June 21, 2013

Photo:  No party this time around for the Eagles who lost out to the Jets in the Preliminary Final 70-67

Challenge Season

Darwin Airport Resort League Results from Thursday 20 June 2013

Preliminary Finals

League Women –Ansett v Uni Rebels

Ansett staged a last quarter come-back that overcame the tenacious Uni Rebels for a 56-52 win that gives the Blues another shot at the Tracy Village Jets in Saturday’s Grand Final at 2:00pm. The Rebels had led throughout the first three quarters of play before the Blues made their move close to the end of the last quarter. Before that however, the Rebels held a slim margin thanks to the effort of the two Jaylene’s, Boundry (19pts) and Bonson (13pts), who shouldered the scoring burden for the Rebels as they have during the season. The stage was set for a furious finish as the teams began the last quarter with the Rebels clinging to a 36-35 lead. It took the Blues almost seven minutes to peg back the Rebels. With 4:05 left to play Ansett’s Lauren Flanagen hit a three pointer to tie the game up at 44-44 and then Sam Drescher nailed a trey that gave them a game changing 47-46 with 3:18 remaining in the game. The Rebels never got any closer as Drescher (18pts and 16rebs) hit the next two baskets for the Blues & Flanagen (15pts) added another for a 7 point lead with 1:57 to go. The Rebels didn’t go away though as both Bonson and Boundry hit three pointers to retain a glimmer of hope, but in the end the Blues hung on to advance to the Grand Final. The last time the Blues won a Challenge Season GF was in 2007.

Ladder:                                              Tracy Village Jets 15-1, Ansett 10-7, Uni Rebels 9-8, Lightning 7-9, Eagles 4-10-0-1 & Palmerston 3-12

Saturday 22 June Grand Final:      Tracy Village Jets v Ansett 2:30pm

League Men – Eagles v Tracy Village Jets

The Tracy Village Jets eliminated the minor premier Eagles with a narrow 70-67 victory despite a game high 43 points from Eagle Buster Perkins. Luckily for the Jets nobody else on the Eagle roster scored in double figures. Phil Collins had the hot hand for the Bombers with a team high 18 followed by Travis Ellis and Liam MacLachlan with 11 apiece. The Eagles started the game flying with Perkins potting 14 of his total in the first quarter giving the Birds a 23-17 lead. The Jets then turned it all around with a second quarter 20-12 blitz to give them a slim 37-35 half time lead. The second half was much the same with the lead changing a number of times before the Jets opened up a 6 point buffer late in the last quarter with little time remaining for the Eagles. Perkins hit his ninth three pointer with only minutes to play to get the Birds within three points, but that was as close as they got as the Bombers lifted behind MacLachlan and Ellis to hold off the late rally by the Eagles.

Ladder:                                            Eagles 13-5, Tracy Village Jets 13-4, Ansett 12-3-1, Palmerston 8-7-1, Uni Rebels 5-11, Razzle 3-13 & Lightning 2-14

Saturday 22 June Grand Final:          Ansett v Tracy Village Jets 4:00pm