U18’S & Kevin Coombs cup recap – Day 5

Written by volunteers of Ballarat Basketball.

Game 59

Women Pool A: WA Country (58) v Vic Metro (106)

WA Country girls found it difficult to execute clean plays as the Vic Metro girls set effective screens and capitalized on clear shooting options as this game got underway.  As the quarter drew to a close though WA began to find the tempo and into the second term they were forcing the Vic Metro girls into errors.

However they were not able to sustain it for the whole quarter and the Vics still held sway by 14 points at the long break.

In the second half it was a strong press applied by the Vics which created numerous turnovers and WA were left floundering as the score continued to mount.

WA never threw in the towel but the depth of the Victorian bench and the evenness of their performance would have pleased their coaching staff and will mean that Vic Metro certainly retain favouritism for the title.

Stats Leaders –  

WA Country:

• Mackenzie Clinch-Hoycard: 13 points, 9 rebounds
• Aimee Coles: 10 points, 4 rebounds
• Raya Thompson: 10 points, 2 rebounds

Vic Metro:

• Monique Andriuolo: 18 points, 5 rebounds
• Anneli Maley: 17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
• Maddison Rocci: 12 points, 7 assists, 4 steals

 

Game 60

Men Pool A: Tasmania (63) v SA Metro (85)

SA Metro started off the game powerfully with a 7-point lead within the first two minutes and created a roaring atmosphere. SA Metro used aggressive defence that kept Tasmania off the board until the fourth minute. The only way Tasmania was going to get the score up was by SA reaching max foul limit, however with this only adding a point to the board Tasmania was in trouble.

Tasmania started off the second with a fight tightening up their defence to try to block SA out. Yet SA kept up quick ball skills gaining fast breaks to take the lead by 18 points. At the half time break SA Metro were dominating the boards with a clear 22 rebounds to Tasmania’s 13. Jacob Rigoni from SA took the lead as the highest scorer with 22 points.

In the second half Tasmania picked up their defence with a tight press in hope it would block out SA scoring. Despite the pressure SA pushed through the press and continued on improving the score. Tasmania delivered in the fourth with excellent inside ball skills and play but SA kept responding with outstanding shooting. The overall game displayed talent, passion and tactical efforts by all players, with SA Metro being able to take the win due to their ability to play well under pressure.

Stats Leaders –

Tasmania

• Brady Armstrong: 22 points, 3 assists, 4 steals, 5 rebounds
• Harry O’Neill: 12 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists

SA Metro:

• Jacob Rigoni: 22 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists
• Chol Luk: 17 points
• Isaac White: 13 points, 7 assists

Game 61

Kevin Coombs Cup: Victoria (33) v WA (71)

Strong shooting from WA saw them get out to a good start and maintain their lead well into the second half.

WA’s #15 – Amber Merritt had been leading the charge in the second quarter of play, penetrating well and finishing with excellent shooting. With strong inside play and good transition offence Vic manage to bring it back within 9 points at half time.

Halfway through the third WA had pulled out a stint of good movement, tied with strong shooting to extend their lead back to 19 points. #11 for Victoria – Jeremy Tyndall, had continued to shoot the ball great in the third and was a big contribution to why Victoria were able to stay in 20 points.

With the clock winding down WA’s #8 – Andrew Dewberry helped seal the deal in the final quarter.

Stats Leaders –

Victoria:

• Jayden Clark: 19 points, 8 rebounds
• Brian Carminati: 6 points, 8 rebounds

WA:

• Amber Merritt: 39 points, 12 rebounds
• Andrew Dewberry: 14 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals
• Jake Kavanagh: 12 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists

 

Game 62

Kevin Coombs Cup: Qld Roaring Thunder (16) v Qld Rolling Thunder (69)

Qld Rolling got off to a great start and showed their dominance over their sister side by scoring the first 14 points without reply. By the half time break Rolling had put the game to bed taking a 31-6 into the break. Elliot Steven was able to score 8 points in the half himself.

Qld Rolling was able to cause multiple turnovers by creating a defensive wall at the halfway line. The margin continued to grow through the second half as Dylan Child made the game his own eventually allowing Qld Rolling to run out 69-16 winners.

