WABL Wrap Week 18 – 28/8/22
Round 18 – Well that’s a wrap for the regular season. This year has been a huge success for Suns with 16 of our 22 teams earning their spots in finals. Well done to all our teams this season, you have made us proud!
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:
Maria Joseph (U14 Girls) – Maria’s efforts on defence were fantastic, gaining lots of on ball steals, forcing turnovers allowing us to get fast break layups.
Kobe Seubert (U14 Boys) – Kobe played a very strong and controlled game and lead from the front the whole game, his never say die attitude encourages his team mates to join him in the journey.
U12 Girls (Lawrence West)
Won against Perry Lakes Hawks (35 – 20)
Coaches notes
After a slow start and trailing at the first break, we managed to gain a 1 point lead by half time but it was clear that we needed to lift our game. The girls were challenged to raise our intensity as a group and focus on playing to our strengths. The next quarter was arguably one of the best stretches of basketball we have played, going on an 18 – 3 run against a quality Hawks team, while getting contributions from the entire team. We are learning to live in the pressure and staying calm with more consistency.
Player of the game
Chloe Ranschaert – After a disrupted season with injuries Chloe showed us what she is capable of this week. Not only did she bring her trademark intensity on defense, but her decision making and shot selection were excellent. Well done Superstar!
Other highlights
I’d like to give a special shout out this week to Chelsea Parker. Sunday morning she wasn’t feeling well but knew we had an important game to take care of. The easy choice would be to stay in bed but Chelsea put her team first and showed up ready to go. Her impact on the court was undeniable, thanks for being a great teammate and leader for our team.
U12 Boys (Lizzie Falconbridge)
Won against Mandurah Magic (67 – 32)
Coaches notes
Congratulations to the boys for all their hard work throughout the season and taking out top spot, no game was easy regardless of ladder positioning and it goes to show how close the division really was. Thank you to all the parents for their support during the season, getting up early and staying late for training can be hassle but we appreciate all the hard work you guys do behind the scenes.
Player of the game
Elisha Dixon – After a slow start due to a broken wrist, we are really happy to see Smiles get back to himself and improving every week. Your effort and hard work at training is paying off but we don’t stop now 🙂
Other highlights
Shane Quartermaine – Another one who is regaining his confidence back after an ankle injury, week by week he is showing improvement as his IQ get better. We look forward to working with him in the future to further his development.
U12 Boys (Joel Warner)
Loss against Perry Lakes Hawks (46 – 63)
Coaches notes
This week we stuck to our Team mantra very well. “If you want to win the cup you need to be the CUP – Committed, Unified, Professional.” I hear the boys repeating that at practice from time-to-time and closing the season showing our commitment to Team structures, being unified when things aren’t going our way or when emotions are boiling over, and representing the Club and our families professionally was great to watch. A highlight for me was the noise coming from the bench. That is what a Team sport should sound like. Enormous, loud positivity from the bench and sharing endless encouragement for Team-mates. We have several strong leaders in that category and they perform an important role for us when they’re not on the court. Those intangible assets absolutely count! I was also happy that we finished the season with a better understanding of the key concepts (timing, spacing and movement) of U12’s basketball. On Sunday I saw those concepts implemented, which demonstrates improvement. We entered this season with very little WABL experience, so this level of basketball was new to most players. And with that comes a lot of challenges. The overall take away from the game is that we banked a great game, at the end of the season, which means our combined experiences across the course of the season were worth it.
Player of the game
This week’s player of the round goes to Zac, who closed out the season in very good form. Our Team is better when Zac fires on all cylinders and his potential was on show on Sunday. He offered a strong scoring option and as always, distributed the ball well in offence. Zac provides a nose down, aggressive defensive game that our Team needs. He’s made big improvements with his in-game reads both with and without the ball this season. Those improvements only come when a player has confidence and it was pleasing to see him play with the confidence to back-up his potential. One of the finest moments on Sunday came when we had scored and set our defensive structure, as the ball was passed in the air Zac made an intelligent read to shoot a gap and compete for a steal – all within a designed structure. Those moments demonstrate that he understands his court position and his role and can make correct choices to help our Team to compete. Well done on finishing the season with a great game Zac. You are an important player for our Team.
