WABL Wrap Week 18 – 27/08/23
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:
Hudson Anton (U16 Boys) – Hudson Anton: contributed both offensively and defensively.
Lucy Rechichi (U14 Girls) – Lucy Rechichi: After a quiet couple of weeks her energy under the basket was great for us. Rebounding, blocking shots and finishing off the good work on offence from her teammates helped us to a win!
U12 Girls Black (Lawrence West)
Won against Mandurah Magic (47 – 37)
Coaches notes
What a great game to end our season, and a big thank you to coach Ryan for heading down to Mandurah early to help us. The first quarter was one of the best stretches of basketball we have put together all season. Our decision making was great, our shot selection on point and our defense stifling. We made them uncomfortable and took away everything they wanted to do.
Leading by 18 at the half time break we knew Mandurah would make a push; however we were disciplined in sticking to our plan and accountable in our defensive matchups, allowing us to hold them out to grab the W!
This was a very solid team effort with everyone hitting the score board and for the 2nd game in a row hitting our season high assist record.
The main highlights for me in this game were all about defense! Bel taking on the assignment of guarding the other teams best scorer and severely limiting her impact on the game. T with a tremendous chase down block and Emily taking away every opportunity for an easy score with 7 blocks! Bob was ferocious in hunting rebounds and kick starting our transition offense with great outlet passes.
On the other side of the ball we had fantastic performances as well. Indi really found her groove and got to the basket at will. Eliza played her most confident game to date with great decision making on when to shoot and when to pass. Steph’s passes were on time and on target leading to some fantastic assists and she grabbed WAY more than her fair share of offensive rebounds. Jenny was aggressive to score when open and great at finding her team mates when she drew an extra defender. Yas was one rebound away from a triple-double this week, getting it done on both ends while creating opportunities for herself and her team mates. Lastly a big shout out to Ellie who was unfortunately sick for her 50th WABL game, I know you wanted to be there as much as we wanted you with us for the last game.
At the start of the season when we graded into Champs division we set the goal of making finals, and while we missed that goal by 1 win I am very proud of how far we have come. It certainly hasn’t been an easy journey and we have suffered together on many occasions, however our growth has been massive. We have improved across the board and most importantly we are playing so much smarter than when we started. I hope this season we have laid the foundation for some future basketball superstars.
Player of the game
Player of the game this week goes to our wonderful parents who do all of the thankless jobs that make WABL possible. For all the early mornings, long drives, cold stadiums and tense games. It has been a privilege to play a small role in the development of your amazing athletes and I hope they have enjoyed the season as much as I have.
U12 Girls Orange (Lizzie Falconbridge)
Won against Mandurah Magic (49 – 16)
Coaches notes
Fantastic energy and effort from the entire team, was really great to see everyone hit the score board leading into the finals.
The other pleasing thing to see was the cheering and support from all players on the bench, regardless if you’re a starter or not.
Three more weeks of hard work!!!
Player of the game
Oceana Williams – Loved her energy and effort through out the whole game, hustling for every rebound and making the right passes – awesome to see how much she has grown, not only just in her basketball skills but as a person as well. Keep working hard everyday and the rewards will come!!
U12 Girls White (Bruno Kongawoin)
Round Bye
U12 Boys Black (Lizzie Falconbridge)
Won against Cockburn Cougars (67 – 52)
U12 Boys Orange (Tim Hart)
Won against East Perth Eagles (34 – 29)
Coaches notes
This game came down to a tale of two quarters. Q1 saw Suns with a 16 to 3 lead, which was almost entirely reversed by the Eagles in Q3 who made 16 points to our 7. Eagles were hungry for the win, and kept us on our toes in H2 right to the end – an exciting end to the season. The boys made good passing decisions throughout the game and worked hard to resist keyway dribble-penetration when we had bodies back.
