Breakers stutter to Crocs win

Updated February 23, 2012 21:02:28

The New Zealand Breakers extended its lead at the top of the NBL ladder on Thursday night with a stop-start 81-70 win over the Townsville Crocodiles in Auckland.

The victory came on the back of a strong all-round shooting performance from the Breakers, led by Gary Wilkinson's 22-point, 10-rebound double-double.

Point guard Cedric Jackson provided invaluable support with 18 points and seven assists, while Tom Abercrombie had another strong game, picking up seven rebounds to go with his 18 points.

Guard Eddie Gill topped the scoring for the Crocodiles, picking up 16, while forward Jacob Holmes managed 15.

The competition leaders were all business right from the first whistle. Jackson was everywhere, picking up steals, assists and points with apparent ease while Wilkinson, Abercrombie and CJ Bruton slotted confidence-boosting early three-pointers.

Running hot, the Breakers ended an up-tempo first quarter 29-15 ahead, dominating the offensive boards and running a smothering defence that shut down the third-placed Australians.

Guard Eddie Gill stepped up for the Crocs in the second spell as the Townsville attack finally started to run at the Breakers.

New Zealand's intensity disappeared and their lead eroded gradually, Crocs swingman Peter Crawford sinking a three-pointer right on the halftime buzzer to haul back the Breakers' lead to 46-38 at the break.

The Crocs maintained momentum in the third stanza, Elvin Mimms putting in some excellent work on the offensive boards as the visitors matched the Breakers basket for basket and shaded them 18-17 to go into the last quarter trailing by nine.

The home team continued to struggle for consistency in the final spell, although their stuttering attack finally looked to have sparked into life thanks to a deep three-pointer from Jackson which extended their lead to 10 with six minutes remaining.

But the Crocs battled back, narrowing the lead to just two with less than three minutes left only to see the Breakers regroup, up the defensive pressure and shut out the win in sinking the last eight points of the match.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, new-zealand

First posted February 23, 2012 21:01:10

View the original article here

Bogut's Olympics future hinges on ankle scans

Updated March 16, 2012 15:40:39

Australian basketball star Andrew Bogut's Olympic Games fate is set to be decided in the next three weeks.

Scans on the ankle Bogut broke in late January will determine whether he is any chance of playing for his new club Golden State Warriors this season, and his hopes of representing his country in London.

Bogut, who was traded from Milwaukee to Golden State in a blockbuster move this week, admits it will be a tough ask for him to play in the NBA this season regardless of how well his injury is healing.

A favourable scan means he should be fit in time for London.

But any complications, and Australia's highest profile basketballer faces an uphill battle to be at his peak for July's Games.

Regardless of the scan results, Bogut believes the Warriors are more likely to hold him back for 2012-13 rather than risk him in a handful of late-season games which may not matter.

"The last thing they'll want to do is rush me back to play in a couple of games," Bogut said.

"I've got to have scans at the eight-week point after I broke my ankle.

"If the scan goes well, and we make the playoffs, I could definitely be back.

"If the scan says we want you in the (moon) boot for another three or four weeks or they don't want me resuming too quick, it will come down to missing the season."

Bogut admits a season in which he has dealt with the NBA lockout, personal issues which forced a mercy dash to Australia once the season started, his latest injury and now his trade meant he had not thought much about the Olympics.

But if given the medical all-clear, Bogut is confident he can prepare solidly for London even without having played since January 25.

"It's a tough question to answer right now. To be honest, I haven't given it a whole lot of thought," Bogut said of whether he would be fit for Australia's Games campaign.

"Without talking myself up, I think I'm as professional as they come.

"I have my own workout and training facility in Melbourne, I'd be rehabbing and training like I would for any other event, and we have enough lead-up games to the Olympics to get ourselves ready."

Bogut completed medical checks with the Warriors on Thursday, and met his new team-mates and key club officials.

He will be presented to Warriors fans at the team's game on Saturday (AEDT) - against his old club Milwaukee.

Bogut joined the Bucks in 2005 - the first Australian to be selected at number one in the NBA draft.

The 27-year-old said he had experienced mixed emotions since finding out about his move, but was now relishing the prospect.

The California-based Warriors are thrilled with snaring Bogut, and are likely to build their team around him once he returns to full fitness.

"When I first heard the news I was excited. It's a franchise on the way up, a new city to live in, it's only one flight from Australia rather than two," he said.

"Then the next day when I started packing, I was sad because the Milwaukee Bucks are all I know in the NBA.

"Saying goodbye to the city where I spent my whole career, to the fans, it was tough.

"I've made a lot of great friends there, but at the same time, I'm excited about the journey that lies ahead."

AAP

Tags: sport, basketball, australia, united-states

First posted March 16, 2012 15:40:39

View the original article here

Worthington leads as Blaze down Taipans

Updated January 29, 2012 22:41:47

The Gold Coast Blaze recorded a dominant 76-49 home win over the Cairns Taipans on Sunday night.

The Blaze produced their most lethal display to date to leapfrog Cairns into fourth spot.

In stark contrast, the Taipans were miserable as they crashed to the lowest score of any team so far this season.

"We should be pretty embarrassed by that. We were disgraceful," shell-shocked Taipans coach Aaron Fearne said.

It was a win built on defence as the Blaze shut down every Taipans option, dominated the paint (30-22), the rebounds (42-27) and ultimately the scoreboard.

Boomer Mark Worthington was the main destroyer with a game-high 17 points, seven rebounds, two steals and a block, while international team-mate Adam Gibson contributed 10 points, six boards, four assists and three steals.

Only Alex Loughton (12) could trouble the scoreboard for Cairns.

"Cairns are one of the teams that run their offence better than any other team," Blaze coach Joey Wright said.

"If you can push these guys out of their offence, you've done a good job."

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, qld, southport-4215, australia, cairns-4870

First posted January 29, 2012 22:41:47

View the original article here

Kings coach shifted to CEO

Updated February 16, 2012 18:07:40

Ian Robilliard has been stood down as Sydney Kings coach and been appointed interim chief executive officer in an organisational reshuffle at the club.

Robilliard, who had coached the club since their re-admission into the competition for the 2010-11 season, stood down from the post on Thursday and assumed the role of interim chief executive after the departure of executive director Stephen Dunn.

The Kings finished last in their first season back and are virtually out of contention for this season's play-offs, with a 8-13 record that has them running seventh out of nine clubs.

Robilliard's coaching contract expired at the end of the season.

Tim Hudson, Robilliard's assistant coach this season, will act as head coach for the Kings' clash away to Perth on Sunday.

The club is hopeful of appointing a permanent coach by the time of their next game at home to Townsville on Sunday week.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, sydney-2000

First posted February 16, 2012 18:07:40

View the original article here

Rangers advance to prelim final

Updated February 26, 2012 18:28:14

The Rangers overturned a seven-point deficit in the last quarter to defeat Townsville 77-66 in the WNBL minor semi-final in Dandenong.

The hosts trailed 65-58 with just over seven minutes to go, but outscored the fading Fire 19-1 over the remainder of the game, notching the last 13 points.

The Rangers, who have won seven straight games, will play the preliminary final against minor premier Adelaide, which they beat by 20 and 31-point margins in their past two encounters.

The Fire, coming off a midweek elimination final home win over Sydney, missed their last nine field goal attempts.

Jenna O'Hea topscored for the Rangers with 24, but it was Canadian centre Krista Phillips who shone brightest for the home team.

She tallied 17 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks.

Phillips also shut down Shanavia Dowdell after half-time, the American scoring just two of her 16 points after the long break.

With Dowdell and Jess Foley (six points from two of 11 field goal attempts) struggling, it was teenager forward Nadeen Payne who kept the Fire competitive.

The Australian junior representative scored 18 points in just under 22 minutes.

The Rangers led by three at the first break and one at half-time.

