All of our “Player of the Game” stars will be rewarded through the Grill’d Awesome Effort Award Program with a voucher for a FREE burger, thanks to our friends at Grill’d Midland!
Players of the Round:
Gisele Wan (U16 Girls 4) – Gisele always works hard for the team, and her efforts were rewarded with 17 points this week. She played a well-rounded game, executing everything we asked of her and confidently applying the new skills we have been working on in training. She is becoming a true leader on the court, and it has been exciting to watch her continual development.
Chad Firkins (U16 Boys Team 3) – Chad gets the nod this week for his outstanding all-round effort. He stepped up in the backup centre role alongside his usual guard/wing duties, finishing with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Despite being undersized, he embraced the challenge, played the role exceptionally well, and helped us grind out an important win.
U12 Girls Team 1
Sponsored by: Diesel’s Mobile Mechanics
Coach: Bonnie Batista
Won against Joondalup Wolves (71 – 23)
U12 Girls Team 2
Sponsored by: Scardifields Smash Repairs
Coach: Stuart Perazzo
Loss against Cock Cougars (8-48)
Coaches notes
We played the top team this week, an extremely strong Cougars outfit who sit on top of the ladder with a commanding 543%. Last time we met they defeated our full strength squad 4-51. This time around, with two key players down, we showed improvement going down 8-48. We mixed up the starting five with the girls instructed to play in mostly unfamiliar roles. Given this, the girls should be very proud of the result, there is without doubt growth team-wide. Keep at it girls, you’re doing an amazing job against older and bigger teams, we are on track for great things!
Player of the Game
This weeks player of the round goes to Zoey Gloyn. Zoey (who normally plays as the team’s “big”) was given a split role transitioning between the main ball carrier duties and defensive/offensive low post positions. Offensively Zoey managed to move the ball up the court, denying the double team, while swinging into the anchor positions seamlessly. Special mentions to Alex, Aaliyah and Evie this week who also played in modified roles.
U12 Girls Team 3
Sponsored by: RoverTech
Coach: Lizzie Falconbridge
Loss against Perth Redbacks (11 – 33)
U12 Boys Team 1
Sponsored by: West Coast Civil
Coach: Aiden Clothier
Loss against Willetton Tigers (40 – 115)
U12 Boys Team 2
Sponsored by: ME Freight Management
Coach: Alia Gard
Loss against Mandurah Magic (34 – 94)
U12 Boys Team 3
Sponsored by: Maintain
Coach: Bianca Powell
Won against Rockingham Flames (73 – 25)
U12 Boys Team 4
Sponsored by: RoverTech
Coach: Lizzie Falconbridge
Won against Hill Raiders (54 – 30)
Coaches notes
This week the team came away with a win, showing great confidence throughout the game. Our strong ball-handling skills were a standout feature, allowing us to maintain possession, create opportunities, and stay in control for much of the match. While our shot selection wasn’t as disciplined as it has been in recent weeks, with some rushed and forced attempts, it highlighted areas we can continue to improve as a team. Individually, every player contributed with determination, effort, and skill, giving their all from start to finish. Although our teamwork wasn’t as consistent as it has been over the past few games, the moments when we shared the ball, communicated, and worked together showed just how effective we can be. The opposition played a very physical style of basketball, often putting pressure and hands on the player rather than the ball, but our team responded with resilience, courage, and determination. The players stayed focused, competed hard, and never backed away from the challenge presented to them.
U14 Girls Team 1
Sponsored by: Black Hawk Industrial Supplies
Coach: Rick Batista
Win against East Perth Eagles (68 – 43)
Coaches notes
Today’s result was a 25pt win, but it was far from our most convincing performance. We continue to show glimpses of what we are capable of. The 3rd Qtr was a perfect example, where we outscored East Perth 20-5 and looked like a completely different team. Our challenge now is closing the gap between our average and best basketball, becoming a more consistent team for four quarters.
