All of our “Player of the Game” superstars will receive a FREE PIZZA from our friends at Domino’s Kalamunda – Thanks Guys!
Players of the Round:
Isobel Wood – (U14 Girls Black) – After being sidelined with a back injury, Bel came back firing. She finished with 7 points on 50% shooting, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block, but it was the way she played that stood out. She brought energy, attacked the game with intent, and lifted the group with her effort. Coming straight back into the line-up and throwing herself into every contest was awesome to see. Great to have you back, Bel.
Declan Quayle – (U14 Boys Blue) – Declan’s leadership has been outstanding this season, and he stepped up this round and gave the team a much needed energy boost. He wasn’t our highest scorer, but his effort throughout the entire game showed. Non-stop running, making the right plays, playing incredible defence and staying patient on offence. Derek described him as having a V8 motor this week, and he is absolutely right!
U12 Girls Black
Sponsored by: Clever Fox Marketing
Coach: Lizzie Falconbridge
Won against Perth Redbacks (49 – 16)
U12 Girls Orange
Sponsored by: Diesel’s Mobile Mechanics
Coach: Bonnie Batista
Loss against Mandurah Magic (14 – 44)
U12 Girls White
Coach: Bianca Powell
Loss against Perth Redbacks (24 – 33)
U12 Boys Black
Sponsored by: Rover Tech
Coach: Lizzie Falconbridge
Loss against Joondalup Wolves (48 – 78)
Coaches Notes
This week the boys rebounded from one of our most disappointing efforts to play a fantastic game. Don’t be fooled by the score, Wolves are undefeated and the benchmark, and we took it right up to them in the first half. The defensive intensity was back and the offensive aggression was evident. The defense kept going into the second half, but our offense stalled and eventually the better team pulled away. The final score did not do this game justice. This is a game that we are all happy with, even though we lost. If we play like this in the last few weeks of the season we will be tough to beat.
Player of the Game
Ashton Smith was our best player today. He was aggressive from start to finish, taking it to the Joondalup bigs inside, securing rebounds on the defensive end and setting up teammates with some great long passes down the court. Great game Ashton!
U12 Boys Orange
Coach: Nathan La Cava
U12 Boys White
Sponsored by: Alliance Engineering Consultants Pty Ltd
Coach: Terrence Murdoch
Won against Perth Redbacks (65 – 63)
Coaches notes
This week we faced a determined Redbacks team on their home floor. Perth’s ladder position does not indicate how close they have played us all season and they showed a huge amount of grit, pushing us to the very last second of the game, with our Suns pulling off an exhilarating 2 point win.
In a tight contest, every possession mattered. Perth used their size advantage to gain inside position, generating too many put backs. For stretches we battled well on the glass, however we gave the Redbacks too many second chances. Our defence simply has to be better in a very even division, where giving up second chances hurts us dearly. Rebounding has been a recent focus and we are showing signs of growth in that area, with plenty more still to come to reach our potential.
Conversely, the boys’ ball movement in transition was outstanding as we put up our highest score of the season. Our passing has continued to improve each week and is a big strength of the team. In the end we did just enough when it mattered most, going ahead as time expired. It was an exciting win that should galvanise the group for the home stretch. If we can tighten up our defensive intent and rebounds we can give ourselves a big chance come finals time. Great win boys!
Player of the Game
This was another great game with a number of solid contributors, the honourable mentions going to Stellan, Malachi, Harry and Jack, all contributing at both ends. However, our player of the week was the man in the middle Carter Murdoch. Carter played a strong game, competing with the Redbacks colossal front line for rebounds, starting off our fast breaks and showing a lot more confidence, both attacking and defending the basket. With the inbound play with 0.5sec on the clock drawn up for him, he had ice in his veins, draining the contested mid-range catch and shoot jumper for the win off a great feed by Malachi. That was a moment, we won’t forget any time soon. Great game big fella!
U12 Boys Blue
Sponsored by: Maintain
Coach: Dean Simmons
Loss against Joondalup Wolves (44 – 71)
Coaches Notes
This was a tough grueling game, we started off strong gaining a lead early by a reasonable amount only to lose it from careless fouls and turnovers. Most of the team maintained discipline while others lapsed focus, getting into foul trouble early plus a few injuries saw us buckle under the pressure. We soldiered on increasing our defense, grabbing boards and giving our all under the circumstances and did our best to keep the Wolves at bay but they couldn’t miss.