Player of the game
While everyone contributed to the win this week, Alex stood out this week, for hustling back in D-Trans, showing patience in offence, giving team mates time to find space, and taking the lead on scoring (10 of our 34 points)
U12 Boys White (Patrick Massam)
Loss against Perry Lakes Hawks (26 – 79)
U12 Boys Blue (Dave Yan)
Won against Perth Redbacks (50 – 42)
U14 Girls Black (Andrew Herbert)
Loss against Willetton Tigers (40 – 67)
Coaches notes
It was an unfortunate loss to end of the regular season. Without a full squad we showed areas that need improvement with limited numbers. I was proud that the team kept going and finished the game strong.
After finishing in 4th spot on the regular season ladder, we will prepare this week for our Elimination final on Sunday.
I expect the squad to be back at full strength this Sunday with the ladies ready to do the Suns proud!!
U14 Girls Orange (Adam Brickwood)
Won against Mandurah Magic (36 – 31)
Coaches notes
While going down by the smallest of margins in the last couple of weeks we have been playing great basketball and wanted to come in and finish our season with a win.
Playing an all round bigger team our rebounding was a highlight this week, our positioning, boxing out and tenacity quite often limited Mandurah to one shot.
Offensively we have worked on passing to the post and cutting to the basket which gave us most of our points in this game which was pleasing to see.
A close finish but this time we were the ones down the stretch to hold our composure and ensure the W.
It’s been a fun season to coach this team and I wish them the best heading into State Champs!
Player of the game
Lucy Rechichi – After a quiet couple of weeks her energy under the basket was great for us. Rebounding, blocking shots and finishing off the good work on offence from her teammates helped us to a win!
U14 Girls White (Daniel Heyman)
Loss against Perth Redbacks (41 – 56)
Coaches notes
In our second meeting of the season, we faced a formidable opponent in the third placed Redbacks, on their home turf. Early on, we brought the intensity and had them matched, only trailing by 2 at the end of the first quarter. The game plan to deny their 2 main scorers worked well and we were playing our game at our pace. In the second quarter the lead blew out after a series of rushed possessions and turnovers. From that point on we were playing catch up. In the final quarter, we brought it back to be within 5 but failed to take the lead.
Both coaches had complimentary takes on the opposition and their team’s sportsmanship, as the game was played in a spirited yet positive manner. This was our last game of the season. It was a fitting way to end our season of growth, as we were competitive throughout yet didn’t get the final result we were after. It really sums up our game and season.
Notable player performances of the day include Sonja Heyman, who scored 9 points with efficient shooting. Ella Michalczuk with 7 points and another dominant performance on the boards. Lastly Jaeda Aliphon, Tarvia Girma and Lillian Tarai, who were our guard lock down defenders, facilitators and scorers.
Player of the game
Tamzin Wilsmore. Tamzin was outstanding at both ends, generating her game high 10 points off dynamic and in-your-face defence. Tamzin’s energy and pace provided what we needed to keep us close in a hotly contested on-court battle.
U14 Girls Blue (Tamara Reeves)
Won against East Perth Eagles (36 – 29)
Coaches notes
We had previously lost to this team twice before, the first time by 31 and the second by 3. To come away with a 7 point win this time with two players injured was fantastic. In this game they definitely worked together, made the right choices and shot the open shots. In the game when the Eagles had five fouls, the girls recognized this and used it to our advantage. A third of our points were from going to the free throw line. They also chased down fast breaks and brought the intensity. Let’s keep this up.
Bring on finals!!
Player of the game
Abigail Allan- Abigail top scored with 14 points in a close game, with 7 of those being free throws due to being aggressive going to the hoop and drawing the fouls. She contributed with rebounds, setting screens, guarding the paint, stopping the Eagles from scoring and passing to our advantage. She topped all this off with a 3point swish!
U14 Boys Black (Shannon Trew)
Loss against Warwick Senators (51 – 54)
Coaches notes
With an interrupted build up to this game through a couple of season ending injuries, it was always going to be a tough ask with seven fit players heading to an early game at Warwick.
To the credit of the boys available, they were fantastic. They collectively gave their everything and left nothing on the court.
The coaches set the goal to rebound and crash boards, play tough defence and attack in offence. Always tough to lose a close game, however we were super proud of the all round performance.
The boys have earned the right to play finals and will be looking to bring another super competitive performance on Sunday against Willetton.
