NBL1 West Friday Night Recap

NBL1 WEST – 2021 WOMEN'S SEASON
ROUND 7 – FRIDAY NIGHT

EAST PERTH EAGLES 75 defeated JOONDALUP WOLVES 58

There was just the one match in the NBL1 West Women's Division on Friday night to open Round 7 with the East Perth Eagles hosting the Joondalup Wolves at herb Graham Recreation Centre.

The teams locked horns at the Mirrabooka venue with the Lady Wolfpack putting their undefeated record this season on the line on the back of winning last year's West Coast Classic that was played in place in place of the SBL season.

East Perth was back on their home court and looking to continue their improved start to the new season as well setting the stage for what loomed to be a tremendous standalone Friday night contest.

The Lady Eagles managed to start strongly too against a team they have traditional struggled against in recent times. East Perth was able to put up 19 points in the opening quarter and holding Joondalup to just the 13 to go into the quarter-time break with a six-point advantage.

The Eagles held firm in the second term as well and on their home court managed to maintain a 36-31 lead heading into the main break.

Things remained tight throughout the third quarter as well with the Eagles still leading by four points heading into the fourth quarter but the game was right up for grabs.

With the game to be decided, it was East Perth that lifted and dominated the last period with 21 points to eight to end up delivering the tremendous 75-58 victory to signal just how far they have improved so far in 2021.

Shooting just 17/67 at 25 per cent from the field and 3/19 at 16 per cent was always going to be tough for the Wolves to put together a winning formula on the night especially when including their 19 turnovers.

Chelsea Belcher top-scored for Joondalup with 16 points while Amber Land contributed 11 points and nine rebounds, Kayla Steindl nine points and six boards, Nes'eya Williams eight points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals, and Tia Ucich seven points, two boards and two steals. 

NBL1 WEST – 2021 MEN'S SEASON
ROUND 7 – FRIDAY NIGHT

EAST PERTH EAGLES 61 lost to JOONDALUP WOLVES 94

The lone Friday night fixture in Round 7 of the NBL1 West Men's Division pitted the East Perth Eagles up against the Joondalup Wolves at Herb Graham Recreation Centre.

The Eagles would have been rocked to drop that game in Eaton on Saturday night as Mark Worthington's Slammers tasted victory for the first time in 2021 while the Wolfpack were also looking to bounce back from a loss in Kalgoorlie to the Goldfields Giants last Saturday night.

It was a high-scoring opening to the contest with both teams combining for 53 points in the first quarter and by quarter-time that saw the Wolfpack hold a 30-23 advantage.

The scoring dried up from both sides during the second term but Joondalup was able to push further ahead on the back of scoring 18 points to just the nine from East Perth to go into half-time leading 48-32.

The Wolfpack pushed further ahead after half-time with another 19 points to 10 in the third quarter, and the Wolves then rammed home their edge in the fourth quarter with another 27 points to 19 to come away with the eventual 94-61 victory over the Eagles.

Jonathan Wade had a huge night for the Wolfpack, indeed his best so far in the NBL1 West competition in his first season out west delivering 34 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three steals on the back of shooting 14/22 from the floor and 4/7 from three-point territory.

Lochlan Cumming put up 17 points and five assists as well for Joondalup with Sioeli Vaiangina contributing 14 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots, Reece Maxwell eight points and four boards, and Rob Huntington seven points and eight rebounds.