There were plenty of positives. We committed just 19 turnovers while forcing East Perth into 38, collected an outstanding 27 offensive boards, and had 18 transition points. Those numbers are a huge improvement and reflect the work we’ve been putting in at training.
We still need to improve on converting our opportunities. Despite having 30 more shots than our opponents, we left too many points on the table, especially at the free-throw line where we shot just 10/28. Our shot chart also tells a story, we finish well at the rim above 60%, but those short pull-up just outside the key are falling at far too low a percentage. If we can turn more of those into layups, free throws or kick-out passes, our offence will take another big step forward.
Overall, another win and step in the right direction, but still plenty of improvement left.
Player of the game
This week it’s Eunice, who finished with 15 points and a huge 20 rebounds, including 11 on the O glass, giving our team countless 2nd chances. She also added 2 blks, 3 stls and only 2 turnover’s. Her energy and determination helped us control the possession battle, but her leadership now might be her most impressive ability. Being able to slow down and calm her team down when needed in the back court results in far less team turnovers.
Shout out to May 10 pts, Harper 10pts 8reb 8stls, Sophie 14pts 25 +\-, Mariska 15pts 3asts 3stls.
But Neve, Annie, Kaavya and Isla you girls were all awesome in what might be your best games so far this season!!! Proud to see the improvement in you all.
U14 Girls Team 2
Sponsored by: Belliss Custom Creations
Coach: Adam Chambers
Win against Perry Lakes Hawks (59 – 26)
Coaches Notes
Another great win for our U14 girls! Way to bounce back from our loss last week.
We came out strong from the start, attacking the basket and getting plenty of stops on the defensive end. After struggling on the boards last time we played this team, rebounding was a huge focus today and the girls did an awesome job. We also knew they preferred to pass rather than dribble, so taking away those passing lanes worked really well. We lost our rhythm in the second quarter, but responded brilliantly, winning the other three quarters by scoring 16+ points while holding them to 10 or less.
A huge thank you to Rihanna and Winter-Rose for filling in for us today, we really appreciate your help! It’s great to see our improvement from the start of the year. We’ve come a long way and aren’t stopping here!!!
Player of the Game
Player of the Round goes to Mary Taufa.
A huge game from Mary this week! She attacked the basket from the opening tip, showing exactly how dangerous a smaller, quicker player can be. She competed hard on the boards, pulling down multiple rebounds over much taller opponents, and led the way defensively with relentless hustle, great traps, and excellent reads of the play. To top it all off, Mary finished with a season high 14 points, including an impressive 8 from the free throw line. Awesome game Mary!
U14 Girls Team 3
Sponsored by: Eddie Bosuen
Coach: Blake Marten
Loss against East Perth Eagles (29 – 49)
Coaches notes
Our first half was really good, tied up at 15-15 but the 3rd quarter let us down and we couldn’t claw it back. The girls in the first half played well, high pressure defence, a lot of rebounding presence and found open options on offence. Second half effort didn’t drop but we just turned the ball over too frequently. The girls didn’t drop their heads and continued working hard in the 4th but it wasn’t enough to bring the score back
Player of the game
Emily Higham. Emily has consistently improved every single week and it really showed in this game. She made really good efforts on defence with cutting off the ball handlers and chasing down the opposition. She brought the ball up the court with the most confidence I’ve seen in her, protecting it and then finding her teammates. Emily should be proud of her improvements this season.
U14 Boys Team 1
Sponsored by: SWISH
Coach: Adrian Mok
Won against Mandurah Magic (66 – 55)
Coaches Notes
We faced a new-look Mandurah Magic side on the weekend, whose well-structured offence caused us some defensive confusion early. Despite that, we took a narrow 32–31 lead into halftime. Credit to the boys for sticking to the game plan in the third quarter. We swung the momentum by holding the Magic to just 7 points while scoring 20 through unselfish team basketball, finding open shooters and cutters. We couldn’t match that same energy in the fourth, which was a disappointing finish, but we got the job done heading into the holiday break. A big positive was recording a season-low 13 turnovers, showing we’re looking after the ball much better than in previous weeks. The next step is converting those possessions into more points.