Player of the Game
This week goes to both Jaxon’s!! little Jax fouled out but not before 3 assists and 4 rebounds showing his true self again and acting like a champion at all times, Big Jax is always the man. 12 boards, 2 assists but just an animal to deal with where ever he is on the court! well earnt boys!!
U14 Girls Black
Sponsored by: Midland Mitsubishi
Coach: Lawrence West
Loss against Cockburn Cougars (47 – 60)
Coaches Notes
This week we came up against a Cockburn side that just worked harder than us. They had 88 shots to our 53, grabbed 28 offensive boards and forced us into 35 turnovers. That is too much to give away to a good team. When we kept our spacing and moved the ball quickly, we got good looks, but we didn’t do it for long enough. Defensively we had some solid moments, but we gave up too many second chances and weren’t urgent enough getting back in transition. We know what we are capable of, and we will bounce back. It is on us to be more disciplined and consistent if we want to hit our goals this season.
Player of the Game
Isobel Wood – After being sidelined with a back injury, Bel came back firing. She finished with 7 points on 50% shooting, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block, but it was the way she played that stood out. She brought energy, attacked the game with intent, and lifted the group with her effort. Coming straight back into the line-up and throwing herself into every contest was awesome to see. Great to have you back, Bel.
U14 Girls Orange
Sponsored by: KTRANS
Coach: Zac Belton
Won against Warwick Senators (44 – 39)
U14 Girls White
Sponsored by: Pat Rando Homes
Coach: Adam Chambers
Loss against Joondalup Wolves (33 – 53)
Coaches Notes
A winnable game slipped away as our slow starts again proved costly. Hosting the Wolves, we conceded the first 13 points and trailed 4–15 after one. Turnovers and defensive lapses plagued us early in the second, but a late 6–0 run sparked some energy. Halftime score: 16–30. After the break, we lifted our ball pressure and improved spacing, moving the ball with purpose and finding better looks. The third quarter was our best, taking it 13–8 and swinging momentum our way. The home crowd sensed a comeback, but the final term told a different story. Defensive focus wavered, opening the door for the Wolves to pile on easy baskets and close it out 33–53. With two games remaining, we need to find our best consistent brand of basketball if we’re to go deep in the post-season. It’s up to the team to come together and get it done.
Player of the Game
This week’s Player of the Game honours are shared between Ruby Chang and Sandra Chan, who combined for an impressive 22 points. Ruby’s relentless effort, ball pressure, and ability to run the floor were a highlight, while Sandra muscled her way through the paint and knocked down open shots with confidence. Both are tireless workers who set the tone for the team. Special mentions to Amelia Soka, Indigo Anderson, and Eliza Eaton for their valuable contributions to the scoreboard.
U14 Girls Blue
Sponsored by: DCI Group
Coach: Kym Buckingham
Won against Mandurah Magic (43 – 39)
Coaches Notes
We finally had a full squad back and challenged the girls to bring their intensity from last week from the start and they delivered for the most part. We also challenged the girls to win all 4 quarters of the rebounding to which they did with success (25-13). We have been working hard and on passing and leading which we saw work to great effect. The girls are continuing to make great space and shot selection on the court which has been another focus. We faded out in the 3rd with some foul trouble hampering us for a while but the girls managed to hold their nerve to get the win in the end.
Player of the Game
Sophia came out firing right from the start. She can be quiet off the court but her basketball speaks volumes. She rebounded strong and her shots didn’t look like missing getting 17pts. While she got in foul trouble early she did well to not foul out and be a force to be reckoned with.
U14 Boys Black
Coach: Declan Kinsella
Loss against Joondalup Wolves (76 – 78)
U14 Boys Orange
Coach: Ben Marks
Won against Perth Redbacks (56 – 54)
Coaches Notes
Another nail-biting win! Three in a row now going into the last two games of the season is putting us in a good position, peaking at the right time of the season. We were in control for most of the game, keeping a lead between 8 and 13 points due to a high level of defensive intensity and passing ahead in transition for some easy buckets. Some careless turnovers in the 4th allowed our opponents to get in front by 2 points but some clutch free throw shooting by Nathanael going 4 from 4 in the last minute sealed the win. In what was another team effort, the way we shared the ball and found the open man was great to see, as the coaches have been stressing this all season.
