Magic moments for Eagles women
THE East Perth Eagles women’s side enjoyed their most successful weekend of the season following two spirited wins in the State Basketball League.
The Eagles entered their first game of the weekend as rank outsiders to knock off a Willetton side that were firmly entrenched in the competition’s top four.
But cheered on by their vocal home crowd at the Morley Sport and Recreation Centre, East Perth rode on the back of new recruit Carly Wilson to record a surprise 65-52 win.
Former Australian representative Wilson was in great touch, with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
East Perth then travelled to Mandurah to complete the weekend double-header and again found themselves up against a tough opponent in the highly-fancied Magic.
Despite trailing by a point at half-time, a 23-13 third quarter burst saw the visitors set up a gutsy 74-63 road win, with Wilson’s 14 points and 13 rebounds again influential.
Sandra Faye Muller-Garner top-scored with 17 points for the Eagles, who remain in 10th place on the SBL table with a 6-12 record.
In the men’s competition, the Eagles blew a golden opportunity to move up the ladder after a mixed bag of results.
The Eagles began well in the first of their two games, recording an upset 101-91 win over Willetton at home on Friday night.
John Taylor led the way for the home side with a season-high 22 points and eight rebounds, while Jarrod Balcombe chipped in with 18 points.
But East Perth undid their good work the next night, where a trip to Mandurah to play the bottom-placed Magic turned into a nightmare for the visitors.
Coming off a 13-game losing streak, the Magic stunned the Eagles with a 28-19 opening term and never looked back, increasing their lead at every change to notch a stunning 103-74 victory.
Balcombe was again an offensive leader for the visitors with 18 points, but he had little support from his teammates, with no one else scoring more than 10 for the night.
The loss sees East Perth languishing in 12th position on the SBL table with a 7-15 season record.
Article by Eastern Reporter
Photo by June Halliday
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