WheelKings finish season on winning note
Monday, 6th September, 2010
It was the last game of the season for both teams and Adelaide looked headed for the win with a 17 point second-quarter lead. However, Wenty's stifling full-court defence saw them turn it around in the second half to take the match 81-61 at Minto Sports Centre yesterday.
Saturday's game saw captain Craig Cannane step up but this match belonged to 17 year old CJ Grogan who had his second monster outing of the season. His 34 points and 14 rebounds helped chew up Adelaide's lead then made sure the home team stayed in front. Fellow rising star Keegan Oh-Chee, also just 17 years of age, had his first double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Kylie Gauci had a terrific point guard's game with 10 assists and 4 steals.
The game started with Wenty apparently asleep, allowing Thunder big man Matt McKenzie to score 16 first quarter points and take his team to a 27-12 lead at the first break. He was getting into the key way too easy so Coach Hewson had his players make sure he couldn't penetrate in the second quarter. McKenzie was forced to take most of his shots from mid-range and this slowed him down to just 5 points for the period. The WheelKings slowly whittled their way back into the game and were down just 9 at the half, 39-30.
The second half was all Wenty as they trounced Adelaide 23-8 in the 3rd quarter and 28-14 in the final term. The strategy of Kylie Gauci, Shannon Dallas, Yara Ryan and Brad Grove all pressing up the court to slow down Adelaide's big men really paid off. However, it's fair to say that the Thunder were tiring badly after playing their third game of the NSW road trip in less than 40 hours. Still, their reliance on individual brilliance to score points cost them dearly. Coach Daryl Taylor was well-aware of the problem but couldn't get his players to create seals and screens for his main scorers.
Coach Hewson was very pleased after the game, "It was a great way to finish the season with 2 wins, especially when our youngsters played so well. Craig and Kylie have shown that they can lead the team, and I have no doubt that we'll be very competitive in the next 2 or 3 years as our players develop."
Full box scores can be accessed at http://www.fibalivestats.com/matches/17/02/33/44/67dtY7EMtaqAg/
Photos from Sunday, clockwise from top left - Josh Meoli, Shannon Dallas, Yara Ryan, Mari Amimoto
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