We are starting to trust one another and have shown some resilience over the past few weeks, keeping our cool when it matters most and knocking down some clutch shots. If we look after the ball a little better, there will be few teams to stop us for the remainder of the season.
Player of the Game
The player of the round this week was Cohen. He really set the tone for our defense in the first half which was the catalyst for us taking a lead. Cohen really took to heart the saying that ‘defense is sometimes your best offense’, creating opportunities from effort and picking up 8 of his own points in transition.
U14 Boys White
Coach: Dave Gan
Won against Warwick Senators (69 – 37)
Coaches Notes
We went into this game with the intention of treating it like a finals game, lose and we are out. Warwick being the only team to have beaten us (in overtime) meant that we wanted to see how far we’ve come since that game as well as make a statement that should we meet again in the finals that the first time loss wasn’t just an accident. The final score was very much a reflection of how we treated this game, an absolute must win type mentality. Our defense was immaculate from the half court we played to our strength and disrupt their game.
Special mention to following players. Issac Falconbridge for having his best game this season running the point, he was on such a heater that he played the entire 4th qrt as well as majority of the end of the 3rd. Christian Gomes also had his breakout game running majority of the game with Kobe as the 1-2 guard up the floor and similar to Issac he was solid with his ball handling as well as aggressiveness. Preston had 15 points with majority coming off his own effort of steals and fast break. Having missed 2 weeks because of flu post break, he’s come back with force. Special mention to Hayden for taking a hit to the head on defense and having to go to hospital after the game just incase.
Player of the Game
Even though the boys above were mentioned could have easily got player of the game, there was just one very special player this week. Kian Pullen, who had recorded 0 rebound the first time we played and struggled against Warwicks star centre, this game was very personal for him. In the end.. Kian had 16 Rebounds follow by 9 steals!! It wasn’t just any type of steals and rebounds.. he was ALL over the floor.. the steals would leave to fast break points.. the rebounds would lead to 2nd and 3rd chance points for his team mates, and his screens were physical that the Warwick boys were scared! I want to repeat.. 16 Rebounds 9 Steals!!! And he sat for extended period of time on the bench!
U14 Boys Blue
Sponsored by: SW Hart & Co
Coach: Sebastian Irving
Won against Perth Redbacks (97 – 65)
Coaches Notes
This was our best game in terms of scoring output from the team. Everyone chipping in with Boo and Issac even having 20+ point games. We played with a consistent effort for almost the entire game, against a much improved Redbacks team. Our full court ball pressure pulled us away in the final quarter ending a very well rounded game.
Player of the Game
Player of the round is Declan Quayle. Declan’s leadership has been outstanding this season, and he stepped up this round and gave the team a much needed energy boost. He wasn’t our highest scorer, but his effort throughout the entire game showed. Non-stop running, making the right plays, playing incredible defence and staying patient on offence. Derek described him as having a V8 motor this week, and he is absolutely right!
U16 Girls Black
Sponsored by: Njamal People’s Trust
Coach: Ricardo Batista
Loss against Warwick Senators (53 – 87)
Coaches Notes
This week, we faced the formidable Warwick Senators, who lead the table, making it clear that we were in for a challenging match. We began on a strong note, with our defense displaying exceptional organization. All five players were actively engaged, communicating effectively, and holding each other accountable—a crucial aspect that we’ve been working on all season. Offensively, our performance was upbeat, characterized by strong drives and effective ball movement. Despite the final score, we played well and maintained our composure. However, during the third quarter, the Senators managed to hit six three-pointers and intensified their defensive pressure, which made it difficult for us to stick to our game plan. Even in the face of this pressure, we remained positive and fostered a supportive team environment throughout the game. This match was a testament to our progress and resilience, and we’ll take these lessons forward.
Player of the Game
This week, it was tough to select a Player of the Game again. Carmen Nicole Robin was exceptional again, making impactful drives into the keyway and demonstrating impressive physicality. I also want to highlight Matilda Susan Rodman Little, who consistently puts in the hard work for her team. This week, she collected an impressive 15 rebounds, showcasing her dedication and effort.
