NBL1 West Recap v Suns & Magic

It was a crucial weekend for the Wolves in terms of finals positions as both teams looked to solidify their place in the top 4. The women were looking to secure 1^st place and the men a top 2 finish. It was always going to be a challenge with a double header that consisted of a Friday night home game against the Eastern Suns and a Saturday road trip down to Mandurah to take on the Magic.

In the women’s game against the Suns, the Wolves jumped out to a commanding lead heading to the half time break up 61-33. Sharpshooter Kiara Phillips led the way from the beyond the arc hitting 3 of 4 to set the Wolves up for a dominate win. A blistering final quarter of 24-2 gave the Wolves a 52 point win over the young and developing Suns.

For the Wolves, Neseya Parker-Williams was awarded the game MVP with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Teige Morrell led all scorers with 24 points. Tia Ucich had a season high 17 and was joined by Kiara Phillips also with 17. Veteran Shani Caldwell contributed 13 points.

In the men’s game, the first quarter trend continued as the Wolves jumped the Suns early to lead 33-11 at the first break. Jonathan Wade showed his class at both ends of the floor, with his speed and athleticism proving too difficult to handle for the Suns. In a game where the Wolves shot nearly 50% from the field, shot selection proved to be the difference as the Suns managed 35%. The Wolves won all but the 4^th quarter to run away victors 88-63.

Jonathan Wade led the team with 28 points and 11 rebounds with CJ Turnage and Julian Pesava contributing 17 each. Captain Jordan Wellsteed showed his value with 7 points and 11 rebounds.

Saturday saw the Wolves venture down to Mandurah for two games that were bound to shape the playoffs. The Women’s game was always going to be a tough ask for the Wolves as the Magic are in form and one of the top teams. However, the Wolves being without injured star Robbi Ryan meant that this challenge was going to be difficult. The second and fourth quarters proved to be the difference for the Magic as their depth was too much to handle. The Magic had five players in double figures with the Wolves only managing two. The final score was 93-70.

Teige Morrell continued her good form finishing with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Tia Ucich backed up with another great game of 16 points.

The men’s game had everything on the line. The Wolves needed to win to keep alive their chances of second place and a home final. The Magic needed the to ensure they stayed in the top eight. Unfortunately the Wolves never quite got going in this one. The Magic had all the answers and shot the lights out with an impressive 50% from the 3-point line. The big three of Abrom, Bowie and Turner combined for 74 of the Magic’s 97 points. For the Wolves Jonathan Wade continued his form from the previous night to lead the Wolves with 21 points and an impressive 13 rebounds. Julian Pesava and CJ Turnage finished with 19 and 17 points respectively. The final score had the Magic victors 97-85.

The Wolves split the weekend with 2 home wins and 2 away loses and now look to regroup for their final regular season home game this Friday the 12^th of August against the East Perth Eagles.