WABL Wrap – Week 12 – 21/07/24

WABL Wrap Week 12 – 21/07/24

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:

Sofia Wong (U14 Girls) – Sofia was the player of the match with lots of energy and effort at both ends of the court.
She moved the ball fast and was always trying to play positive basketball. Her defense has been growing every week and she again took it to another level. She has lots more to show herself and her team mates. It’s wonderful to see what some aggression and confidence can do for your game.

Elias Szabo (U20 Boys) – Elias Szabo – after sitting out most of the season with a knee injury Elias made his return today. Sometimes a return from injury comes with nerves and growing pains. Elias displayed none of those traits, nailing 4 triples and flowing through the offence like he had been playing all season.

U12 Girls Black – Lawrence West (Sponsored by: KTrans)

Loss against Hills Raiders (39 – 46)

Coaches notes

Coached by Ryan Breadsell

We were away this week, heading up the hill for a rematch against the Raiders at Mundaring arena. The raiders hit the court running, double teaming every ball and putting our girls under pressure from the first whistle. We started flat from our holidays and had a depleted line up so were playing catch up all game. We had to dig deep and refocus on our defense, structures and plays to get back into the game.
We shared the responsibilities around the team and had to all put extra effort in due to the lack of rotations. The girls learnt the importance of knowing various roles and positions. After losing the first half 29 -14 the girls fought hard in defense to come back and win the second half 25 – 17, and only lose by 7.
Great to see the team turn the game around and nearly get there, but the focus for next week’s training will be getting pressure on the outside shots and inbound passing.

Player of the game

Eunice Bakulikira won the MVP. Once again, she was strong in the paint getting most of our rebounds and asked to continuously run both ends of the court. Eunice still had enough energy to drive through the defense and do a coast-to-coast layup when there were no options on. Great work Eunice.

U12 Girls Orange – Lizzie Falconbridge

(Sponsored by: Clever Fox Marketing)

Won against Perry Lakes Hawks (34 – 14)

U12 Girls White – Jemma Gartrell

Loss against East Perth Eagles (19 – 40)

U12 Boys Black – Brad Dowd (Sponsored by: Fern Landscapes)

Won against Eastern Suns (66 – 30)

U12 Boys Orange – Lizzie Falconbridge (Sponsored by: Alliance Engineering Consultants Pty Ltd)

Won against Cockburn Cougars (57 – 39)

Coaches notes

After a slow start to our game, a time-out and rev-up got the boys energized and our trademark defense clamped down to help us build an early lead. A 15-2 run to end the first quarter after that time-out, kept us rolling into the second. Unfortunately, it seemed like for every great few plays we made, we would undo our work with some defensive lapses, a bad pass or an untimely shot. This kept the game closer than it should have been. Cougars won the third quarter to stay within 11 at three quarter time, but we started the fourth with a 9-1 run to push the lead out to 19 where it stayed for the rest of the game.

Player of the game

In a game where we saw players’ great efforts spoiled by poor decisions, it was a couple of bench players that provided some defensive spark in the game. Drew Bydder was our player of the game for some impressive defensive efforts and for controlling the ball on offense. Drew was the cool head we needed in a sometimes error-riddled game. Zarene Samson was a defensive pest off the bench too with some great hussle.

U12 Boys White – Ben Marks (Sponsored by: Joel Dixon)

Loss against Eastern Suns (30 – 66)

Coaches notes

Fresh off a Winter Classic tournament during the school holidays, the boys were in good form leading into this game. With several of the team reaching the 50-game milestones in the past few weeks, we were looking to use this as motivation coming into the contest. The boys really locked in on defense to start the game, forcing multiple turnovers and keeping the game within reach. Some missed scoring opportunities and our opponents getting second chance looks off offensive rebounds led to a 15-point deficit at the main break. The boys continued to fight in the second half, but our opponents settled and played some good team basketball to eventually win the game with a comfortable margin.

The way we played team defense was certainly the highlight, with all 10 players making the most of their minutes. Our opponents score said it all from the last meeting between the teams, keeping them to 40 points less. If we were able to stop some of their size on the offensive glass and convert a few more opportunities, who knows where the game might have gone! Congratulations to team Black on the win as it is always an enjoyable game played with the right spirit, with many friends off the court going against each other.