However, the Player of the Game goes to Olivia Geraldine, who delivered an outstanding performance with 14 points on 6 of 13 shooting, along with five assists and five rebounds. The amount of hard work Liv puts in for her team every week on the defensive end cannot be understated. Congratulations, Liv—well done!
U16 Girls Orange
Sponsored by: SG Enviro
Coach: Daniel Heyman
Won against Cockburn Cougars (54 – 35)
Coaches Notes
After a disappointing game last week, our girls were challenged to look at how to better execute under pressure. Against a perky Cougars team, we started slow but picked up the intensity by quarter time. In the second period, our Suns flexed their defensive prowess and extended the lead. At the half, the talk was about getting the job done. The last half was a demonstration of how we can stick to a game plan and play as a team to get the win. Though our team defence is key our team’s identity, our offensive flow and connectivity was outstanding. We played in our team structure and found each other for great scoring opportunities.
Player of the Game
Chelsea Parker. After being tasked to lead the team with her effort and voice on defence, Chelsea came out hard. She was an absolute menace, pressing up on the ball and executing our trap. Her aggression on offense and relentless attack of the paint helped us find our offensive flow. Chelsea invests a great amount into her own skill development, and it shows in her tight handles and use of angles when breaking down opponents. Amazing work, Chelsea!
U16 Girls White
Sponsored by: First Generation
Coach: Rae D’Sylva
Won against East Perth Eagles (51 – 41)
U16 Girls Blue
Sponsored by: Lamp Accounting
Coach: John Shea
Won against Hills Raiders (61 – 37)
Coaches Notes
Great result from the team this week winning every quarter and coming away with the win by 24 points. A great all round contribution with all players getting on the scoreboard. Especially pleasing were the made free throws from all players making up 17 of the final 61 points.
Player of the Game
Player of the week was Angelena who was awesome this week as our top scorer with 15 points and also made her first 3 of the season. Special mention to Ava, Jaelyn, lily and lucy who also played well.
U16 Boys Black
Coach: Bruno Kongawoin
Loss against Warwick Senators (62 – 85)
Coaches Notes
This week, we faced a tough challenge against the Warwick Senators. Their size advantage gave them a clear edge in aerial contests, and while our preparation focused heavily on countering this, we ultimately fell short. Despite being outsized, we moved the ball reasonably well in transition and shot more efficiently from both the field and the free-throw line. Unfortunately, turnovers and poor decision-making limited our scoring opportunities and prevented us from mounting a stronger push. On a positive note, our players fought hard to offset the size disparity. Kieran Dunn came off the bench to pull down 6 rebounds from the guard spot, while Raymond Tafira delivered his first double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds, including 6 on the offensive glass. Although we won the battle on the defensive boards 24 to 23, we surrendered 25 offensive rebounds to our 8, which the Senators turned into 32 points.
Next week, we hit the road again to face the Willetton Tigers. We’re expecting another tough battle, but the team is eager to bounce back and keep building momentum.
Player of the Game
This week’s Player of the Round is Prince Balila. Prince has stepped up with the leadership we’ve been looking for in recent training sessions, and it showed in his exceptional offensive performance with 15 points. His strength and speed were on full display, and it was fantastic to see him come off the bench and prove why he’s one of the key pillars of our team. With two games left in the season, we’re excited to see more performances like this as we finish strong. Well done, Prince…
U16 Boys Orange
Sponsored: #RISETOGETHER
Coach: Chris Clyne
Loss against Perth Redbacks (61 – 75)
Coaches Notes
A very flat game against one of the top teams in the competition. Unfortunately we were not able to generate any ball or player movement on the offensive end, and defensively we allowed Redbacks to continually drive through the middle for easy scoring opportunities. On a positive note, despite not playing our best basketball, we were still in the game in the last quarter and we find ourselves still holding onto 4th spot on the ladder
Player of the Game
Cal Kwe – Once again provided great energy off the bench at both ends of the floor. Cal seemed to be able to get to the basket at will, causing some headaches for the Redback defenders.
U16 Boys White
Coach: Derek Quayle
Loss against Lakeside Lightning (57 – 84)
Coaches Notes
Another 8am game for us and the boys were not “on song” today. We were off by about 5% in everything we did today and unfortunately when you are playing a top of the table game you need to be switched on. With finals just around the corner we have some work to do at training so that we can clean up and get back to playing our brand of basketball.
