with the Cougars winning to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Round 14 in the NBL1 West Men's Division began back on Friday night with the Cockburn Cougars beating the South West Slammers 90-73 with the Lakeside Lightning defeating the Perry Lakes Hawks 91-86 and the East Perth Eagles downing the Kalamunda Eastern Suns 82-76.

That led into a monster Saturday night with 12 of the 14 teams in action across the six matches starting with the Perth Redbacks defeating the Lakeside Lightning 89-77.

The Perry Lakes Hawks also bounced back with a 95-69 victory against the South West Slammers while the Warwick Senators beat the Joondalup Wolves 90-77, the Geraldton Buccaneers defeated the East Perth Eagles 75-72 and the Mandurah Magic prevailed 65-62 over the Willetton Tigers.

The Rockingham Flames also had a big win in Kalgoorlie against the Goldfields Giants 96-60.

The Giants then backed up on Sunday afternoon back on their home floor of Niels Hansen Basketball Stadium against the Cougars, and Cockburn came away with the 84-78 win.

Gavin Field came up huge for the Cougars with 35 points while Julian Pesava delivered 28 points for Goldfields against his former side.

The Buccaneers might have been with Aaron Ralph and Mat Wundenberg, as they will be for the rest of 2021, and coach Dayle Joseph had a rotation of little more than five players that he ran with, but they still almost pulled off a spectacular upset of the Senators at Warwick Stadium.

It was a dramatic finish with the Giants on the comeback before an incident under their basket delayed the game and saw Caleb Davis and Taine Wattie ejected. From there Warwick steadied for the 81-76 win to keep their top four prospects alive.

NBL1 WEST – 2021 MEN'S SEASON
ROUND 14 – SUNDAY

GOLDFIELDS GIANTS 78 lost to COCKBURN COUGARS 84

Both Goldfields and Cockburn were playing their second games of the weekend it was a double-win round for the Cougars as they made the trek to Kalgoorlie and came back with the six-point victory.

The Giants played the night before also at Niels Hansen Basketball Stadium and went down to the Rockingham Flames by 36 points while the Cougar opened the round back at home on Friday night with a 17-point victory against the South West Slammers.

So both teams backed up to close out Round 14 of the NBL1 West Men's Division on Sunday afternoon in Kalgoorlie and it was a different looking Giants outfit than the one that lost big to the Flames the previous evening.

While Cockburn led 21-18 by quarter-time, Goldfields' confidence was building and the home team got on top throughout the second quarter with 23 points to 16 to go into half-time leading the Cougars 41-37.

The Giants stretched their lead further in the third quarter to be up six by three quarter-time with their fifth win of the season a realistic chance, but the Cougars found something with the game up for grabs inspired by club great Gavin Field.

Cockburn needed the win to stay in the finals hunt and with Field on fire, they put up 31 points in the fourth quarter to overrun the Giants and take out the important 84-78 victory.

The win gives the Cougars four in-a-row now to be knocking on the door of eighth spot with a 6-9 record while the Giants have lost six straight at 4-11.

Gavin Field had his best night of the season for Cockburn with 35 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals on shooting 11/16 from the field, 6/9 from three-point range and 7/7 at the foul line.

Nic Pozoglou added 13 points and 17 rebounds for the Cougars, Nathan Pond 11 points and five boards, and Josh Hunt 10 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocked shots plus a huge breakaway dunk showing his athletic prowess.

Julian Pesava had a big afternoon for the Giants up against the Cougars who he won a championship with back in 2016. He finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals including hitting 3/6 from downtown.

Jerome Reid also had 15 points, six steals and four assists for Goldfields, Hamish Cummings 11 points and five assists, Noah Hinkley eight points and five rebounds, and Deng Kuany eight points.

WARWICK SENATORS 81 defeated GERALDTON BUCCANEERS 76

The Warwick Senators came away with the win they needed on Sunday afternoon at Warwick Stadium, but the shorthanded Geraldton Buccaneers sure made them earn it what turned out a physical, eventful, spiteful and overall entertaining contest.

Both teams were coming off Saturday night victories with the Senators welcoming back Justin King and beating the Joondalup Wolves while the Buccaneers began life without both Mat Wundenberg and Aaron Ralph with a road win over Lee Roberts and the East Perth Eagles.

However, backing up for the Buccs the next day at midday at Warwick Stadium was going to be a challenge after Brandon Holloway, Mathiang Muo, Elijah Barbour and Will Galvin all played 35 minutes or more against East Perth.

The rotation shrunk even more as Sunday's game unfolded for the Buccs as the upset victory was genuinely on the cards. While the Senators got the important 81-76 victory in the end they needed as the end of the regular season closes in, the Buccs certainly lost no admirers.

Geraldton started strongly and with two threes from Mathiang Muo to close the opening quarter, they led 23-22 by quarter-time.

It was more of the same as the tight and tense battle gathered steam in the second quarter and when Brandon Holloway hit a three for Geraldton just before half-time, it was the Buccaneers who went into the break leading the Senators 41-39.

It was no surprise to see the Buccs begin to tire in the third quarter with starters Galvin, Muo, Wattie, Barbour and Holloway playing just about the whole term to try and keep the game close.

However, the Senators had too much firepower to not get rolling at some point and they opened the second half with the first six points and when Caleb Davis, Cody Ellis and Ethan Elliott, all started draining threes the game threatened to blow out.

It became a double-figure lead and was still eight in favour of Warwick by three quarter-time but Geraldton found another gear somehow and gave it one last crack.

Five quick points from powerhouse Wattie had Geraldton suddenly just four down with just under three minutes on the clock.

The drama then went up another level on the next play out of a timeout after the Buccs forced a turnover. Things got heated under the Geraldton basket and the end result was the ejection of Davis for the Senators and Wattie for the Buccs with two and-a-half minutes to go.

Once the dust settled and the free-throws were shot, it was a 75-72 lead for Warwick with game on. Muo would draw another foul and he brought the Buccs within two shortly after and the stage was set.

It was teenage sensation Ethan Elliott who got to the rack for a big bucket for Warwick but Holloway answered to keep it a one-point game. 

This time Alier Riak put the Senators back up three and then the big call of the game, an offensive foul on Muo with the charge drawn by Ellis, saw a Geraldton turnover and Justin King two big free-throws as the Senators held on to win by five to keep their top four hopes alive.

Cody Ellis finished with 20 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals for the Senators while shooting 7/12 from the field and 3/6 from downtown.

Caleb Davis added 17 points and seven rebounds, Justin King 17 points and six boards, Ethan Elliott 13 points, four boards and four assists, and Alier Riak eight points and four rebounds.

It was a brave showing from Geraldton with Mathiang Muo playing all 40 minutes for 25 points, seven assists and six rebounds. 

Young big Will Galvin also played the whole game for seven rebounds and two steals with Brandon Holloway running the point for over 38 minutes for 15 points and three assists. 

Elijah Barbour also played 34 minutes with 13 points, four boards and four assists while Taine Wattie (13 points, four rebounds) and Oliver Haste (eight points, 2/5 from three) split that role as fifth and sixth man.