May 20, 2017

Photo:  Brad Davis hit 30 in the Blues exciting 99-97 win over the Birds on Friday night

Challenge Season

DBA League Results – 18 & 19  May 2017

Round 15

League Women -  Tracy Village Jets v Ansett

The front-running Tracy Village Jets sent a message to Ansett about their Grand Final aspirations as the Bombers blew the Blues away 86-46. The thumping by the Bombers will have curbed the high expectations that the Blues went into the game with as they had won 5 of their last 6 outings. Back to the drawing board if they (Ansett) are to challenge the Bombers. The first quarter would have given the Blues some hope as they were up by 1 point at 15-14, but the Bombers turned up the heat in the second quarter with a 28-7 run led by Erin Geer (12pts) that set the Blues back on their heels. Needless to say the Bombers kept on pushing and finished off the game with a fourth quarter 31-14 run. Kylie Duggan (14.9ppg) hit a game and team high 23 for the Jets, Geer finished with 23 and Tikesa Docherty-Cole (15.3ppg) 16. Carolyn Nyhouse (16.2ppg) & Ruta Valiulyte (11.4ppg) led the Blues with 17 apiece. The teams meet up again next week in a make-up game (Rd 10 rescheduled).

Uni Rebels v Razzle Storm

The Razzle Storm kept their playoff hopes alive with a solid 66-58 win against the Uni Rebels. The victory put the Storm into a three-way tie for fourth place with the Rebels and Ansett and…they (Storm) play the Rebels again next Friday. The Storm had to work hard to win this one though as the Rebels hit a purple patch towards the end of the first half. The Storm led 21-15 after one quarter of play, but the Rebels bounced back in the second quarter with a 19-6 run to take a 34-27 half time lead. After the break the Storm regrouped and strung together a 17-10 run to tie the game up at 44 all with a quarter to play. Jo Farmer, Kaylena Marimowa and Lailani Triffitt led the last quarter sprint with Farmer nailing a couple of treys late in the game as the Storm stormed home for the win. Next week’s game looms as a critical one for both teams. Erin Boyd (13.7ppg) led the Storm with 17, Farmer (4ppg) hit 15 and Triffitt 10. Danielle Ponter (14.1ppg) was best for the Rebels with a game high 22 with Shavayah Lee on 18 and Tiayana Sing 12.

Lightning v Eagles

Game has been rescheduled for next week Friday.

Ladder:                   Tracy Village Jets 13-1, Eagles 10-3, Uni Rebels, Razzle Storm & Ansett 6-8, Lightning 0-13

Rd 16 May 25 & 26:           Thursday – Tracy Village Jets v Ansett 6:30pm, Lightning v Eagles Storm 8:00pm. Friday – Uni Rebels v Razzle Storm & Eagles v Lightning 7:00pm

Men – Rescheduled round 10

League Men – Palmerston Power v HPP

HPP finally got back into the win column with a 104-82 thrashing of the Palmerston Power. It was a fitting way to end the season for the young outfit. The team had been part of many close matches throughout this season and were unlucky not to win more. They did, however take control of this one from the outset. Trailing 16-7 with four minutes to go in the first quarter they came home with a flourish, scoring 18pts to overhaul the Power to lead 24-21. The kept the momentum in the second quarter with a 29-17 run to lead at the half 53-38. They cruised home in the second half by outscoring the Power 51-44. Five players hit double figures for the HPP with Max Davies (26ppg) leading the way with 26, Jordan Sing 21, Jai O’Shaughnessy 19, James Toohey 12 and Dante Ah Sam 11. Fisto Bizima (20.7ppg) was top scorer for the Power with 21, Shaquille Hohipa-Wilson 15, Jai Weetra 14, Caleb Johnstone 12 and Mattison Devine 11.

Tracy Village Jets v Razzle Storm

In a game of changing fortunes the Tracy Village Jets won out over the Razzle Storm 60-55. The Storm therefore, unfortunately, finished the season without a win and with the wooden spoon. The Bombers on the other hand won only their sixth game of the competition, a very poor showing for the onetime perennial champs. In the low scoring match the Bombers held a 27-25 lead at half time, but fell into a hole in the third quarter as the Storm grabbed the lead and momentum with an 11-4 run for a 36-31 lead. Luckily for the Bombers Alex Weetra and Liam Maclachlan were firing in the last quarter (combined for 15 of 29 in last quarter). The Bombers outscored the Storm 29-19 to overtake them and win the contest. Weetra (10.3ppg) finished with 15, Maclachlan 12 and Jayden Adams 10. Jeremy Baden (7ppg) & James Rudolph (7.7ppg) led the Storm with 14 each, Karsten Oltrop hit 12 and Chris Mahlstedt had 10.

Ansett v Eagles

Ansett won a thriller over the league leading Eagles 99-97. Neither side had much advantage during the encounter and it wasn’t until the closing seconds of the game that a three pointer by Jerron Jamerson put the Blues in front for good by two. Prior to that shot the Eagles were behind 93-94 with a couple of minutes remaining. The Eagles Anthony Golden (30.5PPG) drove the lane with 1:50 to go, got fouled and hit both free throws for an Eagle 95-94 lead. After an exchange of baskets (Jordan Sing fm Egles & Jamerson fm Ansett) Jamerson Ansett hit a trey to put the Blues up by two points 99-97 with 31 seconds left in the game. The Birds get one last chance to tie or win, but lost the ball under the basket and had to foul putting the Blues on the line. Even though the freebies were missed there was no time remaining for the Eagles. Jerron Jamerson (33.1ppg) from the Blues led all scorers with 34, Brad Davis (14.4ppg) hit 30, Max Davies 15 and Matt Barrett 10. Steven Sing led the Birds with a season high 25, Golden finished with 23, Jordan Sing 19, Lachlan Shipway 12 @ 18.8ppg and Shane Harrison 11. The Blues will take on the Palmerston Power in the minor semi-final on 2 June.

Lightning v Uni Rebels

The Uni Rebels extinguished any playoffs chances the Lightning may have had by thumping them 109-75. Tim Morris, Travis Ellis and Spencer Coleman led the Rebel charge with a combined total of 69 points. The first quarter set the stage as the Rebels posted a 23-12 lead followed up by a 25-17 second quarter for a very handy 48-29 lead at the break. After the intermission the Rebels went up a notch or two to blow the Lightning away with a 38-19 run to put the game well and truly out of their reach. Morris (32.1ppg) finished up with 28, Ellis 21, Coleman 20 and Jake Eyles 13. Austin Kisselev (25.8ppg) led the Lightning with 25, Brodie Hertel hit 22 and Tony Halikos 10. The Rebels jumped into second place on the ladder with a better % than Ansett (plus them beat them in both meetings this season). So the Rebels will take on the Eagles in the major semi-final on the 2^nd of June.

Ladder:                   Eagles 12-2, Uni Rebels & Ansett 11-3, Lightning & Palmerston Power 6-8 Tracy Village Jets 6-8, HPP 4- 10 & Razzle Storm 0-14

No men’s games next week. Semi-finals on 2 June: