36ers break Taipans duck

Updated October 20, 2012 23:20:38

Adelaide snapped a six-game losing streak against Cairns with a nailbiting 85-81 victory on Saturday night.

Adam Gibson led the way for the 36ers with 21 points along with 16 from the fast-finishing Daniel Johnson and 15 points and 10 rebounds by Luke Schenscher.

The Taipans did well to recover from an early 10-points deficit with Clint Steindl putting up 19 points, 14 of which came in the first half Jamar Wilson engineering the late comeback with 16.

The 36ers are now 2-1 and the Taipans 2-2 for the season.

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, adelaide-5000, sa, cairns-4870, qld, australia

First posted October 20, 2012 23:20:38

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Breakers thrash 36ers

Updated October 12, 2012 22:45:28

A storming final quarter from New Zealand Breakers saw the defending champions swamp Adelaide 36ers 73-59 in Auckland.

Almost anonymous in last week's lacklustre 93-72 opening loss to Perth Wildcats, young centre Alex Pledger lifted to feature all across the court.

Only Cedric Jackson outscored him with 17, while almost as valuable as Pledger's 15 points was his superb effort in picking up 10 rebounds and limiting Luke Schenscher to two points for the encounter.

While the Breakers lifted noticeably from last week's opener, they struggled until the last quarter of a tight defensive game.

They pressured the 36ers through the court early on, bringing more intensity on defence to out-rebound the visitors 28 to 14 in the first half.

Breakers import recruit Will Hudson was particularly effective on the offensive boards, and picked up nine rebounds overall to go with his nine points.

The 36ers' fast-break game, so efficient last week in their 84-61 first-up win over Melbourne Tigers, was not running smoothly and the Breakers went into the half-time break with a useful 36-29 lead.

But the 36ers fought back to take the third quarter 18-10 and lead 47-46 going into the last spell.

The Breakers kept cool and three final-quarter three-pointers from Jackson catapulted them back in front, as the hosts finally found their rhythm to take out the final quarter 27-12.

For the 36ers, Daniel Johnson top-scored with 15 points, backed up with solid efforts from Anthony Petrie's 13 and Adam Gibson's 12.

In other results, the Kings upset Melbourne Tigers 85-82 in Sydney and Wollongong Hawks downed the Taipans 68-58 in Cairns.

AAP

Tags: basketball, nbl, sport, new-zealand

First posted October 12, 2012 20:31:11

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Blaze into play-offs with 36ers win

Updated March 17, 2012 23:10:45

Gold Coast guaranteed itself a play-off berth with a thrilling 84-83 win over a gallant Adelaide 36ers in their NBL clash at Adelaide Arena on Saturday.

The Blaze looked in control with a 14-point second-quarter lead, but only sealed the win with seconds to play after the 36ers produced a 25-point third term to almost pull off a major upset.

Mark Worthington scored 21 points for the Blaze including the winning basket, while 36ers forward Diamon Simpson also notched 21 points and grabbed 11 boards.

In the early stages, both sides scored freely but the height and power of Worthington and Will Hudson began to tell for the visitors.

With guard Adam Gibson running the show superbly, the Blaze led by 10 before 36ers guard Everard Bartlett launched a spectacular long-range three-pointer on the quarter-time buzzer to reduce the deficit.

Anthony Petrie, Chris Goulding and Tom Garlepp came out firing after the break for Gold Coast, stretching the visitors' lead to 14.

But Adelaide imports Chris Warren and Simpson helped turn the game and, while Hudson continued to terrorise the 36ers' defence, superb three-pointers from Darren Ng and Stephen Weigh had the home crowd roaring.

Simpson was in the mood, drawing fouls and sinking a series of free throws to wrestle back momentum.

When the half-time siren sounded, the Blaze looked happy to still have a 48-41 advantage.

Baskets from Simpson and Daniel Johnson quickly reduced the deficit to two points early in the third quarter.

Gibson and Adris Deleon replied, but a Warren three-pointer maintained Adelaide's pressure.

When Warren sank another the 36ers were in front and, with Johnson on fire, they took a 66-60 lead at the last break.

The Blaze fought back and, in a thrilling finale, Warren tied it up at 80-80 with 45 seconds left.

