WABL Wrap Week 11 – 30/06/24
All of our “Player of the Game” superstars will receive a FREE PIZZA from our friends at Domino’s Kalamunda – Thanks Guys!
Players of the round:
Winter Pelecanos (U12 Girls) – Winter showcased exceptional hustle on defense, playing a crucial role with her help defense. She also contributed on the boards and added some points, delivering an all-around outstanding performance.
Noah Smith (U14 Boys) – Noah Smith had a challenging past month with a few nagging injuries and a slow start. Before the game, we reminded and challenged him to show up from the first half, and he definitely recalibrated himself on both ends of the court. He finished with 23 points. Interestingly, the points aren’t what stood out. What really made an impact was his lockdown defense on the Hills’ best player. He frustrated his opponent, denied him the ball, and allowed his teammates to thrive. It’s the silent sacrifices, the plays happening away from the ball, that often go unnoticed. Defense rarely gets the recognition it deserves, so it’s not just his 23 points that made him the player of the game—it’s his commitment to shutting down the best player that earned him that honour.
U12 Girls Black – Lawrence West (Sponsored by: KTrans)
Won against Mandurah Magic (36 – 33)
Coaches notes
This week felt like the universe was conspiring against us, with our shots not falling, Mandurah shooting the lights out and every call appeared to be going the other way. Despite these challenges we did well to come away with the win, and the girls fired up when it mattered most.
In stretches we played some excellent basketball, however not closing out to shooters and lack of effort rebounding allowed Mandurah to stay with us for the whole game and nearly take the W.
We will continue to work on our shot selection and ball movement. If we want to be successful in finals we will need to find consistency in our defensive principles.
Player of the game
May Cooper – Week after week, May proves herself to be the perfect teammate. She consistently encourages her teammates and celebrates their successes. She tackles every challenge head-on and never complains.
Each week, her skills continue to improve and she sets the tone for our team culture. We are fortunate to have May on our team; her energy is contagious and she makes her teammates better.
Well done May, your contribution is important and it is noticed!
U12 Girls Orange – Lizzie Falconbridge
(Sponsored by: Clever Fox Marketing)
Loss against Willetton Tigers (31 – 34)
Coaches notes
Player of the game
Solid team effort and performance by all players this week.
U12 Girls White – Jemma Gartrell
Loss against Warwick Senators (31 – 39)
Coaches notes
We were so close in this game, the girls worked amazingly together and never gave up. It’s great to see their improvement as this is the second time we have versed this team and the girls narrowed the margin significantly which shows great progress!
Player of the game
Winter showcased exceptional hustle on defense, playing a crucial role with her help defense. She also contributed on the boards and added some points, delivering an all-around outstanding performance.
U12 Boys Black – Brad Dowd (Sponsored by: Fern Landscapes)
Won against Rockingham Flames (72 – 34)
Coaches notes
This was probably our best game to date. The first half was close, but we were playing great team basketball. So in the 2nd half we continued our team basketball and stepped up on defense and really took over the game. It was great to see everyone playing their role and enjoying the game with smiles on their faces.
Nathaniel and Fletcher played well pulling down rebounds and some great takes. Hunter and Darragh both had strong games demonstrating that there’s more to the game than simply scoring points. Hunter was physical down both ends and made some great passes and Darragh hustled with some Magic Johnson style passes to team mates. Every player made the ‘extra pass’ and helped in defense.
Player of the game
Cohen wins player of the game, for his best performance so far. He worked hard down both ends and didn’t stop whilst on the court.
U12 Boys Orange – Lizzie Falconbridge (Sponsored by: Alliance Engineering Consultants Pty Ltd)
Won against South West Slammers (58 – 49)
Coaches notes
After a slow start to the game, the boys turned up the defensive intensity in the second and third quarters, building a 20 point lead before the start of the fourth. Our active hands were getting deflections and causing bad passes leading to easy points. Our passing let us down at times so that is something to work on. An 18-2 run cut a 22 point lead in the fourth down to 6 with a couple of minutes left in the game, but we were able to steady late and finish the game in front.
Player of the game
Jett Christie is our do-it-all-man, and today he stepped up where we needed. Points, boards, good passing, solid ball handling and great defense highlighted a great effort by Jett to claim our player of the game. Stellan Edowai helped turn the game in the second quarter with some amazing defense too.
