It was a fascinating Saturday night in the NBL1 West Men’s Division including the Perry Lakes Hawks ending the winning run of the Perth Redbacks while the East Perth Eagles and Cockburn Cougars snapped their own losing runs.
It was a big night in the Men’s Division with six matches meaning 12 of the 14 teams were all in action as the Willetton Tigers made it eight wins in-a-row to consolidate top spot with wins also for the Mandurah Magic, East Perth Eagles, Perry Lakes Hawks, Rockingham Flames and Cockburn Cougars.
Round 11 in the NBL1 West Men’s Division began back on Friday night with the Willetton Tigers claiming a road thriller 76-74 against the South West Slammers while the Lakeside Lightning beat the Cockburn Cougars 85-67, and the Kalamunda Eastern Suns defeated the Rockingham Flames 98-94.
Then on Saturday night, the Cockburn Cougars snapped their seven-game losing run by defeating the Geraldton Buccaneers 101-58 at Wally Hagan Stadium.
Ben Henshall and Gavin Field scored 16 points apiece in the win for the Cougars while Taine Wattie put up 22 points for the Buccs.
The Rockingham Flames bounced back from their surprise Friday night loss to then beat the Joondalup Wolves 93-75 at HBF Arena on Saturday.
Cirkook Makuac Riak put up 17 points for the Flames in the win while Lochlan Cummings scored 28 points in the loss for the Wolfpack.
The East Perth Eagles then recorded their third win of the 2021 season by beating the South West Slammers 86-70 at Herb Graham Recreation Centre.
Kieran Berry stood up for 19 points for East Perth with Jarrad Anastasio adding 14 points and 11 rebounds. Rhys Barrett also had 15 points and two assists for the Slammers.
The Mandurah Magic then got their first win with Cairns Taipans NBL superstar Scott Machado in their line-up with the 99-89 victory against the Goldfields Giants at Niels Hansen Basketball Stadium.
Machado had 18 points and 10 assists for the Magic while Jerami Grace put up 24 points and Fred Williams 20 while Tom Atkinson put up 19 points for the Giants and Fletcher Klasztorny 18 to go with nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals.
The Willetton Tigers then maintained their hold on top spot with their second win of the weekend by beating the Warwick Senators 94-76 at Willetton Basketball Stadium.
The Tigers improved to 10-1 on the season with Michael Vigor putting up 19 points, Hunter Clarke 17 and Connor Mincherton 16. Ethan Elliott scored 21 points and four assists for the Senators.
The Perry Lakes Hawks then won a fourth straight game and beat a Perth Redbacks team who was on their own four-game winning run 97-74 at Bendat Basketball Centre.
Andrw Ferguson delivered 20 points and 12 rebounds for Perry Lakes with Zac Gattorna putting up 21 points for the Redbacks.
There are two more matches to come in Round 11 of the NBL1 West Men’s Division on Sunday starting at midday with the Perth Redbacks taking on the Geraldton Buccaneers at Belmont Oasis.
Then at 2pm, the Warwick Senators face the Kalamunda Eastern Suns at Warwick Stadium.
NBL1 WEST – 2021 MEN’S SEASON
ROUND 11 – SATURDAY NIGHT
COCKBURN COUGARS 101 defeated GERALDTON BUCCANEERS 58
The Cockburn Cougars needed to find a win when hosting the Geraldton Buccaneers on Saturday night and they got their wish in emphatic fashion with the 43-point victory.
The Cougars suffered an 18-point defeat at the hands of the Lakeside Lightning to mean they had lost seven games in-a-row heading into Saturday night’s match up with the travelling Buccs at Wally Hagan Stadium.
The Buccaneers arrived with a 3-6 record themselves and coming off a loss at home to the Joondalup Wolves last Sunday but from the outside on Saturday night this was a different looking Cockburn looking outfit.
Cockburn scored 28 points in the opening quarter to set the tone for the evening and that saw them take a 12-point lead with them into quarter-time.
It was more of the same in the second term too with the Cougars putting up 24 more points and holding Geraldton to just the 10 which saw the team in control leading 52-26 by half-time.
The defensive performance from Cockburn continued to be impressive in third quarter as they held Geraldton to just the eight points. The Cougars’ offence was flowing too as they piled on another 26 points to put the result beyond doubt.
The Cougars went on to record the 101-58 victory to end their losing run at seven and to steady at a 3-9 record on the season while the Buccs are now 3-7 ahead of a Sunday afternoon clash with the Perth Redbacks before they head home to Geraldton.
There was a lot to like from the Cougars performance in terms of the number of strong contributors they had with Ben Henshall among them delivering 16 points and four rebounds.
Gavin Field put up 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocked shots with Zac Watkinson contributing 14 points and four assists while knocking down four three-pointers.
Nic Pozoglou also added 12 points and 12 rebounds for Cockburn, Nathan Pond 12 points and five boards, Jacob Polglase eight points and Kye Chamberlain eight points, five rebounds and three assists.