Player of the Game
Jermaine DeSilva gets the nomination this week for his 13 points and physical defence when we needed it. Edzon scored 11 while 5 others scored in the 5-7 range
U16 Boys Blue
Sponsored by: GJ Demo Pty Ltd
Coach: Joel Warner
U18 Girls Black
Sponsored by: Bambii B
Coach: Zac Belton
Loss against Warwick Senators (57 – 70)
U18 Girls Orange
Sponsored by: Parker Crofts & Co
Coach: Simon Calvert
Loss against East Perth Eagles (55 – 67)
Coaches Notes
Despite being shorthanded with two players out, we delivered one of our best performances of the season against a red-hot East Perth team that had won 4 of their last 5. Our defensive intensity disrupted the Eagles’ rhythm, and offensively we put together a strong first half, trailing by just three at the break. East Perth came out firing in the third, scoring the first 7 points and pushing the lead to 11 by quarter’s end. We stayed resilient and believed we could claw back, but couldn’t close the gap beyond 8 in the final stretch. This was a gutsy effort from our girls against an improved opponent and a great reminder of what we’re capable of. With two games to go, we’re excited to build on this momentum. Great game, girls!
Player of the Game
Ashleigh Calvert is our player of the round this week. Ashleigh was a defensive force in this game, setting the tone with relentless pressure, shot blocks, and strong rebounding. Her in-your-face defence made life tough for her opponents every minute she was on court, and her intensity lifted the entire team. She was a key contributor in one of our best games of the season. Well done Ashleigh!
U18 Boys Black
Sponsored by: Auto One Kalamunda
Coaches: Brock & Dyson Lowe
Loss against Warwick Senators (83 – 94)
U18 Boys Orange
Sponsored: #RISINGSUNS
Coach: Ron Flores
Won against Perth Redbacks (89 – 86)
Coaches Notes
We welcomed a few player back from extended injury lay-offs and they really added some balance and depth back into our side.
In a hotly contested game the young men demonstrated grit, discuss resilience to hold off a fast finishing determined Redbacks outfit.
Players of the Game
Honourable mentions this week.
Kobe Seubert- Finished with 21 points and was relentless all day defensively.
Cooper Hewer- Finished with 23 points and really set the tone early with his scoring, from there on was face guarded pretty much the remainder of the game.
But this weeks player of the game is Odin Amundsen
Finished the game with 14 points and double digit rebounds.
Worked tirelessly all day and did all the team things that we have come to expect from this quiet achiever.
U18 Boys White
Coach: Rob Rees
Won against Rockingham Flames (94 – 64)
U18 Boys Blue
Sponsored by: QDC
Coach: Doug Bainbridge
Loss against Perry Lakes Hawks (70 – 79)
Coaches Notes
It was good to see signs of our form coming back after two challenging weeks following the season break. We are still battling a few injuries and it was devastating to see Sam come out of the game late in the first with a bad ankle sprain. We were in early foul trouble too which stretched our bench and a very uneven foul count saw Perry Lakes at the line 15 times to our 3…..We had a solid game implementing the pressure we have been famous for all season and led by 5 points with 1:30 remaining. Perry Lakes came out of their last time out just a bit hungrier than us and had a great finish to take the game.
There were more positives for us than negatives though and I feel as we are on the verge of reclaiming our early season form and dominance as we head into finals time.
Player of the Game
Lionel Chitiyo wins our player of the round this week. Lionel came out strong hunting the opposition ball handlers and punishing them on turnover. He lead our offence all game calling the right actions at the right time and creating great opportunities out of our sets. Top scoring with 16 points in a pretty low scoring game but more importantly his defensive pressure set a strong standard for the rest of the team
U20 Boys Black
Sponsored by: CSI Mining Services
Coach: Bailey Ferguson
Won against Cockburn Cougars (95 – 94)
U20 Boys Orange
Sponsored by: ComWiz Computers
Coach: Rae D’Sylva
Loss against Lakeside Lightning (68 – 122)
U21 Girls Black
Sponsored by: Stott Hoare
Coach: Charlie Smart
Well done to all teams and we look forward to round 15!