Stats Leaders –

Qld Roaring Thunder:

• Jaylen Miller: 6 points, 5 rebounds
• Natalie Palmer: 4 points, 1 rebound

Qld Rolling Thunder:

• Dylan Child: 17 points, 6 assists
• Thomas Holland: points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists
• Steven Elliot: 12 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals

 

Game 63

Kevin Coombs Cup: New South Wales B (54) v New South Wales A (28)

This game featured on the main court at 11am and it was good to note a few interested spectators coming in to watch these teams get their competition underway.

NSW B were quickly out of the blocks and thanks to Clarence McCarthy-Grogan who had 15 first quarter points, opened up a very useful lead.  This continued into the second quarter as they set effective screens and worked the cutter into position.  This quarter Frank Dushimirimana knocked down 6 useful points for the No 2 side and the gap was out to 22 at half time.

The No 1 side rallied a bit in the third but flagged a little in the final quarter allowing the No 2 side to gain NSW bragging rights and set down the gauntlet for the other States.

 

Stats Leaders –

NSW B:

• Clarence Grogan: 36 points, 15 rebounds, 6 steals
• Georgia Inglis: 8 points, 9 rebounds, 13 assists

NSW A:

• Georgia Munro-Cook: 14 points, 10 rebounds
• Coban Palmer: 12 points, 8 rebounds

 

Game 64

Men Pool B: WA Metro Men (89) v SA Country Men (64)

Both teams played a strong brand of basketball at both ends of the court as this game opened, however the strong rebounding of Corey Shervill allowed WA Metro to lead 20-13 at the end of the first quarter.

SA Country allowed some sloppy passing to creep into their game in the second term and this combined with strong WA defence saw the lead out to 17 at the half.

By the end of the third, WA were coasting thanks to great terms from both Jhonny Lutula and Andrew Ferguson, and while the pedal was lifted a little in the closing minutes, the result was never in doubt.  Brad Rathjen and Lachlan Knibbs gave their all for the SA Country outfit.

Stats Leaders –

WA Metro:

• Lachlan Evans: 18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
• Corey Shervill: 12 points, 13 rebounds
• Cooper Hamilton: 12 points, 3 rebounds

SA Country:

• Brad Rathjen: 20 points, 3 assists, 2 steals
• Lachlan Knibbs: 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
• Aidan Schultz: 9 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists

 

Game 65

Women Pool B: NT (49) v NSW Country (94)

NSW Country began this game as might be expected from the favourite and through good defence they had the game under control from early in the first quarter.  Turnovers from NT became gifts for the slick NSW team.

In addition the NT girls were finding it hard to isolate a shooter until the shot clock was very close to running out, and it became rushed and haphazard at times.

Despite this NT never lost heart and managed to score 26 of their total points in the second half.  In summary NSW Country Women grabbed this game early and never really let go.

Stats Leaders –

NT:

• Abby Cubillo: 10 points, 3 steals, 2 assists
• Julia Woods: 8 points, 5 rebounds
• Kahlee Stanislaus: 8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists

NSW Country:

• Prue Walsh: 20 points, 5 assists
• Emily Matthews: 20 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds
• Cassidy McLean: 18 points, 4 steals, 3 assists, 5 rebounds

 

Game 66

Women Pool A: SA Country (79) v NSW Metro (66)

With both SA Country and NSW Metro coming out with a fast pace game they both got a lot of points from fast breaks. The match went into the first break up 18-10.

SA Country found their groove on offense early pushing the lead to 11 but NSW Metro found theirs late. This caused SA Country to go through a rough patch and the margin closed to 5.

SA Country came out of the break with pressure defence which overwhelmed NSW Metro who struggled containing Chelsea Brook under the ring. Bree Delany tried her best to keep them close but the lead was 15 heading into the last quarter.

SA Country was too much NSW Metro running the show in the fourth with the game turning into a blowout. NSW Metro had a couple of good plays but not enough to put a large enough dint in the scoreboard.

Stats Leaders –

SA Country:

• Chelsea Brook: 24 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals
• Sarah Elsworthy: 9 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds
• Brenna McKay: 8 points, 6 rebounds

NSW Metro:

• Bree Delaney: 20 points, 7 assists, 4 steals
• Alexandra Gorman: 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
• Maddison Hare: 8 points, 7 rebounds

 

Game 67

Men Pool B: Qld South (54) v ACT (70)

These teams were very evenly matched size-wise and played a first quarter very much on level terms, although greater accuracy under pressure did allow ACT to finish the term slightly in front.  ACT’s Jarrod Phillips was a danger man for the Qld South team.