Taine Wattie top-scored for the Buccaneers with 22 points and four rebounds while Elijah Barbour put up 12 points, Aaron Ralph eight points and four rebounds, and Mathiang Muo eight points and 10 rebounds.
JOONDALUP WOLVES 75 lost to ROCKINGHAM FLAMES 93
The Rockingham Flames bounced back from a surprise Friday night loss to deliver an impressive Saturday performance away from home to defeat the Joondalup Wolves at HBF Arena.
The Flames lost at home to the Kalamunda Eastern Suns on Friday night which wasn’t the ideal way to come into a tough trip to Joondalup to take on the Wolves who were making their only appearance of the round on the back of winning in Geraldton last Sunday.
The Wolfpack started well enough on their home floor as well to lead 20-15 by quarter-time before Rockingham began to warm to the challenge with 25 points to 21 in the second period to close their deficit to just a point at the half-time break.
The Flames were then able to firmly take over the contest in the second half starting with 23 points to 16 in the second term.
Rockingham then was able to close the deal away from home with a dominant fourth quarter made up of 30 points to 18. That saw the Flames beat the Wolfpack 93-75.
Rockingham finishes Round 11 with an 8-5 record as a result while Joondalup slips to 7-5 as well.
There were plenty of impressive performers coming from the Flames in the impressive 18-point victory at HBF Arena with Cirkook Makuac Riak ending up top-scoring with 17 points, five rebounds and two assists.
Callum Beard also put up 16 points, four rebounds and two assists, Atem Bior 14 points, six boards and four assists, Justin Beard 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists, Brendan Redhead 10 points and three boards, Ryan Godfrey eight points and three assists, and Greg Hire eight points and 13 rebounds.
Lochlan Cumming did all he could to try and inspire the Wolfpack to the victory with 28 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals.
Jacob Formosa also had 14 points for the Wolves, Sioeli Vaiangina 10 points and five rebounds, and Jonathan Wade seven points and six boards.
EAST PERTH EAGLES 86 defeated SOUTH WEST SLAMMERS 70
The East Perth Eagles and South West Slammers were both desperate to find their third win of the NBL1 West Men’s Division season when they locked horns on Saturday night.
Both the Eagles and Slammers had won just twice so far this season heading into Saturday’s game at Herb Graham Recreation Centre but the Slammers deserved to be feeling a little more confident after their showing 24 hours earlier.
Even though they didn’t get the win at home, they pushed the league-leading Willetton Tigers all the way at Eaton Recreation Centre only losing by two points in the finish coming into Saturday’s game with East Perth who were on their own three-game losing streak.
The Eagles tried to put the game away nice and early by putting up 24 points to just 10 from the Slammers in the opening term.
The Slammers needed to respond and to their credit, they did in the second quarter with 28 points to 19 and that cut the Eagles lead to just 43-38 by the half-time break.
East Perth was able to take back over during the second half, though, and outscored South West 43 points to 32 to end up winning 86-70.
That 16-point win snaps the losing slide for the Eagles as they improve to 3-10 on the season while the Slammers have now lost five in-a-row to be 2-10.
Kieran Berry ended up top-scoring for East Perth with 19 points, three rebounds and two assists on the back of knocking down 3/5 from three-point territory.
Jarrad Anastasio stood tall as well for the Eagles by delivering 14 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots with Andrej Donlagic contributing 11 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Mateo Campbell also had 10 points and two rebounds, Jayden Coburn nine points, three boards, two assists and two steals, and Chris Bonnar seven points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Rhys Barrett top-scored for the Slammers with 15 points and two assists while Mitch Keller contributed 13 points, seven rebounds, four steals and three assists, Travis Vogel 12 points and six boards, and Cody Hill 12 points and six rebounds.
GOLDFIELDS GIANTS 89 lost to MANDURAH MAGIC 99
The Mandurah Magic and their new superstar Scott Machado took their show to Kalgoorlie on Saturday and came away with the 10-point victory against the Goldfields Giants.
Cairns Taipans NBL superstar Machado made his NBL1 West debut for the Magic last Saturday night and he put on a show despite the eventual three-point loss to the Willetton Tigers ahead of the trip to Kalgoorlie this weekend.
The Giants have been struggling to get their team on the park all this season and they came into the game against the Magic at Niels Hansen Basketball Stadium having lost five of their past six matches so it shaped as a fascinating contest.
It was a tremendous start to the game with 26 points apiece in the first quarter but the Giants managed to take away for a two-point lead going into the half-time break after an enthralling opening half.
Mandurah was able to work its way on top during the third quarter, though, by piling on 31 points to just the 22 from Goldfields and ultimately that would prove the difference in the game.
The Magic closed the deal to go on and record the 99-89 road victory to improve to a 6-6 record on the season while the Giants are now 4-8 having lost three in-a-row.