Gibson then restored the lead only for Warren to produce yet another three-pointer to put the 36ers up by one, before Worthington clinched it with six seconds to play.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, adelaide-5000, sa, broadbeach-4218, qld, australia

First posted March 17, 2012 23:10:45

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Tigers hold on to down 36ers

Updated February 03, 2012 23:47:43

The Tigers ended a six-game losing streak and recorded their first win of 2012 with a hard-fought 87-81 victory over a struggling Adelaide 36ers in Melbourne.

Cam Tragardh bagged 14 of his 20 points in the final quarter to lead the Tigers home, while Liam Rush (18 points) had a productive outing.

Chris Warren provided the spark for the 36ers with a game-high 31 points, while fellow import Diamon Simpson (17 points, nine rebounds), centre Daniel Johnson (13 points, 11 rebounds) and Stephen Weigh (12 points) were key contributors.

Scoring dwindled after the 36ers jumped to an early 10-0 lead, with Adelaide turning to a zone and the Tigers using their full-court press to get easy baskets.

Myron Allen (12 points, eight assists, six rebounds) did his best to involve his team-mates after picking up a couple of early fouls, but the Tigers' lack of movement against the zone trapped them on the perimeter and starved Tragardh of opportunities.

The Tigers upped their energy in the third quarter with Adelaide switching back to man-to-man and Ron Dorsey (12 points) finding lanes to the basket.

Melbourne took its first lead with two minutes to go in the period, but the 36ers held strong to level the scores at 61-61 at the final break thanks to a Weigh triple.

But it was Melbourne's crafty new point-guard Allen, Tragardh's late heroics and a coast-to-coast Daniel Dillon basket that brought relief to the Tigers' faithful.

Off the court for the Tigers, long-time Melbourne board member Michael Slepoy has been appointed chief executive, replacing the controversial Seamus McPeake.

Meanwhile, Cairns Taipans escaped with an 85-81 home win over Townsville Crocodiles after trailing by as many as eight points in the final term.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, adelaide-5000

First posted February 03, 2012 23:47:43

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Wildcats hold off surging 36ers

Updated February 24, 2012 23:04:49

The Perth Wildcats survived a spirited comeback then turned on the afterburners to beat the Adelaide 36ers 90-79 in their NBL game at Adelaide Arena on Friday night.

The Sixers trailed throughout and were down 77-64 with three minutes to play before making three consecutive steals to ignite a 13-2 run.

When centre Daniel Johnson nailed his third triple of the night and followed it with a steal and basket the deficit was just four.

A Diamon Simpson block then led to a Stephen Weigh bucket and the Wildcats were precariously poised at 79-77.

Kevin Lisch answered with a massive three-pointer to break the 36ers' run as he scored 14 points in the intense fourth quarter and 23 overall.

Jesse Wagstaff finished with 17 points and six rebounds while Damian Martin was superb with 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Johnson stepped up in the second half and top-scored for Adelaide with 24 points and eight boards. Chris Warren and Weigh finished with 12 points each.

The Wildcats' outside game gave them the edge in the first quarter with the visitors dropping 5-of-7 three-point attempts.

Inconsistency plagued the Sixers in the second quarter, an Everard Bartlett steal and basket a highlight contrasted by wasted opportunities from the foul line.

Wagstaff remained a focal point for the Wildcats - his 13-point first half giving his side a 44-36 advantage.

Perth switched on in the second half, extending the lead to 14 thanks to full-court efforts from Martin and Wagstaff, before Brad Robbins set up Luke Nevill for an alley-oop to silence the crowd.

The Wildcats were controlling the game but Johnson's increasing influence kept the scoreline a manageable 60-52 with 10 minutes to play.

Lisch made some early baskets in the fourth quarter and the contest was headed for a mundane conclusion, but the Sixers charged home to scare the Wildcats before ultimately falling short.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, perth-6000

First posted February 24, 2012 23:04:49

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Crocodiles thump 36ers

Updated February 05, 2012 22:42:16

Townsville Crocodiles turned around a slow start to defeat Adelaide 36ers 89-71 at The Swamp on Sunday night.

The Crocs trailed by five at half-time, but capitalised on four 36ers turnovers to go on an 11-2 third-quarter run and break the game open.

Centre Luke Schenscher was dominant for Townsville with 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field along with seven rebounds and two blocks.

