General Basketball Thread

[Sharky Pete]

Boomers squad - without Jason Cadee and Chris Goulding - 'best in years'

BOTI NAGY THE ADVERTISER
The Advertiser
August 05, 20131:37PM

ADELAIDE 36ers guard Jason Cadee and Melbourne Tigers MVP Chris Goulding were unlucky to miss selection for the Boomers squad ahead of the Oceania Series against New Zealand.

That's the opinion of national coach Andrej Lemanis who today also said Euroleague pair Nathan Jawai and Aleks Maric had been ruled out of contention due to injury.

That said, the Boomers squad of 15 is one of the best assembled in a non-world championship or Olympic year.

It includes eight London Olympians led by Patty Mills, Matthew Dellavedova, Joe Ingles, David Andersen, Aron Baynes, Brad Newley, Adam Gibson and David Barlow.

"I've said it before but those teams that give themselves the best chance to win a medal are the ones which spend time together every year," Lemanis said.

"I'm really pleased with the commitment shown by the core guys."

Jawai (foot) and Maric (groin) both were not in contention for the team which will be selected from this squad which goes into camp on Wednesday in Canberra.

The final line-up will contest the two-game Oceania Series against New Zealand on August 14 in Auckland and on August 18 in Canberra.

The series winner has the higher seeding for next year's FIBA World Championship in Spain.

Lemanis said he had been in communication with Australia's No.1 player, NBA star Andrew Bogut regarding his future with the Boomers.

"Bogut said to me if his body's right he'll play for the Boomers," Lemanis said of the Golden State Warriors' centre.

"With the run of (bad) luck he's had with his body, you don't know ahead of time but he has said he'll play if he's right."

NBL starters Cadee and Goulding arguably were the unlucky pair to miss selection.

Cadee had a terrific series for Australia at the World University Games where Lemanis coached the young national team to the silver medal.

Since crossing to Melbourne from the now defunct Gold Coast Blaze for last NBL season, Goulding has been a revelation.

He was named the All Star Game MVP, won the Tigers' club MVP, trained with NBA star Kyrie Irving, was invited to camp with Cleveland Cavaliers and trained his way into their Las Vegas Summer Pro League team.

"At some point as coach, you have to decide between players," Lemanis said.

"Jason did particularly well at the World University Games.

"I liked the way he played but I especially liked the leadership he showed within the group and the way he carried himself.

"He definitely put himself into contention but we are pretty well served at point guard, with Matthew Dellavedova, Dante Exum an exciting young player, and with Gibbo (Gibson) and Patty (Mills) also able to run the one-spot.

"Jason had a similar situation to Chris (Goulding) who has been playing well and last NBL season did pretty well too.

"Both Jason and Chris, by their own admission, would know that defensively they still have areas to work on.

"Chris can definitely put the ball in the basket."

Lemanis said it was impossible to not be excited about Australia's prospects.

"I'm excited," he said.

"Both Dante and Ben (Simmons) have an athleticism we don't commonly see in this country.

"And Ryan Broekhoff and Cam Bairstow have done well for us and have exciting futures."

http://www.news.com.au/sport/basket...est-in-years8217/story-fne5rn2j-1226691467978

 

[Sharky Pete]

Adelaide 36ers forward Anthony Petrie is set to Boom again at age 30

BOTI NAGY THE ADVERTISER
The Advertiser
August 01, 20136:40PM

STEP aside Peter Crawford. Adelaide 36ers power forward Anthony Petrie is this year's "feel good" story of the Australian men's basketball squad after his selection today at 30.

Crawford was 32 last year when he was named on the Boomers team for the London Olympics, a surprise selection acknowledging his commitment and persistence as much as anything.

It made Crawford a role model for staying the course, a baton he can hand over today to Petrie, the Sixers' 203cm meat-and-potatoes forward from Tenterfield.

Petrie and 36ers teammate Adam Gibson - along with South Australian stars in Europe, Joe Ingles and Brad Newley - today were named in coach Andrej Lemanis' 15-player squad from which the Boomers team to contest the Oceania Championship will be selected.

Three players will lose their spots for the final 12-man line-up to face New Zealand in Auckland on August 14 and in Canberra on August 18, and with eight London Olympians in the squad, the quest for berths will be intense.

Petrie, however, will take it in his stride.

"I won't try to be anyone I'm not," he said today of his expectations of next week's training camp in Canberra.

"I'll go over there and try to do what I do well."

That worked well enough in June when Petrie was named in Lemanis' first Boomers squad at a time when he was feeling "old and bald".

Squad selection was the pay off for a solid NBL season with the hapless 36ers at a time in his career when Petrie thought the dream of wearing the green-and-gold had gone.

"It was amazing," he said of his first call-up in three years.

"I got a taste of it in 2010 but I had injury on top of injury.

"I didn't give up hope (of playing for Australia) but you're nearing 30 and there are young guys coming through.

"So I just focused on the 36ers and playing as well as I could for the club."

Petrie delivered 11.4 points per game, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists for Adelaide and caught Lemanis' eye.

He turned 30 in June during the Boomers training camp in Perth ahead of the Sino-Australian Challenge against China.

"Gibbo (Adam Gibson) was fantastic for me," Petrie said of the sessions in Perth.

"It was awesome having his help, letting me know what to expect, how to go about it."

Petrie not only won his way into the team but was in the starting line-up for the four-game series.

"Matty Nielsen presented me with my singlet before the game," Petrie said, the Boomers' London Olympic captain having retired from international play.

"He was a huge idol of mine growing up so that was amazing.

"Then my mum and dad, and my wife and kids all flew to Perth for the games.

"I didn't know they were coming so that was great. They've all sacrificed so much for my career.

"It was an unbelievable experience and such a privilege to play for Australia.

"I've never won a championship so those four games would be my best ever moments."

The Boomers won the four-match series which concluded in China, Lemanis pleased with Petrie's performances and input.

But Petrie is a realist, if anything, and knew the availability of many more of Australia's internationally successful stars for the Oceania series against the Tall Blacks would have implications.

"To see my name (in this squad) ... I was just thrilled," he said.

"To be called back ... It will be amazing to be around those calibre of players."

The good news for Petrie is he fits seamlessly among them.

The full squad is: David Andersen, Cameron Bairstow, David Barlow, Aron Baynes, Ryan Broekhoff, Matthew Dellavedova, Dante Exum, Adam Gibson, Joe Ingles, Patty Mills, Luke Nevill, Brad Newley, AJ Ogilvy, Anthony Petrie, Ben Simmons.

http://www.news.com.au/sport/basket...-again-at-age-30/story-fne5rn2j-1226690240414

 

[Sharky Pete]

Boomers, Opals' world championship 'clinchers' to air on ABC

BOTI NAGY THE ADVERTISER
The Advertiser
August 01, 20136:40PM

AUSTRALIA's Oceania Championship clashes with New Zealand in Canberra on Sunday, August 18 will be televised live around Australia by ABC-TV.

The winner of the series between the Opals and Tall Ferns will quality for the 2014 FIBA Women's World Championship in Turkey while the Boomers-Tall Blacks winner will take a higher seeding to next year's worlds in Spain.

The two-match series tips off in Auckland on August 14 with highlights from both games to be shown on ABC1 from 11:30pm in the eastern states, 11pm in SA.

To see those matches live, fans can go online to livebasketball.tv.

ABC-TV, which has been a strong supporter of the WNBL for two decades, will show the Opals' match against New Zealand live on August 18 at 2pm.

The Boomers-Tall Blacks match follows on live TV at 4pm.

Stephanie Brantz will host the telecast which will feature commentary from former international superstars such as Shane Heal and Rachael Sporn.

Basketball Australia chief executive officer Kristina Keneally said the FIBA qualifier would bring many 2012 Olympians back together alongside new faces from the recent World University Games and FIBA U19 World Championships.

