West Wrap | Men's Round 17

Featured image: crawesmedia

In one monster weekend Jack Browder could have both put himself right in the NBL1 West MVP hunt and the Perry Lakes Hawks into championship contention while Marshawn Blackmon ended Lakeside's season and Terrandus Smith hit another stunning winner for Eastern Suns.

>> WEST SPOTLIGHT | FLAMES LOCK AWAY TOP TWO FINISH

>> ANTONIO FIRING AT BOTH ENDS AHEAD OF COMM GAMES

>> MACKENZIE THRIVING AS COUGARS EMBRACE EXCITEMENT

>> WEST SPOTLIGHT | BROWDER, HAWKS SEND ANOTHER MESSAGE

FRIDAY

South West Slammers (99) lost to Kalamunda Eastern Suns (102)

Terrandus Smith hit his second stunning game winner of the season from way downtown for the Eastern Suns as they broke hearts of the South West Slammers winning 102-99 and kept their top four prospects alive.

The Suns arrived at Eaton Recreation Centre having lost four of their past five games and while they were guaranteed of playing finals, they did need to win their past two games to both stay a chance of the top four and to earn a home final.

The Slammers had been much more competitive than their 2-18 record suggested too but Kalamunda got off to the flying start with 36 points to 14 in the opening quarter on the back of a 13-0 scoring run.

South West turned things around in the second frame with their own 14-0 run and by half-time as a result it was the Eastern Suns just clinging to a 55-51 advantage.

The Suns pushed back out to a 16-point lead again in the third quarter again and were still up 13 early in the fourth but the Slammers then came storming back with 12 straight points.

The Slammers then found themselves back in front and they were still there with a minute to play following a dunk from Devan Craig before Terrandus Smith answered with a huge three for Kalamunda.

Two free throws from Pharell Keats saw the Slammers draw back level before they forced a steal on Marley Sam and Jack Flynn had a wide open layup to put his team back in front.

However, he missed only for Smith to grab the rebound, take the ball up the floor and take a pull up three from way downtown and hit second winner of the season in similar fashion having done similar earlier in the season to sink the Rockingham Flames.

The result is big for the Eastern Suns to improve them to a 13-8 season to remain fifth and still a chance to end up fourth with 17-year-old sensation delivering another 26 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals despite also having eight turnovers.

Terrandus Smith hit the game winner on top of 18 points, five rebounds and two assists, Joe Cook-Green 17 points and five assists, Hayden Price 10 points on 4/5 shooting, and Travis Fee 10 points, four rebounds and three assists.

The Slammers are now 2-19 following a fifth single figure loss of the season with Philmon Gebrhiwet finishing with 28 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

Jhaylon Martinez also had 23 points, 12 rebounds and three assists, and Pharell Keats 22 points, four assists, three boards and two steals on 4/6 shooting from the outside.

Perth Redbacks (104) defeated Mandurah Magic (102)

Both teams needed the win to open the penultimate round and it was the Perth Redbacks prevailed in a tense and entertaining affair at home to beat the Mandurah Magic 104-102.

The Redbacks were back home at Belmont Oasis two games behind the eighth placed East Perth Eagles and the Magic three games back with both having three matches to play over the last two rounds.

It was a tight battle in the first quarter with 24 points apiece and then it was 27 each in the second term with scores all locked at 51-51 by half-time.

Mandurah then worked out to a 12-point lead in the third quarter but Perth hit back and had it back to just two by three quarter-time, and then it was a 9-0 run that saw the Redbacks open up a five-point lead in the last term before holding on for the two-point victory.

The win keeps the season alive for the Redbacks at 8-12 with Isaac Etter taking charge for 35 points, six rebounds and three assists with 6/8 shooting from the outside.

Sean Conway had another 20 points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals, Connor Mincherton 11 points, four assists and three boards, Nick Floyd 10 points, nine rebounds and two assists, Luke Phillips nine points, 12 boards, three assists and two steals, and Josh Brabazon nine points and seven rebounds.