Notable Mentions
Jobe Walker – Has made huge strides since joining us as a development player. He competes hard on the boards and consistently looks to make the right basketball play.
Alex Gerritsen – Continues to improve every week, playing with more aggression and confidence. Looking forward to seeing his continued growth this season.
Player of the Game
We have two POTGs this week:
Isaac Data – Week in and week out, Isaac brings relentless energy on both ends of the floor. He finished with 18 points, 14 rebounds (including an incredible 12 offensive boards), 6 assists, 4 steals, and a season-high 0 turnovers. A massive all-round performance.
Nathanael Hauraki – It was great to have Nathanael back after being away for a week. He looked like he hadn’t missed a beat, finishing with 24 points, knocking down 4 of 8 from beyond the arc, and pulling in 7 rebounds. Great to see him back out there enjoying his basketball.
U14 Boys Team 2
Coach: Ben Marks
Loss against Hills Raiders (45 – 57)
Coaches notes
We struggled to start the game, finding it difficult to finish and turning the ball over far too many times than we would like. The second quarter was much more of a contest, and we were able to claw back some of the lead winning the quarter by 4 points due to our defensive intensity and committing to running actions on offense. The third saw another even quarter. We played with some purpose in the fourth, continuing to move the ball better, playing out of actions and hit the boards which resulted in another won quarter, but we were not able to get on top. The poor start really hurt us as we preceded to win the next 3 quarters but were unable to come away with the W.
Once again there were many contributors to the improvement as the game went on with the scoring spread quite even. Jett made the most of his time on court with 7 points, Kirath and Preston did a good job of pressuring the ball in the second half combining for 7 steals! Freddie’s effort and physicality was again at a high level, Ashton filled the scoresheet again (6pts, 8 Reb, 3 ass and 3 Blks) and Lucas set up the actions distributed the ball well. A much needed few weeks off to regroup for back-to-back Willetton games after the holiday break.
Player of the game
I don’t often go back-to-back on player of the round, but this was a no brainer. Fletcher’s contribution to keeping us in the game was hard to ignore. His highest scoring output for the season (12 points) to go with 5 rebounds, 3 steals and a monster 5 blocks! Well done Fletch.
U14 Boys Team 3
Sponsored by: Alliance Engineering Consultants Pty Ltd
Coach: Sebastian Irving
Loss against Joondalup Wolves (42 – 83)
U14 Boys Team 4
Sponsored by: Retravision
Coach: Nathan La Cava
Loss against East Perth Eagles (66 – 76)
Coaches notes
The boys came out ready to play and we shot to a 25-11 first quarter start. East Perth applied the heat with full court pressure the whole game. Offensively in transition we looked good once we moved the ball out of the back court. At times we did not stay disciplined in our press breaker and made mistakes with the ball and made costly turnovers. We did a great job of defending those turnovers which was encouraging, Sadly we had a tough 4th quarter with a few missed shots and costly turnovers and with little time to recover we unfortunately ran out of time.
Eagles hit a buzzer beater which was a bit of salt on the wound taking the gap from 7pts -10pts at the end.
Player of the Game
Our Player of the Game is Amir Castro-Ogalde. Amir works hard on the court every game, he is the best on the team for boxing out and rebounding. Defensively he got some important stops, contained players and offensively he quietly but efficiently finds his spots and feeds his teammates or finds the bottom of the net. And that is why Amir you have earned your burger of champs.
U16 Girls Team 1
Sponsored by: Perth Hills Pilates
Coach: Lawrence West
Won against Warwick Senators (77 – 54)
Coaches notes
This week was a solid showing from our group, with a well-paced offensive effort and possibly our best ball movement of the season. We consistently made the extra pass, trusted each other and were rewarded with everyone hitting the scoreboard. Defensively we were a little slow to start, allowing Senators to hang around and keep the margin to 4 points heading into the main break.