"This is undoubtedly the biggest event on our high-performance calendar this year, so we're pleased fans right across the country will be able to catch the elite action on free-to-air TV with our broadcast partner ABC," Keneally said.

The coverage is a coup for BA, which will have many of its biggest international "name" players on show in the Oceania Series.

San Antonio Spurs duo Patty Mills and Aron Baynes, Cleveland Cavaliers-bound Matthew Dellavedova, Euroleague stars Joe Ingles, David Andersen and Brad Newley, all are expected to be in the Boomers lineup, BA having announced its squad today.

Lauren Jackson, still one of the biggest names in international women's basketball and Australia's flag-bearer at the London Olympics last year, also is expected to make her international return with the Opals against New Zealand.

Mills cannot wait to play at The Palace in Canberra in front of his home crowd.

The topscorer at the London Olympics has been tweeting up a storm exhorting fans to support the ACT double-header and for BA to add to its colour by filling the venue with yellow T-shirts for fans to wear.

"Everyone with free (T-)shirts and a sea of gold," he tweeted, explaining the perfect intimidating scenario to greet the Opals and Boomers' cross-Tasman rivals.

ABC-TV's Head of Sport and Events, Justin Holdforth said: "The Opals and the Boomers are two of Australia's most important national sporting teams, so it's appropriate both will be seen on the national broadcaster.

"It's a privilege to have superstars like Lauren Jackson and Patty Mills on ABC1, and we look forward to seeing both teams emphatically qualifying for next year's World Cup."

Follow Boti Nagy on Twitter at @boti_nagy and at www.botinagy.com

http://www.news.com.au/sport/basket...17-to-air-on-abc/story-fndkzqrr-1226690278714

 

[A.Snowden]

How many basketball threads do you need on a rugby league forum. **** me

 

[Sharky Pete]

How many basketball threads do you need on a rugby league forum. **** me

AS, If you don't like reading them then maybe stay in the footy threads and don't go in the "Other Sports" Section.

It's very simple really.

 

[josh11223344]

Can't wait to watch the boomers vs kiwis series. Simmons and exum both in the squad, looking forward to a back court rotation of exum, mills, delly and whoever else.

 

[snowman]

when does that series start? i wanted to go an watch AJ play for the kings tonight but i have training.

same as thursday

 

[josh11223344]

14th

 

[El Coconuto]

Game 1 - Wednesday August 14th (in New Zealand)
Game 2 - Sunday August 8th (AIS Arena)

The latter is running live on ABC from 2PM (Opals and Boomers double-header)

 

[Mr Wright]

How many basketball threads do you need on a rugby league forum. **** me

Get the **** out if you don't like it then.

 

[Sharky Pete]

when does that series start? i wanted to go an watch AJ play for the kings tonight but i have training.

same as thursday

Hopefully AJ is in the Kings team when they play at Sutho in a few weeks.

I will definitely be looking at going to that game.

 

[Sharky Pete]

Get the **** out if you don't like it then.

:Yes::Yes:

 

[A.Snowden]

AS, If you don't like reading them then maybe stay in the footy threads and don't go in the "Other Sports" Section.

It's very simple really.

It comes up when you hit the new posts tab...So

Get the **** out if you don't like it then.

And **** you gimp

 

[Mr Wright]

Thanks for contributing to the general basketball thread, feel free to come back whenever you want. We can never have enough basketball topics here.

 

[Sharky Pete]

Boomers will have to overcome some tall timber

August 7, 2013 - 6:20AM

Marc Hinton


Grand slam: New Zealand forward Tom Abercrombie will be fit to face the Boomers. Photo: Getty Images

The Tall Blacks look certain to have their best big man back to face the Boomers next week in an Oceania series with a daunting look about it.

Coach Nenad Vucinic on Wednesday confirmed regular starting centre Alex Pledger was likely to return to face the Boomers in back-to-back Fiba Oceania series match-ups either side of the Tasman.