Other highlights
Every single player on our Team competed on Sunday. We won the first quarter (again) and won the third quarter against the second-best Team in the league. A Team with only a couple of losses. So, in a half of basketball we outscored the second best Team in the league. We demonstrated resilience when we were challenged, we stuck with our structures, and we made sure that a very good Team had to work hard to beat us. Not at any stage did I feel that the players didn’t think they could win. I am happy that everyone shared a piece of a positive final game of the season. The feedback from the opposition coach centred around how much we had improved since the last time we played them and that is encouraging. I am proud of the development we have achieved over the course of the season. I am enthusiastic about the future of these boys, and it was a pleasure to be part of it this season. Finally, as the season comes to a close it would be remiss of me not to thank a few people that helped create a positive experience for the players. So, in short – thanks to all the parents for being so supportive. As I said at the start of the season, Parents were welcome to call me or speak with me at any stage and I committed to being as responsive as I could be. So, to those Parents that did that, I appreciate the dialog, it keeps everyone communicating clearly and efficiently and the players ultimately benefit. Thanks to the Parents for taking feedback well and ensuring we were being positive role models for 10- and 11-year-old boys. Thanks to all the scorers who fulfil a critical job, one which I certainly find stressful when I do it. Thanks to Trish our Team Manager for her tireless work behind the scenes, keeping the Team organised and ensuring singlets are washed and water bottles are filled. And thanks to Jordon for being the Assistant Coach this season. I appreciate the perspective you offered and your experience. We are all just well-meaning Volunteers and without a good support Team like I had, we couldn’t provide a great experience for the players. So thanks to everyone for playing their part.
U12 Boys (Tim Hart)
Won against Lakeside Lightning (42 – 31)
Coaches notes
This was a lower scoring game compared to the last match up (50 – 40). Lightning provided a good challenge, they were determined, made us work hard on the boards, and picked off our attempts to hit cutters. H2 started with the scores tied, and despite being 2 down at the start of Q4, the boys were able to focus and turn the game around. We had success pressuring the ball in the back court, forcing turnovers and providing opportunities for more steals.
Player of the game
Angus, for chasing down the ball at every opportunity, pushing hard to catch break-away players, walling up effectively and keeping the fouls down (2), while remaining focused and positive through the game. Well done Angus!
Other highlights
The boys have won 5 of their last 6 games, we play Lightning again next week for the first finals round.
U14 Girls (Andrew Herbert)
Won against Willeton Tigers (53 – 36)
Coaches notes
This was the best way we could have ended the regular season playing the 2nd place team heading into finals.
This was by far the best game I have seen the ladies play for four full quarters, taking their game to next level and really playing for each other with a common goal in mind. The ladies showed great discipline with our offensive and defensive principles. They also showed how far they have come, executing well in both offence and defence, they had limited breakdowns and showed why they are a contender this season.
Great job getting a win “TOGETHER!”
Isla Rose-Gray – 14Pts 7Reb 2Blk
Kaia Rukuata- 6Pts 17Reb 4St 3As 2Blk
Holly Marsh – 9Pts 6Reb 2St 1As
Georgina Appleby- 6Pts 1Reb 1St 1As
Jessica Prior – 12Pts (75%FG) – 4Reb – 1St
Player of the game
POTR this week could have gone so many ways (8players / 8slices pizza🍕) as we had great performances from all our players. This week goes to Holly Marsh for showing more poise both at the point but more so when working off the wings against quality guard opposition. Looking forward to seeing Holly step up her game again on Sunday.
U14 Girls (Jemma & Jaymee)
Loss against Rockingham Flames (31 – 34)
Coaches notes
When we were down by 10 points we came back harder than before, showing resilience when the game got rough, before taking the lead going into the fourth!
Player of the game
Maria – her efforts on defence were fantastic, gaining lots of on ball steals, forcing turnovers allowing us to get fast break layups.
Other highlights
Izzy also had some very good drives to the hoop, taking the contact as it was a very rough game and all of the girls copped a couple of bumps but kept a brave face. It was unfortunate we lost in overtime.
U14 Boys (Rob Rees)
Loss against Mandurah Magic (62 – 69)
Coaches notes
The boys played with energy and intensity
Player of the game
Kobe Seubert, Kobe played a very strong and controlled game and lead from the front the whole game, his never say die attitude encourages his team mates to join him in the journey
Other highlights
We were even with Mandurah for the most part of the game, they have not been beaten this year and go into the finals in the top spot, we learned a lot from this game and we enter the finals in 3rd spot by percentage against Willetton who finished 2nd, we are in an excellent position and hopefully will make the Grand Final
U14 Boys (Thor Amundsen)
Loss against Mandurah Magic (49 – 52)
Coaches notes
Coming into this final round after a couple of solid hit outs, we knew that our pressure is enough to match the best sides. Missing a few for this one, it was also going to be a test of attrition and the group really absorbed the challenge. This one went right down to the last few moments and whilst we didn’t get the W, we put in a solid effort throughout the four quarters.