The Magic can no longer reach the finals at 7-13 following the defeat with Michael Christmas outstanding once again with 33 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Michael Dupree added 30 points with 6/10 shooting from the outside while Matt Kenyon delivered 17 points, nine assists and six rebounds, and Lachlan Bertram 12 points, six boards, four assists and three steals.

Perry Lakes Hawks (105) defeated Cockburn Cougars (81)

Another night and both did Jack Browder enhance his MVP credentials and the Perry Lakes Hawks show they could be a real title threat with the emphatic 105-81 win over the fourth placed Cockburn Cougars.

It always loomed as a potentially season-defining Friday night match up at Bendat Basketball Centre with the Cougars trying to retain a top four position and the Hawks looking to continue their hot form that included knocking off the then league-leading Rockingham Flames last Thursday.

Cockburn had a hot start with 31 points to 22 in the first quarter with 13 of those points from Joe Bradshaw but Perry Lakes took control from there with 34 points to 14 in the second term.

They added another 18 to 16 in the third and finally 31 to 20 in the fourth with Browder scoring 14 of those for the 24-point win on a night where the Cougars were left frustrated with star guard Rowan Mackenzie fouling out and Johny Narkle valiantly playing but largely ineffective while still well short of 100 per cent following his illness from last week.

Browder finished on fire with 14 points in the last quarter on his way to 32 for the game to remain the league's leading scorer and to appear the biggest MVP threat to last year's winner Isaac White.

Along with the 32 points, he had 11 points, four steals and two assists while shooting 11/21 from the field, 4/10 from the outside and 6/7 at the foul line.

Isaiah Moses had 22 points in a dazzling first half and ended up with 28 to go with five rebounds and five assists with Cam Huefner adding 14 points, four steals, three boards and three assists despite battling foul trouble and being limited to 23 minutes.

The Cougars are now 13-7 having fallen to consecutive losses with Joe Bradshaw starting on fire with 13 points in the first quarter and 24 for the game with 13 rebounds and three steals on 4/7 shooting from the outside.

Mackenzie had a frustrating night and fouled out midway through the fourth quarter finishing with 16 points and five rebounds with Akeem Springs adding 11 points and seven assists, Nathan Pond six points and two rebounds, and Austin Crowe-St Jack six points and two boards.

SATURDAY

Mandurah Magic (88) lost to Perry Lakes Hawks (114)

The Perry Lakes Hawks maintained their hot form with another 114-88 win over the Mandurah Magic with Jack Browder delivering another 30 points and 10 rebounds.

The Magic saw their finals prospects officially ended the night before with the loss to the Perth Redbacks as they hosted the Hawks in their last game at Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre for the season.

Perry Lakes made it a third straight win with a dominant showing the night before against the fourth placed Cockburn Cougars and with Matt Kenyon not suiting up for Mandurah, the Hawks went on a 16-0 run in the opening term.

That saw Perry Lakes leading 31-22 by quarter-time but the Magic did fire back with 34 points to 23 in the second term to go into half-time on top 56-54.

The Hawks responded with 28 points to 18 in the third quarter and 32 to 14 in the fourth on the way to the 26-point victory to make it four in-a-row and improve to a 12-9 record.

Jack Browder produced another 30 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in the win for Perry Lakes with Isaiah Moses also having 28 points, six assists, two boards and two steals.

Andreas Grubisa added 15 points on 5/7 shooting, Max Bucknell 12 points, 14 rebounds and four assists, and Cam Huefner 12 points, seven boards and two assists.

The Magic are now 7-14 with the pair of losses for the weekend with Michael Christmas delivering another 26 points, six rebounds and three assists with 4/9 three-point shooting.

Michael Dupree also had 18 points, eight assists and five rebounds, Ryan Blanchett 15 points and eight boards, and Lachlan Bertram 11 points, three boards and two assists.

Cockburn Cougars (103) defeated Perth Redbacks (83)

The Cockburn Cougars bounced back strongly from a disappointing Friday night performance to stay in fourth position with the 103-83 win over the Perth Redbacks with Rowan Mackenzie and Akeem Springs combining for 63 points and 10 rebounds.