Player of the game

Zane and Lucas M paced the scoring this week with 70% of the teams’ points. However, it was an unsung hero I am awarding it to this week. Austin Morley has improved week in and week out and whilst his contribution was not on the scoreboard, it is a good lesson that you can affect the game in multiple ways whether it be making the right pass, walling up under the basket or battling an opponent out of your weight division on the boards. Well done, Austin!

U12 Boys Blue – Declan Kinsella

Loss against Perth Redbacks (29 – 63)

Coaches notes

The boys always working extremely well together when they play. This weekends game was a prime example of it.

Even when we are loosing the boys don’t let it get to them and put their heads down.

Lizzie and I are amazed by how much they have improved over the season!!

– Coach Charlize

Player of the game

The player of the round is awarded to Lennox for his outstanding defense!!

U14 Girls Black – Bruno Kongawoin

(Sponsored by: SupaFit Seat Covers Pty Ltd)

Loss against Willetton Tigers (34 – 39)

Coaches notes

This was the first time this season we played a full game with all our players without facing any adversities, on or off the court, yet we still fell short. Despite the loss, there are plenty of positive takeaways.

In the first quarter, we played our usual style, ending with a 7-point lead. However, at the start of the second quarter, we uncharacteristically conceded 3 easy baskets to the Tigers, which set us up to chase and force our way through the rest of the game. Foul troubles continued to be our major shortcoming, with 3 players fouling out.

Despite losing our spacing and timing in the second quarter and for the remainder of the game, the girls showed maturity by playing hard all the way through, creating opportunities to score which didn’t materialise.

Amber Brickwood continued to excel at both ends of the court in complicity with Benwech Kuach, scoring 10 and 16 points respectively and combined for 10 rebounds. Poppy Hickson maintained her dominance on the board with 11 rebounds and was proactive all over the court.

Next week, we will be playing against the Flames in Rockingham, who are coming off a good Round 11 win, making it a challenging road game for us.

Player of the game

Benwech Kuach was voted Player of the Round. Bennie’s on-court leadership is unparalleled in our division. Her work ethic is always at its peak. It’s a joy to see her continue to develop her individual skills and remain coachable. Well done, Bennie. Keep it up.

U14 Girls Orange – Lawrence West (Sponsored by: Genesis Craft)

Won against Rockingham Flames (59 – 46)

Coaches notes

After a solid opening quarter, something shifted in the second, and we struggled to find the bottom of the basket. This, combined with the Flames scoring nearly half their points for the game in this quarter, saw our lead evaporate, sending us into the halftime break with the scores tied.

Rockingham extended their lead to 6 points in the third quarter before we managed to find our rhythm and swing the momentum back in our favour. We battled through the rest of the quarter and retook the lead. The final quarter wasn’t pretty, but we got the job done when it mattered most.

The silver lining to a bad shooting day is we had a lot of opportunities to work on our offensive rebounding, recording a season high in both shot attempts and o-boards! Even when the shots aren’t falling and things aren’t going our way I know we will show up in the hustle department, and this week it was pleasing to see rebounding efforts shared across the team.

Every team in our division presents a unique challenge, and to achieve our goals, we need to find consistency in our offense. This week, we will refocus during training, and hopefully, we will be more cohesive in our next game.

Player of the game

This week, it was a tough call with two players putting forward great cases for the award.

An honourable mention goes to Dani Simmons. When her team needed her the most, she delivered multiple defensive efforts that helped us turn the tide and regain control of the game. Dani shot an efficient 5/9 (56% FG%), grabbed 7 rebounds, dished out 5 assists, and added 3 steals and 2 blocks.

The Player of the Game this week is Sienna Raddock. Sienna’s effort and determination have never been in question, but as her decision-making improves, she capitalises on her great sense of timing to always be in the right place at the right time. This week, she shot 50% from the field (4/8), contributed 9 rebounds (7 offensive boards!), 9 assists, 5 steals, and 1 block.