Player of the game
Odin Amundsen produced another great two-way effort, working hard at both ends to help in forcing the contest. Picking himself up (a few times) against bigger opposition, he produced a solid 10 points and pulled down some great rebounds.
Other highlights
Milan showed some nice moves inside with 19 points and gave us a real glimpse at what could have been. Taj was as solid as ever and never exited the contest. Anthony and Roman were persistent and kept attacking whilst Kaz and Kimzy worked hard in their roles. In a challenging season, we’ve produced some great basketball and competed well. We’ve had some fantastic highlights, in addition to excellent opportunities to learn and develop.
U14 Boys (Luke Poyner)
Won against Rockingham Flames (80 – 64)
Coaches notes
We came out today with the goal to focus on playing our preferred game style and controlling the pace of the match. Rockingham started off playing a strong game against us with a high-pressure defense that kept our initial scoring low. We rallied and beat the press using the strategies we have been working on throughout the season. We were then able to control most of the game by applying our own pressure defense and utilising some great teamwork at both ends of the court. Good ball movement and opportunity creation saw our whole roster with points on the board.
Player of the game
Logan Haines – Played a fantastic game today with some really strong offensive and defensive rebounds. Logan showed his strength with driving through the keyway from up top and on the low post, netting a very respectable 20 points for the day.
Other highlights
This win secured us third place for the season and we are looking forward to carrying on strongly in the finals.
U14 Boys (Shannon Trew)
Won against Hills Raiders (41 – 34)
Coaches notes
Great team win with another awesome defensive effort from all the boys. Finishing the regular season with a good win will give us a positive edge going into the finals.
Player of the game
Jack Murphy- Another great balanced game from Murphy. Jack missed training through illness and started on the bench, when he came on the court, he lifted his team mates in offence and defence and everyone fed off her energy. Murphy finished with 9 points, 4 steals and 4 assists.
Other highlights
Started a balanced starting 5 and was able to give a few boys a chance to start the game and mixed up our rotations before finals to test a few things.
U16 Girls (Matt Harding)
Won against Hills Raiders (69 – 66)
U16 Girls (Charlie Smart)
Loss against Perry Lakes Hawks (49 – 88)
Coaches notes
Last game of the season and high pressure as the result would ultimately determine where we would finish on the ladder and who we would face in the elimination final. It was obvious from the onset; the team were out of sorts and nervous and we just had one of those games where absolutely nothing went right or our way. Full credit to the girls as they still did not give up, which shows the culture within the team and the strength of character from these girls. After the game they still had a smile and patted each other on the back. One game certainly doesn’t define the season these girls have had and each one of them has stepped up, showed great leadership, camaraderie and tremendous skill. Proud of these girls who secured 5th spot of the ladder and will deservedly head to finals next Sunday.
Player of the game
Cait – Always such a positive influence whether on the court or supporting from the bench. Cait came out firing and showed fierce determination throughout the entire game, she pushed through not feeling the greatest to take the game head on and fought tremendously hard both ends of the court.
Other highlights
Have to mention Amber. We’ve watched her confidence soar under the basket this season but she took on the game against Perry Lakes on a mission to show she’s equally as capable In offence. Amber displayed some great drives, crucial points and timely intercepts.
U16 Boys (Bailey Ferguson)
Won against Hills Raiders (65 – 53)
U16 Boys (Lachie Riley)
Loss against Willetton Tigers (55 – 87)
U16 Boys (Rae D’Sylva)
Loss against Cockburn Cougars (78 – 103)
Coaches notes
There were a few players missing this week and the boys stepped up and played some really good basketball
Player of the game
Jackson Nicolaou. Jackson played strong defence and moved off the ball to get to good spots on the floor to get to open shots which was a result of him hitting 4 three pointers.
Other highlights
The boys rotated through all their defences and were able to get good practice for their upcoming final.
U16 Boys (Tyron Neill)
Loss against Perry Lakes Hawks (50 – 116)
Player of the game
Tyler Lind played a great all-round game which saw him involved in multiple score assists, rebounds and getting a few points as well. Even though Tyler is quite a reserved kid it has been great to see him come out of his shell over the second half of the season and become a value team member who never gives up. Even though he come straight from a football final to Sunday’s game he gave his all and was a bright light in a disappointing day for the team.
U18 Girls (Dyson Lowe)
Won against Willeton Tigers (84 – 58)
Coaches notes
Great team win with everyone hitting the scoreboard today. Much needed win to get some momentum for the girls heading into finals. Super proud of the girls efforts this year now onto finals!