ACT’s pressure was maintained into the second quarter and by half time they were out by 17.  Qld South were not done though as they dropped a long three to start the third term and went man on man in defence.  Qld South’s Tom Fullarton was a focal point and it began to look as though ACT might buckle.

It was not to be and with great determination and the ability to make more of their opportunities, ACT scored a fine win.

Qld South:

• Tom Fullarton: 19 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists
• Harrison Isaac: 11 points, 10 rebounds
• Jack Williams: 10 points, 11 rebounds

ACT:

• James Toohey: 19 points, 14 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists
• Nathan Brown: 13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
• Jarrod Phillips: 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists

 

Game 68

Women Pool B: WA Metro (63) v Qld North (59)

This game started in an exciting fashion with both teams playing extremely tight defence making it difficult for either team to get on a roll.  For most of the first half it was neck and neck and very hard to pick a winner.

WA Metro looked to move away in the third term until Qld North got their shooting mojo working and hit the lead with 4 mins to play in the third, only to give it up until a morale-boosting 3 pointer gave them the lead by 2 heading into the last quarter.

The crowd got behind both teams as the game went down the stretch and continued its tight battle right to the end where WA Metro breathed a heavy sigh of relief have fallen on the right side of the ledger at the end of the 40 minutes play.

 

Stats Leaders –

WA Metro:

• Amy Atwell: 18 points, 8 rebounds
• Ruby Schleicher: 10 points, 2 assists
• Chelsea Belcher: 8 points, 6 rebounds

Qld North:

• Briana Bailey: 19 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
• Sarah Hesp: 10 points, 2 rebounds
• Elle Hutchinson, 10 points, 3 rebounds

 

Game 69

Women Pool B: Vic Country (88) v SA Metro (76)

In a battle for top spot in their pool, Vic Country came out with confidence and with some good offensive boards gained an early advantage only to see it dissipate on an end to end lay up from SA’s Bianca Thacker.

The Vics were smarting and went on a 12-2 run punctuated with a pair of threes from local guard, Taylah Wynne – the crowd went wild!  SA Metro continued to peg away but the Victorian girls seemed to have the answers and enjoyed a cushion at the long break.

The third quarter went a similar way to the second, and SA were forced to play catch up basketball however they had strong vocal support and continued to be threatening if the Vics relaxed their guard.

As the game went into the 4^th quarter, SA upped the ante and through strong pressing on inbounds got the deficit back to 4. SA’s Tahlia Fejo was particularly impressive during this period.  This was as close as SA could muster and Chloe Bibby took charge in the final minutes to steer Vic Country to a deserved win.

Stats Leaders –

Vic Country:

• Chantel-Anais Horvat: 34 points, 14 rebounds
• Genna Ogier: 20 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals
• Chloe Bibby: 10 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists

SA Metro:

• Morgan Yaeger: 23 points, 3 rebounds
• Bianca Thacker: 15 points, 12 rebounds, 7 steals
• Tahlia Fejo: 10 points, 3 assists, 4 steals

 

Game 70

Men Pool B: Vic Metro (53) v NSW Metro (45)

This match was always going to be a tough skilled contest as first spot was up for grabs but NSW looked more impressive at the start. Defence and rebounds were the order of the day from both teams and at the halftime NSW led by just one point going into the changerooms.

Vic Metro returned with some great play in the third quarter and hit and early leaf of five points but a long shot just on the siren put NSW in front by one point at the final break.

In the final exciting quarter Vic Metro established a lead of 8 at one point but they did not capitalise at the foul line scoring only 11 of 26 whilst NSW only had 11 foul shots. Patrick Bines (Vic Metro) was the consistent scorer of the match with some vital points in very quarter. In an eve rebounding game Vic Metro broke away winning the boards easily for the game and remained composed and deserved the win and top position going into Quarter Finals.

Stats Leaders –

Vic Metro:

• Patrick Bines: 14 points, 4 rebounds
• Andreas Panayiotou: 12 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists
• Lachlan Signal: 8 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals

NSW Metro:

• Louis Stenmark: 11 points, 3 rebounds
• Brennan Rymer: 7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists
• Adam Lulka: 7 points, 5 rebounds

 

Game 71

Women Pool A: Qld South (59 ) v ACT (41)

This was a dour affair for the first half with both teams finding it difficult to score freely and as such the first half ended with a scoreline that had just 3 points separating the two combatants and just 39 points scored between them for the half.

