2023 NBL1 West - Round 6 Review

The Wolves tame the Tigers at home to start the double-header.

The Chambers Franklyn City of Joondalup Wolves women were strong as ever heading into another weekend double-header ready to face two strong opponents in the Willetton Tigers and the undefeated Cockburn Cougars.

Against the Tigers the Wolves came out firing on all cylinders, hitting a total 6 threes in very quick succession. Teige Morrell was dominant on the offensive boards, creating 6 second chance opportunities in the first half to stretch the margin into the game.  

Game MVP Robbi Ryan and Neseya Parker Williams were on fire, hitting one tough shot after the next, particularly in transition. Tia Ucich, Izzy Miotti and Emma Klasztorny were big on the defensive end by applying pressure to the ball handlers, blocking shots and forcing turnovers.

Willetton’s Grace Foster was highly efficient shooting from range, making 4 threes in the first half to try and even the score, but wasn’t quite enough to outpace the Wolves hot start. The score at half-time was 54-33.

The game looked like a different game entirely heading into the third and the Willetton Tigers were making strides to fight their way back. Fouls and turnovers hurt the Wolves as the Tigers continued to pressure the ball. The Wolves were outscored 25-17 in the third quarter. The Pack were ultimately able to hold off the second half run made by the Tigers, winning the game 83-73.

The Wolves men make a statement with a big win at HBF Arena!

Now on a 3-game win streak, the Wolves were ready to keep the momentum going and secure their place as one of the top teams in the competition by defeating the then 5-1 Tigers. The Wolves were slow to start in the first with only 18 points against the Tiger’s 30, however that wasn’t enough to deter the Wolves from hitting back in a big way.

CJ Turnage and Quintin Dove were dominant offensively, with a staggering 73 points combined for the game featuring additional scoring efforts from Mathiang Muo and Christian Jurlina to help drive the offence. Mathiang Muo had a stretch in the third where he put up 11 points in under 2 minutes of playing time, hitting 3 threes in quick succession.

Keeping rebounding leader Gorjok Gak off the glass is never an easy assignment however Quintin Dove was able to grab a total 13 rebounds (8 offensive) to keep the Wolves competitive in the game. Bryan Michaels and Jordan Wellsteed were tireless on defence forcing turnovers, blocking shots and hustling for loose possessions.

Ultimately the difference in turnovers decided the game, where the Wolves had only 6 to Willetton’s 11. The Wolfpack won the game 106-105.

Only one undefeated team can remain.

For the second part of the round 6 double-header, The Joondalup Wolves face off against the only other undefeated women’s team in the West, the Cockburn Cougars. This was a highly anticipated matchup and one that has been marked on the calendar by many fans.

The two teams battled it out, hustling for loose balls and fighting for extra possessions on the boards.  Cockburn’s Stephanie Gorman and Jewel Marie Williams hit a series of tough threes in the first quarter, which opened a margin of 6 in Cockburn’s favour.

The battle for rebounds was very competitive. Teige Morrell was again dominant, pulling on 14 total rebounds for the game (7 offensive) and scoring 21 total points. Emma Klasztorny had a big impact on the game defensively, fighting for extra possessions and intercepting passing lanes.  

Chelsea Belcher was a spark off the bench, applying pressure to Cockburn’s guards and forced a pair of turnovers in the first to help the Wolves get back into rhythm. Robbi Ryan had an efficient 20-point performance along with 7 total rebounds, attacking the rim and getting to the line. Three pointers seemed to be a focus for Cockburn who a total 33 for the game and converting on 8 attempts. The Wolves attempted only 17 three pointers, however converted at a higher rate.

The Wolfpack came out firing in the third, scoring 33 points in the quarter to Cockburn’s 14 with threes by Teige Morrell, Emma Klasztorny and Chelsea Belcher which was enough to secure the lead 69-66 heading into the fourth.

Unfortunately, the Wolves couldn’t keep the streak going, scoring only 10 points in the fourth which resulted in the first loss of the season 79-84. We look to bounce-back in our next home game for a rematch on May 27^th at HBF Arena.

The Wolves men keep the streak going on the road.

The Cockburn Cougars were intent on defending the home court for their first win of the season. US import Courtney Alexander was a standout who was aggressive from the jump, rebounding and dunking absolutely everything.

In the first quarter the Wolves were red hot from three-point range, scoring 9 points in a minute thanks to back-to-back threes by Christian Jurlina and another by Mathiang Muo. The Wolves, although trailing, were consistently close behind and never let the score blowout.

Game MVP CJ Turnage had a big near triple-double performance with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 2 steals on a very efficient 78.5% shooting. The Wolves drew contact and got to the line which helped to lessen the margin heading into the fourth down 83-77.

The men closed the gap in the fourth quarter thanks to great defensive efforts across the whole squad, including late game steals from both Christian Jurlina and Jordan Wellsteed to push into the lead. A big three from Bryan Michaels iced the game, the Wolves ultimately winning 106-101.

Our next game is against the Goldfields Giants in Kalgoorlie. You can watch the game live, here on our NBL1 website!