U14 Girls White (Rick Anderson)

Loss against Perry Lakes Hawks (24 – 41)

U14 Girls Blue – Adam Chambers

(Sponsored by: Newtrend IT Specialists Pty Ltd)

Loss against Hills Raiders (38 – 42)

Coaches notes

The girls travelled up to Mundaring to take on a very good Hills Raiders team and they started very well taking a 7-2 qtr time lead. Our defense was fierce, and we jumped on any loose pass from Hills and made lots of walls in the paint. The girls were trying to make the right early passes and move the ball fast which didn’t always work, but at least they were trying to do it.

The 2nd and 3rd qtr was a very even contest with both teams probably not getting the rewards for their hard work. Our girls were still trying to make the right passes and right shots but were getting a little tired. We finished the 3rd qtr 5 points ahead.

We scored the first 5 points of the 4th qtr to have a 10 point lead, unfortunately we then got very tired and Hills went into another gear and out-scored us 19-10 in the 4th to win by 4.

Bob missed her partner in crime Sarah today, but stood tall getting lots of rebounds and setting up our transition offence.

Indigo was again everywhere, making lots of great decisions and putting a lot of pressure on the ball.

It was also great to have Jenny back on the court and she played like she hadn’t missed a game, we look forward to the next few weeks for Jenny.

Player of the game

Sofia was the player of the match with lots of energy and effort at both ends of the court.
She moved the ball fast and was always trying to play positive basketball. Her defense has been growing every week and she again took it to another level. She has lots more to show herself and her team mates. It’s wonderful to see what some aggression and confidence can do for your game.

U14 Boys Black – Adrian Mok (Sponsored by: SWISH Plan Management)

Loss against Joondalup Wolves (36 – 74)

U14 Boys Orange – Patrick Massam (Sponsored by: Pacific Automation Pty Ltd)

Won against Rockingham Flames (65 – 61)

Coaches notes

It was good to see the team back on the court after a well needed break. They came out with a fantastic effort in defense to make up for the 16pt loss last time we played them.

The boys are really looking in control of their game now with this defensive effort spread across more of the team. Even with the ups and downs of the score line, they take the court with the attitude that they aren’t going to let the game get away from them.

We did have some learning opportunities throughout the game but a great one came at the end of the game – having a number of turnovers from taking pressured shots while having the lead, to then adjust and move the ball to the best shot maintaining possession. Even with these lessons in the game, they never left the coaches with the feeling that the game was going to be lost.

Great work!

Player of the game

Preston Massam – his pressure on the ball in the three man position, had the Rockingham team out of rhythm from the start. Great job!

U14 Boys White – Joel Warner

Won against Perth Redbacks (53 – 45)

Coaches notes

This was our first game back since 30 June and there was a little bit of rust to shake off. Without being our most polished effort, we had a solid outing and had contributions in many positions. It’s well known to the players that this Team doesn’t have a set starting 5. Positions in the starting 5 are typically won at practice and usually won’t change unless we need targeted match-ups or we are unbalanced. So this week we went with a very guard heavy starting unit that earned their spots on Tuesday night. The starters had a shared goal of defending the Redbacks offence in a planned way. There were elements of that approach which worked well and some which didn’t work as well. Either way, the result was a combination of players who hadn’t started together, who were asked to follow set instructions. This is just another learning experience James and I need to provide the Team. We’ll do a little bit of a review of the start to the game and see what we can take away. Overall, the defence in the first quarter was our best, keeping the Redbacks to 9 points, whilst also providing great options coming off the bench.

Although some of our sets broke down and out motion stalled at times, for the most part we were in good positions and found enough well-balanced offence to score. A couple of the boys were a bit hard on themselves and didn’t meet their own expectations, which for them is disappointing, but from a coaching perspective James and I can see how much those guys care, which is of course a positive. Two metrics that we follow as closely as any others, are effort and teamwork, so its great to see those guys care for their mates when they aren’t playing how they expect to. There were significant challenges in this game and across the board, we didn’t match up too well against this Redbacks Team, but we are getting more comfortable in tight situations, so I am very happy with how we closed the game. Special mention to Chad for showing his grit on Sunday. Also, to Billy, Asten, Kade, Phoenix and Ethan for responding with your basketball skills when you were challenged. There are always ways to improve and, I was happy with how great our attitudes were and for how much sportsmanship was demonstrated.