U12 Boys White – Ben Marks (Sponsored by: Joel Dixon)
Loss against Lakeside Lightning (38 – 78)
Coaches notes
A cold 8am start at Ray Owen did not affect the boys as we had a hot start, building a small lead during the first quarter. Lakeside then gathered themselves and took the lead leading into the first break. To negate our recent 3rd quarter fade outs, we tried keeping the boys warm at half time getting up shots. It seemed to work as the third quarter was much closer this week, as we managed to keep them to just 12 points for the quarter. Unfortunately, the 4th saw them take further control, blowing out the margin which was not a true representation of the game. Our ability to finish against defense was again the difference, as we had many opportunities to score off great play but could not get them to fall.
Such an even scoring spread was an indication of our willingness to move the ball to better options this week. It was good to see Josiah start to get back to pre injury form, moving the ball well and taking his opportunities to drive. Chase was a threat offensively and Austin continues to show great strides in his development for his first year of WABL. The extra time put in is paying off!
Player of the game
Lucas M had a strong all around game. He made the most of his scoring opportunities but it was the way he controlled the paint that stood out. Plenty of stops from walling up strong and securing the defensive rebound and he also had multiple offensive rebounds.
U12 Boys Blue – Declan Kinsella
Loss against Lakeside Lightning (33 – 86)
U14 Girls Black – Bruno Kongawoin
(Sponsored by: SupaFit Seat Covers Pty Ltd)
Won against East Perth Eagles (66 – 27)
Coaches notes
Every week, despite facing various adversities in our preparation for games, whether at home or away, the girls managed to consolidate their position on the ladder with yet another win. Their resilience and determination are truly commendable.
In a game where we recorded only seven total team fouls, our half-court defense still showed signs of many cracks. Being the bigger team on paper and on-court, we were out-rebounded by the Eagles, indicating areas where we can still grow.
Individually, there were some outstanding efforts that deserve recognition. Benwech Kuach’s persistence, effort, and leadership seemed to inspire her teammates profoundly. This was evident in Amber Brickwood’s performance, putting up a solid 17 points, and Poppy Hickson’s impressive double-figure haul in the rebounding department.
Finlay Edwards showcased her capabilities with hard-nosed 1-on-1 defense, scoring her first double-digit point game, and making a significant impact on both ends of the court.
Abigail Allan continues to make her quiet yet crucial contributions, adding depth and stability to the team.
As we approach the school holidays, I hope the girls take good care of themselves and stay healthy for the remainder of the season.
Player of the game
Finlay Edwards was voted Player of the Game. Finlay had another brilliant defensive game. As her ball-handling skills improve, bringing the ball up the court has become effortless for her. This has allowed Finlay to confidently take shots and assist in several plays. Well done, Finlay. Continue the hard work and dedication.
U14 Girls Orange – Lawrence West (Sponsored by: Genesis Craft)
Won against Warwick Senators (59 – 25)
Coaches notes
This week Warwick came to play, and the first quarter taught us that we can’t sleep on anyone in our division. They outworked us on both sides of the ball and completely controlled the game.
Following some honest conversations in the first break we locked in and only conceded a single point in the second quarter. The second half we looked a lot more like ourselves and were able to push the lead out.
Our group have some ambitious goals, and we understand that achieving them is the byproduct of sustained effort and playing to a high standard. Until we can consistently maintain our standards and block out the noise, we haven’t completed the required work to earn the reward.
Player of the game
Sienna Raddock – Sienna went to work this week recording 14 points on an amazing 7/9 (78% FG) shooting, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal & 2 blocks. She has been working hard on her foul discipline and its great to see her achieving fantastic results – Well done superstar!
U14 Girls White (Rick Anderson)
Won against Lakeside Lightning (48 – 43)
U14 Girls Blue – Adam Chambers
(Sponsored by: Newtrend IT Specialists Pty Ltd)
Won against Perry Lakes Hawks (33 – 25)
Coaches notes
What a great win today by the girls, away from home against a very good Perry Lakes team.
We knew going in that a win would put us 2nd on the ladder and the girls came out fighting.
Both teams were working hard in defense and that made scoring very hard in the first quarter. Perry Lakes held a 1 point lead going into the 2nd quarter.
2nd quarter we again struggled to score from our many opportunities, but Perry Lakes were able to score from a few of our passing errors. Going into half time we were down by 5 but very much in the game.
After a few reminders from the coaches about who we are and how we play, the girls came out firing and put a lot of pressure on Perry Lakes in offence and defense. This time we were able to score from our hard work and the girls were rewarded for their energy and effort. 3rd quarter time came and we were leading by 6 points with 1 quarter to go.
The 4th quarter was a tussle at both ends of the court, but the girls kept up their defensive pressure to end the game winning by 8.
Special mentions to Sofia for upping her defensive pressure and working hard in offence and defense.