Player of the game
Two players stood out this week, although it was a real team effort. Bailey Ryan was huge at both ends of the court for us and finished with 19 points. Tanzeke Edgar played a full game, showed a massive heart to follow the team mantra of energy, effort and attitude. Tanz had countless assists and steals to go along with an invaluable 11 points and is a worthy recipient of the Player of the round award for the week.
U14 Boys Orange (Adrian Mok)
Loss against Cockburn Cougars (51- 71)
U14 Boys White (Joel Warner)
Won against Mandurah Magic (103 – 42)
Coaches notes
This week was a well-rounded performance from Suns White. We had a comprehensive win and created opportunities to try a range of different offensive options/ defensive combinations. Aside from a handful of small lapses, Coach James and I were happy. We’ve had a couple of very competitive practices over the last two weeks and keeping the motivation high in the Team is very important late in the season, particularly after coming off the bye round. So, to put in a solid performance on Sunday was encouraging. The main take-away from the game was that we were able to use lots of different player combinations. That was the goal heading into the game, to get maximum minutes and confidence into the whole squad. We are a pretty unified bunch and in order to achieve that, there have been times over the last month where some of our lead players have taken on a smaller role. Those guys have been outstanding in accepting that we need to perform as an entire group. In their own way, those boys have demonstrated leadership and have no doubt contributed to a strong Team culture. There are so many things in Team sports that go unnoticed, as we often gravitate to the scorers and the flashy moves. James and I do our best to be observant of the whole Team. I am pleased as we embark on WABL finals that we are seeing little gems of positivity, openness to new learning, determination and effort in the squad. Yes, we have some volume scorers some skillful individuals, but our success will always be measured on how the entire group performs. Sunday was another example of a whole Team performance and as Coaches, we can’t ask for more than that.
Player of the game
This week’s player of the round goes to Reuben. Reuben made another good contribution for Suns White, shooting at 56% and pinching 10 steals. There were cameo performances across the board this week, which Reuben benefited from, as we ran some targeted offensive sets directly through him. It was great to see his shots dropping and his shot selection continue to improve. Those who went out of their way as distributors for Reuben should be credited, so well done to Chad, Sam, Peter, Elisha and Kade who made extra efforts to find Reuben, screen for him or simply position themselves correctly to increase his opportunities. Reuben had a productive scoring day on Sunday and we are a foot taller as a group when he’s firing. James and I are regularly commenting on the methods we use to get our points, with unselfishness on the basketball court being something that always impresses us. So, I note that even though Reuben scored a bag of points, he also shared the ball, which helped four of our other guys to score in double figures. Well done Reuben, a great performance whilst remaining Team focused.
U14 Boys Blue (Hayden Bird)
Won against Perth Redbacks (64 – 53)
Coaches notes
Even with a bit of a slow start the boys turned the jets on and worked together really well as a team to secure the win!
The 3rd quarter shone out to us with at one point, going up by 20pts! It was a terrific end to our regular season!
Player of the game
Mikael Leonov: after missing a big chunk of the season due to injury, he has come back and comeback strong! Especially in the game against Redbacks, he had strong rebounds and finished along side with some great communication to his team. It’s has been great to have him back on the floor! Great work Mikael keep it up!
U16 Girls Black (Charlie Smart)
Won against Mandurah Magic (64 – 61)
U16 Girls Orange (Shannon Trew)
Won against Joondalup Wolves (53 – 42)
Coaches notes
Last game of the season and we needed to win to finish 3rd and have a better run at the finals. It was always going to be a tough game up at Joondalup, especially with the foul count against you (14-4 foul count at HT)
The first quarter went goal for goal and the girls clearly looked the better team, but we missed a lot of shots. The 2nd quarter was our quarter and we took a 7 point lead going into half time.
The 3rd and 4th quarter was even until the last 3 minutes of the last where we increased our lead to 11 points.
Defensive pressure was a lot better today but rebounds, passing, shot selection and balance was poor. A few things to work on for our first game of finals.
Heidi was impressive in defence and got lots of interceptions.
Mia and Chelsea worked hard in offence for little reward but their teammates benefited from it.
