The Kalamunda Eastern Suns shored up fifth spot on the WSBL ladder and continued some good form, in front of their sponsors, knocking off the Mandurah Magic in a comfortable 70-54 victory at the Furnace. The Suns were again without Captain Ajay Jones who missed both games this weekend, were too strong for a young and emerging Magic team.

The Suns lead at all changes, and celebrated Emma Berryman's 200th SBL game, suffocating their opponents, taking 17 more shots and dishing out 12 more assists. Coach Craig Mansfield was also able to rotate his player sharing out the minutes.

Melissa Moyle led the way for the Suns with 14 points and Chelsea Armstrong scored 13. Jennie Rintala pulled down 11 rebounds and also had a game-high 5 steals.

The Suns would be very comfortable with the 'dark-horse' tag entering the play-offs, following a tough six game losing stretch prior to the last round of the season. In that stretch though, the Suns lost three games by 5 or less points.

The Suns have an impressive, league best, home record of 9 wins and 2 losses, and will favour themselves in any game at the Furnace. In games throughout the season against the four teams above them on the ladder, they have a 4-4 win-loss record, though interestingly, they are only one of two teams to have beaten top-placed Willetton in both encounters (the other being Lakeside).

The WSBL play-off schedule is to be released soon.

The final game of the 2013 MSBL regular season has come and gone, and whilst the Suns went down by 8 points, to the finals bound Mandurah Magic, 99-107, the future is most certainly bright. Luke Nevill top scored with 34 points and also had 16 rebounds, Ben Smith had 16 points, Joel Questel and Kerrod Horn had 13. Louis Timms, the rejection specialist, had 5 blocks. Jake Louthean, who had been out for several weeks, due to injury, was fantastic providing some punch off the bench with 6 points and 3 boards in just eleven minutes.

The ending wasn't the finish retiring Russell Haxby was looking for, but as he was subbed out with three minutes left to play, the crowd rose to their feet to applaud a legend of the SBL, and in a touching gesture, warmly embraced every member of the staff and playing roster on the Suns bench.

Given the team won four games and also lost six games by less than 10 points*, against four of the top eight teams, the so-called 'pundits' who were predicting a winless season will most certainly have some egg on their face as the season wraps up. 

The Suns team this year was virtually unknown to many in basketball circles. However Coach Warren Kuhn, arguably amongst the top two or three coaches in W.A, possibly Australia, has a game style and a plan, and excitingly, it is only one year in.

Looking at the roster, Vice-captain Ben Smith didn't play the 2012 SBL season and this season finished third in this season's 3 pointers made tally. Captain Joel Questel, who was in the top echelon of 3 point shooters last season, was closely guarded by many teams, though comfortably accepted a different role within this team and still managed to shoot the ball. Luke Nevill, a Perth boy, had never played SBL, and whilst seeing glimpses of his best in the NBL, SBL fans were treated to a show each time he played with dunks and shooting never seen by an Australian in the SBL. The big man finishing as the league leading scorer per game and third in rebounding.

Louis Timms had played almost no WABL basketball. How then could a forward be such a dominant shot blocker in his rookie season? You see, Timms is different to other WA, indeed other Australian, players. Timms was never taught by a coach to stay down when defending an opponent so that he didn't get fouled, which would ultimately also limit his athleticism. Add in Lucas Emery, who will be venturing off to junior College, the"Kalamunda Kid"- Kerrod Horn and the "hustler"-Jono Diaz and you have the makings of a very, very talented team, Of course a sprinkling of experience and leadership in the form of Russell Haxby and Dayo Oladejo was required and many other youngsters were given their go at playing and definitely proving themselves more than capable at this level. The future is bright and everyone can rest assured that Coach Warren Kuhn and his assistants will already be planning the 2014 campaign today.

Article by Steve Trajeski
Photo by Serene Maisey: Suns star Melissa Moyle.
Photo by Kevin Wernli: Pre-Game at the furnace.