Bob was a force in defense, stopping anyone from driving into her keyway, and grabbing many defensive and offensive rebounds, which turned into scores for her and her team mates.
Imogen was again a workhorse the whole game in offence and defense and was a leader on the court. She kept the bench positive with lots of cheering.
Chloe worked hard all game and was unlucky to not score more points from her handwork. Her 2nd half defensive pressure and working hard to wall up and not reach in, helped her teammates recover and setup defense.
Player of the game
Player of the match went to the 50th gamer Indigo who played like she was 6ft tall. Her defensive pressure was massive and it was great to see her working hard to stay in front. If she wasn’t getting steals, she was causing Perry Lakes to make mistakes and Indigo’s teammates jumped on their pressured passes.
Indigo was also a rebounding machine, diving on any loose balls she could get. Indigo made great decisions in offence which created many scoring opportunities for herself. This was clearly her best game in her coaches eyes and the coaches look forward to seeing her grow on and off the court. Actually getting to 6ft tall would be awesome too, but happy for now for Indigo to play like it.
U14 Boys Black – Adrian Mok (Sponsored by: SWISH Plan Management)
Loss against Perry Lakes Hawks (29 – 60)
U14 Boys Orange – Patrick Massam (Sponsored by: Pacific Automation Pty Ltd)
Won against Joondalup Wolves (66 – 61)
U14 Boys White – Joel Warner
Won against Rockingham Flames (74 – 61)
Coaches notes
We went into the game with a nine-man rotation on Sunday, so we needed to be cautious with our fouls and manage the tempo to ensure we gave ourselves the best opportunity to win. In what was a very difficult game, I am so pleased for the Team and how they stuck together. The attitude shown under adversity was the best we have shown all season. Mathew was challenged, he responded with energy. Sam was challenged, he responded and stretched Rockingham very deep across the court to open the keyway. Reuben was physically targeted, so he paid the favour back defensively. Kade was unstoppable on the offensive end and Asten was great, offering a contest again and again under the basket and getting out in offensive transition a number of times. Billy looked after his Team-mates and played the big brother role. Callum again handled the ball and was clinical in the half court while Ethan was the general this week, closing the game in calm fashion. Artin provided energy and good shot selection… All those things resulted in a well-rounded Team performance and 4 wins across 4 quarters.
Closing out games has been a hurdle that we’ve needed to jump over, and we did that on Sunday. We closed very well under a lot of pressure, and I credit (again) an unlikely group for getting that job done. Well done to Mathew, Ethan, Sam, Asten and Billy for holding their defensive assignments and showing poise under pressure in the last quarter. We have now finished and started games with almost every possible combination of players available, which I trust will hold us in good stead in the last part of the season. It’s impossible to have a perfect game and there are certainly things to improve upon, however our total Team assist count was 24 and we managed the ball well for three quarters. Those key areas go a long way to performing well. Coaching 12 and 13 year-old boys isn’t always easy but this week the Team really listened, followed the game plan and made our Sunday afternoon a very fun one! Well done Suns White, those little fellas were amazing!
Player of the game
It’s hard to select these because I am impressed with every player in some way every week. But this week, the award goes to Mathew. Mathew showed his grit after being challenged early in the game. The way he bounced back was impressive and his confidence grew and grew as the game went on. This week, the award is earned through effort, through attitude and the desire to show the spirit we want to be known for. Even when things don’t go our way, I want the boys to leave knowing that their attitude was the right one, that we stuck true to our values and that win or lose, we played the right way. Those things are what produce good basketballers. There is a lot of talent in the WABL league and what separates the talented players from the successful ones, is a lot of hard work and the right attitude. I can see that Mathew is willing to do that work and demonstrates a great attitude. I saw first-hand on Sunday that when he was challenged, he came to the bench, had a short breather, and regrouped with his primary focus set on the game plan. Well done Mathew, you were a true Team player with a great attitude on Sunday and you should be proud of your game.
U14 Boys Blue – Yi Gan (Sponsored by: Excess Power Equipment)
Won against Hills Raiders (64 – 43)
Coaches notes
In our home game against the Hills Raiders 2, we were informed beforehand that they had only seven players available. However, their big center, who missed our first matchup due to a broken wrist, was back in action.
With Atticus and Lukas out and Isaac T limited to playing only two minutes at a time due to heel soreness, we brought in first-time WABL player Damon Sidebottom. We adjusted our starting five by inserting Kobe to see if we could jumpstart our game, and his immediate impact on both ends of the court helped Damon settle in nicely.