Player of the game

This week, our whole Team defended well, and we rebounded quite well too. So there was no defensive stand-out for the game, however the offence did dry up at times and we needed a spark… Enter Kade. From the first sub he made an impact and got himself involved. Kade has learned so much this season and is now becoming consistent, which is easy to talk about but hard to do for 12 and 13 year-old boys. Both James and I feel confident putting him in any number of positions, which means he’s versatile too. Kade took home a bag of points, but he’s won the award this week largely due to effort. The points came because the effort was put in to get into dangerous spots within our offence. He has improved significantly in his contribution to the Team by staying within our systems. James and I subbed Kade a couple of times on Sunday, largely because he was gassed. That’s ‘earning’ a sub. That’s getting a rest because we acknowledge how much effort you’ve put in. And that should be celebrated. Well done Kade, big effort, big impact.

U14 Boys Blue – Yi Gan (Sponsored by: Excess Power Equipment)

Won against Warwick Senators (55 – 40)

Coaches notes

Having an 8:00 AM game away from home is always a wildcard. You never know which players might still be half asleep or ready to dominate. But the moment I walked in, I could see that every single one of them was hungry and ready to play.

After a three-week break, our last two practices were a bit unique as we geared up for the season finale. Instead of running plays or scrimmages, we went back to basics: defensive cone drills, weight training, hip pivot and movement work, and some intense pad work (yes, I felt the soreness).

The big question was whether any of that work paid off. Thanks to Bryon (Atticus’ dad) for filming our last game, we had some valuable insights. The Senators handed us our first loss of the season because we lacked physicality and aggression, and our defensive execution fell short.

Before tip-off, the boys had a solid workout. Priority number one was Isaac Falconbridge denying the ball to Jack S (9), while Kobe took on the challenge of guarding Zak V (5). These two had been the focal points of their offense all season, and in our previous matchup, they caused us problems.

Our starts have been slow all season, but with Atticus back from COVID, the expectation was for the rest of the backcourt to step up. From the get-go, it was clear that Sunday’s training had flipped a switch. We came out as the more physical team, creating action rather than being reactive. Jesse and Adam were superb, and even with a small lead at the end of the 1st quarter, it felt like they were hanging on and we were hunting.

The second quarter saw some ebb and flow, but we punished them inside, running our structured plays to perfection. All five players had a role, and if the play was executed correctly, someone got the shot we wanted. We made some, missed some, but had a handy 6-point lead going into the second half.

Sharma had the better of Falconbridge up to this point, so Mark suggested we switch Noah, a bigger body, onto him for the rest of the game. It was a genius move. With Noah locking down Sharma and Kobe keeping Zak in check, the rest of their team had to try and beat us with their creativity. While Noah and Kobe sacrificed their energy on defense, Jesse, Adam, and Chandler dominated on offense.

Sharma didn’t get a single field goal until the end, scoring only 3 points from free throws in the second half. The switch to Noah changed the game for us. Isaac Tan helped trap with Kobe, causing turnovers, and Kobe stole off Zak on an inbound, assisting Noah, which forced Warwick to call a timeout. By this point, we had blown the game open to a 21-point lead.

In the final quarter, we traded baskets. Lukas, battling a fever from Monday, played gallantly, giving us key moments on both ends. Christian was consistent in bringing up the ball on a day when Atticus was at 50%. Isaac Falconbridge and Isaac Tan caused havoc with their active hands, forcing turnovers and steals. Everything we worked on defensively was coming together. We gave away a few buckets at the end, but overall, this was one of our most complete games in terms of consistency and intensity.

We’re looking forward to seeing if we can maintain this consistency in the next few rounds!

Player of the game

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.

U16 Girls Black – Stewart Winsor & Elijah Gray

Loss against East Perth Eagles (60 – 61)

Coaches notes

The girls suffered their first loss for the season at probably the right time. The girls were flat for most of the game and the energy and effort was at the lowest its ever been this season. Credit to East Perth for jumping us when we didn’t show them enough respect.

The first qtr we played our basketball and lead 22-12 and was still on track for our defensive target. We moved the ball well and overall defense was good, but we probably let them get a few too many rebounds for our liking.