There were seven lead changes in the first three and a half minutes of the third quarter before the Fire logged nine straight points and led by six at three-quarter time.

AAP

Tags: wnbl, basketball, sport, dandenong-3175

First posted February 26, 2012 18:28:14

View the original article here

Breakers go top with Wildcats win

Updated February 02, 2012 20:49:19

A decisive third quarter took New Zealand to an 83-77 win over Perth and lifted the Breakers to outright first in the NBL.

Victory in the top-of-the-table clash in Auckland was the Breakers' fifth in a row and improves the defending champions' win-loss record to 15-5.

The Wildcats drop to 14-6, while the result leaves the two sides at 1-1 ahead of their series decider in Perth in early March.

The Breakers shared the scoring around, with five players in double figures, led by Gary Wilkinson with 18.

Cedric Jackson got 15 points, as well as 10 assists, while Mika Vukona also compiled a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

For Perth, Kevin Lisch top-scored with 20, while Shawn Redhage (15) and Luke Nevill (14) also got into double figures.

However, the in-form Jesse Wagstaff, who had a game-high 23 points when the Wildcats beat the Breakers 86-62 in Perth the last time the two sides met, had an off night with just two points in one-from-12 shooting.

In front of their fifth successive sellout crowd in Auckland, the Breakers produced a run of 17 unanswered points in the third quarter.

With Wilkinson, CJ Bruton and Jackson all draining three-pointers, the Breakers jumped from 46-45 down to hold a 62-49 advantage.

Their momentum was halted by a technical foul called on Tom Abercrombie, but they still went into the final period with a 66-54 lead.

Perth never gave up and there were a few nervous moments for the home fans near the end.

A Damian Martin basket reduced the margin to single digits.

When Redhage followed up seconds later with another two-pointer, it was a six-point ball game with 68 seconds to go, but that was as close as Perth got.

Earlier, on the back of some accurate shooting, the Breakers jumped out to a 34-24 first-quarter lead.

But the Wildcats, with Martin a dominant figure, upped their intensity in the second quarter, as the Breakers struggled with the visitors' offensive transition.

Three successive baskets from Nevill put the Wildcats in front and they were still there at the main break, up 44-42.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, new-zealand, perth-6000, wa, australia

First posted February 02, 2012 20:43:07

View the original article here

Breakers extend ladder lead

Updated February 16, 2012 22:52:28

New Zealand Breakers have gone two wins clear at the top of the ladder after a hard-fought 82-74 victory over Wollongong Hawks in Auckland.

But, second-placed Perth Wildcats, who have played one game fewer, can cut that gap back to one when they host Sydney Kings on Sunday.

Breakers forward Tom Abercrombie led all scorers with 25 points, including 12 in a decisive final quarter, when the home side finally pulled clear.

Team-mate Cedric Jackson added 20 points as well as 10 rebounds, while Joevan Catron topped the scoring for the Hawks with 14.

The home side put the clamps on former Breaker Oscar Forman, who had got a career-high 29 points against them when the struggling Hawks pulled of a 80-64 upset in Wollongong last Saturday.

Forman managed only five points on his return to the North Shore Events Centre, the first of them not until well into the fourth quarter.

While the victory was some revenge for the defending champions, they still lost the season series to Wollongong for the third straight year, the Hawks prevailing on countback after the teams finished 2-2.

The match see-sawed from the start and the visitors took the lead into the first break thanks to a Tyson Demos three-pointer in the final scoring play.

Both teams were guilty of failing to convert easy opportunities as the Hawks managed to hang on for a 40-38 half-time lead.

In the third quarter, the teams continued to go tit for tat on the scoreboard, as exemplified by Demos sinking a three-pointer, only for CJ Bruton to respond immediately with one of his own.

Ahead 56-54 going into the final period, the Breakers increased their defensive pressure and finally began to draw away.

When Abercrombie landed his only triple of the night with three minutes and 34 seconds to go, the Breakers had their biggest lead of the game of 11 points.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, australia, new-zealand

First posted February 16, 2012 22:52:28

View the original article here

Bucks trade Bogut to Warriors

Updated March 15, 2012 06:42:04

Australian centre Andrew Bogut has been traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Golden State Warriors as part of a five-player deal, the NBA clubs have confirmed.

The Bucks sent the injury-hit big man and guard Stephen Jackson to Golden State in exchange for Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh and Kwame Brown, which sets up an emotional match-up on Friday when the Bucks visit Golden State.

Bogut, the top choice of the 2005 NBA Draft by the Bucks, played in only 12 games this season before breaking his left ankle on January 25 at Houston.

The 27-year-old seven-footer has also been hampered by surgery on his right hand and elbow in 2010 and another operation on his right elbow last April.

The Aussie big man has averaged 12.7 points and 9.3 rebounds over his NBA career.

AFP

Tags: basketball, sport, united-states

First posted March 14, 2012 14:58:41

View the original article here

Kings win first game under Heal

Updated February 26, 2012 22:33:52

Shane Heal's first game as an NBL head coach ended in victory as Sydney Kings held off the visiting Townsville Crocodiles 71-69.

Barking orders, twitching with every play and encouraging his side throughout, Heal's presence had the desired effect.

Inspired by Ben Madgen, Julian Khazzouh and Luke Martin (all 15 points), the Kings recovered from a lacklustre first half to run over the Crocs in the third term.

After racing 13 points in front after at the last break the home side had to withstand a fierce Crocs comeback to record its slender two-point win.

Youngster Todd Blanchfield was Townsville's best with 15 points and five rebounds, while Jacob Holmes (14 points, nine rebounds) and Luke Schenscher (11 points, seven rebounds) provided support.

Early on it looked like it was going to be a homecoming to forget for former champion player Heal.

In a poor first quarter, where the Kings shot just 25 per cent from the field, stage fright seemed to have swept through the team.

But when the visitors ran out to an early eight-point lead Heal implemented a full-court press that stemmed the flow and threw the Crocs off their game.

Following a rugged second term that knotted scores at 32-32 at half-time the Kings emerged from the sheds a new team, a 17-3 run setting up a 60-47 lead after 30 minutes.

When Anatoly Bose stole the ball off Peter Crawford on the halfway line and drove for a lay-up it epitomised the Kings' newfound belief.

The Crocs were at sea and the Kings were firmly in control.

But, with victory apparently assured for the Kings, the Crocs closed within four points with 66 seconds on the clock and threatened to pull off a miraculous comeback.

Despite a nervy final minute, the Kings held on for a well-deserved victory as Khazzouh controlled the boards.

"It wasn't pretty offensively today, but the boys showed a lot of pride to hold on," Heal said.

"These are the types of games that scare the hell out of me, I knew Shane was going to give the team a newfound energy, but we didn't match it," Crocs coach Paul Woolpert said.

"We made too many mistakes and you just can't do that."

Martin, making his 250th appearance in the NBL, praised Heal for the performance.

"Having a player of Shane's stature at the club instantly demands respect from the players," he said.

"He has talked to us about accountability and the boys showed a lot of that tonight."

Meanwhile, Cairns (14-10) climbed above Townsville into the top four with a 83-78 away win over second-placed over Perth (16-8).

The Taipans trailed by 11 at half-time, but scored the first 15 points of the third quarter and led by six at the last change.

Perth regained the lead in the last term, but a 7-0 run secured victory for Cairns.

Alex Loughton notched 20 for the visitors and Lisch 21 for Perth.

Townsville slumped to fifth as Gold Coast (13-9) consolidated third place with a 85-72 home win over last-placed Wollongong (6-17).

The Blaze scored the last six points of the first half to lead 46-40 and never relinquished their advantage despite hitting just one out of 10 three-point attempts.

Worthington top-scored for the Blaze with 17.

AAP

Tags: sport, basketball, nbl, sydney-2000

First posted February 26, 2012 19:40:13

View the original article here

Things to Consider in Buying Basketball Shoes

Sixers end five-game losing run

Updated February 12, 2012 21:41:07

The 36ers ended a five-game losing streak with a thrilling 79-74 win over Townsville Crocodiles at Adelaide Arena.

