Recap NBL1 Central | Round 6 Anzac Saturday

Feature images via: Dan Cowley @imagesby_dan / Jo Bomford

Part 2 of Anzac Round (Round 6) of the Mitsubishi Motors NBL1 Central saw plenty of bounce back with only days to recover. New names have emerged and the champions of last year showed their mettle once again  

Here are the results from Saturday's Anzac Round games:

 

Borlase strikes back to down Warriors

After a rusty start Thursday - Isobel Borlase produced her best as she led the Forestville Eagles to a comfortable 78-58 win over the Woodville Warriors at the Castle. Anzac Round Medal winner Borlase nearly double-doubled for 26 points with four triples, nine rebounds, three assists and steals while fellow Adelaide Lightning development player Jess Simons produced one with 14 points and 13 rebounds alongside three assists.

   

The Warriors Holly Forbes kept them in the contest right till three quarter time with 17 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and three steals as did Annaliese “Lou” Watkinson with 14 points with three triples coming within a basket - but the Eagles 5-16 final term closed it out for them to get the bounce back win. 

  

WOODVILLE WARRIORS 58 (Forbes 17, Watkinson 14, Haigh 10)

FORESTVILLE EAGLES 78 (Borlase 26, J Simons, M Freer 14, Gardiner 13)

 

Sabres Walker-Roberts take out Tigers at Cage   

Anzac Round Medal winner Zoe Walker-Roberts rose to the occasion as the Sabres continued a mini resurgence, downing the Southern Tigers 73-67 at the Cage. She grabbed 21 points and seven rebounds to lead the Sabres to a dominant third term of 13-30. Tayla Brazel consistently supported her with 17 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals.       

Zoe Walker-Roberts knows how to finish ?

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The Tigers fought back via veteran Mollie McKendrick with 22 points, eight rebounds, two assists and blocks and Ace Harrison with 11 points and 11 rebounds along with Regan Schenck (16 points, four assists and steals and three rebounds) but some late free throws to the Sabres sealed three wins in a row for the previous two season’s grand finalists.     

SOUTHERN TIGERS 67 (McKendrick 22, Schenck 16, Harrison 11)

STURT SABRES 73 (Z Walker-Roberts 21, Brazel 17, N Mathews 12)

 

Levy up Lions knock off top of table Rockets 

The Central Districts Lions continue to set club records as they knocked off the top of the table North Adelaide Rockets with a comprehensive 93-80 win at the Den. Anzac Round Medal winner Tayla Levy produced one of her best of the season with 29 points with five triples, nine rebounds, seven assists and three steals including beating the quarter time buzzer to open up a 24-15 start. 

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Casey Samuels continued to pile on the pain to the Rockets with 33 points with six triples, seven rebounds and six assists as did Lily Ritz putting on another 17 points and nine rebounds.  

The Rockets Brooke Basham tried to keep her team in the game, launching a return serve to finish with 35 points with five triples and five rebounds with Lightning partner in crime Lauren Mansfield returning off the pine with 16 points and three assists.  

But the Lions lead from the front to have them top of the ladder after five games for the first time since 2012 - the run continues for the surprise packet of 2024 

CENTRAL DISTRICTS LIONS 93 (Samuels 33, Levy 29, Ritz 17) 

NORTH ADELAIDE ROCKETS 80 (Basham 35, Mansfield 16, J Freer 14)

 

Eagles rock early to pull over Warriors  

The start was rocking early for the Eagles and the Warriors never recovered as Forestville won 91-60 at the Castle. The 27-9 opening quarter was led by recent college returnee and former 36ers DP Fiston Ipassou with his best return of the season of 15 points and 16 rebounds. Daniel Johnson contributed again with 15 points, 13 rebounds and five assists as did Greg Mays with 21 points, six rebounds and four assists. 

Anzac round medal winner Uche Dibiamaka with 17 points and seven rebounds was solid once again - the Warriors with few winners on the night with Joe Jackson collecting eight points and 13 rebounds.

WOODVILLE WARRIORS 60 (Janssen, Wurm 10, Jackson 8)

FORESTVILLE EAGLES 91 (Mays 25, Dibiamaka 17, Ipassou, Johnson 15)

 

Rockets finally fire to win first of the season 

They’d shown some signs last game against the Bearcats and finally it clicked as the North Adelaide Rockets grabbed their first win of the season at the expense of the Central Districts Lions 118-91 in another high scoring contest at the Den. Anzac medal winner Durrell McDonald led with 23 points, 10 assists under the caretaking of assistant coach Ahmad Al-Ani as the Rockets rallied any challenge thrown at them by the Lions. Koop McCalop added another 21 points and eight rebounds along with Yosani Clay (17 points, four rebounds and three assists) and Steve Parfitt (17 points and nine rebounds) that threw down plenty of open court slams.    

The Lions Magnus Richards (27 points, seven rebounds) and Branden Jenkins with 28 points with six triples, five rebounds and four steals were the best for the home side and with recent UBL form behind him for the Adelaide Waatu - Ayual Garang added 14 points and four rebounds.  

 

CENTRAL DISTRICT LIONS 91 (Jenkins 28, Richards 27, A Garang 14)

NORTH ADELAIDE ROCKETS 118  (McDonald 23, K McCalop 21, Clay, Parfitt 17)

 

Bearcats, Flames put on show to remember

If you thought last round’s Kayo Freebies game of the week between the Eagles and Lions was entertaining - the West Adelaide Bearcats and Norwood Flames turned up the heat on the highlights with a high octane match to witness. The NBL laden Bearcats winning 110-84 but this one was still game on with three minutes to go not reflecting the final score. 

It began with back-to-back Anzac round medal winner Anthony Drmic peeling off one of the most complete opening quarter performances you are likely to see with 16 points at 88 percent in the opening quarter.   

Cairns Taipans Akoldah Gak (16 points and 10 rebounds) threw down a nasty jam to begin off the steady highlight reel of the evening.  

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Fellow Jackjumper to Drmic in Fabijan Krslovic was dynamic all night with 17 points, eight assists, six rebounds, five steals and a block while another former Taipan in Mirko Djeric made his move in the third quarter with four triples back to back to finish with 15 points, four assists and rebounds. 

The Flames rose to several occasions through Isaac Miller-Jose who finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and three steals  - and threw down one of the highlights of the night…    

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Jack Stanwix finished with 19 points and four assists with Jack Hemphill also solid throughout the evening with 18 points and six rebounds - but the Bearcats had too much firepower in this one with a few late hits pushing the margin out and giving them their third win in a row.

While different pieces to last year - the champions are starting to emerge again… 

WEST ADELAIDE BEARCATS 110 (Drmic 36, Krslovic 17, Gak 16)

NORWOOD FLAMES 84 (Stanwix 19, Hemphill 18, Miller-Jose 16)

 

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