Australian junior international Mitch Creek had the best game of his professional career with 19 points, five rebounds and three assists for the losers.

The home side sank 46 points after the main break on the back of imports Eddie Gill (16) and Elvin Mims (11), while the visitors could only manage 23 points for the half as stars Daniel Johnson and Stephen Weigh were kept quiet.

Adelaide had shot Townsville to pieces in the first quarter with six three-pointers - including 3-of-3 from Weigh - to take a 10-point lead before closing the period in front 27-21.

Schenscher battled hard in the paint while Mims added a quick seven points off the bench.

Creek snuck under the defensive radar to sink 10 points in the second stanza as the visitors went into half-time holding a 48-43 advantage.

The 36ers lost their way after the break, committing careless turnovers and missing multiple three-point attempts, as the Crocs surged ahead 67-58 after three periods.

Michael Cedar then sank back-to-back three-pointers to continue the momentum and kill off any thoughts of a fight-back.

Creek was Adelaide's only threat as the clock ticked down but lacked support, the hosts recording a comfortable victory to hold on to third place.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, townsville-4810, qld, adelaide-5000, sa, australia

First posted February 05, 2012 21:35:55

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36ers no match for Taipans

Updated January 22, 2012 21:52:35

The Cairns Taipans inflicted more pain on the Adelaide 36ers on Sunday, prevailing 86-75 at Adelaide Arena for the second time in a fortnight.

Darren Ng's basket put the 36ers in front, to the delight of the 5,076-strong crowd, early in the fourth quarter, but one disastrous play destroyed any hope of an upset.

Andrew Warren was fouled on a three-pointer and added an extra point from the line.

Cairns never looked back showing great poise down the stretch to consolidate fourth position on the NBL ladder and earning praise from coach Aaron Fearne.

"We'll take it anyway we can get it," Fearne said.

"We were down 10-12 earlier and it would've been easy to pack it in and go home, but the fight was phenomenal and I'm extremely proud of the guys to get that win."

Jamar Wilson top-scored with 25 points for the Taipans, while Alex Loughton (18 points, 7 rebounds) and Ian Crosswhite (11 points, 8 rebounds) were also strong performers.

Stephen Weigh started strongly and scored 21 points for Adelaide, for whom Daniel Johnson also added 13.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, adelaide-5000, sa, australia

First posted January 22, 2012 21:52:35

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Breakers too strong for struggling 36ers

Updated January 14, 2012 08:42:42

The New Zealand Breakers out-shot and out-rebounded the Adelaide 36ers on the way to a dominant 80-63 win in their NBL match in Auckland.

In their first home game of a four-match stretch, the Breakers ratcheted up the pressure as Friday's game progressed, winning every quarter but the last for a victory which underlined their position at the top of the table.

Tom Abercrombie led the way with 22 points, backed up by Gary Wilkinson (17) and Cedric Jackson (12), while Chris Warren fronted for Adelaide with 14, and Stephen Weigh chipped in with 10.

The Breakers' win came on the back of a superb defensive team effort.

Led by Mika Vukona, Dillon Boucher and Alex Pledger, the New Zealand team out-rebounded Adelaide 50-24, dominating the boards at both ends.

Coach Andrej Lemanis worked his bench hard to build on a 26-26 first-quarter lead, keeping the Breakers' momentum rolling in the second spell as they took a 43-30 lead into halftime.

The Breakers lost their way early in the third quarter, some disjointed play and messy shooting offering Adelaide a brief glimpse of hope as they narrowed the deficit to nine four minutes into the spell.

However, a couple of key assists and a brace of lay-ups from Jackson coupled with a Wilkinson three-pointer wrested the momentum back to the home team, and they went into the three-quarter break leading 65-46.

The Breakers struggled for fluency in the final spell, but although Adelaide took the quarter 17-15, the end result was never in doubt.

It has been almost a month since the 36ers recorded a win, with losses to the Breakers, Cairns Taipans, Sydney Kings and Gold Coast seeing them plummet down the table as five wins from 16 games leaves them languishing in eighth place.

Perth maintained top spot on the NBL ladder with an emphatic 92-80 win over Gold Coast at Challenge Stadium in Perth on Friday night.

Jesse Wagstaff continued his recent hot run of form with 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting in just under 22 minutes to lead a Wildcats team that took control after a tight first quarter.

