WABL Wrap Week 16 – 14/8/22
Round 16 – 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:
Mia Spry (U14 Girls) – Mia Spry- Attacking the basket with confidence and drew contact every-time. She handled the ball well under pressure and used her speed to get past them. She also rebounded well and was strong on the defensive side. Well Done, Mia
Chayse Roberts (U14 Boys) – Chayse Roberts- led the team in the first half with defensive pressure, steals and scoring. Made two three-pointers and every one of his free throws, resulting in a couple of three-point plays. Finished with his own season high of 14 points.
U12 Girls (Lawrence West)
Won against Joondalup Wolves (49 – 16)
Coaches notes
With injuries and illness, we found ourselves short-handed again this week. A real team effort was needed and that’s exactly what we got. We got off to a slow start last so this week our focus was energy and intensity, and the girls certainly delivered holding Joondalup to just 2 points in the first quarter! Our ball movement was excellent and we often gave up a good shot to get a great shot.
Player of the game
Every week it’s hard to pick just one player for the POTG award, but this week was impossible so I chose the cowards way out and picked 2!
Eloise Clince – This young lady is the epitome of dedication. Arriving back in the country at 1am Sunday morning, she was courtside and ready to go by 9am! Not only did she put a bunch of points on the board, but she played arguably her best defensive game of the season, grabbing rebounds at both ends and diving on loose balls.
Leah Darroch – Leah started the season as a development player and has been making great progress throughout the year. This week she took a big step forward, finding confidence to fight for rebounds and displaying great decision making on when to make the extra pass.
Other highlights
The silver lining to injuries and sickness is that it gives an opportunity for everyone in the team to take a step forward and fill the gap. This week it was awesome to see our whole team playing for each other and celebrating our successes together. Our energy from the bench is fantastic, which makes my job very enjoyable – thanks Team!
U12 Boys (Lizzie Falconbridge)
Won against Perth Redbacks (73 – 35)
Coaches notes
After a very slow start defensively the boys picked it up in 2nd half only allowing 10 points. Good lesson for the team to always play the game their game and respect the opponent, no matter what position they are on the ladder.
Player of the game
Congratulations to all the boys for locking away top spot with the win. It’s a little reward for all their efforts at training and extra work put in at home, but it only gets harder from here but we’re sure the boys are ready for the challenge.
Other highlights
Shout out to all the parents for driving the boys to all the training sessions and games, we understand it’s not easy getting up at 5am on a raining day but coaches really appreciate all the effort and support shown throughout the season.
U12 Boys (Joel Warner)
Loss against Joondalup Wolves (34 – 54)
Coaches notes
Overall this week was a tough game, but there were some great lessons to take away. Coaching wise, I tried to control tempo and create an arm-wrestle, which worked in the first quarter. The second quarter didn’t quite go to plan, but the third quarter was exceptional, with us winning that quarter. To make so many in-game changes and have the players understand, and execute those changes is great to see. I am confident that the boys have (and are) learning a lot this season and to play like we did in the third quarter is an example of how good we could be with more time and persistence. The boys brought a great attitude, big energy and showed their passion for each-other this week. We trained the house down on Thursday night and a lot of that was reflected in the game (particularly the third quarter) on Sunday. Our opposition had three dominant players so that presented us with some challenges, however we did manage a couple of individual wins with our match-ups. Chad proved difficult to stop, Asten took his (stronger) opposition into uncomfortable positions, Jeremy and Sam managed tempo for periods of the game quite well, a job that is very challenging when opponents trap for the entirety of the game.
Player of the game
This week’s player of the round goes to Rylan, again demonstrating that points don’t equate to winning the award. Rylan contributed solidly in defence, holding the correct defensive structures the whole time he was on the court. He also made good in-game reads in offence, something that we have been working hard on in practice. I am excited that Rylan has won the player of the round because this season he has come back from a severely broken arm. It is testament to his hard work and resilience that he has returned to this level of basketball so quickly. At times there are large expectation of Rylan as he’s our most aggressive defender and he gets lock-down jobs on specific opponents. With that role comes a fine balancing act of controlling one’s emptions and performing. Rylan continues to get better in his position, managing his foul count and presenting with a positive attitude. This week his contribution to the Team was exceptional. Well done Rylan.
Other highlights
What was particularly encouraging was the way our Team responded when we were challenged. We got outmuscled and outplayed in the second quarter, however we won the third quarter convincingly and reduced the lead to single digits. The fight-back was sparked by Jeremy and Reed with huge hustle and energy. Reed can always be relied upon to bring his energy and it is enjoyable seeing how far he has come this season. Jeremy took control of the offence and was creative in the third quarter. Asten created several open court opportunities and Tala’s footwork continues to improve. Adam, found himself in foul trouble but as always, he rebounded for his Team. Overall, our whole Team gave their best and although we faced a very good opponent, I was happy to see so many positives. Despite the result, I saw a group of happy 10- and 11-year-old boys and that matters a great deal.
