Women Roll On, Gutsy, Determined Victory For Suns Men
For the second consecutive week the Kalamunda Eastern Suns women’s and men’s team have recorded victories on the same day.
This week it was the turn of the Cockburn Cougars to ‘feel the heat’ in the Ray Owen ‘furnace’! In the battle between the 4th placed Suns women and the 5th placed Cougars women, the Suns, who are the only team in the WSBL with an unbeaten home record (7 wins 0 losses) proved too strong for the Cougars winning 87-66.
Young rising star Jessie Edwards was a standout with 22 points and 9 rebounds, 7 of which were offensive rebounds. Jennie Rintala recorded yet another double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds and Rachel Mueggenborg dished out 10 assists.
The Suns women now sit just one game off top spot with a 9-4 win-loss record, setting up an exciting showdown next week with the second placed Willetton Tigers (9-3 record).
The Suns men started sluggishly and surprisingly it was them not the Cougars who looked like they were coming off a tough game the previous night.
The Cougars, having had a tough home loss against Mandurah less than 24 hours earlier, made all the early running with a 16-2 start. In fact, apart from some flashes from the Suns, the first half belonged entirely to Cockburn who deservedly led 57-41 at the half.
In the third quarter the Cougars were twice able to extend the lead to beyond twenty and with under six minutes to play still held a twenty point lead, 71-51. However a monster 27-4 run brought the Suns right back into the game, on the back of some excellent shooting. A Jake Withers three-quarter time buzzer beater, from just inside the half court line, incredibly gave the Suns their first lead for the game which they would go on to hold for good.
The Suns came out all guns blazing in the final quarter and extended their lead to nine early on, but Cockburn, last year’s premiers, didn’t give in and with less than a minute, the Suns only held a slender one point lead.
Cue fist-pumping vice-captain Ben Smith to hit an off balanced long field goal and then young Kerrod Horn to coolly knock down two free throws to seal the second straight win, 105-100.
Smith scored 31 points for the game, including a phenomenal 8/16 three-pointers, Luke Nevill, who is now on Australian Boomers team duty, lead all scorers with 33 points and 19 rebounds, ‘Newcomer of the Week’ for Round 11 Louis Timms had another double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds and Kerrod Horn had 11 points and 6 rebounds playing off the bench.
This week the in-form Suns teams take on the Willetton Tigers on Saturday 8th June at Ray Owen Sport Centre, the ‘furnace’. The women’s game, tips off at 6.30pm followed by the men’s game at 8.30pm. Get along and support the Kalamunda Eastern Suns.
Article by Steve Trajeski
Photo by Serene Maisey
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