West Spotlight | Gutsy Giants down Suns

Featured image: Travis Anderson | @andmediaphoto

The Goldfields Giants fell down 12 points early without three regular starters but they dug deep with Lino Manhom showing the way in the eventual 79-76 win over the Eastern Suns to breathe life back into their NBL1 West season.

The Giants were back home at Evolution Mining Stadium having lost their past five matches and they were up against it taking on the third placed Eastern Suns without either import Danny Pippen and Sam Vinson along with Sam Morrow.

All three have started the majority of games this season and the Suns took advantage with a 12-point lead in the first quarter and the visitors were even leading by seven again in the fourth in an attempt to win and celebrate the 350th game of Reece Maxwell.

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However, the Giants produced a gutsy second half performance to outscore Kalamunda 46 points to 39 to secure three-point win and stop their losing slide and improve to 3-7 record while the Eastern Suns are now 7-3 with the defeat.

In the absence of three regular starters and two of those being imports, it was quite the impressive showing from the Giants especially considering they had to overcome an eight-point deficit at quarter-time and four-point deficit at half-time to do so.

Lino Manhom was instrumental in the performance and victory finishing with 22 points, 20 rebounds and three assists on 11/20 shooting from the field while seven of those boards were at the offensive end.

Josh Duach had nine points in the first quarter and ended the night with 17 to go with 11 rebounds and five assists while Michael Jok contributed 17 points, eight boards and four assists.

Nick Shaw also had nine points and two blocks, and Jerome Reid six points, two rebounds and two assists with 2/4 three-point shooting.

The Eastern Suns did lead by 12 points in the first quarter and again by seven in the last term but couldn’t quite complete the deal with Marley Sam the standout once more.

The 17-year-old point guard finished with 22 points, eight assists, five rebounds and four steals.

Hayden Price also ended up with 17 points and 12 rebounds, Terrandus Smith 16 points, eight boards, four steals and two assists, and Lewis Thomas seven points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and four steals.

Reece Maxwell then played 27 minutes in his 350th game and finished with eight points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Goldfields were up against it missing some key players and hosting an Eastern Suns team having won seven of nine matches so far this season, and that was even more so the case by quarter-time with Kalamunda leading 21-13.

That was on the back of a stunning opening quarter from young big man Hayden Price who had eight points and eight rebounds with Josh Duach's nine points on 3/5 shooting keeping the Giants afloat with the rest of the team managing just four points on 2/7 shooting.

The Giants were able to work back into the contest in the second term with 20 points to 16 to cut the Suns' lead to 37-33 by half-time even with Duach not adding to his nine points.

But Lino Manhom was up to 10 points and nine rebounds as they cut the Eastern Suns' lead to four with Price up to 11 points and 10 rebounds, and 17-year-old sensation Marley Sam eight points and four assists.

Manhom had another eight points and eight rebounds in the third quarter and that helped Goldfields to another 20 points to 16 in the third term with scores all square at 53-53 by three quarter-time.

It was then a seesaw affair throughout the fourth quarter with Kalamunda getting out to a seven-point lead but Goldfields hitting back with an 8-0 run and then never looking back.

The Giants were able to secure the three-point win in the finish with the Suns unable to get off another look at a shot that could have sent it to overtime after an offensive rebound on the last possession.

The Giants will now head to Geraldton to take on the defending champion Buccaneers next Saturday night while the Eastern Suns will attempt to bounce back at home to the Perry Lakes Hawks also on Saturday.

NBL1 WEST 2026 SEASON | ROUND 9

GOLDFIELDS GIANTS 79 (Manhom 22, Jok 17, Duach 17)

KALAMUNDA EASTERN SUNS 76 (Sam 22, Price 17, Smith 16)