U12 Boys (Tim Hart)
Loss against Mandurah Magic (38 – 51)
Coaches notes
We played the top team this week, and were up at the end of each quarter except the 4th. The gap between our last match up narrowed by 9 this time around. Defensively before Q4 we walled up and pressured layups and shots in the keyway well. We had double the rebounds in H1 (35 vs 18), and managed to put up more shots than Mandurah over the whole game (74 vs 65). Unfortunately the extra defensive pressure from the top team lead to alot of turn overs (35 vs 10), and may have contributed to our poor shot percentage this week (17%) vs > 30% for the prior three games.
Player of the game
Mathew Berkhout wins player of the round (15 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals). Mathew had the fitness to run the whole game and consistently matched up well. He applied closed effectively and maintained pressure on and off the ball. He scrapped for the ball and moved into good positions following a shot or a pass.
Other highlights
Christian controlled the ball well, while looking for team mates on the wing to receive a pass, and ran hard this week in D.
Angus shot accurately and was intense on defensive this week (11 points, making 4 out of 10 2-pt attempts for 40%, 1 x 3-point shot, 6 rebounds, 4 steals)
Sebastian provided energy today when we needed it, with quick steals and effective passes to team mates (4 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals)
Callum rebounded well and increased our pressure in the key (2 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 assist, 1 block)
Dante also contributed on the boards (2 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, 1 assist)
Preston moved out to the ball more this week (2 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block)
Ram walled up well inside, making it hard for Mandurah to score in H1 (6 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 block)
Declan showed a growing awareness of spacing (2 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal)
U14 Girls (Andrew Herbert)
Won against Cockburn Cougars (53 – 29)
Coaches notes
The ladies did really well this week collectively. We were able to set the tempo early at both ends of the floor and carry it for four quarters. This was great to see at this stage of the season.
Isla-Rose Gray put up a solid 15pts.
Jessica Prior had double figures with 10pts. Macee Rothnie, Harper Ashbolt & Georgina Appleby all contributed with 6pts.
Player of the game
A key focus this week was our talk in half court defence. This week POTR was selected by her team mates for being the one they could hear the most. Congratulations Jessica Prior.
U14 Girls (Jemma & Jaymee)
Loss against Hills Raiders (42 – 38)
Coaches notes
Defensive Pressure and Shooting
Player of the game
Mia Spry- Attacking the basket with confidence and drew contact every-time. She handled the ball well under pressure and used her speed to get past them. She also rebounded well and was strong on the defensive side. Well Done, Mia
U14 Boys (Rob Rees)
Won against Cockburn Cougars (80 – 31)
Coaches notes
We were able to give court time to all players, all players contributed to well-deserved win.
Player of the game
Tobie Freath played his best game of the year contributing to our Offense and also Defense by shutting down the oppositions best players
U14 Boys (Thor Amundsen)
Loss against East Perth Eagles (49 – 82)
Coaches notes
Under pressure from the outset, our ball protection and decision making resulted in costly turnovers. Whilst we welcomed back Milan into the 5, he was on a limited rotation after being out for over 10 weeks and after we lost Jaxon to injury, our combinations suffered against a bigger opposition. Taj and Odin worked hard to try and slow down their opposition bigs but we were undersized and outrun. Our defence did not hold and our offensive pressure was limited.
Player of the game
Taj Jeffery held his own and again put everything on the court. Always taking the biggest player, he never backs down and accepts the challenge for the team.
Other highlights
A third term fight back showed some spark and when we work for each other, positive outcomes generally follow. Losing a player to injury at this stage of the season is a challenge no one wants to face but it was great to see the players get around Jax. We all wish him a speedy recovery.
U14 Boys (Luke Poyner)
Won against Hills Raiders (78 – 37)
Coaches notes
After losing to this team uncharacteristically last time we played, the boys were keen to beat them this week. And beat them we did, by a whopping 41 points! I was so impressed with the teamwork and positive attitude demonstrated by the boys from start to finish. They were unbelievably tenacious and strong, repeatedly forcing turnovers and steals. Every single member of the team played their role and no matter who was subbed on or off, the intensity never waned and our lead kept increasing. The boys listened well to my instructions and encouraged each other on and off the court. They were focussed and determined and I was very proud of each and every one of them.
Player of the game
Chayse Roberts- led the team in the first half with defensive pressure, steals and scoring. Made two three-pointers and every one of his free throws, resulting in a couple of three-point plays. Finished with his own season high of 14 points.
Other highlights
Today’s win was a real team effort but there are a couple of players who also deserve a mention. Ethan Henderson impressed me with his tenacity throughout the game defensively as well as offensively. He landed hard on his knee at one point taking it to the basket and while barely being able to walk, still managed to make both his free throws before being subbed off. Ryan Eva top scored once again with 25 points and guided the boys in their defensive and offensive plays with confidence and his usual high basketball IQ.