The 2nd half saw us double down on our defensive effort, holding them to just 17 points for the rest of the game compared to 37 in the 1st half. Our communication, rotations and hustle were much improved. It‘s pleasing to see things starting to fall into place, with contributions right across the group as we head into the holiday break and prepare for the back end of the season and, hopefully, a long finals campaign.
Player of the Game
Abigail Allan: Abi stepped up in exactly the way we needed, finishing with 8 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists. Her impact went beyond the numbers. She competed hard, spaced well to manipulate the defense, and helped keep our offense in rhythm through our on-ball screen trigger. Abi attacked with intent, worked hard on the glass, made good decisions and moved the ball well to keep advantage alive.
Honourable mentions to Bel with 17 points and 7 assists, Vicky with 12 points, 18 rebounds and 8 blocks, Ali with 9 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, and Sarah for going 5/6 from the free throw line!
U16 Girls Team 2
Sponsored by: SG Enviro
Coach: Daniel Heyman
Loss against Lakeside Lightning (61-45)
Coaches notes
Playing the undefeated top side, we were always up for a challenge. It was a physical and trying battle from the outset. A tough patch in the second quarter saw us fall behind by double digits. From there the girls fought hard to get back but couldn’t quite get their nose in front. The girls executed the game plan, giving their all. We’re proud of their never say die mind set and will continue to work to improve over the mid-season break.
Player of the Game
Bonnie Clark. Bonnie was a disruptive force in defence, pressuring opponent passes and ball handlers relentlessly. Her aggressive defence created offence, leading to transition scoring. Bonnie’s heart and determination were on full display and set the standard for how we want to compete. Amazing game, Bonnie!
U16 Girls Team 3
Sponsored by: Lamp Accounting
Coach: Scott Parker
Loss against Perth Redbacks (77 – 82)
Coaches notes
This week was one of the most courageous performances of the season.
Starting the match with just eight players, determined to show Redbacks how much we have improved since our first meeting. After a slow opening quarter, the girls responded brilliantly and took the game right up to them over the next three quarters. Their defensive pressure, belief in our system and willingness to compete for every possession kept us in the contest right until the end of regular time, where the scores were locked.
Our resilience was then tested even further. We finished regular time with only four players on the court, and just seconds into overtime we lost another player to injury, leaving us to play the remainder of overtime with only three players. Despite the odds, the girls never stopped competing. To hold the Redbacks to just 6–1 in overtime with only three players on the court was an extraordinary effort and a true reflection of this team’s character, determination and commitment to one another.
While the result didn’t fall our way, this was a performance every player should be immensely proud of. The courage, resilience and fight shown by this group demonstrated how far they have come and why we continue to impress week after week.
Player of the Game
Jane Yu.
Returning from a foot injury and knowing she would be required to play extended minutes, Jane stepped onto the court with great determination and intensity. She embraced the challenge from the opening tip and continued to lift her effort as the game went on.
Her defensive performance in the second half was outstanding, applying relentless pressure and making life difficult for the opposition. As one of only three players to finish the game, Jane showed incredible resilience, composure and commitment to her teammates. It was an exceptional performance and a well-deserved Player of the Game recognition.
U16 Girls Team 4
Sponsored by: NewTrend IT
Coach: Kym Buckingham
Loss against East Perth Eagles (49 – 68)
Coaches Notes
We went into this game very undermanned with people away and illness affecting who was available leaving us with only one sub. What we discovered was we can’t underestimate these girls at any point in time. The girls played hard and smart executing the game plan to perfection, limiting fouls and working as a team which in turn stopped the game being an absolute blow out, even leading during the second quarter. We kept them within reach with only losing the quarters by 5 points and reducing that 3 in the 4th. Overall incredibly proud of the girls today and the way they turned up.