The hosts led for most of the match but had to withstand a spirited Townsville fight-back.

The Crocs' Jacob Holmes levelled the scores in the final minute with two free throws, but out of the ensuing time-out, Adelaide executed perfectly for a Diamon Simpson dunk and then held its nerve from the charity stripe.

Adelaide centre Daniel Johnson (20 points, seven rebounds), guard Darren Ng and Simpson (both 19 points) were outstanding, while Crocs guard Eddie Gill top-scored for the visitors with 20 points.

Tension was high in the final period with both sides producing a series of turnovers and struggling to find the baskets.

The 36ers still led by 10 points with over six minutes remaining before Croc Elvin Mims inspired a late surge.

In the final 75 seconds Peter Crawford connected from deep and Holmes tied the game, but Adelaide held on to break its unwanted streak.

Townsville coach Paul Woolpert was involved in a confrontation with the referees after Simpson's dunk with 32 seconds to play.

He believed the match officials made the wrong call at the time, but says the decision did not lose his side the game.

However, there will be a complaint to the league.

"In all honesty we did not deserve to win that game. We got out-played, out-hustled, out-worked and it's inexcusable for a team that is fighting for its play-off life," he said.

Adelaide coach Marty Clarke says he had always expected a Crocs fight-back.

"They are a top four team and it's a league where games are usually close," he said.

"They got back to even the scores and for us to then pull away was a huge step forward for us."

AAP

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

First posted February 12, 2012 21:13:15

View the original article here

WNBL strongest in years: Sengstock

Updated February 21, 2012 17:59:00

The WNBL finals get under way on Wednesday with Basketball Australia chief executive Larry Sengstock declaring the competition the strongest he had seen for many years.

Townsville hosts Sydney in an elimination game with the winner advancing to a minor semi-final showdown at Dandenong on Sunday.

Minor premier Adelaide hosts second-placed Bulleen on Saturday.

The competition standard has been boosted by the return from Europe of several Opals determined to book a place in the Olympic squad.

"I've been told it's the strongest because being an Olympic year everyone is back here trying find their spot in the Opals team," Sengstock said.

"I think it's been a great year. I've watched a lot of games and it's going to be a great finals series and I'm really looking forward to that."

While Adelaide and Bulleen filled the top two places, each suffered a convincing final-round home loss.

Third-placed Dandenong is the form team, having stretched its winning streak to six with a big victory in Adelaide.

"Adelaide you would think they are the favourites, they are minor premiers and they have had a great year and they have really dominated," Sengstock said.

"But then last weekend both Bulleen and them lost, so that's a good thing too because now it's open.

"People are going to look at it and go 'anyone can win this thing.'"

"Dandenong could sneak home. They had a great game last week."

AAP

Tags: wnbl, basketball, sport, australia

First posted February 21, 2012 17:59:00

View the original article here

Breakers maintain intensity to beat Blaze

Updated March 15, 2012 23:13:40

New Zealand kept its foot on the gas despite having already wrapped up the NBL minor premiership to cruise to a 109-93 win over playoff hopeful Gold Coast on Thursday night.

In their last regular-season match in Auckland, the defending champions had too much offensive efficiency to go three wins ahead of second-placed Perth.

The result in front of another sellout crowd gave the Breakers a 13-1 home record and also took them to 3-0 in their season series against the Blaze, against whom they have passed 100 points each time.

The two sides are due to meet again in Queensland to close out the round-robin schedule on March 25.

The Blaze, having been on a great run over the second half of the season, have now lost two in a row and are mired in a three-way battle with Townsville and Cairns for two playoff spots.

American import Cedric Jackson was again influential for the Breakers, controlling the play as he produced 12 assists and three steals to go with his nine points.

Top scorer was Tom Abercrombie with 24, while Gary Wilkinson got 20 and Daryl Corletto contributed 18.

The Blaze has six scorers in double figures, led by Anthony Petrie (18) and Adam Gibson (14), but they could not match the Breakers' 58 per cent accuracy from the field.

The home side were in front from virtually the get-go, making light of a high early foul count and being dominated on the boards in the opening quarter.

Their better shooting was in evidence from the start, especially from long range.

CJ Bruton, Leon Henry and Corletto, twice in quick succession, found the mark from beyond the arc as the home side edged into a 23-18 lead at quarter time.

Bruton and Corletto both ended the match with four from six from three-point range.

The Breakers kicked away in the second quarter as their offence moved up a gear.

Up 58-46 at the main break, they did not ease off over the remainder of the contest, with a highlight being Corletto's buzzer-beating running three-pointer to extend the lead to 22 at end of the third quarter.

The Blaze are next away to Adelaide on Sunday, while the Breakers are in action in Townsville on March 23.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, new-zealand, broadbeach-4218, qld, australia

First posted March 15, 2012 23:13:40

View the original article here

No surpirses in Opals prelim squad

Updated February 16, 2012 19:44:20

Australian women's basketball coach Carrie Graf has called in the superstars, but also rewarded those who secured Olympic qualification in a preliminary Games squad featuring few surprises.

Lauren Jackson, Penny Taylor and Liz Cambage headline the 24-player squad as expected.

But Graf has also kept faith with the best performers in the second-tier outfit, which secured Olympic qualification last September, clean-sweeping the Oceania series against New Zealand.

Talls Suzy Batkovic and Abby Bishop, and Hungarian-based small forward Hanna Zavecz have all been included.

The three were excellent against the Tall Ferns, while Batkovic and Bishop have been dominant for the Adelaide Lightning this season in the WNBL.

The Opals' Games preparation starts with a selection camp in mid-March ahead of the official pre-Olympic training camp in May at the AIS.

Also included in the squad is veteran point guard Kristi Harrower, who has been playing well in the WNBL for Bendigo Spirit despite battling injuries for the past 12 months.

Graf sees the 36-year-old, who is aiming to make her fourth Olympics, as a vital part of the squad if she can maintain her fitness ahead of the tournament.

The final Olympic squad will be named in late June.

Opals squad: Suzy Batkovic, Abby Bishop, Liz Cambage, Rohanee Cox, Rachael Flanagan, Cayla Francis, Kristi Harrower, Laura Hodges, Natalie Hurst, Lauren Jackson, Rachel Jarry, Kathleen Macleod, Jenna O'Hea, Elyse Penaluna, Erin Phillips, Alicia Poto, Sam Richards, Jennifer Screen, Belinda Snell, Penny Taylor, Marianna Tolo, Kristen Veal, Carly Wilson, Hanna Zavecz

AAP

Tags: basketball, sport, australia

First posted February 16, 2012 19:44:20

View the original article here

Girls Basketball Camps: Here Are 4 Important Things To Know

Fire too hot for Flames

Updated February 23, 2012 08:30:11

The Townsville Fire doused the Sydney Flames' final hopes with a nail-biting 85-78 win in the first WNBL elimination final at Townsville RSL Stadium.

The home side shot out to an early lead as the Flames struggled to find their feet.

American import Shanavia Dowdell (14) and captain Rachael Flanagan (17) led by example, sinking big baskets under pressure to take a eight point lead into the first break.

The visitors had an injury scare early in the second quarter with point guard Alicia Poto (11) forced off the court after a collision under the basket.

Poto returned to the floor late in the quarter but failed to stamp her authority on the game allowing the Fire to take a 53-47 lead into the main break.

The Flames started the second-half strongly to bring the scores back to level early in the third quarter.

Both sides struggled to take control of the game as points became hard to come by.

Fire guard Casey Lockwood (9) was handy from downtown, sinking a valuable basket from outside the arc to leave her side two points up at the end of the third quarter.

The point scoring tug of war continued in the final quarter with both sides failing to hit consecutive baskets.