U14 Boys (Shannon Trew)
Won against Willeton Tigers (49 – 39)
Coaches notes
It was a big week of adjustments going from a 90 point win playing the bottom team to going up against the top team and the boys were amazing. They all committed to playing their best individual and team defence.
Willeton hit us with everything they had and the boys responded everytime and never let the pressure get to them.
Player of the game
Aiden Avila- Aiden had his best game in defence and every time he was on the court our defence was stronger. In the last 3 minutes when Willeton were throwing everything in our defence, Aiden stepped up with 3 steals and 2 interceptions and 3 very handy rebounds. He was definitely the match winner for us in defence.
Other highlights
Oliver James was doubled and tripled team the whole game and he never gave up and keep giving the team everything he had which also freed up his team mates. Jack Craven had another solid captains game with 18 points and 3 rebounds off his own shots to show his team mates to never give up.
U16 Girls (Matt Harding)
Won against Perry Lakes Hawks (75 – 62)
Coaches notes
With 2 of our Suns girls out we only had 7 players. Your Girls really rallied together and lead from start to finish.
The last month or so we have gone away from what was making us a strong team. Instead of trying to hard we went back to why we play sports and that was to have Fun and this game we definitely played more freely and to be honest the girls in stages of the game looked amazing in transition.
Player of the game
Loana Avia and Imogen Sell
Other highlights
Skye showed Great leadership and discipline and Ana was once again amazing on the boards and defensive pressure.
U16 Girls (Charlie Smart)
Unfortunately this game was a forfeit due to illness
U16 Boys (Bailey Ferguson)
Loss against Perry Lakes Hawks (75 – 76)
Player of the game
Max Bucknell – from being down 18 or so points, Max had a big impact securing rebounds and scoring down low to get us back into the game. Unfortunately we didn’t get the win but well done Max.
U16 Boys (Lachie Riley)
Loss against Lakeside Lightning (69 – 95)
Player of the game
Zaydn Thomas. Zaydn is a serious competitor who always gives his all for the team, no matter the score.
Other highlights
Good efforts from Deacon Matthews and Jarron Atterton this week.
U16 Boys (Rae D’Sylva)
Won against Southwest Slammers (96 – 47)
Coaches notes
This week it was our best ball movement to date and the whole team were on the same page which was the reason almost the whole team was in double figures which is a very positive result. After the first few minutes our defence also stepped up and the boys ran the different defences well
Player of the game
This week it was very hard to pick a single player because all the boys played really well but Rajzhan D’sylva was again vital in controlling the pace of the game throughout the whole game which brought a balance when needed.
Other highlights
There were a lot of highlights this week as a team
U16 Boys (Tyron Neill)
Loss against Hills Raiders (65 – 71)
Coaches notes
Structurally we were better as a team, slowed the play down and thought about what we were doing and carried out some good offensive sets which only seen us go down to the bottom team by 6 points. A few minor tweaks to our mid-range shooting by our guards plus rebounding and keyway aggression by the bigs and we’ll be taking it to the opposition come finals.
Player of the game
Kobe Varias had a great game and although he wasn’t a high scorer it was everything else he done around the court which made him stand out. The way he easily broke defensively pressure carrying the ball up the court, setting up plays coupled with some great steals and assists I can definitely see Kobe has been working hard on his game and it’s starting to pay dividends at the right time, great work ethic Kobe.
Other highlights
Good hustle in defense as always and a great effort by the team having to make quick adjustments after one of our shooting guards departure for a scholarship in America. Everyone has identified and is working at filling any gaps so we’re back to our best.
U18 Girls (Dyson Lowe)
Loss against Perry Lakes Hawks (75 – 92)
Coaches notes
When we move the ball on offence and play team defence the girls are unstoppable. We let a couple calls impact the way we play something we have to be better at. If we focus on the things we can control I.e our effort and energy we will be fine.
Player of the game
Khiana. The past couple weeks Khiana has been outstanding for us both offensively and defensively. She had a team high 21 points and brought the defensive energy every possession down. Khiana not only created for herself but for the team being an instrumental part of our offence. Good job Khiana fire up.
Other highlights
Dahney had an awesome game yesterday. She was selected as a train on but any chance she gets to play she takes the opportunity and yesterday she was awesome bringing energy for us.
U18 boys (Cooper Lowe)
Loss against Perry Lakes Hawks (78 – 118)
Coaches notes
It was positive to see the boys not give up at half time and play all the way to the end. Being down 35 at half time, the game had slipped away a little bit. But once they started playing for each other, they kept with the top of the ladder team and only lost the second half by 5 points and showed that they can match it with the best teams when they are focused and willing to execute every time they are on the floor.