Jerami Grace stepped up with a tremendous performance for Mandurah made up of 24 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals with Fred Williams contributing 20 points and four rebounds.
Scott Machado had another strong showing with 18 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds with Brian Carlwell contributing 13 points and four boards, Riley Parker nine points, seven rebounds and four assists, and Jhonny Lutula eight points, three steals and two boards.
Tom Atkinson top-scored once again for the Giants with 19 points and six rebounds on an efficient 8/11 shooting from the field.
Fletcher Klasztorny flirted with a triple-double too with 18 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals while Hamish Cummings put up 17 points and four boards, Deng Kuany 11 points and five rebounds, and Noah Hinkley 11 points and six boards.
PERRY LAKES HAWKS 97 defeated PERTH REDBACKS 74
Two in-form teams went to battle at Bendat Basketball Centre on Saturday night and it was a surprisingly emphatic win for the Perry Lakes Hawks over the Perth Redbacks.
Both the Hawks and Redbacks came into Saturday night’s game in impressive form with Perry Lakes on a three-game winning run to be knocking on the door of top spot. Their only loss in the last seven games actually only came when they were missing Ben Purser, Ryan Smith and Rob Cassir.
The Redbacks brought tremendous form into the game too, though, having won their past four matches against the Cougars, Senators, Wolves and Slammers having started the season winning just two of their opening six games.
So that set up what shaped as a tantalising Round 11 Saturday night battle and the first quarter did nothing to change that with Perry Lakes narrowly leading 22-19 by quarter-time.
The Hawks began to take over in the second period, though, outscoring the Redbacks 27 points to 16 to see them hold a comfortable 49-35 going into the half.
Perry Lakes’ lead was still 15 by three quarter-time and then the Hawks further stamped their authority over the Redbacks in the final period with 31 points to 23 to claim the impressive 97-74 victory.
The win was a fourth straight for Perry Lakes who improve to a 10-2 record on the season as a result.
It ended a four-game winning streak for the Redbacks who are now 6-5 heading into hosting the Geraldton Buccaneers from midday Sunday at Belmont Oasis.
Perry Lakes was on fire offensively all evening and that was the major difference between the two teams with the Hawks shooting 51 per cent from the field and hitting 15/32 at 47 per cent from three-point territory.
The Redabcks weren’t horrible at 37 per cent from the floor and 30 per cent from deep, but they only got to the foul line for four free-throws the entire night.
Andrew Ferguson was a powerful force inside for Perry Lakes with 20 points and 12 rebounds on 9/14 shooting from the field and 2/4 from three-point range.
Ryan Smith added 17 points on 5/8 shooting from beyond the arc while Lewis Thomas finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists, Cooper Hamilton 11 points, five boards and three assists, Mitch Clarke 11 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Zac Gattorna top-scored once again for the Redbacks with 21 points and seven rebounds while Louis Timms put up 16 points and four boards.
Marshall Nelson is working his way back into the system in just his second game of the season with 12 points and eight rebounds while Lachlan Bertram had seven points and two steals, and Joel Wagner another seven assists.
WILLETTON TIGERS 94 defeated WARWICK SENATORS 76
The Willetton Tigers kept their dominant form going on Saturday night by maintain top spot with an impressive 18-point victory against the Warwick Senators.
The Tigers had escaped from Eaton Recreation Centre with a two-point win the previous night against the South West Slammers ahead of hosting the Warwick Senators at Willetton Basketball Stadium.
The Senators were looking to bounce back from a loss also on the road to the Lakeside Lightning last week to maintain their hold on a position on the top four so this was a battle between two teams fighting over the rights to be genuine championship contenders this NBL1 West season.
The Tigers started out on fire back on their home floor putting up 31 points to 17 in the first quarter against the Senators, and ultimately that would prove a match-winning beginning to the contest.
Willetton stretched the lead further to be up 57-41 by half-time only to then end up cruising to the 94-76 victory in impressive fashion.
The Tigers have now won eight games in-a-row to remain seated atop the NBL1 West table with a 10-1 record as the only team still to have only lost once over the opening 11 rounds.
The Senators have now lost four of their past six games to be 7-4 coming into a tricky contest at home to the Kalamunda Eastern Suns on Sunday afternoon.
Michael Vigor proved too much of a presence down low for Willetton on the night finishing with 19 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals while shooting 8/14 from the floor.
Hunter Clarke stepped up too for another 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists with Connor Mincherton contributing 16 points, seven boards and five assists.
Andrew Black was back in the line-up too for Willetton and put up 11 points as did Roosevelt Williams.
Teenage sensation Ethan Elliott put up another 21 points, four assists and three rebounds to be the shining light for Warwick.
Caleb Davis finished with 16 points and six rebounds as well for the Senators, Ash Litterick 12 points and three boards, and Cody Ellis 12 points, five rebounds and five assists.