We ended the first quarter with a close six-point lead. Noah started the second quarter with the aggression that had been missing for the past month, propelling us to a 20-point lead by halftime.
Our press was effective, and while we could have maintained it to increase our margin and boost our percentage, we opted to slow the pace in the second half. This allowed us to start our defense from the perimeter, preparing for future matches where the press might not be as effective.
We gave our second rotation more court time, which resulted in losing the third quarter by three points, but provided valuable insights into areas needing improvement.
We started the fourth quarter strong, regained control, and ultimately secured a comfortable 21-point victory.
Honorable mention to Christian Gomes for his second straight game of consistent play, showing he’s peaking at the right time.
Player of the game
U16 Girls Black – Stewart Winsor & Elijah Gray
Won against Willetton Tigers (90 – 50)
Coaches notes
It was a great win today by the girls, playing 4 quarters of high energy basketball and playing strong defense for the whole game too.
The 1st quarter saw both teams try and get into a rhythm at both ends of the court and it was a tight battle. The girls had a 12-6 lead with 1 min to go, but allowed 2 quick 3pt shots to even the scores at quarter time.
We discussed/shuffled a few things around in offence and defense in the 2nd quarter and put on 29 points to 11 points through tough defense and quick offence. Rebounding and out-letting doubled as well, which helped keep the game in our advantage.
3rd quarter was much the same as the 2nd, the girls didn’t let up or stop playing defense as they had a low defensive challenge to achieve. This time the girls scored 30 to 13 to blow the game wide open. This gave us a 35 point 3rd quarter time lead going into the last.
Elijah and Stewart gave the girls a rev up to keep pushing hard and to not let Willetton get closer to our score. The girls won the 4th quarter 19 -14 to win by 40 points.
It was super impressive that we kept increasing our lead and never stopped playing defense. This came from all the girls being leaders on the court and sticking to their tasks and working together as a team.
Special mentions to Pene and Kaia for playing 2 way basketball and playing strong high pressure defense and being attacking in offence, always looking for the best options.
Charlie and Isla were instrumental in helping us achieve our defensive goals through hard work in defense, stopping Willetton from getting into any actions and putting pressure on the ball with every pass.
Player of the game
Player of the game went to Asha for stepping up in defense and being proactive in her movements to stop any drives into the keyway. Plenty of rebounds and outlet passes to her teammates up the court in the 2nd and 3rd quarter set us up for the win.
A huge 19 points and only 3 fouls shows her dedication to improving her game and individual skills. Keep working hard Asha, much more to come.
U16 Girls Orange – Andrew Herbert
Won against East Perth Eagles (66 – 29)
Coaches notes
This was an exciting game to watch, enjoying the process the ladies are going through.
We took a little while to get the cogs turning but it didn’t take long to get going.
Once the ladies got going they were able to set the tone for the rest of the game with a 20-0 run.
The ladies showed great discipline in defense and were able to continue to grind it out and execute on the offensive end.
A solid effort by all this week.
Holly Marsh 28pts – Carmen Woods 14pts – Gabriella McCullaugh 8pts – Malia Williams 6pts – Olivia Geary 6pts
Player of the game
POTR this week goes to a lady who shows the importance of coming in and playing a role. Her high pressure in defense was impactful and she continues to show improvement with more poise on the offensive end. Congratulations Heidi Collet.
U16 Girls White – Daniel Heyman
Loss against Perth Redbacks (53 – 33)
Coaches notes
Bit by bit, the girls are starting to trust in an offensive system and are moving the ball to find players in positions of advantage. We stuck with one of the toughest teams in our competition for 3 of the 4 quarters, but failed to hold them back in the fourth quarter. The opposition coach commended our girls on their noticeable growth since the last time we played them.
The girls will enjoy a bit of a break and look to come back energised for the homeward stretch of the season.
Player of the game
Tamzin Wilsmore: Tamzin dropped a team high 11 points off an efficient 56% from the field. Though the most impressive part of her game was her tenacity on defense. She hounded ball carriers and picked off errand passes on her way to 9 steals. Tamzin has shown outstanding growth in her shot selection and is finding players for quality shots. The growth in her offensive poise is enabling her to be more than just a scorer. She’s becoming a leader on the floor. Amazing work, Tamzin!
U16 Boys Black – Declan Kinsella
(Sponsored by: Angus Flexible Pipelines Australia Pty Ltd)
Won against Lakeside Lightning (73 – 63)
U16 Boys Orange – Hayden Bird
Won against Hills Raiders (101 – 56)
Coaches notes
The boys are beginning to carry over the same positive habits on the court, making extra passes and finding better shots within the flow of our offense. Defensively, they recovered from a rough start, gradually improving their communication to force the opposition into making poor offensive decisions.
