By James Woite

 

WOMEN: McKendrick, Cunningham lead Panthers to third consecutive victory

The South Adelaide Panthers have come from behind to defeat the Eastern Mavericks 62-58 at Marion on ANZAC Day.

Madeline Cunningham (28 points) iced the game by making two free throws inside the final six seconds, after a spectacular three-pointer from Jaimi Rock had the Mavericks threatening to steal the win.

Panther Mollie McKendrick was named the Spirit Medallist, finishing with 16 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals. Fellow Panthers Jessica Mahony (9 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 steals) and Hajnal Nagy (17 rebounds, 4 points) had a huge impact defensively and on the boards.

Bianca Thacker had 18 points and 5 rebounds for the Mavericks, who were without the services of Emma Hooley. Shannon Tarran added 8 points and 6 rebounds.

The Mavericks led for a lot of the game and had a five point advantage heading into the fourth quarter, with Demetria Frank (11 points, 8 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 assists) impressive. But the Panthers scored 13 points to zero in the first 8:51 of the fourth quarter.

The Panthers’ eight point lead with 1:09 to play matched the biggest margin of the game – they also led 25-17 with 7:11 to go in the second quarter. It turned out to be just enough for them to see off the Mavericks, who ran out of time in their attempt to make up the entire deficit.

The Panthers, now 3-5, will face 2-5 West Adelaide on Saturday, who defeated Southern this round for their second victory of 2015.

The 3-3 Mavericks are off to Adelaide Arena on Wednesday, as they attempt to beat the 0-5 Central District Lions for the second time this year. They are then on the road against the 4-2 Sabres on Saturday.

 

 

MEN: Dodman dominates as Mavericks win for first time in 2015

 

The Eastern Mavericks have earned their first victory this season, comfortably beating the South Adelaide Panthers 93-80 at Marion on ANZAC Day.

 

The Mavericks looked the stronger side throughout the game, despite their opponents’ good form coming in. The Panthers had won their previous two matches, including a 10 point win over Forestville. The Mavericks lost by 32 to the Eagles only last week.

 

Led by the interior presence of Spirit Medallist Jordan Dodman (20 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, 4 blocks), the organisation skills of Point Guard Daniel Lean (8 points, 8 rebounds), the energy and athleticism of Atem Atem (15 points, 4 rebounds), and the instant offence of sixth-man Haydn Barns (13 points), the Mavericks played a great game at both ends of the court. With further significant contributions from DeCorey Jones (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Zac Lovell (9 points), the Mavericks simply had too many options for a Panthers side that had few dimensions.

 

The Panthers’ major scoring avenue was once again Jeremy Smith (24 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists), but the import’s foul trouble proved costly, as they dropped to 2-6.

 

Smith hit the bench with 7:55 remaining in the third quarter, following his fourth foul. At the time, the Panthers were only down 50-55. When he returned to the court, there was 8:56 to go in the game, and the Panthers were behind 63-75.

 

It took Smith a few minutes to find any rhythm offensively, and he was unable to be aggressive defensively in case he picked up another foul. As a result, the Mavericks put together a quick 7-0 run – including a tip-jam from Jones - to blow their advantage out to 19 points, and there was no way back for the Panthers.

 

The Mavericks, now 1-5, won three of the four quarters, only dropping the second 27-29. They have a neutral clash with the 2-3 Central District Lions on Wednesday, followed by a trip to Pasadena to face Sturt on Saturday.

 

The Panthers, who also got 12 points from Shane Boal and 10 from Jordan Robertson, are off to Port Adelaide on Saturday to face the 5-2 Bearcats.