However first to break the shackles after the interval was the Qld South girls and not only did they score more freely they smothered the ACT team even more.  Emma Read for Qld South was on her way to a game high 17 points while Carleigh Patrick was dominating on the boards.  This surge broke the game open and Qld South now had a 14 point advantage.

The ACT girls worked more collectively in the final term and through good play from Annabelle Lindsay they too found easier opportunities to score but the game was in the Qld South grasp and they recoded a sound win.

Stats Leaders –

Qld South:

• Emma Read: 17 points
• Carleigh Patrick: 8 points, 11 rebounds
• Cambridge McCormick: 7 points, 4 rebounds

ACT:

• Annabelle Lindsay: 13 points, 12 rebounds
• Ashleigh Easton: 10 points, 5 rebounds
• Callie Bourne: 8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals

 

Game 72

Men Pool A: NSW Country (85) v Vic Country (58)

The game started with an 11-4 lead to NSW, with # 11 Myles Cherry scoring an emphatic ‘And 1’ play. Vic began to look shaky, perhaps nervous but with some solid defensive play late in the quarter it was able to improve their dismal start to the game.

Early in the second quarter NSW continued to dominate defensively however #9 for Victoria, Samuel Short, was single headedly keeping his side in the game, scoring at will.

NSW kept their lead into the second half and seemed to have a greater intensity in their play.

There was a strong push in the third quarter by Vic yet NSW still resisted the more confident looking Victorian side. Three point shooting was a big factor in NSW improving their lead and with the driving ability of NSW’s #9 Matthew Kenyon on show, constantly getting to the rim, their lead kept expanding.

There was a quick three to start NSW’s fourth quarter, with Myles Cherry showcasing some strong rebounding skills as well as post play, which in tail held off Vic for their well-deserved victory.

Stats Leaders –

NSW Country:

• Myles Cherry: 16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists
• Matthew Kenyon: 15 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists
• Bailey O’Brien: 14 points

Vic Country:

• Sam Short: 20 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
• Thomas Pupavac: 7 points, 3 rebounds
• Marko Vekic: 6 points, 4 rebounds

 

Game 73

Kevin Coombs Cup: Qld Rolling Thunder (45) v WA Black Ducks (44)

A very even contest with WA leading by just a narrow margin until one minute in the fourth quarter, when the game was tied. The final quarter had some great highlights. Queensland’s Steven Elliot was a key focus in their offence and he did not disappoint, scoring 5 points for the quarter. With a lead of just 1 point with 1 minute 20 seconds on the clock WA stalled the ball but Qld headed down and scored the winning basket. A timeout was called by WA and they progressed the ball with 13 seconds on the clock. Queensland guarded well and they were in front at the final siren.

Stats leaders –

Qld Rolling Thunder:

• Jake Fulwood: 18 points, 14 rebounds
• Steven Elliot: 15 points, 9 rebounds
• Dylan Child: 10 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists

WA Black Ducks:

• Jake Kavanagh: 14 points, 13 rebounds, 2 steals
• Amber Merritt: 12 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists
• Sarah Vinci: 10 points, 6 rebounds

 

Game 74

Men Pool A: Northern Territory (46) v WA Country (68)

A highly defensive first quarter so neither team able to get in an offensive rhythm and resulting in a total of 17 points scored between the two teams. WA Country was able to go into the first change up 3 points.

NT bounced back in the second quarter and made the most of their opportunities to hit the front going into half time as both teams worked hard to capture their first win of the tournament. Both teams nullified each other in the third quarter to go into the final break tied in what looked like both teams best game of the tournament.

In the last quarter WA Country shooting found an extra gear as the shot the lights out to dominate the quarter 29 points to 7 and earned them the confidence boosting win. NT will be happy with their first three quarters and take a lot of positive in the deciding games.

Stats Leaders –  

NT:

• Matteo Rowse: 25 points, 5 rebounds
• Joshua Gericke: 11 points, 17 rebounds, 4 assists

WA Country:

• Matthew Germs: 18 points, 8 rebounds
• Taj Fleming: 15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals

 

Game 75

Women Pool A: Vic Metro (87) v Tasmania (54)

A fast 9-2 start for Vic Metro with a full court press on inbounds, putting pressure on Tasmania’s guards. Tasmania’s Rebecca Abel was keeping the team in the contest with her keen shooting skills.

