Round 9 Game Results
PHOTO: Action from the men's and women's games - photo courtesy of Noel Rowsell (www.photoexcellence.com.au)
The Parramatta Wildcats senior men's team has won it's "top of the ladder" clash with the Sutherland Sharks, the reigning premiers of the Waratah Australian Basketball League (WABL), by 93-78 on Saturday night at the Auburn Basketball Stadium.
Both sides were without key players on the night, with the Sharks missing Brendan Gleeson and Rod Proctor, whilst the Wildcats were still without the injured Anto Lalic.
The Parramatta women again played without fortune, still lacking a much-needed shooting touch as they fell 81-45 to the Sutherland women.
Sharks head coach Paul Lindeberg praised the efforts of his younger players, who stepped up with aplomb alongside his veterans to star against the Wildcats.
The Wildcats men played in dynamic bursts, spending plenty of energy without significant effect for lengthy periods, then suddenly clicking into perfect synchronisation at key moments of the game to blast the Sharks out of the water.
However, despite the final score it was the Sharks who made all of the early running in the game, easily containing the Wildcats starting five and running up an impressive early lead.
Fortune turned in favour of the Wildcats with the introduction of the ever-energetic sixth-man Charles Bloemen, who ignited the home team on a withering scoring burst, which would see the two teams locked at 23-23 at the end of the first quarter.
The Wildcats gradually built up a small eleven-point margin through the second term (53-41) and increased that margin to fifteen points (76-61) at the end of the third term.
Not content to let themselves be taken lightly, the Sharks again showed great character to keep within striking distance and when the margin closed to just eight points (80-72), late in the final term, it looked as the game could swing in either direction.
Bloemen would again however provide the Wildcats with a winning edge, throwing himself into the fray with abandon and terrorising the Sharks on the boards to push the Wildcats on yet another point-scoring free-for-all and a 15-point victory.
The Parramatta women are starting to show the wear and tear of their disappointing season to date but it has to be said they have been desperately unlucky with their offensive efforts week after week, with an amazing percentage of high-percentage shots just refusing to drop.
Wildcats head coach Doug Zivcic is maintaining a brave front, obviously hoping fervently his long-range plans for the team will soon begin to show results on the scoreboard.
The Parramatta women are the only team in action this weekend, hosting the Canberra Nationals at 4pm at the Auburn Basketball Stadium, Church Street, Lidcombe.
WOMEN: Sutherland Sharks 81 (Merle Hall 22 points, 9 boards; Courtney Dean 12 points, 11 boards; Sheridan Wilson 11 points) def Parramatta Wildcats 45 (Amanda Ford 12 points, Donna Amery 10)
MEN: Parramatta Wildcats 93 (Graeme Dann 23 points, 5 boards, 6 assists; Stefan Blaszczynski 21 points, 8 boards; Charles Bloemen 15 points, 8 boards; Tim Labka 11 points; Adi Causevic 10; Goran Veg 7 points, 11 boards, 4 blocked shots; Damian Martin 9 boards, 7 steals) def Sutherland Sharks 78 (Steven Hall 20 points, Blake Henricks 17, Petar Cvejitcanin 12, Brendan Clowry 11)
Norths Bears 67 def Canberra Nationals 58
The Lady Bears have recorded a solid victory against a young but well drilled Canberra outfit, 67-58.
The Nationals came out firing in this game hitting shots and playing great defence to lead 11 to 2 after 5 minutes of action, with Leah Bromley doing most of the damage (9 points). The Lady Bears then found some rhythm behind the play of Lisa Braunberger who netted 8 quick points to negate Bromley’s good start. Braunberger combined well with Sophie Kelman and Tanya Smith to ensure the team lead at the half, 32-25.
The Nationals came out firing in this game hitting shots and playing great defence to lead 11 to 2 after 5 minutes of action, with Leah Bromley doing most of the damage (9 points). The Lady Bears then found some rhythm behind the play of Lisa Braunberger who netted 8 quick points to negate Bromley’s good start. Braunberger combined well with Sophie Kelman and Tanya Smith to ensure the team lead at the half, 32-25.
The third quarter proved to be the pivotal quarter of the game with the Bears taking the lead out to 15 points behind some textbook plays and aggressive defence. Canberra valiantly fought back twice to bring the game back to single digits but the Bears steadied and were able to grind out the victory.
Best performers for the Bears were Lisa Braunberger 24 points, Tanya Smith 16 points 14 rebounds 6 blocks and Sophie Kelman 11 point 9 rebounds.
Last Modified on 27/11/2009 11:19