Player of the game
Katie Taylor was back to her defensive best and was everywhere, jumping and stopping balls, getting rebounds and playing with lots of energy. Can’t wait to see her continue to build her confidence up. Her hard work in defence transferred into her offence where she took and finished some nice shots.
U16 Boys Black (Brad Dowd)
Loss against Perth Redbacks (72 – 75) (OT)
Coaches notes
We were down to 8 players for our last game of the season, but boy were they up for the challenge. This was one of our best games this season.
Our defence and offence was on point and everything we worked on at training came together. We were in control for 3 quarters, but a slow start to the 4th cost us the lead with seconds to go, but a big 3 pointer from Lachie drew the game and the buzzer sounded. An unexpected tech foul was given to the other team and Leslie composed himself and made the free throw and we thought we had won the game by 1 point.
Unfortunately after a discussion with the referees and hierarchy, it was decided the rules state that the tech foul was to be taken in the over time period. So we took to the court for another 5 minutes of battle, but unfortunately the Redbacks came out on top.
Jarron continued his form with another strong performance and 20 points.
Leslie was composed as ever making some big plays and finishing with 17 points.
Player of the game
Deacon Matthews wins player of the round. Deacon may have left his best game until last, finishing with a double double (19 points & 12 rebounds). Deacon has really found his form in the high post the last few games.
U16 Boys Orange (Rob Rees)
Won against Perth Redbacks (84 – 76)
Coaches notes
Very consistent all round game from all the boys.
Player of the game
Hudson Anton contributed both offensively and defensively.
U16 Boys White (Jordon Macpherson)
Loss against Cockburn Cougars (53 – 68)
Coaches notes
Although yesterdays result wasn’t what we were striving for, I am proud of everyone as a group as they delivered under pressure.
Keelan was Mr. Reliable bringing the ball up and maintained focus to run some of our offensive plays. Ryan showed his skill playing under defensive pressure in the back court keeping the ball in the middle of the floor as asked and had two great defensive stops. Riley played his role in offence and did much better in defensive transition. Milan worked harder to control rebounds and get down the floor in transition. Daniel was trying his heart out at both ends. AJ was more aggressive in offence and showed more control around the basket. Jax had some good off ball movement and worked his tail off in defence. Logan had a shaky start but sharpened up and drained a nice 3pt shot. Caedan did a good job keeping the intensity of our D going. Keeping pressure on the oppositions defence with his cuts. Lionel gave his all even while struggling with stomach pain.
Thank you to all the boys!
As the regular season comes to an end…I would first like to thank the boys for playing for me and giving their all. There have been ups and downs throughout the season and we have got through together.
I have thoroughly enjoyed coaching this group and appreciate the opportunity. This group has taught me a lot about myself as a coach and it has been an enjoyable experience working out how to develop this unique bunch of athletes.
A big thank you very much to Kate, our Team Manager, who has run the logistics of a basketball team seamlessly, relieving me of that stress AND importantly, for washing and drying all the boys stinky jerseys every week!! Kate has been great to bounce ideas off and offered a kind ear whenever I needed to talk basketball and team dynamics.
Thank you to Aleks, my Assistant Coach, for all the game film and being another support person throughout the season. Your advice/perspective on game day is appreciated.
Lastly, thank you to all the parents for their support and encouragement.
Player of the game
Player of the week this round again was very hard because everyone deserves a pat on the back. I will always look for someone who may have done a few little things the 1%’s or had an individual win when it comes to the goals I set for each individual. With that in mind this weeks award goes to Logan Haynes. Logan had to work with limited court time in this game and started his time a little shaky. After a chat with Logan he reset and came out and executed what I asked which was to get better positioning in rebounds and increase his intensity with multiple sprint efforts in transition. I also noticed Logan was really thinking out there on court, trying to execute our offensive plays. Well done Logan
U16 Boys Blue (Luke Poyner)
Won against Hills Raiders (68 – 57)
Coaches notes
What a fantastic game to end the season! The boys came out hungry for the win and played with full intensity from the very start. Everyone maximised their game time and showed full hustle as soon as they stepped on court. Solid teamwork from everyone kept the intensity up the whole game, with hard work on defensive pressure and selflessness on offence – with good shot selection. It’s a great way to round out a tough season and show how much improvement there has been both individually and as a team. Well done boys.