In the second Vic Metro continued their defensive dominance early on, causing two shot clock violations from the Tasmanian team. Tasmania were able to make a late play through #11 – Taylor Mole scoring an easy layup to cut the margin to 14 points at half time. Vic Metro’s rebounding ability was on show throughout the quarter, allowing them to dominate the glass.

After the break, Tasmania came out all fired up with captain, Ellie Collins, scoring an early 3-pointer and the entire team beginning to look more energetic. Vic reacted strongly and were able to improve an already impressive score line, having a range of key performers – a true team effort.

Victoria’s Eziyoda Magbegor really used her height to her advantage, being a force inside on both ends of the floor.

Vic Metro ended up running out as victors in a blowout, having too many key contributors throughout the game, proving their depth off the bench is strong.

Stats Leaders –

Vic Metro:

• Eziyoda Magbegor: 21 points, 7 rebounds
• Monique Andriuolo: 19 points, 9 rebounds
• Kiera Rowe: 13 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists

Tasmania:

• Georgia Fagan: 12 points, 6 rebounds
• Lauren Mills-Norton: 10 points, 6 rebounds

 

Game 76

Men Pool A: SA Metro (62) v Qld North (90)

Queensland dominated at the start securing a 17-point lead before SA scored and also had no fouls. A huge dunk by Lat Mayen got the crowd into the game and he followed with a strong drive to get SA back into the match and they trailed by only 13 points. Queensland North responded and ended up leading by 15 at the first break.

Another couple of dunks were the highlight of the second quarter and key player for Queensland North Harrison Froling remained in the game to help his team keep the lead, despite SA Metro getting within 11 however this didn’t last long as Queensland led by 20 at the main break.

In the final quarter Lat Mayen excited the SA supporters with a sweet 3-pointer from near half court but Queensland called a time-out to stop the run and had to sub out Froling, who had 4 fouls, after a charge. Brilliant shooting from Queensland North’s William McDowell-White who led all scores for the game with 36, and his team went on the win comfortably.

Stats Leaders –

SA Metro:

• Lat Mayan: 15 points, 6 rebounds
• Biar Garang: 12 points, 5 rebounds
• Jacob Rigoni: 11 points, 8 rebounds

Qld North:

• William McDowell-White: 36 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals
• Harrison Froling: 21 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists
• Charlton Offerman: 10 points, 2 assists, 3 steals

 

Game 77

Kevin Coombs Cup: NSW B (62) v Victoria (36)

The NSW 2 team have a star in Clarence McCarty-Grogan and as long as his team-mates work the ball through him they are almost unstoppable.  Despite his dominance the Vics were only 11 points down at the main break.

However after the interval the show began and momentum swung heavily in favour of NSW as they piled on 22 quarter points to blow the lead out to 26 points.

McCarthy-Grogan’s stats make impressive reading, 52 points, 21 rebounds and 5 steals, which goes to show that even though the Vics did work well through Brian Carminati and Jayden Clark they could not muster the reserves to keep McCarthy-Grogan at bay.

Stats Leaders –  

NSW B:

• Clarence Grogan: 52 points, 21 rebounds, 5 steals

Victoria:

• Maxx Darby: 11 points, 4 assists, 3 steals
• Jayden Clark: 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
• Jeremy Tyndall: 8 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists

 

Game 78

Kevin Coombs Cup: NSW A (71) v Qld Roaring Thunder (12)

From the outset this game was dominated by the NSW A team. Their ability to shoot at near 50% from the field kept the scoreboard ticking over and had them in front 15-2 at quarter time.

The second quarter was much the same as NSW A continued to score while holding the QLD Roaring team to just two made shots at the half. Shooting can often be difficult in this competition but NSW A were making it near impossible.

NSW A were at their defensive best in the third quarter as the managed to shutout the QLD Roaring team. The score going into the last quarter was 50-4 with Georgia Munro-Cook leading the way with 25 points and 13 rebounds.

A drop in intensity in the last and some better shooting from the Qld side helped them to get a few baskets and get their mojo back for their next game. NSW A coming away with a 71-12 victory.

Stats Leaders –

NSW A:

• Georgia Munro-Cook: 32 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists
• Coban Palmer: 20 points, 16 rebounds, 8 assists
• Jessica Cronje: 11 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists

Qld Roaring Thunder:

• Natalie Palmer: 6 points, 3 rebounds