Flanagan steadied the ship with a handy basket late in the quarter providing the boost needed for the home side to run away seven point winners at the end of the final quarter.

The Fire will now be preparing for a second-round playoff showdown with Dandenong on Sunday.

Jessica Foley was rock solid throughout the game, finishing with 24 points and nine rebounds for the home team.

She said the contest was one of the toughest of the year.

"It's really exciting to see all the girls firing again," she said.

"We went through a bit of a rough patch after Christmas because a few things weren't going our way but that all seems to be behind us now.

"We have really found our swagger again over the past few weeks so hopefully we can keep that up."

AAP

Tags: wnbl, basketball, sport

First posted February 22, 2012 22:53:00

View the original article here

Rangers sink Boomers in WNBL final

Updated March 12, 2012 09:03:32

Dandenong Rangers have won the most unlikely of WNBL crowns, beating defending champions Bulleen Boomers 94-70 in the grand final on Sunday.

The Rangers, who looked unlikely to even make the finals two months ago, won their ninth successive match to win their first WNBL title since 2005.

Point guard Kath MacLeod was immense in a sensational team shooting performance, with 22 points and nine assists - shooting at 67 per cent from the field and winning the MVP.

Backcourt partner Jenna O'Hea was equally brilliant with 20 points, while Steph Cumming had 19 off seven-from-11 field goal shooting.

"I was sitting in the crowd last year, and I was drinking - I wanted to be out there," MacLeod said.

O'Hea remembered: "It's probably the drunkest I've ever seen her. She was sitting on the sidelines, hands in the air cheering for me, so to win it with her this year was amazing."

MacLeod's eventful match included giving coach Mark Wright a half-time spray, then limping off the floor at three-quarter-time after a Bulleen player fell across her leg as the pair tussled on the ground.

Wright admitted MacLeod's remarkable passion was part of what he wanted at the Rangers - players having their say and helping drive the team on to better things.

"She was angry. She was telling the coach we needed to fix some [stuff] up," Wright said of MacLeod's emotional outburst at him at half-time.

"We had some breakdowns (in play) and we needed to fix it.

"That's what's been going on in this group. they have a say, and they have an ear. It makes sense, and we do it."

While Bulleen's national team star Liz Cambage led her side with 22 points and 14 rebounds at a sold-out State Netball Centre in Melbourne, there were patchy contributions from her team-mates.

In contrast, the Rangers recovered from a rocky start to get the absolute maximum out of both stars and bench.

Bulleen shot out to an early 11-4 lead, before the Rangers dragged themselves back into the match with a 12-0 run - eight from Cumming - to hold an eight-point quarter-time lead.

Shooting as high as 60 per cent from the field during the second quarter, the Rangers kept their foot down as the Boomers struggled to get anything going offensively and led 41-33 at half-time.

Bulleen crept to within five points early in the third quarter, but the Rangers kept lifting.

MacLeod, who ran the floor to perfection, gave her side a late third-quarter scare when a Bulleen player fell on her leg as the pair tussled on the ground for a ball.

But heavily strapped, she returned to the court a few minutes into the final term and helped her side parlay a 14-point three-quarter time lead into a championship few expected.

Dandenong's nine-match winning streak after a poor start to the season included three wins over minor premiers Adelaide Lightning, whom they knocked out in the preliminary final, as well as the second-placed Boomers.

For Wright, it was the first top-level championship of a long coaching career at both men's and women's level.

"It's really big. I'm just so pleased I've been able to coach a team that enjoys being together, and I enjoy being with them," Wright said.

"I enjoy the whole week, every single week. It's refreshing being around them."

AAP

Tags: wnbl, basketball, sport, dandenong-3175, vic, australia, bulleen-3105

First posted March 11, 2012 17:20:41

View the original article here

Breakers clinch minor premiership

Updated March 11, 2012 00:54:34

The New Zealand Breakers clinched the NBL minor premiership on Saturday night with a hard-fought 91-76 victory over the Adelaide 36ers.

The plucky Sixers remained in striking distance for much of the contest but could not sustain the pressure long enough to seriously challenge the top side.

New Zealand led each of the first three quarters with last-gasp buckets and its composure was the difference between the two sides.

The visitors had too many offensive weapons as Thomas Abercrombie collected 10 of his 22 points in the final quarter, Gary Wilkinson nailed 21 and Cedric Jackson struck early to finish with 17 points and seven assists.

Daniel Johnson continued his consistent season with 21 points and nine rebounds for Adelaide, while Diamon Simpson scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

The opening 10 minutes were dominated by two players, Jackson sparkling with 13 points while Johnson was dominant under the ring with 12.

It was an even battle until an 11-0 New Zealand run - capped by a Jackson-to-Abercrombie buzzer-beating alley oop - opened up a nine-point buffer at the first break.

Adelaide regrouped in the second quarter with a greater involvement from Simpson and a stronger resolve on defence, drawing level in the shadows of half-time.

But a costly turnover allowed Jackson to give New Zealand a 47-45 advantage at the long break.

It was scrappy beginning to the second half with just one bucket for each team in the opening three minutes.

An arm-wrestle ensued from that point, but a Simpson dunk and three-point play a short time later fired up the crowd.

But their excitement was short lived with Wilkinson dropping a buzzer-beating triple to put the Breakers nine ahead with 10 minutes to play.

Three-pointers to Abercrombie and Daryl Corletto kept the momentum with New Zealand and the lead quickly ballooned to 17 in the fourth quarter.

The Sixers battled hard but left too much to do in the final minutes.

AAP

Tags: sport, basketball, nbl, new-zealand

First posted March 10, 2012 23:25:36

View the original article here

Wilson puts Tigers to the sword

Updated February 18, 2012 23:33:16

The Cairns Taipans' season has gone from embarrassing to emphatic in 24 hours, defeating the Melbourne Tigers 77-56 on Saturday night in Cairns to end the Victorians' NBL post-season hopes.

The win after a franchise-low 43 points against Townsville and keeps the Taipans in the hunt for their own finals run.

In front of nearly 5,000 home fans Cairns put on a show, breaking out for a 27-point first quarter with Brad Hill a menace in transition and veteran Aaron Grabau making the hustle plays.

By half-time the Taipans already had 49 points, with point guard Jamar Wilson (25 points, seven rebounds) making up for Friday's quiet effort to lead the way.

In contrast Melbourne was held to just 31, Cairns' defence locking up import Myron Allen's use of the pick-and-roll and starving Cam Tragardh of opportunities.

The deficit blew out to 27 in the third period as the Tigers' defensive work rate dropped alarmingly, Wilson scoring 11 points in the last seven minutes to put the boisterous crowd into party mode.

The Snakes' starters clocked off early in the last, 10 Taipans playing more than 12 minutes as they coasted to another home victory.

Worryingly for the hosts though, both Ian Crosswhite and Wilson limped through the second half, Crosswhite only clocking 18 minutes.

Allen top-scored for Melbourne with 13 and Tragardh had 12, but the Tigers were out-rebounded 43-31 and never showed the fight required after Cairns' frenetic start.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, cairns-4870

First posted February 18, 2012 22:49:06

View the original article here

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

View the original article here

Crocs edge Tigers at the death

Updated March 04, 2012 20:03:26

Townsville held on for a nail-biting 67-64 home win over a fighting Melbourne Tigers outfit on Sunday to mark Peter Crawford's 400th NBL game.

The Tigers fought back within two points with eight seconds on the clock when Myron Allen was called for charging Eddie Gill, ending hopes of extending the encounter into overtime.

The Crocodiles had been on track for victory, with Crawford nailing the opening six points of the encounter to begin his milestone game in style.

He finished the game as the Crocs' leading scorer with 14 points.

Townsville's Luke Schenscher netted 13 points, controlling the paint and boards along with Elvin Mims who also sank 13.

