31 October 2012

Photo:  Jaylene Boundry hit a season high 26 (including 6 treys) in loss to Eagles

Championship Season

Darwin Airport Resort League Results from Tuesday 30 October 2012

League Women –Ansett v Tracy Village Jets

The Tracy Village Jets avoided an upset by staging a thrilling come-back in the last quarter to pip Ansett 70-66, bringing the Blues 8 game winning streak to an abrupt halt. The Blues had built up a slim 47-42 lead after three quarters of play with Sam Drescher and new recruit Nicole Silmon knocking down most of their shots inside the keyway. Trailing at the beginning of the fourth quarter the Bombers began to worm their way back into contention and with 1:30 left on the clock Sam Rioli nailed a three pointer to break up a 64 all tie to give the Bombers the lead for the first time since the end of the second quarter. The lead was good enough for the win as they held off the final flourish from the Blues as they tried in vain to regain the lead. Rioli finished up with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists with team mate Kylie Duggan hitting 21 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Drescher finished with a game high 28 along with 13 boards, 10 assists and 6 blocked shots. Silmon hit 20 with 12 boards and Amelia Shanahan added 12 points. The Blues committed 31 turnovers leading to 19 points for the Bombers.

Uni Rebels v Eagles

The Eagles put more distance between themselves and the Uni Rebels with a close 59-51 win that should see them safely into the playoffs in three weeks. The victory gives the Eagles a 3 game gap with only 3 games remaining in the minor rounds. The Eagles won it the hard way, having to fight back from a 43-39 deficit at the beginning of the fourth quarter. With guard Michelle Friel leading the way the Birds hit the front for good when Friel hit Leonie Snowdon with a pass leading to two points and a 48-47 lead with 6 minutes to play. The Rebels kept it close, but could not regain the lead. Rebel Jaylene Boundry lit up the scoreboard with her best showing of the season with a game high 26 (including 6 treys from 11 attempts). Friel ended up with 19pts, 10rebs and 5 assists while Snowdon hit 14 with 9 boards. The Eagles got 42 of their points from inside the paint.  

Lightning v Palmerston

Lightning blew Palmerston away 80-32 to regain second place on the ladder following Ansett’s loss to the Jets. Lightning took off running in the first quarter for an 18-6 lead then capped off the game with a complete shutdown of Palmerston in the last quarter when Lightning outscored them 21-0. 35 turnovers by Palmerston didn’t help matters either as Lightning took advantage of that fault by scoring 31 points as a direct result of the turnovers. Lightning’s Brittany Ward led all scorers with 24pts, 7 assists and 4 steals. Jacinda Lambert added 18pts, 16rebs, 6 assists, 3 steals and a couple of blocks. Tahnee Lew Fatt chipped in with a season high 15 points. Jennifer Kinsella led Palmerston with 10 points and 8 boards.

Ladder:                               Tracy Village Jets 15-1, Lightning 11-6, Ansett 10-7, Eagles 8-9, Uni Rebels 5-12, & Palmerston 1-15

Next Week Round 18:       Lightning v Uni Rebels 6:15pm, Ansett v Eagles 7:45pm & Tracy Village Jets v Palmerston 9:15pm       

League Men –Uni Rebels v Tracy Village Jets

The Uni Rebels kept their playoff hopes alive as the defending champs dumped the Tracy Village Jets 60-48. The Rebels built up a 37-25 half time lead through the outside shooting of Jarrod Sheppard (20) and Justin Eckhardt (16 including 4 treys) plus the effort inside the keyway by Lachlan Headlam (16 + 12 rebs). The Jets took off after half time in an effort to stay in the game and ran off 16 points to 8 to get within 45-41, but that was as close as they would get. The Rebels regained control of the match in the last quarter to outscore the Bombers 15-7 for the win. Travis Ellis led the Bombers with 11 points and 14 boards.

Razzle v Lightning

Lightning flashed by Razzle 76-68 in a scrappy game marred by 60 fouls. Zac White came away with game high scoring honours for Lightning with 24pts, 17 boards, 4 assists and 3 steals. Cameron Bailey added 20 and 8 boards. Lightning held a 43-33 lead at half time, but after the break Luke Kissick and Phil Collins powered the green and gold into a one point lead at the end of three as the Razzle hit a purple patch during a 21-10 run that gave them a 54-53 lead heading into the last quarter. Lightning extinguished any hopes Razzle may have had with a spirited fight-back led by Bailey who hit 10 of his total in the fourth quarter during a 23-14 run that sealed the game. Collins finished with a team high 21 for Razzle plus 8 assists. For the record neither team gained any advantage from the charity stripe. Lighting hit 37% from the field to 34 for Razzle.

Eagles v Palmerston

The Eagles weathered a valiant last quarter effort from Palmerston to claim an 85-76 win that keeps them one game ahead of the Uni Rebels who need to get past the Eagles and into the final four in order to defend their title. The Eagles had set up the win with a strong first half showing to lead 47-25 at the major break. That lead was 60-39 going into the last quarter. Palmerston threw caution to the wind as they let it all hang out during an impressive 38-25 run that nonetheless fell short. Shaquille Hohipa-Wilson (14rebs) ignited the scoring spree, hitting 19 of his 32 points during the run. He was supported by Tendayi Muyambi (16 +11rebs) and Aaron Simpson (21 +15rebs), but their efforts were offset by Eagles Shonsdale Robinson (30), Buster Perkins and Joseph Johnson (23 each) who tallied 76 points between them to get the Birds over the line.

Ladder:                               Ansett & Lightning 11-4, Tracy Village Jets 10-5, Eagles 9-7, Uni Rebels 8-8, Palmerston 4-10 & Razzle 1-14

Next Week Round 19:           Palmerston v Lightning 6:15pm, Eagles v Tracy Village Jets 7:45pm & Razzle v Ansett 9:15pm, bye: Uni Rebels