The Cougars were back home at Wally Hagan Stadium having had a poor showing the night before losing to the Perry Lakes Hawks by 24 points to leave them vulnerable in fourth position.

They were playing host to a Redbacks team who also kept their season alive with the thrilling win the night before at home to the Mandurah Magic so it was set up nicely for the match up on Saturday.

Cockburn were leading 26-24 by the end of the first quarter with the Cougars adding another 31 points to 20 in the second frame to go into the half-time break leading 57-44.

The Cougars maintained control the rest of the way with the lead back out to 16 points in the third term and 20 in the fourth before securing the 20-point victory.

The win improves Cockburn to a 14-7 record to stay in fourth position and they got the win without Joe Bradshaw and Josh Hunt as well.

Rowan Mackenzie was outstanding after fouling out frustratingly the night before with 34 points, six rebounds and two assists with 8/14 shooting from the outside.

Akeem Springs also had 29 points and four rebounds with 4/8 three-point shooting while Johny Narkle had 12 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals, Jonah Palelei eight points and three boards, and Fletcher Klasztorny six points and eight rebounds.

The Redbacks now are officially out of the playoff race at 8-13 to be two games behind the eighth placed East Perth Eagles with just one match remaining.

Sean Conway delivered another 32 points and four rebounds with 6/14 shooting from the outside with Luke Phillips adding 21 points, three boards and two assists, and Aiden Cannington nine points, six rebounds and three assists.

Lakeside Lightning (98) lost to Warwick Senators (109)

The Lakeside Lightning needed to win to keep their season alive but it was their former star import that ended their hopes with Marshawn Blackmon putting the Warwick Senators on his back for the 109-98 victory.

The Lightning came into the last two rounds with two games to go and two behind the eighth placed East Perth Eagles so they couldn’t afford any slip ups ahead of hosting the Senators at Lakeside Recreation Centre.

Warwick arrived having lost their past five matches but they did arrive on a mission especially Blackmon on return to his former home floor.

The Senators were leading 29-20 by the end of the first quarter but Lakeside fired back with 33 points to 17 in the second frame to head into half-time leading 53-46.

Warwick then took over in the second half with 30 points to 25 in the third period and 33 to 20 in the fourth on the way to the 11-point victory to end the season of Lakeside.

The Senators are now 6-15 to return to the winner's list with Blackmon the difference between the two teams with 41 points, six assists, three rebounds and two steals.

Tristan Forsyth added 17 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and three blocks, Billy McRae 15 points, six boards and six assists, Jordan Sandon 10 points and three assists, George Pearl 10 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Tyler Shand nine points and 11 boards.

The Lightning are now 8-13 as a result of the loss to be out of finals contention heading into the last round with Corey Shervill finishing with 27 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals with 7/13 shooting from the outside.

Isaiah Lewis added 22 points, eight assists, four steals and two rebounds, Josh Davey 18 points and 21 boards, Michael Imariagbe 12 points and five rebounds, and Michael Garbellini eight points and two assists.

Rockingham Flames (107) defeated Willetton Tigers (91)

The Rockingham Flames confirmed a top two finish with Isaac White, Blake Jones and Michael Harris combining for 78 points and 22 rebounds in the 107-91 home win over the Willetton Tigers.

The Flames came into the game at home at Mike Barnett Sports Complex with a two-game advantage over the third placed Joondalup Wolves and one more win would lock in a top two spot.

It would also keep them within touch of the Geraldton Buccaneers should they lose in the last two rounds but there was plenty for Willetton to play for too trying to stay in the top four mix after the Friday night loss for the Cockburn Cougars.

It was a high-quality opening quarter from both teams but Rockingham were able to work their way on top with an 8-0 run to go into quarter-time on top 30-12 with 12 points already from Blake Jones.

The lead for the Flames got out to 13 points early in the second quarter but the Tigers worked back into it with a 7-0 run and by half-time the Rockingham lead was just 51-44.

Rockingham took control further in the third quarter, though, with a 12-0 scoring run to open up a game-high lead of 20 points and to go into three quarter-time on top by 15 after 11 points in the quarter from reigning MVP White.