The good news did not end there either for the national coach who was noticeably buoyed by the relative success of his Baby Blacks on their recent tour to China.

Starting small forward Tom Abercrombie is also set to be back to full fitness for the Australian matches after spraining an ankle in China.

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Back-up big man Jeremiah Trueman was also likely to be available again after a toe injury ruled him out of the fortnight-long tour.

The Tall Blacks will still be missing a raft of big names, including NBA rookie Steven Adams, their best player, Kirk Penney, and college kids Isaac Fotu, Rob Loe and Tai Webster, but Vucinic will take the good news where he can get it at the moment.

"We're still waiting for final confirmation of availability, but it looks like Alex is going to be OK. It's almost 100 per cent he will be available, and Jeremiah's foot has recovered and he's going to be available as well."

The news was not so bright on injured point guards Lindsay Tait (fractured hand) and Josh Bloxham (high ankle sprain) with both unlikely to face the Boomers.

An extended Tall Blacks squad will reassemble in Auckland on Friday, and will be whittled down to 12 for the opening Oceania matchup next Wednesday night at the North Shore Events Centre. The return is four days later in Canberra.

Vucinic was rapt to have the 2.13-metre Pledger back to add much-needed size in the frontline, but was wary of expecting big things from the Breakers standout.

"Unfortunately he hasn't played a game of basketball since April, and as much as we'd like to think Alex can reach the necessary form quickly, maybe it's unrealistic. In any case someone of his size and stature will definitely help us if he's ready to play."

Abercrombie was in a similar situation after he had scant time on court during the NBA's summer league with the Phoenix Suns. He then rolled his ankle soon after joining the team in China.

"He hasn't really played a decent game of basketball since April," Vucinic said. "That showed in the couple of games he played in China where he was nowhere near his best. But we hope with a few days of proper training he'll find some decent form and be able to contribute."

Meanwhile, Boomers coach Andrej Lemanis has assembled a stellar squad, missing only NBA star Andrew Bogut and fellow centres Aleks Maric and Nathan Jawai who are out with injury.

"It's the strongest Australian team there has been the last seven or eight years," Vucinic said. "The only players unavailable are the centres but when you see the replacements like David Andersen and Aron Baynes you can't say they're weak in that position. The other players are all the best they have.

"Obviously they're not taking us lightly which is a great compliment to us. We're just looking forward to taking on such a great team."

Vucinic was ecstatic with the way his team featuring five debutants and two schoolboys performed in China.

"We could not be happier with what we achieved."

However, he is well aware the real test comes now.

"Australia is at least a level if not two levels above the opposition we have just played. Can we step up another level or two? I hope so. It's not going to be easy but I hope we will come out to play at the North Shore."

Having Pledger back in the middle certainly boosts those chances.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/basketb...overcome-some-tall-timber-20130806-2rdk6.html

 

[Sharky Pete]

Tall Blacks boosted for Boomers showdown

August 6, 2013 - 2:21PM

Marc Hinton


Kiwi pride: New Zealand Breakers big man Alex Pledger. Photo: Getty Images

It's not quite the cavalry, but Tall Blacks coach Nenad Vucinic may have some much-needed help at hand for next week's daunting Oceania series against Australia.

Vucinic and his young Tall Blacks arrived back from their fortnight in China late on Monday with a few days off on the schedule before they launch preparations for the Boomers.

It's hoped 2.13-metre centre Alex Pledger, new Breakers signing Jeremiah Trueman and experienced point guard Lindsay Tait could all return to the mix for the series against Andrej Lemanis' near full-strength Boomers.

Pledger missed the trip to China for "personal" reasons, while Tait (fractured hand) and Trueman (toe) were also forced out. All three will be assessed by coaching and medical staff ahead of the team's reassembly.

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Small forward Tom Abercrombie, who injured his ankle at the first of the two tournaments and sat out the second, will also have to prove his fitness.