Lucas Walker (13) was the only threat for the visitors, but fouled out mid-way through the final term to leave them without their leading scorer.

Townsville made one of its best starts of the season with a 10-2 run, the first six coming from the hand of Crawford.

Melbourne benched its entire starting line-up before Walker found his range to nail 3-of-3 from the field, but the visitors were left trailing 20-12 at quarter-time.

The Tigers were a different outfit after the break, netting eight straight and out-scoring the Crocodiles 22-12 for the quarter to claim an unlikely 34-32 lead at half-time.

Townsville reclaimed the lead but it became a physical struggle, with leading scorer Schenscher picking up his fourth foul to earn a stint on the bench.

Melbourne briefly hit the front with Walker leading the way, but after a number of lead changes the Crocs surged late to boast a 52-44 advantage at the final break.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, townsville-4810, qld, australia, melbourne-3000, vic

First posted March 04, 2012 20:03:26

View the original article here

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

View the original article here

Rangers humble Waves

Updated February 10, 2012 22:03:16

The Rangers cruised to a 101-53 thrashing of West Coast Waves in their round 17 WNBL clash at Dandenong Basketball Stadium.

The hosts exerted their dominance in the opening quarter, having led 27-16 at the first break, before completing the job to run out comfortable winners.

Jenna O'Hea led the scoring for the Rangers with 23 points, while Stephanie Cumming added a 22-point haul.

Rohanee Cox was the Waves' top scorer with 13 points.

Meanwhile, the Lightning proved too strong for Bulleen Boomers at Adelaide Arena, winning 71-58.

Tags: wnbl, basketball, sport, dandenong-3175

First posted February 10, 2012 22:03:16

View the original article here

Blaze thump Taipans

Updated March 04, 2012 11:37:18

Gold Coast blew Cairns off its own court with a deadly shooting display to post a 94-77 NBL win at the Cairns Convention Centre on Saturday night.

The Blaze shot 58 per cent from beyond the arc and barely missed when given an open look to keep the Taipans locked in a battle with Townsville for a spot in the top four.

Adris Deleon hit 23 points to lead the way for the Blaze while Jamar Wilson also notched 23 points for Cairns.

The Taipans' usual stingy defence was not on show in the first half, summed up when Jason Cadee scored another Blaze transition basket to give the visitors a 47-45 half-time advantage.

Cairns started fast and earned a four-point lead, but lost its way when Wilson headed to the bench.

Coming off the bench Chris Goulding exploded when given the nod by coach Joey Wright and finished the first quarter with a steal and a slam to give the Blaze a 10-point lead.

Unlike the Blaze, who were at one stage shooting 80 per cent from long range, the Taipans were struggling to find their range although Aaron Grabau hit a triple to give them an early 39-38 lead.

Deleon sat out most of the third quarter after running into foul trouble but his team-mates stepped up and the Blaze took another big step towards the play-offs.

AAP

Tags: sport, basketball, cairns-4870, qld, australia, southport-4215

First posted March 04, 2012 00:12:04

View the original article here

Flames book WNBL finals berth

Updated February 18, 2012 00:32:26

The Sydney University Flames have booked their place in the WNBL finals with a hard-fought 79 - 67 win over the West Coast Waves in Sydney on Friday night.

Belinda Snell led the way for the Flames with 19 points and eight points, and she was ably assisted by Lauren King, who scored 11 of her 15 points in the final quarter.

Not even a stellar performance from West Coast's Rohanee Cox, who contributed 20 points and seven rebounds on her return to the competition, was enough for the Waves to claim the points.

Meanwhile, Bendigo Spirit saw off Logan Thunder 71-58 at Bendigo Stadium in the night's other match, as Tess Magden top scored with 23 points.

The Thunder never looked troubled in the mid-table showdown, but they need cellar dwellers AIS to upset Townsville Fire tomorrow night if they are to have any chance of making the finals.

Tags: sport, basketball, sydney-2000, nsw, australia

First posted February 18, 2012 00:32:26

View the original article here

Crocs put deathroll on Cairns

Updated February 18, 2012 00:07:06

Townsville dominated a fiery reptile rumble to record a comprehensive 75-43 NBL win over Cairns on Friday night.

The Taipans shot out to an early lead in the first quarter but when the Crocs found their feet, they ran away with the emphatic victory.

Townsville fought back through some handy work by big man Luke Schenscher (12 points) to go into the first break with a lead of eight points.

Jacob Holmes was rock solid under the net with seven rebounds in the first quarter and 15 for the game.

The home side streaked ahead in the second period as sharp-shooter Michael Cedar stamped his mark on the game, scoring 10 points in short succession including two long bombs from beyond the arc.

Crocodiles import Eddie Gill (12 points) chimed in with two quick baskets late in the term to push the margin out to 17 at half-time.

The Taipans could not stem the flow of points in the third, allowing the home side to run out to a 28-point lead.

Crocs shooting guard Peter Crawford found his range in the final quarter to finish with 14 points and the 32-point rout was complete.

AAP

Tags: sport, basketball, cairns-4870, qld, australia

First posted February 18, 2012 00:07:06

View the original article here

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

View the original article here

Breakers down Wildcats in OT

Updated March 04, 2012 22:23:39

New Zealand Breakers defeated the Wildcats 101-99 in an overtime thriller in Perth.

Gary Wilkinson hit the go-ahead and ultimately game-winning basket with 27 seconds remaining in overtime off another sweet CJ Bruton (seven assists) feed.

Earlier, an amazing Mika Vukona tip-in with eight seconds left in regulation capped an 8-2 Breakers run to send the game into overtime.

Cedric Jackson led the way with 23 points and six assists in another enthralling backcourt battle with Damian Martin (eight points, nine assists, six rebounds).

Wilkinson (18 points), Daryl Corletto, Alex Pledger and Vukona (all 12 points) all played important roles for the winners.

For Perth, Kevin Lisch was superb with 27 points but missed a tough shot to win it in regulation.

Meanwhile, an Adris Deleon NBL masterclass steered Gold Coast Blaze to a 90-83 home win over Sydney Kings.

Deleon blew the Kings away in the second half with a season-best haul of 33 points, killing off a Kings outfit missing star centre Julian Khazzouh.

The Blaze did it mostly without Mark Worthington, who spent much of the second half sidelined with four fouls next to his name.

But Anthony Petrie stood tall with 20 points and nine rebounds, including an important five-point run in his club's dominant third quarter.

Guard Ben Madgen led the Kings resistance with 30 points despite collecting a finger to an eye and an elbow to the mouth during the match.

Anatoly Bose had 22 points and big man Jerai Grant 19, but no other player scored more than six points for the Kings.

The Kings launched a first-half ambush on the fatigued Blaze, who played in Cairns on Friday night, with Shane Heal ordering his charges to outrun their tired opponents.

For the first half it worked, with the Kings claiming a 43-37 half-time lead.

But Deleon caught fire in the third quarter with 14 points - including two three-pointers - as the Kings attack stuttered.

That was the only quarter the Kings lost, but the 29-10 hiding the Blaze dealt out was enough to secure the win.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, perth-6000

First posted March 04, 2012 22:23:39

View the original article here

Blaze crush hapless Hawks

Updated February 04, 2012 23:20:02

Mark Worthington led the Blaze to a 91-50 annihilation of Wollongong Hawks in Saturday night's spiteful NBL encounter on the Gold Coast.

The Boomer was bruising in defence and lethal in attack, finishing with 25 points, five rebounds and two steals with strong support from Adris Deleon and Adam Gibson (both 13 points).

Only recruit Ayinde Ubaka (12 points) managed double figures for Wollongong as the visitors struggled to find a way through the jamming Gold Coast defence.

Worthington found himself receiving verbal and physical attention from the Hawks, who became frustrated by the physicality and lop-sided scoreline.

Veteran Hawks coach Gordie McLeod received a rare technical foul for questioning referee Scott Beker, and said after the game the Blaze had "stepped it up a lot of notches" since their last meeting.