The win improves Perth to a 12-5 record, while the Blaze now sit on a 6-8 record and have a short turnaround before facing Melbourne on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Cairns Taipans dealt the Wollongong Hawks another close loss on Friday night, the Queenslanders winning 61-59 in Wollongong.

Andrew Warren drained a go-ahead triple with just over a minute to play and Cairns held on when Rhys Martin's corner three sailed long on the buzzer.

"Things are extremely tough, obviously everyone is working so hard to try and get that win and give our fans something to cheer about," Hawks coach Gordie McLeod said.

AAP

Tags: sport, basketball, new-zealand

First posted January 13, 2012 21:49:19

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Kings crash to 36ers

Updated December 30, 2011 23:08:23

Adelaide forced the Kings' long suffering fans to endure another wretched home performance with a 96-77 win at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

It was a fifth loss in eight home games for Sydney (6-9) and in four of those they have been crushed by at least 18 points.

The shocking Kings suffered the indignity of missing all 10 of their three-point attempts.

Injury-hit Adelaide (5-9) made light of the absences of captain Adam Ballinger and his deputy Nathan Crosswell.

Adelaide big man Daniel Johnson underlined his growing claims to the league's most improved player award with a 21-point, 14-rebound performance.

Stephen Weigh chipped in with 17, Nathan Herbert 14 and Chris Warren 13.

The Kings slashed a 12-point, second-quarter deficit to two in the third, but Adelaide produced a decisive 17-4 run to end the term with a 74-59 lead.

Adelaide got as far ahead as 21 points in the final quarter.

Kings captain and centre Julian Khazzouh fouled out early in the final quarter, though with 12 points on five of 15 field-goal attempts, it was not one of his better games, despite logging nine rebounds and three blocks.

Luke Cooper top-scored for Sydney with 13 points, while Anatoly Bose bagged 12 and Jerai Grant 10.

AAP

Tags: basketball, nbl, sport, sydney-2000, adelaide-5000

First posted December 30, 2011 23:08:23

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Breakers overpower 36ers

Updated December 11, 2011 21:35:27

New Zealand forward Gary Wilkinson starred for the Breakers, who overpowered the 36ers 86-73 in Adelaide.

The league-leading Breakers struggled to crack the tough 36ers defence early but Wilkinson eventually unlocked the home side, top-scoring with 30 points.

Fellow import Cedric Jackson (11 points, nine assists, eight rebounds) flirted with a triple-double, while young centre Alex Pledger had 13 points and seven rebounds in just 15 minutes.

Big man Daniel Johnson was the 36ers best with 17 points, while imports Chris Warren and Diamon Simpson both scored 16.

Warren was at his elusive best in the opening minutes, sinking two three-pointers as the 36ers raced to a 10-point lead over the sluggish Breakers.

Wilkinson responded with some sublime shooting of his own, and with the hard-working Jackson and Pledger also getting busy, the visitors trailed 27-23 at the first break.

The second period was a defensive affair until Wilkinson imposed himself on the game, at one point drawing gasps from the crowd with a superb fall-away basket.

But with Warren and Johnson in fine touch, the 36ers continued to match the more-fancied Breaker offence, taking a 45-44 lead into the main break.

Early in the third term, 36ers guard Nathan Crosswell fell awkwardly and the game was stopped while two team-mates helped him off the court. The Breakers seemed to sense their moment, slamming home 12 points without reply.

Sixers forward Stephen Weigh suddenly came to life with some classy finishing inside to keep the home side within a point going into the deciding quarter.

Jackson notched a three-pointer from out wide as the Breakers quickly moved 10 points ahead in the final term, and some pinpoint long-range shooting from Wilkinson saw off the 36ers challenge.

In other Sunday results, the Crocodiles were too strong for Sydney Kings at the Townsville Entertainment Centre, winning 80-69, and Perth defeated the Hawks 98-70 in Wollongong.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, adelaide-5000

First posted December 11, 2011 19:46:40

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36ers captain under injury cloud

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36ers begin pre-season training

Adelaide has welcomed back Darren Ng and Nathan Herbert from serious injuries while captain Adam Ballinger continues his recovery from an ankle injury.

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Tags: nbl, adelaide-5000

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