Brisbane, QLD. – The Hudor Brisbane Men’s Capitals take on the Mackay Meteors this Sunday afternoon in a 2015 Grand Final Rematch and Round 6 action of the QBL.

The Men’s Capitals tip off at 2pm at NAB Stadium.

 

TICKETS:

Tickets can be purchased in person at the door. Adults - $10.00; Children - $5.00; Capitals Junior players and staff – Free (with hard-card). Wear your Caps gear!

 

THE CAPITALS (3^rd, 4 – 2 record).

The Hudor Brisbane Men’s Capitals fell at home at the hands of the South West Metro Pirates in round 4 of the QBL, 85-94. After trailing 10-20 in the first quarter, the Caps went on a 19-4 run to finish the quarter and set themselves up for a battle at the hands of a spirited Pirates outfit that boasted both imports for the first time this season. Brisbane continued to extend the lead during the second quarter and with 4.20 to go in the third had established the largest margin of the game (60-48) before South West Metro cut the lead to ‘3’ on the back of a 3 – 12 run. Luke Piddle tied the game for the Pirates at 63-63 with one minute to go in the third, with South West Metro finalizing their 7-21 run to finish out the third quarter and take the lead, 67-69. Although Zac Carter opened Brisbane’s account in the fourth with a timely 3-pointer to wrestle back a slender lead, this was the last time the Caps were in front.

Needing to find the team rhythm that has been effective for the Caps over the past three seasons, Brisbane entered the round 5 contest verse our rivals in the west (Ipswich) with renewed determination. Although Brisbane held the slightest of leads at half time (54-53) with both teams ticking the scoreboard over with ease, it was the Caps who were able to grab a decisive hold on the game in the second half; finishing with their first 100+ point score of the 2016 season. James Leegan was able to keep the score respectable for the home team shooting 14-15 from the foul-line to add to his 8-18 3-pt haul and a game high 38pts; Kyle Harvey also contributed 24pts. For the Caps, five players scored in double-figures, led by Aaron Anderson who tallied a season high 28pts, 10rebs, 8asts and 3stls. Dusty Rychart was dominant on the boards, securing a season high 15rbs to go with 13pts, his first double-double of the season. Captain Ryan Jeffries also impacted the game with 12pts, 5rebs, 5asts and 3stls.

 

ROUND 6 v MACKAY METEORS (8^th, 2 – 3 record):

In the 2015 Season, Mackay finished 1^st with a 15 – 2 record in the regular season. Over the past four season, Mackay has competed in the QBL Championship series on three occasions (2012, 2014 and 2015) taking home the silverware in 2012 and 2015; the most recent occasion was last season’s epic three game series v the Caps at Mackay.

Series Record: Since 2012, the Caps have played the Meteors on eight (8) occasions, and trail the series 2 - 6. Although, four of the games have been decided by single figures. Head to head during this same period, the Meteors own a defensive margin over our Caps of +5.75pts. Since 2012, only two teams have beaten Mackay twice in the same season. The Rockhampton Rockets have achieved this on three occasions, including defeating the Meteors in four contests during the 2014 season on the way to their back-to-back Championship; the other team to achieve this feat… your mighty Brisbane Capitals who defeated the Meteors twice on the road in 2015.

Last Meeting: The Caps last played the Meteors in game three of the 2015 QBL Championship series at Mackay; the Caps lost the deciding game in an absolute nail-biter, 86 – 88. This epic three game series went to the wire with Mackay taking Game #1, 76 – 82. Game #2 saw Brisbane reassert themselves and take a decisive victory, 85-73 and tie the series 1-1 before both teams struck the match, which lit the fuse, to ignite the powder-keg that was Game #3; based on a long history, this Sunday’s “Grand-Final” rematch is sure to be explosive.

 

HELLO MR. ANDERSON

Aaron Anderson has returned to Brisbane in 2016 determined to lead the Caps to the QBL Championship. Aaron has fast assimilated to life in Brisbane and has set about reconnecting with the local basketball community and going to work on the court with deft precision and break-neck speed. Aaron is closely involved with two of Brisbane’s key basketball clubs, the West Brisbane Falcons and the North Brisbane Dragons. Both clubs have been integral to Aaron’s return to the Caps in 2016, and BBI are grateful for their continued partnership. Has the local support aided Aaron performance on the court? All Aaron’s major statistical figures are up on last season which is an added bonus to the Caps with the speedster’s unselfish play being a highlight of his integration into the Caps team. A fan favorite for his exciting team play (30 total assists), precision shooting (122 total points, including 34 made free throws) and terrier like tenacity on defence (13 steals), Aaron currently sits in the top 5 of four of the leagues key statistical categories; his 2016 season averages include 20.3ppg, 4.8rpg, 5.0apg, and 2.2spg.

 

HOME SWEET HOME at the DOME:

The Hudor Brisbane Men’s Capitals home court 11 game win streak was ended in round 4 at the hands of the South West Metro Pirates. However, since the beginning of the 2014 season, the Caps currently hold a regular and postseason home court record of 11 – 2 and look to extend on this record v Mackay this Sunday.

 

SBL Men: The Brisbane Capitals SBL Men’s team (2^nd, 4–0 record) are on the road this Sunday against the Logan Thunder (11^th, 1–3 record) at Mt Warren Sports Centre. Tipoff is scheduled for 4pm.