"That was like going through a tsunami," a stunned McLeod said.

"They manhandled us. There was no way we were going to be able to run and execute the way they were defending."

Worthington declared the Blaze were far from the finished product yet.

"The last two weeks have just been a glimpse at what we do (but) we still have our breakdowns and we're not happy about it," he said.

"If we were peaking right now then I would be worried. We've got the top two in our sights, they're the benchmark."

The Blaze ambushed the Hawks early with its rugged defence, knocking the visitors out of their offensive rhythm and leaping to a 17-7 lead.

The injection of Ubaka made some headway against the Gold Coast defence, the guard scoring eight points including a late triple to keep the Hawks within range, 26-17 down after 10 minutes.

Deleon found his range early in the second term, his two long-range jumpshots pushing the lead out to 13 before the technical foul on McLeod increased the advantage to 17.

Wollongong launched a mini fight-back with three consecutive baskets late in the term, but it was unable to build any pressure against the impregnable Gold Coast defence, going to the main break trailing 47-29.

The dam wall cracked wide open in the third quarter as the Gold Coast ran roughshod over the visitors to record its fourth consecutive win.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, broadbeach-4218, qld, wollongong-2500, nsw, australia

First posted February 04, 2012 22:54:51

View the original article here

Sixers trump Tigers

Updated February 25, 2012 22:23:00

Adelaide 36ers defeated the Tigers 92-83 in their NBL clash at the State Netball and Hockey Centre in Melbourne.

Import point guard Chris Warren was sublime for the 36ers with 26 points at 90 per cent shooting plus eight assists.

Daniel Johnson (18 points), Darren Ng (15 points), Diamon Simpson (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Everard Bartlett (11 points) all scored in double figures in a stand-out team performance.

Adelaide shot the ball at 53 per cent from the field, 58 per cent from the three-point line and made 24-of-28 free throws.

For the Tigers, league-leading scorer Cam Tragardh scored 19 points, while Ron Dorsey (16 points, five rebounds), Tommy Greer (14 points) and Daniel Dillon (10 points, five assists) all reached double figures.

The 36ers led by just one at half-time but turned the defensive screws in the third term, holding the Tigers to just 14 points to set up a match-winning lead.

Whenever the Tigers challenged in the final term, Warren had the answers to move his team one game clear of last place.

AAP

Tags: basketball, nbl, sport, melbourne-3000

First posted February 25, 2012 22:23:00

View the original article here

Deleon steers Blaze past Hawks

Updated February 24, 2012 22:58:49

A gritty fourth quarter has sealed Gold Coast a much-needed 94-86 NBL win over the Hawks in Wollongong on Friday night.

Adris Deleon scored 13 of his 15 points in the fourth to help guide the Blaze home and keep them firmly in the playoff picture, while Ayinde Ubaka produced a team-high 24 points for the Hawks.

The Hawks had few answers for Gold Coast's front-court combination of Mark Worthington (26 points) and Anthony Petrie (19 points), who accounted for 19 of their team's 30-point second quarter that created a handy 51-43 half-time buffer.

Petrie carried the early offensive load, scoring the Blaze's first nine points as his duel with former team-mate Glen Saville produced the first 11 points of the game.

Worthington scored the Gold Coast's next six points, but a Mat Campbell triple and four late points from Rhys Martin saw the Hawks poke their heads in front 22-21 at quarter-time.

After eight lead changes early in the second stanza, a pair of buckets by Petrie helped spark a 16-2 run for the Blaze, Worthington capping the surge with consecutive three-pointers to give the visitors a healthy eight-point lead at the main break.

Courtesy of five unanswered points from Adam Gibson, the Blaze led by as much as 12 in the third, but threes by Campbell and Oscar Forman helped the Hawks chip away at the deficit.

When Hawks centre Larry Davidson scored four late points and Deleon gifted the home team a pair of free throws on a technical foul, Gold Coast's lead had been reduced to 67-65.

Ubaka gave the Hawks their first lead since the second quarter at 73-72 with a pull-up three, setting up a thrilling final five minutes but Deleon delivered victory for Gold Coast.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, wollongong-2500

First posted February 24, 2012 22:29:36

View the original article here

Sixers win tough over Hawks

Updated March 03, 2012 23:04:10

The 36ers continued their late-season resurgence with a tough 77-73 win over Wollongong at Adelaide Arena on Saturday.

In a hard-fought game that rarely reached great heights, the 36ers finally got on top late in the third period before a futile last-gasp fightback by the Hawks.

Hawks guard Ayinde Ubaka was outstanding with 23 points, as was Larry Davidson (17 points, seven rebounds).

Adelaide centre Daniel Johnson was solid with 16 points, Stephen Weigh chipped in with 12 and point guard Chris Warren had 11 points and five assists.

Both sides struggled to find their offensive rhythm early with solid defence the order of the day.

Regardless, the lead changed 12 times with pacey 36ers guard Warren a standout for the home side, as was team-mate Daren Ng with a superb three-pointer.

Davidson and Ubaka also looked switched on for the contest, producing some classy finishing to help the visitors to a 19-18 lead at the first break.

Defence dominated the second period, and despite a brilliant three-pointer late in the term from Hawks guard Tyson Demos the 36ers did enough to take a 32-30 advantage into half-time.

Davidson burst out of the blocks early in the third term with a quick-fire six points. Johnson looked more threatening for the 36ers and when Warren thrilled the crowd with a brace of triples the game began to open up.

Weigh and Mitch Creek sank further three-pointers, and when Everard Bartlett repeated the feat on the buzzer the home side led 53-45 at the last change.

Thanks to guard Nathan Herbert's finishing, the 36ers maintained a 10-point lead at the halfway stage of the final term. However, a Ubaka three followed by a Forman basket kept the Hawks in it.

Weigh and Johnson steadied the 36ers' nerves, however, and they held on for a morale-boosting win.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, adelaide-5000, sa, australia, wollongong-2500, nsw

First posted March 03, 2012 23:04:10

View the original article here

Boomers add to West Coast's woes

Updated February 11, 2012 23:33:00

Bulleen consolidated second spot on the WNBL ladder with an easy 81-56 over strugglers West Coast at The Veneto Club.

Rachel Jarry led all scorers with 24 points while Liz Cambage and Alice Kunek added 18 and 15 points respectively.

In Logan, the Thunder took down AIS 83-60 with Natalie Taylor topping the box scores with 19 points for the hosts.

She was matches by Sara Blicavs but it was not enough for the students to claim a third win for the season.

In Bendigo, the Flames notched a tight 72-70 triumph over the Spirit.

Belinda Snell was Sydney's go-to player with 24 points while Tess Madgen's 18 points kept the hosts in the game.

Tags: wnbl, basketball, sport, australia, bulleen-3105, vic, logan-3475

First posted February 11, 2012 23:33:00

View the original article here

Boomers to host WNBL decider

Updated February 25, 2012 23:20:50

Bulleen coach Tom Maher praised the mental toughness of his team after it survived two final-quarter comebacks from WNBL minor premier Adelaide to win the major semi-final on Saturday.

The defending champions will host a third straight grand final after Liz Cambage lifted the Boomers to a thrilling 73-71 win at Adelaide Arena.

Centre Cambage hit a close-range shot with two seconds remaining to ensure Bulleen, who finished second on the ladder, host the March 11 decider.

Cambage hit a game-high 29 points, 10 of them in the final quarter.

The visitors led for virtually the entire game, bar a brief period in the final quarter in which Abby Bishop scored the first eight points of the term to lift the Lightning to a 58-55 advantage

Bishop scored a team-high 23, including Adelaide's first 13 points of the last quarter.

Her front-court partner Suzy Batkovic was out of sorts, making just 7-of-25 from the field to finish with 15 points, well down on her season average.