Vucinic's decimated squad – also shorn of frontliners Kirk Penney, Steven Adams, Isaac Fotu, Rob Loe, Tai Webster and Leon Henry – acquitted itself encouragingly on tour where it dropped spirited back-to-back games against China's national team (the second by a single point) and then won five of six games at twin tournaments.

But the return of Pledger, Trueman and Tait would be a huge boost against a Boomers outfit that could feature eight London Olympians, including NBA performers Patty Mills and Aron Baynes, as well as Joe Ingles, Brad Newley, David Barlow and Matthew Dellavedova. Rising young Aussie star Dante Exum is also tagged for inclusion.

Pledger would bring much-needed size and a legitimate inside scoring threat, Trueman would provide another big body to bang against the Aussies and Tait's experience would be vital at the light point guard position.

Whoever he's able to reinforce with, Vucinic would have been rapt with the way his undermanned squad performed in China. With two schoolboys and five debutants in his green touring group, valuable experience was gained for a wave of young talent who will be around for a long time.

The tour also underlined the value of established performers such as Mika Vukona, Corey Webster, BJ Anthony and Casey Frank who carried a lot of the load.

The Tall Blacks face the Boomers in Auckland on Wednesday next week and again in Canberra on Sunday, August 18, in an Oceania series that will also see their female equivalents go head to head.

Both New Zealand sides will be up against the odds, though Vucinic's men will at least still qualify for next year's World Cup in Spain regardless of how the Oceania series plays out. Coach Kennedy Kereama's Tall Ferns have no such luxury, needing to beat the world No 2 ranked Opals to gain a place at their global tournament in Turkey.

That's a near impossible task for the Ferns with the London bronze medallists expected to be close to full strength as they take no chances down the qualifying route.

By contrast the Ferns will likely be without injured captain Natalie Taylor (knee injury) and the well-performed Jillian Harmon who is unavailable.

Keremea is trialling his New Zealand-based players over the next few days in Auckland and hopes to announce his team to face the Opals by Friday.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/basketball/tall-blacks-boosted-for-boomers-showdown-20130806-2rbmv.html

 

[josh11223344]

I'll take it steven adams isn't playing? Would be sick if he did.

 

[Sharky Pete]

SEABL Round 19 Wrap Up

Published on August 5, 2013 by Beth Davis

Only two weeks left in the regular season, and STILL the East Conference is wide open.

Well, apart from Bendigo and Geelong, who had the top two spots sewn up long ago.

Four teams are fighting it out for the final two spots in the East – and the Round 19 results haven’t given any teams any breathing room. Dandenong, Frankston, Sandringham and Brisbane are all still in contention to make the playoffs in the East.

The Dandenong Rangers lost both of their double header games against Mt Gambier and Nunawading to leave them vulnerable to the three teams hot on their heels for third spot. An expected loss for Brisbane against the ladder leading Bendigo Braves saw them slip to sixth place, while Frankston have pushed their way back into the top four with a win over fellow East rivals Sandringham – off the back off a clutch Chuck Long game winning shot.

In the South, things look a little more settled, with Mt Gambier, Nunawading and Hobart all assured a finals berth, but it’s still a battle between Kilsyth and North West Tasmania for that final spot. Kilsyth managed a thrilling win over the Thunder on Saturday night to keep their play-off hopes alive and give North West Tassie something to sweat about.

However, Kilsyth started off their weekend with a 78-72 loss to the Hobart Chargers on Friday night. In a close contest, the Cobra’s EJ Kusnyer kept his team within striking distance with a 32 point and 8 rebound game. Despite Kusnyer’s hot hand, Kilsyth didn’t have many other scoring options, Tiri Masunda being the only other Cobra to score in double figures with 10 points. Jordan Gregg lead the scoring for the home side with 25 points and Brandon Polk continued his consistent good form with 21 points and 11 rebounds in the Chargers win.