Player of the game
Gisele – Gisele always works hard for team and was rewarded with 17pts this week as a result. She played a well rounded game executing everything we asked and tried the new skills we have been working on in training. She is becoming a real leader on the court and her continual development is exciting to see.
U16 Boys Team 1
Sponsored by: VC Rigging
Coach: Brock Lowe
Win against Warwick Senators (95 – 94)
Coaches Notes
WHAT A GAME!
We saw ourselves up against the undefeated team of our division. It was a great game to be a part of plenty of offensive display on both ends neither team gaining more than a six point margin back-and-forth the entire day
With some key players back from injury we were able to put a really strong team performance together. Our strength was playing 4qtrs and playing together as a team knocking down 20 three-pointers and 30 assist. This is the team that I know we can be and it is great to see the reward from the hard work we’ve been putting !
Super proud of all these boys
Player of the game
Noah Smith
This guy continues to amaze us with his offensive ability and ease of which he scores added with his physical presence on defence he is proving to be a very good asset for our team
He took over in the fourth quarter knocking down six three-pointers along with multiple stops and rebounds.
When he applies himself and focuses on the things he can control he is a wonderful player to have
On a disappointing note 30 seconds left of the game he went down clutching at his ankle. We hope he is okay and can have his services back soon enough.
He originates from Samoa
Throwing punches like rocky balboa
Caught fire from deep, human flamethrower
26 points it can only be NOAH!
U16 Boys Team 2
Sponsored: GJ Demo Pty Ltd
Coach: Tyler Cameron
Won against Lakeside Lightning (70 – 60)
U16 Boys Team 3
Sponsored by: #RISETOGETHER
Coach: Derek Quayle
Won against Joondalup Wolves (75 – 70)
Coaches Notes
Despite missing 3 starters, we certainly weren’t missing effort. With only seven players available, we set two goals: stay disciplined with our fouls and maintain our intensity for the entire game. Our discipline didn’t get off to the best start, with five fouls in the opening 3½ minutes. From then on, though, we responded well and committed just six more fouls for the rest of the game. It was a close contest throughout. We held a small lead for most of the game, taking a five-point advantage into halftime before Joondalup fought back to trail by just two heading into the final quarter.
Chad stepped up in the backup centre role alongside his usual guard/wing duties, finishing with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Damon added 16 points while constantly attacking the basket and putting pressure on Joondalup’s defence. Alijah scored 12 points and Preston contributed 10 points and 5 assists.
A special mention to Declan, Kobe and Isaac, who all played extended minutes and made valuable contributions when the team needed them most.
Player of the game
Chad gets the nod this week with his all round effort. He had to play backup centre as well as his normal guard/wing duties. Even though he was undersized, he was able to play the role well and help us grind out a win.
U16 Boys Team 4
Sponsored by: S W Hart & Co
Coach: Hayden & Nathan Bird
Won against Binar Maali (104 – 101)
U18 Girls Team 1
Sponsored by: Handmade by Amelia
Coach: Zac Belton
Loss against Joondalup Wolves (59 – 75)
U18 Girls Team 2
Coach: Rae D’Sylva
U18 Boys Team 1
Coaches: Ron Flores
Won against East Perth Eagles (78 – 71)
Coaches Notes
We encountered an Eagles team that had fire in their eyes early, they had really set themselves the challenge of knocking us off. Our inability to execute our scout both offensively and defensively early really led to us allowing opportunities that we had looked to restrict on their behalf and then alternatively didn’t allow us to impact the scoreboard much in the first term. We made some adjustments and really started to work into the game in the second and helped us reduce their lead to two at the main break.
Pretty back and forth battle in the second half, but our defensive effort in the last 5 minutes when the game was up for grabs really helped us tip the result in our favour.
Player of the game
As mentioned above we had a pretty event contribution across the board from all our team, given we were short manned we needed it.