The Flames went on with things from there too to secure the 16-point victory having outscored the Tigers 56 points to 47 in the second half to consolidate at least a top two finish at 17-4.

White would have to be raging favourite to make it back-to-back MVP awards and had another 29 points, five assists and four rebounds with 7/12 three-point shooting.

Michael Harris added 26 points, six rebounds and six assists, Blake Jones 23 points, 12 boards and two assists, Laquinton Ross seven points, 10 rebounds and three assists, and Emmett Naar seven points and eight assists.

Taeshon Cherry finished with another 25 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals for Willetton with Damien Scott adding 19 points, seven assists and four boards in the 396th game of his remarkable career.

Tom Gerovich also had 14 points, eight rebounds and two steals, Tom Musumeci 10 points and four assists, and 344-game veteran big man Michael Vigor 10 points, five rebounds and three assists.

Goldfields Giants (87) lost to Joondalup Wolves (92)

It took a 16-0 run either side of three quarter-time for the Joondalup Wolves to get on top of the Goldfields Giants and then secure the 92-87 win in Kalgoorlie to keep them solid in third position.

The Giants were playing their last home game of the season at Evolution Mining Stadium and attempting to end things on a high note while the Wolves did need to keep winning keep their hold on third spot.

After falling down five points early, Joondalup went on an 8-0 run to lead 30-24 by the end of the first quarter before the Giants turned things around with 27 to 20 in the second frame to be leading 51-50 by half-time.

Goldfields pushed out to a six-point lead late in the third quarter before Joondalup scored the last six points and then started the final period on fire with the first 10 points including a pair of three balls to Taylor Young and another to CJ Turnage.

That saw the Wolfpack leading by 10 and then holding out the Giants late for the five-point victory even without the presence of Caleb Davis.

The win improves the Wolves to a 15-6 record to stay in third place with Jordan Wellsteed putting up 22 points, six rebounds and two steals with CJ Turnage adding 20 points, six boards and two assists.

Taylor Young also had 10 points and six assists, Sharif Black nine points, 10 rebounds and four assists, and Gabe Chadinha eight points and three assists.

Goldfields are now 5-15 having lost their last four and going just 3-8 at home in 2026 with Michael Jok finishing with 18 points, five rebounds and three assists on 3/6 shooting from the outside.

Josh Duach delivered another 16 points, eight assists and three rebounds, Sam Vinson 15 points, six boards and four assists, and Matthew MacLellan 13 points, 10 rebounds and three assists.

Geraldton Buccaneers (91) defeated East Perth Eagles (73)

The Geraldton Buccaneers maintained their hold on top spot with a solid showing to hold out the eight placed East Perth Eagles for the 91-73 victory with 31 points and seven triples from Matt Norman.

The Buccs were playing their last home game of the regular season at Active West Stadium and needed to keep winning to stay in top spot against an Eagles team sitting eighth and having won on their last two trips to Geraldton.

It was a gith start to the contest with scores locked at 22-22 by the end of the first quarter before 23 points to 16 in the second term from Geraldton saw the home team go into half-time on top 46-38.

That lead for the Buccaneers got out to 12 points in the third period and 19 in the fourth before they went on to win by 18 and improve to a 17-3 record to stay top and going 8-2 at home in 2026.

Matt Norman again was in the starting five in the absence of Devondrick Walker with 7/11 shooting from the outside for 31 points.

Josh Keyes also had 26 points, seven rebounds and thee assists for Geraldton, Brendan Redhead 12 points, five assists, three steals and two boards, Liam Hunt eight points, 11 rebounds and five assists, Cooper Creek six points, 11 boards and five assists, and Verle Williams Jr six points, six assists, three boards and three steals.

East Perth do stay eighth at 10-11 and are guaranteed of playing finals for a third straight year with other results going their way with Jonah Antonio top scoring with 21 points, six rebounds and two steals with 5/9 three-point shooting ahead of now going to the Commonwealth Games with the Australian Gangurrus.

Lat Mayen added 16 points and 11 rebounds, De'Sean Parsons 14 points, eight boards, five assists and two steals, and David Okwera 14 points and eight board.