Rashad Tucker had 28 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists, as the Eagles overcame a stellar second half shooting display from Ben Madgen for a 100-96 win over Eastern at Wayville on Saturday.

It was the first time Forestville has cracked the 100 mark this season, while its 96 points against were the most the team has conceded.

With 10 seconds remaining and the Eagles leading 97-96, Tucker split a pair of free throws, including a miss on the second attempt, giving the Mavs a chance to send the game into overtime or win the game.

However, after cleanly securing 14 rebounds, Eastern Centre Shane Breheny failed to hold on to the ball when it mattered most, instead knocking the ball out of bounds and giving Forestville another possession.

Following a time-out, Eagles Point Guard Adam Doyle was fouled, before making two of two to ice the game.

Breheny was not the only Maverick to have an uncharacteristic moment in the final seconds.

With 13 seconds remaining, Ben Madgen drove into the paint on his left hand, before turning back to his right for a short range fadeaway jumpshot. 

Madgen, who scored 21 of his 33 points in the second half, had been lighting up the scoreboard by converting from the same move several times.

However, he was finally off the mark, on what could have been the game-winning shot.

Madgen shot 12-16 from the field; his 6 boards capping off a stellar night for the 2011 NBL Rookie of the Year.

Aaron Bruce was also tremendous with 26 points and 7 assists, while Brad Hill had 24 points and 10 rebounds, albeit shooting just 33% from the field. 

Along with Tucker, Brad Haydon (20 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists) John Wernham (12 points, 16 rebounds), Neil Mottram (9 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Brad Sullivan (15 points) were Forestville’s best.

Ultimately, the Eagles’ solid ball movement and size advantage just outdid the Mavs’ sensational one on one and pick and roll game.

Forestville won the battle of the boards 52-41, while registering 26 assists to just 11.

Eastern moved the ball quickly up the court, which resulted in some easy hoops, but their gambling defence came unstuck most of the time.

Forestville had the last laugh in each quarter, using the waning seconds to score some important points.

At the end of the first quarter, Nic Blair got on the end of a Rashad Tucker dime, which gave the Eagles a 28-22 advantage after 10 minutes.

To close the second, it looked like Trent Fildes (just 1 point in 13.55) had got himself into trouble and that Forestville would not get a shot up.

However, he found Wernham just in time, resulting in a 52-42 lead for the home side.

The Eagles were the dominant side in the first half.

The early minutes set the tone for a high tempo game, despite just one made field goal collectively in the first two and a half minutes.

In the first quarter, Forestville was strong inside, getting to the rack at ease.

The Eagles finished up winning the points in the paint count 34-20.

The highlight of the first quarter was a one-handed slam dunk by Tucker.

Tucker had not been in a dunking mood over the first five matches, but now has three in his last two outings.

In the second quarter, the Eagles more or less beat Eastern at its own game, scrambling for loose balls, and pushing the ball up the floor quickly.

However, 15 points from Madgen and 10 from Bruce keyed a 33-22 third quarter, which put the visitors up 75-74 at the end of three.

Both made some explicit one on one moves and showed no hesitation with their shot selection.

Madgen did not look like missing, whether it be on a catch and shoot or a drive and fadeaway.

Bruce’s biggest highlight was a spectacular left-hand hooked bank shot while fading away from the basket, after looking as though he would not get a shot up and be penalised for travelling.

The teams went tit for tat for most of the final quarter.

With 6.32 and Eastern trailing 84-85, Madgen was substituted.

During this period, the Eagles looked as though they might run away with the game, with Haydon knocking down some big shots, and Sullivan finding himself with plenty of space.

Madgen did not re-enter until 1.56 remaining, although he did head over to the scorer’s table a couple of minutes prior.

It was at this time that Hill was fouled on a three-point attempt.

However, following a time-out, he only made one of his three shots, leaving the Mavs down two.

The Mavericks still had further chances to win, but fortune did not favour them down the stretch, with the Eagles holding their nerve to sneak over the line.

Defining moment(s): The Mavs missed out on 4 points they should have scored, conceded 6 points that could have been stopped with a bit more concentration, and had a 3-point play go against them on what appeared to be a non-shooting foul. Madgen’s missed go-to shoot and Hill’s two missed free throws, both inside the final two minutes, were pivotal. Breheny was under little pressure when he fumbled out of court, which gave away two free throws to Doyle. The Eastern players appeared to stop two seconds before the half-time buzzer, giving Wernham a layup, and they did not close out the first well either. Essentially, the visitors could easily have been 13 points better off, and forced a much different outcome.

Forestville verdict: Another solid performance against quality opposition keeps the Eagles in third position, two wins ahead of Sturt, South, Eastern, North and Woodville. Excellent ball movement saw the Eagles dominate the assists tally, while Mottram’s inclusion and Wernham’s improvement means they are no longer lacking an interior presence. Forestville has showed great flexibility this season. Against the bigger, less athletic sides, the Eagles have played a fast-paced game and run opponents off their feet. In this match, Forestville played a slower game, keeping the ball out of the hands of the small, quick Mavs. With Tucker dominant, things are looking bright for Forestville. Next week is an away game against bottom-placed Centrals.

Eastern verdict: In this match, the Mavericks displayed the best and worst of their up-tempo game. In the first half, when their NBL trio were not on song, the Mavs found it difficult to score and did not look like getting a stop. However, when Madgen and Bruce, in particular, and also Hill found their mark in the second half, Eastern really put on a show. Not only did their stars put points on the board, but they also drew double-teams and, most importantly, found the open man. Also, as their confidence lifted, so did the defence. If the Mavs can incorporate some more ball movement into their offence, they will be an even more dangerous team. Next up for Eastern is an important home clash with Woodville.

By James Woite