2nd qtr we were very flat and East Perth did well to score when we were not giving 100%. Lack of defense structure hurt the score-line and hurt our transition offence.

3rd qtr was very even and we looked like we actually might go to another gear and take control of the game. Fouls hurt us in this qtr which put some players in foul trouble going into the last. For the first time this season, we actually looked tired and 3/4 time couldn’t have come at a better time.

4th qtr started well and we got a couple early points to push lead out to 6 points, but a few lack of efforts quickly got the scores back to even. We then went basket for basket. With 50 secs left we got head again to lead by 2. We switched back into full court man which was looking good until we LET them shoot an open 3 pointer to take the lead by 1. We couldn’t score again and game was over.

Player of the game

There was no player of the match given today but there are some special mentions:

Kaia came into the game sick and played minimal minutes but still scored 17 points which was a huge effort.

Isla and Charlie were working extra hard to cover gaps and spent most of their energy in defense. There was a glimpse of the Charlie/Isla show but it was short lived from them being gassed out.

U16 Girls Orange – Andrew Herbert

Won against Lakeside Lightning (46 – 41)

Coaches notes

This was a game that showed we have had a couple of weeks off from game play.
We were able to get off to a okay start but couldn’t find our rhythm though-out the 2nd & 3rd quarters. We were still able to grind it out down the stretch to get the job done.

Charlotte Herbert 15pts
Carmen Woods 9pts
Malia Williams 8pts
Olivia Geary 6pts

Player of the game

This week goes to a lady who has come back from injury after 7 weeks off and was able to help the team at both ends of the floor. She was able to make 2 important free throws in the last 10 seconds, to make it a two possession game. Congratulations Charlotte Herbert.

U16 Girls White – Daniel Heyman

Loss against Warwick Senators (43 – 73)

Coaches notes

Traveling to Warwick to take on a challenging Senators team we’d previously faced in round 5, we had a clear game plan to lock down the middle. The girls did an admirable job at holding the fort and denying drives to the basket. Our game plan had us in touch of most of the first half. Unfortunately, our casual approach to passing allowed the Senators to take charge.

Coming into this week’s game against the Redbacks, we have a clear understanding of what we need to do to get the job done. Looking after possession is number one on that list.

Player of the game

Ashleigh Calvert. As a development player, Ashleigh stepped up to play a crucial role as rebounder and interior defender. Her impact was felt not just in the paint, but also in transition, where she ran the lanes perfectly, spacing the floor and creating opportunities for her teammates. Her infectious energy and desire to compete spurred on the team to keep up the fight. She took on the game without fear and was that spark we desperately needed. Amazing effort, Ashleigh!

U16 Boys Black – Declan Kinsella

(Sponsored by: Angus Flexible Pipelines Australia Pty Ltd)

Loss against Perth Redbacks (57 – 65)

Coaches notes

It was a tough outing this weekend against the Redbacks. An average first quarter made it tough for us to stay competitive. We bounced back in the second quarter winning the 2nd quarter by 11 points. However, it was not enough for us to win.

Our defense did a great job playing physical defense without fouling, however the Redbacks size got the better of us.

Player of the game

Jett Eades – Jett’s ability to get out and play on the break shone through in this game, he kept things rolling for us when the game got bogged down. Jett getting out and making plays kept us in the game.

U16 Boys Orange – Hayden Bird

Won against Eastern Suns (73 – 61)

U16 Boys White – Thor Amundsen

Won against East Perth Eagles (60 – 47)

Coaches notes

After clearing out a bit of holiday rust, the group came together, applying great court pressure to come out winners.

It was a good demonstration of resilience and persistence, being challenged in the first half and finishing with a downhill run.

We are seeing some great signs of team work and depth from a group that are playing team-first basketball.

Player of the game

Val Luboya is our player of the game, demonstrating reliability and persistence whenever he entered the play.

U16 Boys Blue – Derek Quayle

Loss against Eastern Suns (61 – 73)

Coaches notes

Todays game was one of the best we have played for the season. If we play that way against any other team, I fully believe that we would have won. The effort from everyone on defense was amazing.

