A huge third quarter led by an inspirational shooting display from Darren Ng may not have been enough for a second big victory in two nights, but the Woodville Warriors have announced themselves as genuine challengers to premiership favourites West Adelaide.

Trailing by 14 at half-time, the Warriors were lucky to be that close.

If not for some exceptional inside and outside finishes from Aaron Wyatt (20 points) and some aggression from Luke Stanbridge (15 points, 9 rebounds), the outlook definitely would have been much bleaker.

However, the Warriors moved into a deep half court trap with Wyatt patrolling the centre of the court and forcing the Bearcats into different looks - left, right and centre.

The normally cool, calm and collected Bearcats were suddenly nervous and shaky, committing six turnovers and shooting just 2/14 from the field.

At the other end, Ng heated up as only he can, scoring 12 of his 19 points during the third period, leading the Warriors to a 26-7 quarter and an unprecedented 58-53 lead.

Coming off a 30-11 fourth quarter in a 90-74 win over Norwood the previous night, the question was whether the Warriors had enough in the tank to steal this one as well.

While they continued to defend gallantly, they failed to get the ball to Ng and Wyatt in good positions, coughing the ball up 10 times, at least half of which were unforced.

In contrast, West Coach Paul Bell turned to the reliable Paul Rankin for a cameo appearance, with the veteran on the bench for the entirety of the first three quarters.

The result was 6 points on 3/4 shooting, 1 rebound, 0 turnovers and excellent defence, as Rankin never returned to the bench and the Bearcats’ extra stamina kicked in.

With Daniel Johnson, Jason Cadee and former Warrior Zane Reeves all scoring important baskets, as well as some cheap free throws down the stretch, the Bearcats closed the game out the stronger, winning 77-69.

However, had it not been for the Warriors’ sluggish first five minutes and being on the back end of a back-to-back, the result could have been much different.

The Bearcats boast the deepest team in the league, led by 36ers recruits Johnson (22 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists) and Cadee (12 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists), but their performance in this match suggests the gap between them and the rest may not be as great as their Round 1 dominance against Forestville indicated.

Their inability to operate against double-teams, hit from the perimeter and box out their man (the smaller Warriors won the rebounds 42-34, including a 14-11 advantage offensively) left them looking vulnerable at times, although their ability to execute structures at the start and end of the game still leaves them very tough to defend against.

The Warriors can take pride in knowing they can hold their own against the ladder leaders, after a disappointing 2-8 record versus the top five teams in 2012.

Their ability to gain control of the game, particularly when all looked lost, will have pleased Coach Al Green, although surprisingly they did not move into a trap earlier in the game.

Despite the positives, it was obvious the Warriors relied heavily on individual play from Ng and Wyatt to score points, so better offensive execution and decision-making is a must if they are to take their game to the next level.

West Adelaide Bearcats 77 (Daniel Johnson 22, Zane Reeves 14, Jason Cadee 12)
Woodville Warriors 69 (Aaron Wyatt 20, Darren Ng 19, Luke Stanbridge 15)

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By James Woite