Bulleen grabbed the initiative immediately by scoring the first six points against a nervous, tight-looking Adelaide.

The Boomers led by six, eight and five points at the end of each of the first three quarters.

They hit just one of 12 three-point attempts and missed the leadership of injured point guard Sam Richards, who Maher expected to be fit for the grand final.

He said Cambage was "OK" after she spent some time off the court early in the third quarter with an ankle issue.

She scored eight quick points in a 16-3 run that gave Bulleen a 71-61 lead with just over four minutes left.

Adelaide then scored 10 straight points and kept Bulleen scoreless for four minutes to lock the scores up at 71-71.

The Lightning had a chance to hit the front with just over 20 seconds left, but New Zealand international Antonia Edmondson missed two free throws before Cambage had the final say.

"I think what won us the game was that we had such a great first half," Maher said.

"That caused them enough grief and used up enough of their energy and put us in a position where we could withstand the run.

"I couldn't believe how well our girls showed that they could handle the adversity of it all.

"I was impressed by their mental character, it was really tough.

"They could have fallen over and fallen in a heap but they didn't."

Cambage apart, Bulleen's only other double-digit scorer was Rachel Jarry, who tallied 15 points and t10 rebounds.

Adelaide will host the preliminary final next Sunday against the winner of Sunday's minor semi-final in which Dandenong hosts Townsville.

AAP

Tags: wnbl, basketball, sport, adelaide-5000, sa, bulleen-3105, vic, australia

First posted February 25, 2012 18:04:39

View the original article here

Hammer Heal to coach Kings

Updated February 24, 2012 16:36:22

Sydney Kings have installed Shane Heal to coach the team for the remaining six games of the NBL season.

Heal will take over the role immediately, replacing Ian Robilliard who has recently been appointed as the club's interim chief executive, and will be in charge for his first game when the Kings host Townsville on Sunday.

Heal, a former point guard known for his aggressive play, loud haircuts and three-point shooting, captained the Kings to their first championship in 2003, has his number 23 jersey retired and is still highly regarded at the club.

The Kings have endured a mixed season under Robilliard, missing out on landing Boomers superstar Andrew Bogut during the NBA lock-out due to unresolvable insurance issues while overcoming a series of injuries to hover mid-table with an 8-14 record.

The Kings are on a five-game losing streak but Heal, who at this stage does not have a deal for next season, says he simply hopes to bring his own touch to the team for the final six games of the year.

"I will really be working on getting their mindset right and belief in themselves," he said.

"I am looking forward to sitting down with the team to talk about philosophies and expectations."

Robilliard says he expects Heal to use his experience to instil a championship-winning mentality into the young Kings squad.

"It is a great feeling to have secured Shane Heal for the role of head coach," he said.

"The club definitely considers him a Sydney Kings legend.

"Having played in the purple and gold, he knows first hand what it means to wear in our colours, to win a championship, and to play at the Kingdome.

"If he can instil half of his Sydney Kings personal experience into our roster, it could help our team of committed professionals become a champion team."

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, sydney-2000, nsw, australia

First posted February 24, 2012 16:36:22

View the original article here

Boomers douse Fire on the road

Updated February 05, 2012 08:54:06

Bulleen pulled off a convincing 73-63 road win over Townsville in far north Queensland in their Friday night WNBL clash.

Liz Cambage top-scored for the visitors with 22 points and a massive 19 rebounds, while Alice Kunek (17) and Rachel Jarry (12, nine rebounds) also contributed.

The Fire trailed by as many as 16 in the final period but they came home strong and cut the deficit down to six before running out of steam.

Jess Foley was Townsville's best with 14 and six boards, with back-up from Nadeen Payne (10) and Shanavia Dowdell (eight points, 13 rebounds).

Meanwhile Dandenong clinched a nine-point win over Sydney University, going out 91-82 winners on the Flames' home court.

Jenna O'Hea (19), Krista Phillips (16) and Kathleen MacLeod (16 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists) all helped the Rangers turn around a 12-point half-time deficit to seal a comeback victory.

Sydney Uni was led by Belinda Snell's 21-point haul and five assists, but the home side was boosted by Lauren King's 18 points and a 13-6-6 night for Amy Denson.

And in the nation's capital, Canberra denied Logan a chance to move back into the top half of the ladder with a 65-57 victory at the AIS Arena.

The low-scoring affair saw the Capitals lead by a mammoth 23 points at half-time but the visiting Thunder came home with a wet sail.

Brigitte Ardossi's 12 points and nine rebounds were handy for the hosts even though she fouled out after just 21 minutes on the floor.

Logan's main contributors were Renae Camino and Sarah Graham, who had 10 points apiece, but it was not enough to bag their side its 11th win of the campaign.

Tags: wnbl, basketball, sport, townsville-4810, qld, australia

First posted February 03, 2012 23:54:01

View the original article here

Boomers edge Thunder

Updated February 05, 2012 17:35:16

Bulleen emerged the winner of a tight WNBL clash at Logan on Sunday afternoon, finishing its Queensland road trip with an 83-80 win over the Thunder.

Led by Elizabeth Cambage, who put up 34 points and 14 rebounds, the Boomers used a strong second quarter to snatch a half-time lead before a neck-and-neck fight to the final siren.

Cambage had scoring help from Rachel Jarry (18) and Chantella Perera (11) to counter a strong all-round effort from Logan's stars.

Cayla Francis top-scored for the home side with 22 points and 13 oards while Renae Camino added 17 and Sarah Graham 12.

Bulleen remains in second place on the ladder with a 14-5 record, two and a half games back from competition leader Adelaide (17-3).

Tags: wnbl, basketball, sport, logan-central-4114, bulleen-3105, qld, australia, vic

First posted February 05, 2012 17:35:16

View the original article here

Lightning strike in Bendigo

Updated February 04, 2012 23:24:21

WNBL leader Adelaide took care of the Spirit in overtime thanks to veteran centre Suzy Batkovic with a 97-87 win in Bendigo on Saturday night.

Returning from a back injury, Batkovic finished with 26 points, 13 rebounds and five assists to help push the Lightning over the edge.

The visitors dominated the extra period, outscoring Bendigo 15-5 after Batkovic's field goal tied things up at 82-82 with 13 seconds left in regulation time.

Angela Marino added 21 points and Jo Hill had 20 for the Lightning, while Kristi Harrower was the best of the Spirit with 28, four rebounds and eight assists.

In Saturday night's other clash, perennial struggler AIS pulled off a 78-63 win over West Coast in Alice Springs.

Sara Blicavs had a game-high 20 points to go with 10 rebounds and five assists, countering Waves forward Rohanee Cox's influence down low.

Cox had 14 points and 10 boards in the loss, while Melissa Marsh led West Coast with 18 points.

Tags: wnbl, basketball, sport, bendigo-3550, vic, adelaide-5000, sa, australia

First posted February 04, 2012 22:58:32

View the original article here

Hawks stun ladder-leading Breakers

Updated February 11, 2012 22:26:08

Oscar Forman delivered a game-high 29 points to lead the Hawks to an 80-64 win over NBL leaders New Zealand Breakers in Wollongong.

The Hawks snapped the defending champions five-game winning run.

Forman poured in 21 points in the first half and finished with a perfect 7-of-7 clip from long-range.

Both teams were in blistering form from long-distance, combining for a total of 19-of-44, but the Breakers were broken down by the Hawks' stifling defence in a 16-8 final quarter.

Gary Wilkinson led New Zealand with 16 points, while Daryl Corletto, Cedric Jackson and Thomas Abercrombie each added 12.

The Hawks claimed the opening period 20-14 with Forman providing 10 points, he and Corletto duelling from long-range with four consecutive three-pointers between them.

Forman kept a hot hand in the second, knocking down a pair of vital triples, the second cutting a 6-0 Breakers run and giving the Hawks a seven-point buffer (35-28).

