Eagles Recap | Round 10 Women/Men

Image credit: Madeleine Clark | @madeleineclarkmedia

The East Perth Eagles women unveiled Emma Clarke despite a loss to Warwick Senators before Jonah Antonio lit it up early, Max Rice did the same late and the end result was a tremendous win for the men at Warwick Stadium.

The Eagles got to Warwick Stadium with the chance for both teams to make a statement against the Senators and even though Warwick's women's prevailed 113-96 but there was plenty to be encouraged about for East Perth especially with the inclusion of WNBL star Emma Clarke.

Then in the men's match up, Antonio put up six three-pointers in the first half and Rice had joined him with six triples by the end of the night as they handed the Senators just their second loss of the season, winning 122-106.

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WOMEN

The Eagles women might not have got the result they were after against the Senators at Warwick Stadium, but Emma Clarke produced 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals in her first appearance and there was plenty to be encouraged by.

Last time the teams met just five weeks ago at Morley Sport and Recreation Centre it was a thrilling one-point win for the Senators as they prepared to do battle once more at Warwick Stadium.

Since then the Senators had added three-time championship winning guard Emma Gandini while still to bring in Robbi Ryan while the Eagles unveiled Sydney Flames WNBL star, and former Perry Lakes, Lakeside and Joondalup forward, Emma Clarke for her first appearance of 2025.

It was Clarke's first game since January 2 this year in the WNBL at the Flames through injury, but she gave a significant boost to the Eagles as they prepared to try and produce a statement performance.

However, it was the Senators who came out on fire on their home floor going on an 11-0 scoring run in the first quarter on the way to opening up a 30-20 advantage by quarter-time.

Warwick then put up another 33 points to 25 in the second frame with making 7/14 from behind the three-point arc to end up leading by as much as 23 points before still leading 63-45 going into the locker room for half-time.

The Senators were then still leading by 18 points at three quarter-time but the Eagles wouldn’t go away and did end up scoring 13 points in-a-row in the fourth quarter to go from trailing by 22 points to being back within single figures.

They had momentum but it was still a big ask to make up the rest of that deficit with three minutes to play especially when Warwick got a steadying three-pointer from two-time MVP Stacey Barr.

That would prove enough for the Senators to end up securing the 17-point victory.

The Eagles are now 7-3 on the season having lost two of their past three games but those two defeats have come now against the second placed Senators and third placed Perth Redbacks.

Emma Clarke marked her return to the basketball court for East Perth with 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals on the back of shooting 4/8 from the floor but it was a rusty 6/13 at the free-throw line.

Abby Cubillo top-scored for the Eagles with 20 points and nine assists with Madi Torresin producing 16 points, five rebounds and three assists, Tessa Morrison 16 points, four boards and three assists, and Sasha Goodlett 10 points, seven rebounds and two assists.

Kiwi Awatea Leach also delivered a strong showing with 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.

MEN

Jonah Antonio produced his best shooting half of his time with the Eagles in the first half, Max Rice then got rolling in the last quarter and Ioannis Dimakopoulos hit two crucial from downtown himself for the 122-106 victory over the Senators.

The Senators had scored the 36-point win over the Eagles just five weeks earlier but that was with Elijah Pepper who wasn’t in the line-up on Saturday night while East Perth have since added NBL free agent Antonio since that match up.

It was a hot start from East Perth with 33 points to 21 in the first quarter on the back of shooting 13/22 including 5/9 from downtown with Antonio knocking down four of those from long range.

He then had six triples already before half-time for 23 points and on the back of that the Eagles went into the main break leading 58-46.

Both teams then combined for 62 points and 12 three-pointers in the third quarter with East Perth still leading by eight by three quarter-time.

Todd Withers knocked down a three ball early in the fourth quarter to bring the Senators back within five, and then four when he made three foul shots.

Warwick then had all the momentum when Cooper Creek dropped a three-pointer to make it a one-point ball with seven minutes to play, but from there the Eagles did have the answers.

Ioannis Dimakopoulos was the one to turn the tide back the favour of East Perth starting with an and-one conversion before he dropped two three-point bombs in the space of 30 seconds.

From there, Max Rice took over the contest with two huge threes, two tough makes going to the rim, and then another two free throws and he scored 12 points in the last three minutes.

That lifted East Perth to the 16-point victory on the back of scoring 122 points having only been averaging 88.1 points so far this season with them nailing 20/34 from three-point range to improve to a 5-6 record.

Of those 20 three-pointers made, 12 of them were made by Jonah Antonio and Max Rice for East Perth from a combined 22 attempts.

Rice finished the game with 32 points, four rebounds and three assists reminiscent of his breakout performance in East Perth's win in Geraldton while Antonio showed why he belongs in the NBL still with 29 points, seven boards, four assists and four steals.

Ioannis Dimakopoulos also finished with 15 points and five rebounds, Lee Roberts 15 points, seven boards and three assists, and Nick Filpo 15 points and three assists.

Matthew Lang also had seven points, four rebounds and four assists, Chier Maker six points on 2/4 three-point shooting, and Sharif Watson three points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals.