Half-century for Harrelson as Cougars sweep Redbacks
Cockburn Cougars have advanced to the semi finals of the MSBL with a clinical 130-93 victory over an under strength Perth Redbacks on Saturday night at Wally Hagan Stadium.
The victory gave the Cougars a two-nil sweep of the series after their six point game one victory last weekend. The Redbacks were missing Perth Wildcats player Jesse Wagstaff due to Boomers commitments and Joel Wagner to injury.
The win came on the back of an incredible performance from import guard Ty Harrelson, who finished with 50 points despite spending only 38 minutes on the court. Harrelson shot 18 of 28 from the field, including seven of 13 from three-point range, in his inspirational display.
From the tip off Cockburn asserted their dominance on the game from three point range, with Harrelson, Stanley Ocitti and Steven Van Lit combining for six successful shots from beyond the arc in the first quarter.
Adrian Majstrovich gave the Redbacks some second chance opportunities with his offensive rebounding and it gave Ryan Neill some open looks from long distance. Michael Vigor provided some resistance inside the key with some strong drives and low post moves.
Harrelson continued with his shooting onslaught in the second quarter, making numerous outside shots and penetrating drives through the key for easy layups. He finished the half with 29 points including six three point field goals. Ocitti contributed 20 points, despite picking up three fouls in the first half.
Both teams shot an exceptionally high percentage from the field in the first half, with the Cougars shooting 62% compared to 58% for Perth. Cockburn also shot 12 from 18 from three point range.
Despite going into half time with a 17 point deficit, the Redbacks still had Vigor, Majstrovich and Neill all scoring in double figures with Daniel Maddox and Jarrad Jackson also contributing.
The three point barrage continued early in the third quarter as the lead quickly blew out to 30 points with seven minutes remaining. Ocitti got the crowd to its feet with a thunderous dunk and foul, while Harrelson continued to light up the scoresheet notching his 40th point with 6:30 remaining in the quarter.
Cockburn notched their 100th point with two minutes remaining in the third and took a 35 point lead into the final change. The first basket in the final quarter came from Harrelson and it also ticked off his 50 point milestone. Satisfied with his starters' output, Cockburn coach Stephen Charlton cleared his bench to finish off the game.
“I thought we played a pretty good brand of basketball tonight,” Charlton said.
“I haven’t seen a performance like Ty’s on our side for a while. When you start hot like he did, you just sit back and enjoy it."
Harrelson finished with 50 points, while Ocitti was solid on both ends of the floor as he ended the game with 27 points and 12 rebounds.
For the Redbacks, Vigor tried hard all night to finish with 30 points, while Maddox was next best with 15. Cockburn shot 55% from the field for the game and made 15 from 27 from three point range.
The Cougars must now wait until Sunday afternoon to find out who their semi final opponent will be. With their series tied at one game all, Game Three between Wanneroo and Willetton will take place at Joondalup Basketball Stadium, with the winner booking a date with the Cougars in the next round.
Article by Nathan Winch at Wally Hagan Stadium
Photo by Mick Cronin
Comments
Comment Guidelines: The SportsTG Network is made up of players, families and passionate sports followers like you who have a strong opinion about sport. That's great - we want you to have your say and share your thoughts with the world. However, we have a few rules that you must follow to keep it fun for all. Please don't be rude, abusive, swear or vilify others. Apart from some pretty serious sport sanctions, we also can ban you and report you if things get out of hand. So play fair and have fun, and thanks for your contribution.