Moments later Forman drained his fifth three-pointer and consecutive buckets by Catron gave the Hawks a 42-32 half-time lead.

CJ Bruton snatched the last points of the half with a runner, ending a rare 20-minute phase that saw the Breakers on the wrong side of a 10-2 turnover count.

Jackson looked to reverse the turnover trend in the third, stealing the ball on the first possession for a breakaway slam as the Breakers scored the first five.

Demos entered the game after Ayinde Ubaka was called for his third foul and sank back-to-back threes to spark a 9-0 Hawks run.

The Hawks led by as many as 12 and absorbed 15 combined points from Abercrombie and Wilkinson to hold a 64-56 advantage heading into the fourth.

Wollongong rode a 5-0 start to the final period, eating almost five minutes off the clock before their backcourt combo of Ubaka and Rhys Martin steered them to victory.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, wollongong-2500, nsw, australia, new-zealand

First posted February 11, 2012 22:26:08

View the original article here

Basketball Coaching - Basic Dribbling Drill for Kids

How to Choose the Perfect Basketball Shoes

On-target Kings shoot down Hawks

Updated March 09, 2012 22:34:29

An amazing shooting display by the Sydney Kings has secured a 92-81 win over arch-rival Wollongong on Friday night.

Sydney shot at 52 per cent from the field and 71 per cent from beyond the arc in its most impressive display of the season to seal the comfortable victory in Wollongong.

The visiting Kings built a handy double-digit lead in the first half before absorbing the Hawks' own long-range shooting barrage which featured seven three-pointers for the half.

The Kings were led by Jerai Grant (20 points, eight rebounds), Anatoly Bose (19 points, six rebounds) and Ben Madgen (17 points), while former Hawk Luke Martin (six assists) iced the game with nine of his 17 points in the fourth quarter.

Hawks centre Larry Davidson made the most of Kings star Julian Khazzouh's absence, pouring in a team-high 24 points with seven boards, but his team lacked considerable punch at the defensive end.

After two quick fouls to Graeme Dann the injection of Alex Gynes sparked the Kings to an 11-4 start.

Gynes paced Sydney with six points in seven minutes, while Martin capped the quarter with a triple to push the Kings ahead 23-12.

Wollongong rallied behind Davidson, who found a pair of buckets inside before stepping behind the arc and swishing a triple.

The Hawks pulled within five points at 25-20, but were suddenly hit with six unanswered points from the visitors, highlighted by Grant storming down the lane for a thunderous dunk in traffic.

Grant led a devastating defensive stand and Luke Cooper knocked down a pair of threes as Sydney surged ahead 46-29 at half-time.

Wollongong clawed back in the third term through the long-ball, connecting on five three-pointers to pull to within three points at 52-49.

Madgen kept Sydney afloat with a three in reply, before Bose drained a pair of triples to steady the ship at 61-53.

Luke Martin once again had the last say of the period with another top-of-the-key triple to make it 64-57 heading into the fourth.

Martin was hot down the stretch, exploding for seven straight points including a three-point dagger that sealed the result.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport

First posted March 09, 2012 22:34:29

View the original article here

Blaze too strong for Kings

Updated February 10, 2012 23:32:05

Adam Gibson awoke Gold Coast Blaze from a first-half slumber to steamroll the Kings 84-72 in their NBL game in Sydney.

The Blaze were in foul trouble and trailed by six points at half-time before Gibson (17 points, nine assists) exploded with 15 points and three assists in the third quarter.

Mark Worthington (12 points, seven rebounds) sat out most of the second quarter due to foul trouble, but returned in the second half to wreak havoc, draining three-pointers at one end and blocking Kings shots at the other.

Blaze guard Adris Deleon had a game-high 29 points, his outside shooting and control of the offence a struggle for the Kings to contain.

When Deleon and Worthington again hit from three-point range the Blaze led by 14 with just under two minutes left and the contest was over.

Sydney's Jerai Grant, chief tormentor the last time these two sides met, had a tough night, while star centre Julian Khazzouh's influence was fleeting.

Anatoly Bose (21 points) tried in vain to bring the home side back into contention, while Khazzouh (16 points, nine rebounds) and Ben Madgen (14 points, four rebounds, four assists) provided the best support.

Meanwhile, the Taipans defeated Perth Wildcats 76-67 at Cairns Convention Centre.

AAP

Tags: nbl, basketball, sport, sydney-2000, carrara-4211

First posted February 10, 2012 23:32:05

View the original article here

Rangers edge Lightning to book final berth

Updated March 04, 2012 20:14:38

Dandenong's Jenna O'Hea can look forward to playing her former side Bulleen in the first all-Victorian WNBL grand final in 25 years, after starring in a 91-78 preliminary final away win over minor premier Adelaide on Sunday.

The red-hot Rangers posted their eighth straight victory and their third in four matches this season against the Lightning, who went out of the finals in straight sets.

Adelaide looked in control after a 14-2 run either side of half-time gave the hosts a 48-35 lead early in the third quarter.

Dandenong's revival was sparked by former Bulleen junior and Adelaide player Tegan Cunningham, who scored 10 of her 18 points in the third quarter.

Trailing 60-58 at the last change, Dandenong scored the first six points of the final term and outscored Adelaide 33-18 in a one-sided quarter.

O'Hea, who was part of Bulleen's title winning team last year, almost amassed a triple double, tallying 28 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.

Adelaide centre Suzy Batkovic hit a match-high 34, but her only real support came from Amy Lewis who scored 17, eight of them in the final quarter after Dandenong established a double-digit advantage.

Dandenong has not won a WNBL title since 2004-05 and its last grand final appearance was the following season.

The Rangers were languishing in seventh spot before beginning the late season surge that has carried them to next Sunday's grand final in Melbourne.

"Our greatest fans probably wouldn't have thought this was possible, it's very exciting for us," O'Hea told Grandstand.

Dandenong shot at 55 per cent for the game and at better than 60 per cent after quarter time.

O'Hea had plenty of help apart from Cunningham, with Canadian centre Krista Phillips tallying 14 points and 14 rebounds, Kathleen MacLeod scoring 13 points and six assists and Stephanie Cumming netting 12 points.

Cumming appeared to suffer a corked thigh.

Adelaide lost veteran Jo Hill with a calf injury in the the second quarter and finished the season with three straight losses.

"This is a wake-up call, but it's also sad, we're a better team than what we showed the last few weeks," Batkovic told Grandstand.

Bulleen beat Dandenong by margins of five, six and 10 in their three regular season encounters.

"We haven't beaten Bulleen this year, so it's going to be another torrid affair," Dandenong coach Mark Wright said.

"I think they are desperate to hang onto the crown and we are just as desperate to take it off them."

AAP

Tags: wnbl, basketball, sport, vic, dandenong-3175, adelaide-5000

First posted March 04, 2012 17:28:04

View the original article here

Thunder fall painfully short of finals

Updated February 18, 2012 23:21:19

Logan trounced the second-placed Boomers 90-65 in Bulleen in its final WNBL regular season encounter on Saturday night.

But it was not enough for the visiting Thunder to rise into the top half of the competition, having lost to the Spirit in Bendigo on Friday night.

Sara Graham and Renae Camino scored 17 apiece and Cayla Francis added 16 for Logan, which finished 12-10 and needed two wins on its Victorian road trip to see finals action.

The Boomers got 19 points from Rachel Jarry at the Veneto Club, but their finals place has been long since assured.

Bendigo could have advanced if Canberra had upset Townsville on Saturday night in far north Queensland, but the Fire were comfortable winners 106-94 over the Capitals at home.

And Dandenong locked up third place on the ladder as it crushed the league-leading Lightning 82-51 in Saturday's early game.

But despite the thrashing, the Lightning will still host Bulleen in the major semi-final next Saturday.

Tags: wnbl, basketball, sport, logan-city-dc-4114, bulleen-3105

First posted February 18, 2012 23:21:19

View the original article here