The loss for Kilsyth meant that the game on Saturday night against North West Tasmania was a must win to be able to keep their finals chances alive. Another loss would have seen them with an 11-15 record, and given the Thunder a 13-12 record, plus the head to head advantage over Kilsyth. The Thunder looked the goods at halftime, going into the main break with an 11 point lead, but the Cobras were not ready to lie down and rallied in the second half to force overtime. The Thunder came undone in extra time, managing just 3 points and giving Kilsyth a satisfying 101-88 victory – and giving the Cobras the head to head advantage they may just need in two week’s time. Ej Kusnyer was again good for the Cobras with 23 points and 7 rebounds, but it was Tim Lang who stepped up with 30 points and 8 rebounds to lead all scorers. Tom Wright finished with 23 points for the Thunder.

Dandenong kicked off their 0-2 weekend with a trip to Mt Gambier on Friday night, to be handed a 105-83 drubbing. A 30-13 point first quarter set the scene for the home side who cruised to an easy victory. Brad Hill and Ben Allen were unsurprisingly effective for the Pioneers, Hill leading all scorers with 27 points and 8 rebounds and Allen adding 20 points and a lazy 17 rebounds of his own. Matt Sutton also managed 21 points in the high scoring game, while for Dandenong Lucas Barker contributed 26 points and 6 rebounds. Daequon Montreal, fresh from his try out with the Wollongong Hawks, added 23 points and 7 rebounds to his team’s totals.

Following their South Australian sojourn, the Rangers returned home on Sunday to face the Nunawading Spectres. Determined to earn back some respect against the second placed South conference Spectres, the Rangers controlled the third quarter and held the lead going into the final break. But the experienced Spectres side staged a comeback of their own in the fourth, and rallied to win the game 87-82. Shane McDonald continued his outstanding form with 28 points and 11 assists to go with 6 rebounds, while the July Player of the Month, Simon Conn, contributed 12 points and 16 rebounds. The Rangers import duo each racked up a double double, Montreal scoring 19 points with 10 rebounds while Tony Lewis added 19 and 15 after a quiet night against Mt Gambier on Friday. Andrew Harms lead the scoring for the Dandenong side with 21. Hear what Rangers player Lucas Barker had to say after the game here, and Nunawading Spectres Chris Cameron’s thoughts can be found here.

The two losses for the Rangers have put them in a dangerous position this close to the finals – they sit just one game ahead of Frankston, Sandringham, and Brisbane, and have a tough road home with games against Geelong, Hobart and Ballarat as their final three.

Nunawading meanwhile have held on to second place with their win over the Rangers, as well as a convincing win over the Knox Raiders on Saturday night. The 92-72 victory saw Simon Conn rack up a double double with 22 points and 10 rebounds, as well as import Cicero Gonzaga who added 12 points and 10 rebounds. A relatively quiet night for Shane McDonald in comparison to Sunday – just 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Jon Phillip was the only Knox player to hit double figures in any category with 22 points as the Raiders horror season continues to spiral downwards.

Bendigo began their weekend with a grudge match against star player Jazz Ferguson’s former team – the Albury/Wodonga Bandits. The Bandits managed to stay within a respectable range up until halftime thanks largely to their defensive, but as has happened in the past few weeks, the Braves made adjustments after halftime and cracked the game wide open with some easy baskets to win 98-81. Ivan McFarlin top scored for the Braves with 27 points and 13 rebounds, while Tom Garlepp added 22 and Chris Hogan 17. The Bandits imports, Jermel Jenkins and Flenard Whitfield, each contributed 20 points, with Whitfield also adding 10 rebounds.

