In the State Basketball League over the weekend the Southlands Willetton Tigers Women’s team stamped their authority all over their quarter final series opponents the Lakeside Lightning with a convincing, but hard earned, victory 78-57.

Going into the game the 2nd placed Tigers were understandably nervous about their match up against the 7th ranked team, the only team other than the league leading Hawks to have beaten them twice this season.

Willetton’s Perth Lynx duo of Kate Malpass and Ashley Gilmore were on song right from the outset. Along with the depth of their fellow Tigers they went about establishing a five point (20-15) quarter time lead and then blew it out to 13 points (39-26) by the main break. Malpass and Gilmore had combined for 33 of the Tiger 39 points and the Lightning just couldn’t come up with the answers to the well drilled, well coached Tigers.

After the Tigers stretched their lead to 19 during the third the Lightning started the last quarter 14 adrift and could afford just one last gasp. The Tigers were caught napping for a few minutes early in the final quarter as the lead shrank to single digits (57-48), but that did not last long as the Tigers fired up to finish well on top.

Malpass topped all scorers with 31 points @ 74%, one of her best performances of the season, while Gilmore had 21 points and Courtney Hargreaves had 11 points. Young lead the Lightning scorers with 22 points but it took her 23 shots to compile them.

The best of three quarter finals series moves to the Willetton Basketball Stadium this Friday night for game two. The Tigers will be keen to put the series away with another win to avoid having to back up in a game three decider scheduled for Saturday at Willetton if required.

The game tips off at 7:30pm this Friday… tickets available at the door.

Article by Willetton Basketball Association
Photo by June Halliday