Player of the game
Jasper shows time and time again his capabilities, being another general on the floor setting up our offences and finding his teammates.
He is able to match this with his strong defensive presence, staying low on all possessions and always being a strong help defender. Great job Jasper.
U16 Boys White – Thor Amundsen
Won against Hills Raiders (100 – 68)
Coaches notes
After a challenging first quarter (in which we were down by 5), the group consolidated and applied some fantastic resilience, coming together to lead by 10 at the half. We then showed our real capabilities, pressuring at every contest to win by 32. This was our highest scoring game for the season and a great way to head into the break.
A strong contribution at both ends by all, working some excellent team offence and shutting down threats in D.
Special mention to Xavier Marr who came in for Roman and applied great pressure, fulfilling his role well.
Player of the game
Jake Potts receives the player of the round this week. Jake accepted the challenge of defending Raiders strongest player, minimising his impact, whilst also working hard in offence and supporting his group.
U16 Boys Blue – Derek Quayle
Loss against South West Slammers (66 – 86)
Coaches notes
This was a game of 2 halves, unfortunately our half was the 1st and 3rd quarters, which wasn’t enough to combat their 2nd and 4th quarters.
We won the 1st quarter 22-17. We applied great pressure and running our offense provided plenty of opportunities to score. We should have had a much bigger lead, but we let ourselves down with our finishing.
To start the 2nd quarter we had the first 5 or 6 shots but we were unable to convert, while the Slammers were able to transition and score heavily on us. 27-9 meant we were down by 13 points at the half.
The 3rd quarter saw another lift on intensity and we were scoring heavily in both transition and in structured half court offense. A 26-17 effort brought the lead back down 4 points.
Leading in to the 4th quarter there was a strong sense from the group that if we played our brand of basketball that the win could be ours, but that wasn’t to be as we gave up the ball too easily and allowed them to score off transition too easily.
Overall, the boys are playing a much stronger brand of basketball to that compared to the start of the year. Ronron battled hard all day for 12 points, while Lucas and Jacob were strong on the boards all day to score 11 and 10 points. Marcus also scored 8 while putting in an improved effort on both offense and defense.
Player of the game
Marcus Goh gets the player of the game this week for his efforts on both sides of the ball. His defensive pressure was excellent. Added in 8 points along with plenty of rebounds.
U18 Girls Black – Rick Batista
Won against Eastern Suns (72 – 43)
Coaches notes
The girls played really well for short bursts but we need to put it together for longer when playing the top teams. It was pleasing to see us just keep getting better. With some focus on being at the right place at the right time and playing within our system, we will continue going from strength to strength. Amber toiled away hard all day against some taller opposition. Kira and Ana were defensively masterful again and Casey and Lily led us so well offensively. The second unit’s defense and will to win, dragged us over the line in this one. Well done for staying ready.
Player of the game
This week Peace was the player of the round. Peace is slowly getting to the right spots more and more as her understanding of WABL basketball is increasing. She had 10 points, but it was perhaps her intensity on defense that was most important. Well done Peace!
U18 Girls Orange – Charlie Smart (Sponsored by: Parker Crofts & Co)
Loss against Eastern Suns (43 – 72)
U18 Boys Black – Cooper Lowe (Sponsored by: Silverstone)
Loss against Perry Lakes Hawks (103 – 104)
Coaches notes
In what was an exciting game of basketball, unfortunately the boys went down by 1 point. The game had many ebbs and flows, and it was a positive sign for us to not roll over, and stay in the game when it wasn’t going our way. It was pleasing to see 5 guys in double figure scoring, and everyone contributing in some way for the team. Super proud of the group, looking forward to the back half of the season and seeing how far we can go.
Player of the game
This week could have gone to a few players, but Marley Sam was again a standout in a big game. Handled the pressure they threw at him really well, got his team mates involved and was also able to have a game high 31 points. Congrats Marley!
U18 Boys Orange – Brad Dowd (Sponsored by: GJ Demo Pty Ltd)
Game Postponed
U18 Boys White – Rae D’Sylva
Game Postponed
U18 Boys Blue – Bailey Ferguson (Sponsored by: Amy Jacobson Pty Ltd)
Won against Lakeside Lightning (93 -91)
U20 Boys Black – Lochy Brown
Loss against Joondalup Wolves (75 – 92)
U21 Girls Black – Lizel Buckley
Loss against South West Slammers (106 – 70)