After being defeated by the Braves in Bendigo, the Bandits returned home on Saturday to welcome the Ballarat Miners. With both teams have less than impressive seasons, the game was another one of those where all that was on the line was pride, finals no longer being an option for either team. It was a close fought contest for the teams, the game coming right down to the wire in an exciting finish. The Miners looked like they could snap their 12 game losing streak, with a one point lead over the home side with less than 30 seconds left to play. But two clutch free throws from Bandits captain Nick Payne put his team in front, and the Miners attempted game winning shots fell short to give the Bandits the 95-94 victory and slump Ballarat into a 13 game losing streak. Jermel Jenkins top scored again for the Bandits with 30 points, while for Ballarat it was newly signed Cairns Taipans player Shaun Bruce who led the scoring with 21 points. Melbourne Tigers player Lucas Walker recorded a double double with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Meanwhile, Bendigo hopped on a plane after their win over the Bandits and headed to Brisbane to face the Spartans on Saturday night. These two teams met in Bendigo just two weeks ago, and it was a similar story this time around. Brisbane held the lead at halftime, but once again, Bendigo regrouped for the third quarter and held the Spartans to just 6 points, setting up the final 88-75 victory. Jazz Ferguson was instrumental in his team’s win, finishing with 26 points, while Ivan McFarlin just continues to dominate at both ends of the floor, ending up with yet another double double stat line with 20 points and 18 rebounds. Izzy Tueta led the scoring for the home side with 21 points and import Zach Henifin had his own double double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. The loss for Brisbane was a blow to the finals aspirations, as they slip to sixth in the East and have just three games remaining to try and crack the top four.

The East Conference leading Geelong Supercats headed to the nation’s capital on Saturday night to take on the bottom placed team in the East, the Canberra Gunners. In no surprise to anybody, the Supercats easily dispatched the Gunners, defeating them by 20 points to win 102-92. Gunners import Camontae Griffin, who has been patchy this season, top scored for his team with 22 points to go with 10 assists, while Geelong’s Mike Mercer wasn’t far behind him with 18 points and 9 assists. Nick Owusu was the leading scorer for the Supercats with 19 points and 6 rebounds, Ash Cannan adding 17 points and 7 rebounds. You can catch the replay of the game Basketball ACT’s YouTube channel here.

Geelong have just two games left, against Dandenong and Knox, and must win both and hope that Bendigo lose one of their final two against Frankston or Mt Gambier in order to remain in first place and secure the first home final.

In the live streaming game of the round, the Sandringham Sabres hosted the Frankston Blues in what turned out to be an absolute thriller. The stakes don’t get much higher, with both teams pushing for a final spot in the East, a loss for Frankston would have seen them drop below Brisbane on the ladder once more. Although Sunday’s results weren’t yet known, the Dandenong Rangers going 0-2 also meant that whoever won this game could have a real shot at snatching third spot and securing a home final. With the leas changing throughout the game, it was Sandringham who held the upper hand at three quarter time. The Frankston Blues came out firing in the final quarter, and a tight contest ensued and looked like sending the game into overtime – but Blues hero Chuck Long nailed a basket with just two seconds remaining on the clock to snatch victory for Frankston. The clutch basket for the win gave Long 18 points for the game, while Will Walker added 17 and 15 rebounds. For Sandringham, John Pichon contributed 22 points and 14 rebounds, and fellow import Patrick Richard also scored 22 points. You can watch the replay of the exciting game on YouTube here

The elating win puts the Blues back in fourth spot and also gives Frankston the head to head over the Sabres, as they also defeated them earlier in the year. Sandringham are not out of the picture by any means, but they face three tough games against Mt Gambier, North West Tasmania (who will be fighting for their own win to stay in the South finals) and the all-important final game against Brisbane – who defeated the Sabres by 10 points when they last met.

My player of the week prediction this week could easily be given to Ivan McFarlin for his 23.5 point/15.5 rebound stat line across Bendigo’s 2-0 weekend, or potentially EJ Kusnyer for his 27.5 point/7.5 rebound weekend in Kilsyth’s 1-1 Tasmanian trip to keep their finals chances alive. It will more than likely go to McFarlin – but for me, I’m going to throw Chuck Long in there for his clutch game winning basket for Frankston to give life back to their team and give them the motivation to keep fighting in the ever tight East Conference.

http://andthefoul.net/archives/6888