But the two players I want to share the player of the round this week are Kobe Suebert & Lucas Aird, their influence on this game may not necessarily show up on the stat sheet, but their effort and desire to will themselves on contest across the day were infectious and influential. They both were tough as nails all day and really had a big influence on getting us back into the game in the first half and holding the Eagles at bay in the second.
Well done gents.
U18 Boys Team 2
Sponsored: IPI Packers
Coach: Michael Fido
Loss against Joondalup Wolves (96 – 98)
U18 Boys Team 3
Sponsored by: DUG Technology
Coach: Doug Bainbridge
Win against Perth Redbacks (84 – 77)
Coaches notes
The boys returned to the winners list with an 84-77 victory over Redbacks in a hard-fought contest that showed encouraging improvement in several key focus areas.
Our pressure identity made a strong return, creating turnovers and generating scoring opportunities throughout the game. While we still need to sustain that intensity for longer periods, our defensive pressure was a major factor in the result.
Redbacks presented a significant size challenge with three strong interior players. Although we lost the rebound count, our competitiveness around the glass improved and the group battled hard against a bigger lineup. Ashton was outstanding in difficult defensive matchups, using discipline and toughness to contest without fouling.
Offensively, we showed how effective we can be when we trust our structure and run our actions. At times we drifted away from our offensive principles, taking early shots and failing to consistently get into our sets, particularly during a difficult third quarter.
The response in the final period was excellent. Our pressure lifted, energy returned, and the boys finished strongly to secure an important win. There are still areas to improve, but this was a positive step forward and a well-earned result.
Player of the game
This was one of the toughest Player of the Game decisions of the season, with several players making strong cases for the award.
Tom J gets the nod after a performance that reflected exactly how we want to play. Finishing with 15 points and a team-best +/-, he attacked aggressively, made strong decisions, and consistently executed his role at both ends of the floor.
Most importantly, Tom brought great discipline and focus, never missing an assignment and helping the group maintain structure throughout the game. It was a return to his best and a major contribution to an important team win. Special mentions also to Raff, Ryker and Ashton
U18 Boys Team 4
Sponsored by: Shade Experience
Coach: Jasper Ferguson
Won against Hills Raiders (74 – 67)
U20 Boys 1
Coach: Louis Timms
Won against East Perth Eagles (107 – 85)
U20 Boys Team 2
Sponsored by: ComWiz Computers
Coach: Dave Gan
Win against Warwick Senators (77-52)
Coaches Notes
There was SOOO much positives to write about this game that I’ll run out of characters. We’ve now beaten the top 2 teams in Hawks and Warwick, after last weeks performance against Hill, we came out and from start to finish we were locked in and only gave up 1 transition bucket where I felt we dropped our standard. After an immediate chat we were locked in again and beat top team Warwick convincingly at avenge two 1pt losses to them during state champs and pre grading friendly.
Sam finally broke out of his shell and has taken that aggressive leap on the offense, and it showed with a game high 21pts. Defensively, Coach Lawrence was a genius in getting the boys to play a very solid blitz on a zoom and perfectly explained how to execute it. We kept their top scoring guard to ZERO! that’s right ZERO pts thanks to Multiple bodies thrown at him Jayden James and Xiang the menace.
A special mention to Rajzhan with a new haircut and consistent improvement in his mental side of the game which has led to his amazing showing on the defensive end with his already offensive threat, this is going to go real well for the team.
Player of the Game
This is such a tough tough game to pick for player of the round nomination.
Sam has finally shown us that he has the toughness and grit and attitude to just go and get us some god damn buckets. The ability to move on from one miss and take the next one with disregard of the previous possession is exactly the growth we needed to see and to breakout the ‘I finally had enough of coach grilling me’ and taken 11 weeks. he thoroughly deserves it! And expectations now have moved to a higher level.
Special mention to Omid, what a game on both ends, and his connection with Sam on the 2 man game is slowly growing!
U21 Girls
Coach: Charlie Smart
Won against Mandurah Magic (82 – 51)
Well done to all teams and we look forward to round 11!