Our 1st quarter was pretty good, we struggled to get the ball in the basket, but our defense kept us in the game. To only be down by 6 points was a great effort.

The second and 3rd quarters were our best quarters for the game. We outscored the opposition by 2 points in each of these quarters. This left us only being down by 2 points heading in to the 4th.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t quite sustain the effort for the 4th quarter, but I am so proud of the efforts this week. We had a game plan and we executed it to almost perfection.

Ronron led the way this week with 20 points with Marcus and Lucas chipping in 11 and 10.

Player of the game

Ronron gets the nod this week for his 2 way effort this week. His pressure on the ball carrier was immense and really disrupted the oppositions offence. The hard work on the defensive end paid off with Ronron being able to put in 20 points as well.

U18 Girls Black – Rick Batista

Won against Mandurah Magic (96 – 47)

Coaches notes

This was probably the most well put together team effort we’ve had all season from 1-9, we had solid contributions and real care was taken on all facets of the game. Defensively we were able to switch defenses and cover each other really well and apply real pressure. Offensively the leagues leading scorer Lily, had an off game and we still put up our most points for the season. So proud of this resilient bunch who have had to deal with so much change from preseason until now. They just keep getting better and better. Congratulations to Sienna on her 100th game, I’m so pleased the girls played this well for our long serving stalwart.

Player of the game

Kiralee Cresswell was outstanding this week, offensively and defensively she was just switched on from the get go. We asked her to play a slightly different role this week and she shone very brightly.

U18 Girls Orange – Charlie Smart (Sponsored by: Parker Crofts & Co)

Loss against Cockburn Cougars (41 – 89)

Coaches notes

First game back after the break and unfortunately our team is still plagued by injuries and sickness. Although very excited to have her back on court we tentatively welcomed back Chelsea who had been out with a nasty ankle injury sustained before the break. No Lisa, Ellie or Katie saw us recruit U16 dynamo Jade as a fill in, who displayed great determination, listened to direction and executed new plays, seeing her on the score board.
Losing Mia early in the first quarter was a huge blow to our on court strength but full credit to the girls who dig deep and had some moments where their teamwork and execution was unmatched.
Cougars took full advantage of our limited numbers and shear exhaustion, and fortunately they had one of those games where they couldn’t miss, scoring most of their points outside the 3 point line.

Player of the game

Heidi and Claire. Heidi had a strong game, not just scoring with 16pts but she controlled the tempo throughout. Heidi had some great assists and was always focused within the play.
So good to see Claire getting in and amongst it on Sunday. She had some great blocks and rebounds, especially in the first half of the game where she was unstoppable under the basket.

U18 Boys Black – Cooper Lowe (Sponsored by: Silverstone)

Won against Joondalup Wolves (86 – 74)

U18 Boys Orange – Brad Dowd (Sponsored by: GJ Demo Pty Ltd)

Won against Rockingham Flames (20 – 0) Forfeit

U18 Boys White – Rae D’Sylva

Loss against Eastern Suns (75 – 84)

Coaches notes

This weeks game saw most of the boys put into practice what they have been asked to do at training . Individually there was good signs with improvement in their skills.

Player of the game

Rajzhan D’Sylva. Rajzhan played a great game on both offence and defense and rebounded the ball well for a guard of his size.

U18 Boys Blue – Bailey Ferguson (Sponsored by: Amy Jacobson Pty Ltd)

Won against Eastern Suns (84 -75)

U20 Boys Black – Lochy Brown

Won against Warwick Senators (94 – 78)

Coaches notes

Glad to be back on track with a win. The message was defense and turning stops into easy transition points. For the most part we executed this well, stepping up each quarter and turning out a great 3rd quarter. The dip in the fourth quarter wasn’t great, but we are on the right track. A tough game next week to see if we can sustain success for all 4 quarters.

Player of the game

Elias Szabo – after sitting out most of the season with a knee injury Elias made his return today. Sometimes a return from injury comes with nerves and growing pains. Elias displayed none of those traits, nailing 4 triples and flowing through the offence like he had been playing all season.

U21 Girls Black – Lizel Buckley

Won against Perry Lakes Hawks (92 – 77)