West Spotlight | Scorching Flames hand Tigers another loss

Featured image: Tiarna | @tiarnarosephoto

Adelaide 36ers NBL26 trio Isaac White, Michael Harris and Blake Jones combined for 62 points as the Rockingham Flames sent another statement of their NBL1 West capabilities with the 115-100 win over the Willetton Tigers.

The Tigers were back home at Willetton Basketball Stadium coming off their first loss of the season against the Geraldton Buccaneers last Saturday night.

The Flames were in hot form having won their past two over the Warwick Senators and Joondalup Wolves by a combined 53 points while putting up 227 themselves.

Their lone two losses this season have been courtesy of buzzer beaters by the Lakeside Lightning and Eastern Suns too so it the Flames are ever so close to the perfect start to the season and they sent another message against the league leading Tigers on Saturday night.

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Rockingham put up 32 points in the first quarter with Isaac White scoring 15 of those before Michael Harris scored X in the second term as the Flames scored another 36 having opened up a 32-point lead.

From there the Flames cruised to the 15-point win by scoring 110-plus points for a third straight game to improve to a 7-2 record and now they will be on top of the competition with a win on Sunday against the Goldfields Giants.

White finished the night with 27 points, 10 assists and five rebounds on 8/14 shooting from the field and 9/11 at the foul line.

Harris also had 19 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals, Blake Jones 16 points and seven boards, and Tevin Jackson 14 points, three rebounds and three assists.

Travis Durnin added 11 points and five rebounds, Emmett Naar 11 points, 10 assists and three steals, and 361-game veteran Ryan Godfrey 10 points.

Willetton have now lost back-to-back matches after starting the season 8-0 with Alex Edwards top scoring with 13 points which marked the first time he has scored in the NBL1 West.

Aaron Gashaw added 12 points and six rebounds, Damien Scott 11 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals, Tim Ibukunoluwa 11 points and seven boards, Taeshon Cherry 11 points, six rebounds and three assists, and Lachlan Burnett 11 points and seven assists.

It was a blistering start from Rockingham with the visitors opening up a 12-point lead in the first quarter on the way to putting up 32 points on 60 per cent shooting with reigning MVP Isaac White scoring 15 of those.

Willetton weren’t horrible offensively and had 25 themselves to quarter-time led by Tim Ibukunoluwa with seven.

Rockingham then blew things out further in the second quarter going on a 13-0 run and ending up with 36 points for the quarter including 15 out on the fast break as they opened up a lead as large as 32.

White might have only added another four points but Michael Harris had put up 17 to half-time and Tevin Jackson added 12 with the Flames leading the Tigers 68-37 with Taeshon Cherry scoreless for Willetton on six shot attempts.

Even with Willetton putting up 31 points in the third quarter, Rockingham were still up 27 by three quarter-time and then again the Tigers had 32 points to 20 in the final term, but the Flames still ended up winning by 15 to make it three straight and hand the home team consecutive defeats.

Willetton will attempt to bounce back on the road to the Joondalup Wolves on Friday night while the Flames are back in action on Sunday when they play host to the visiting Goldfields Giants.

NBL1 WEST 2026 SEASON | ROUND 8

WILLETTON TIGERS 100 (Edwards 13, Gashaw 12, Scott 11, Ibukunoluwa 11, Cherry 11, Burnett 11)

ROCKINGHAM FLAMES 115 (White 27, Harris 19, Jones 16)