Player of the game
Hannah Biddlecombe. Hannah had an awesome game today scoring a team high 18 points she was phenomenal for us. Not only on offence but defensively she did a great job keeping her opposition in front of her. Great job Hannah
Other highlights
Always a pleasure to get a win on one of the girls’ birthdays. Fire up Ruby hope you enjoyed your birthday hopefully the win made it more enjoyable.
U18 boys (Cooper Lowe)
Loss against Willeton Tigers (93 – 115)
Coaches notes
Last game of the season for my boys missing finals by a couple of games, and no tougher than against the top of the table Tigers. I’ve told them all year long when they play with high energy and effort, they can hang with any team in the league. That’s exactly what they did, keeping it under 10 for a good portion of the game and fighting every possession, which is all I can ask of them. Not the ideal end to the year losing, but can hold their heads high that they played well on their last chance for the year.
Player of the game
Last one this year goes to Riley Pabst, standout on both ends of the floor and wasn’t afraid to take it into bigger bodies and played great D all game long.
Other highlights
Just would like the chance to shoutout all the people who have helped me all year long and the kids! To the parents, thank you for allowing me to change training times and bringing them to games, they don’t get to play unless you are willing to so I thank you for that! Thank you to our team manager Tanya Jones! Makes my life a whole lot easier not having to deal with jerseys and scheduling time tables for the season. And lastly to Brock and Franko, for stepping in if I was away with other commitments and helping these lads this year with your energy and passion to see them succeed and keeping them accountable. People like you make the club great and I can’t thank you guys enough!
U18 Boys (Angus Hywood)
Loss against Hills Raiders (80 – 100)
Coaches notes
Well, the final game has come and the end to season 2022!
What a year it has been. Big lessons learned; basketball was played in a great honourable way all season.
The team experienced low points with losses in games, injury, illness, time away & then far outweighing those down times we had massive high points!
We had first year players learn how to play at WABL level, we had the experienced players really take leaps & bounds in their growth of game ability. I myself took on valuable lessons throughout this year as coach that will carry on well into my life beyond this season.
Although the season last game we didn’t get the W, it was a truly magic game to watch & our boys showed just how much possibility is yet to come for each player.
We had lock down defence from our guards who were relentless on ball, we had rebounding powerhouses from the talls to dominate the possession, our shooting was sharp & accurate giving us some valued plays.
I have discussed with this playing group that all it could take for them all is to take this off-season to hone their focus, broaden their skill set & never stop grinding away at being the absolute best player they individually can be to contribute collectively as a team.
NO-OFFSEASON!
It has been an honour and privilege to coach you lads this season & I can’t wait to see you all continue on playing & enjoying the great game for the Eastern Suns!
Player of the game
Alex Cunningham – This week the big fella did it all! Blocked, Rebounded, Scored, Dunking on heads & knocking down a massive 3Pointer to end the season on the final buzzer!
Other highlights
This playing groups future looks incredibly bright.
U18 Boys (Rick Batista)
Loss against Warwick Senators (79 – 107)
Coaches notes
Again, pleasing that the boys played hard from start to end, we had great looks just couldn’t put the ball in the hoop. When their smallest players are taller than our tallest, we needed to rebound by committee but even when we boxed out well it their 6-9 players were able to out-rebound us comfortably, making it a long day on the back of good defensive sets when they kept getting demoralising offence rebounds. Off to finals this week, with another solid training session under our belt we’ll be ready.
Player of the game
Charlie Woolfrey (Sir Charles) was great this week battling against way larger players, he blocked shots, rebounded well and scored 8 points off purely hard work on the glass.
Other highlights
Jet’s instant offence off the bench was a standout it’s pleasing to have watch his confidence grow over the season. Adam and Lachlan both fouling out was tough but showed they didn’t take any shortcuts in their work this week. Lachlan in particular doubled his foul count for the year in one game, and after we’d asked him to be more aggressive it’s glad to see him growing as a player.
U20 Boys (Dan Vlahov)
Won against Willeton Tigers (77 – 60)
Coaches notes
Well what a season we have seen, highs and lows and everything in between and it was great to finish on a win.
This week is not a normal wrap as the coaching staff just want to say that the team has done a great job to send us to finals in 4th and the coaching staff are looking forward to the challenge of getting us to the final week!
Lets GO – FIRE UP SUNS
Player of the game
Aaron Weldelassie is our Player of the Game this week, Aaron has had a tough road back from injury and this week we saw what we knew he had in him. We look forward to seeing him bring it for the finals!!