Player of the game
Oliver James had an absolute standout game today. His hustle and effort was second to none and showed how effective teamwork enables scoring from everyone and brings the whole team up. Great work Ollie!
U18 Girls Black (Travis Linaker)
Loss against East Perth Eagles (36 – 69)
Coaches notes
This was a very winnable game and the girls came out hard locking the Eagles down and causing multiple turnovers in the midcourt and managed to hold them to 30 points less that the last time we met, giving us a red hot go at a win.
Unfortunately, eventhough we played good offence for most of the game as can be seen by the score, we just could not get the ball to drop through the net this week. We had lots of great opportunities and if we had been at the level of the last games, we would have been right in this one.
Regardless of the final score the girls played hard and did not quit and I am incredibly pleased to see the growth that each and every one of them has made on and off the court. I am proud of their achievements and wish them all the best moving into whatever basketball, and life, brings them.
Player of the game
Mahalia Rukuata for this last game turned up and played hard, positive bench energy and solid board work made this one of her best for the year.
U18 Girls Orange (Ric Batista)
Loss against Perth Redbacks (36 – 75)
Coaches notes
It was another tough loss, in a game we played better in than the score suggests. We turned the ball over a lot and gave the opposition about 30 more possessions than we should have. Other than gifting them extra possessions, we were in the fight most of the game and had good looks within our offensive sets most of the game. As per most games this season though, we played right to the end together like a strong family unit. Resilience is the greatest thing to have come out of a tough season like this. We’ve built solid, strong characters and learned a lot about ourselves in the journey. Hannah is really starting to find some good form, Bonnie looked more comfortable at the level, and Jorja and Amber stood out against some tall opposition. We have an elimination final this week in Joondalup and look forward to giving it a red-hot crack.
Player of the game
Sienna was wonderful in her leadership as per most weeks. She really focused well this week and was great at assisting bringing the ball up and leading the team scoring. Sienna is really starting to find her niche as a scorer and taking the right shots more and more as each week passes by. Well done Sienna
U18 Boys Black (Lachie Riley / Angus Hywood)
Loss against East Perth Eagles (84 – 90)
U18 Boys Orange (Brad Coutts)
Won against Joondalup Wolves (80 – 77)
Coaches notes
The Highlight was definitely Dylan Whyte making his first WABL Dunk off a great pick and roll. From a Team side of things we finished the season with another fighting win which gave us a second round 6 Win 3 Loss record. Very pleasing to stay connected together and turn around a first round 1 win 8 loss start. Boys have improved all year at both ends of the court and should be super proud of their effort after moving up from Division 3 into Division 2.
Player of the game
Team Effort
U18 Boys White (Rae D’Sylva)
Won against Willetton Tigers (94 – 91)
Coaches notes
We played better defence this week and moved the ball well.
Player of the game
Jayden McClure. Jayden’s hustle and defensive presence was key towards our win this week. He also had one of his best offensive games for us.
U18 Boys Blue (Tyron Neill)
Loss against Lakeside Lightning (85 -88)
U20 Boys Black (Lochy Brown)
Won against South West Slammers (111 – 99)
Coaches notes
What an incredible game to end the regular season on. A clinical first half saw everyone hit the scoreboard early and impact the game to get us a 23 point lead.
Then Slammers came out firing, hitting threes from everywhere. It was one of the most impressive shooting performances I’ve seen.
To our boys credit they dug in and controlled the last quarter to finish with a strong win through adversity. In a very physical game our players kept the focus on the game and not the refs, which they were rewarded for.
Bring on finals🔥🔥
Player of the game
Max Bucknell – Getting in foul trouble in every quarter can be challenging for any player to adapt their game. I was impressed with Max’s maturity to overcome that mental hurdle and be a pillar of defence, defending at the ring and guarding matchups that weren’t in his favour. Then on the offensive end he took the game on and finished through a lot of contact.
U20 Boys Orange (Cooper Lowe)
Loss against Perry Lakes Hawks (93 – 99)