Player of the game
Player of the game this week was Julian Maratu. As an undersized 3/4, he really held his own and made some big defence plays against some bigger bodies, and wasn’t afraid to attack the rack and play under contact. Congrats Julian!
Other highlights
Was great to see Jake Linaker back in action after a long stint on the sideline with a knee injury
U18 Boys (Angus Hywood)
Loss against Cockburn Cougars (65 – 70)
Coaches notes
Very tough Loss for the boys this week, bouncing back from our biggest loss last week the team come out ready to play. We changed up our game to a less is more approach this week and focused on playing basketball how it should be played. Moving in transition with nice passing to find shots early. The offence is always about finding opportunities but our finishes need to be much more focused to ensure our layups are being made close to the rim.
Our shooters looked ready for fire all day with some big 3-Pt shots going down & energising the group.
The defence today was much more discipline early in the game with us securing the advantage with rebounds by boxing out and setting up with a much stronger mentality on protecting the opposition teams space.
Unfortunately with the game their to be won a few in game moments had us disrupted & we lost our momentum to finish with the cougars knocking down 2 free throws and sealing it with a 3pt.
This team has a lot to look forward to in the future with many players in 1st or 2nd year of WABL representative playing & all learning each other games through the year.
Big positives & the season has shown plenty of that every week.
Onwards & upwards- Fire Up Suns!
Player of the game
Progress Light – P was doing it all this week! Anchoring our defence in a role that gave him a little more leadership, Progress stepped up big time providing his team mates with everything he could. Big Rebounds, Lockdown Defensive Pressure, Point Guard control & getting the scoring pressure up when in transition. This was the game that proved to Progress that he is more than capable of tearing a game apart & when he plays with total focus and energy he is a game changer! Great work P, keep working on your game & the places it will take you are endless!
U18 Boys (hayden Bird)
Won against Rockingham Flames (67 – 64)
Coaches notes
Positive takeaway for this game, was that as a team we got our first win! Very proud of the work the boys put in at each training and each game they have finally got a very well deserved win.
To see massive improvement from both ends of the floor from every player, defense was a big thing for us and kept us in the game.
Player of the game
Dominic Puno, he did everything he needed to do for his team and kept the boys hyped with high intensity, it is a great pleasure being able to coach Dom, he puts his heart and soul into his players and the game of basketball. Diving for the ball getting the tough rebounds and matching it with terrific defense, Dom has been able to do it all. Fantastic performance to match a fantastic season.
U18 Boys (Rick Batista)
Loss against Cockburn Cougars (87 – 102)
Coaches notes
With players dropping like flies and one of my stars in a moon boot the day before the game, my boys showed tremendous heart sticking it the task. This one wasn’t meant to be, we lost Michael, the league’s second leading scorer in the first quarter. Saxon the leading scorer in the competition was in the wars all day, being battered over and over eventually having to come out with an elbow injury and the 5th leading scorer (Kalvyn) in the league playing one leg. We asked a lot of our bench and they very nearly pulled it out getting within 4 in the last quarter. Cockburn were very disciplined and executed their press break to aplomb. Now we head to the bye and get back in the lab ready for a clash with Warwick.
Player of the game
Hamish Stewart – Rebounded well today and stayed with the game aggressively (without crossing the line) with a few fundamental changes Hamish has great potential to do this game in and game out.
Other highlights
Lemekanis defence was great, just instant offence was again fantastic, Charlie, Adam and Lachlan were all great this week.
U20 Boys (Dan Vlahov)
Won against Perry Lakes Hawks (92 – 91)
Coaches notes
WOW what a game this was – it had everything that you could want including a Matt Canny 3pter in the dying seconds to put us 1 point up with 8.7 seconds left – fortunately we were able to keep The Hawks out of the paint and even though they secured the ball after an initial 3pt shot neither this nor their second long range attempt found their mark and we ran out winners.
With Coach Dan away at the Australian School Boys Tournament Coach Lachy stepped in and helped us get the job done and whilst we can always improve (defensively in particular) the team stepped up and there were lots of positives in this game.
ALL players did an excellent job fulfilling their roles and the on-court communication and bench energy was arguably the best we have had all season.
Some outstanding performances this week should have made player of the game a tough call and any other week Jason Moore, Matt Canny and Haydn Williams would have staked a claim but this week one player stood out and grabbed the game with both hands from start to finish
Player of the game
Ethan Nash had what can only be described as a blinder! He was everywhere and in our group, we talk a lot about hustle basketball and Ethan was the epitome of that this week and his level should be the benchmark for any player taking the court in any division.,
Other highlights
The season is now in the players hands and with two more win (at our fully achievable goal margins) we can secure 3rd spot and a favourable run into the finals.
The season is far from over but this win showed that this group of players deserve to be taking the court in 5 weeks – FIRE UP SUNS!!