NBL1 Women vs Geelong Supercats
Frankston beat Geelong in a thriller at the Frankston Basketball Stadium.
Trailing by six points at three-quarter-time, the Blues scored 20 points in the final quarter to win 65-64. Captain Taylor Lee shot a three with 38 seconds to play to give the Blues the win.
Lee ended the game with 14 points, five rebounds and two assists, while Stephanie Reid had 18 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Sara Blicavs had a double-double (16 points and 16 rebounds) in the defeat.
Geelong opened proceedings with the first six points in the game. The Blues steadied midway through the term and gained the lead via a triple from Taylor Lee, before the Supercats overturned the deficit to lead by four points at the break.
The Supercats outscored the Blues 14-11 in the second term to increase their lead to seven points at half time. Better ball movement in the third quarter allowed the Blues to work their way back into the contest. Frankston were also able to reduce the Supercats’ offensive rebounds and cut the margin to six points with a quarter to play.
Frankston carried their momentum into the final quarter and took the lead halfway through the term via a layup by Reid. Blicavs overturned the deficit with a jump shot from the baseline, before Lee’s three gave the Blues the win.
Questions will be raised about why the Supercats did not foul the Blues in the final 20 seconds. The error allowed the Blues to retain possession until the final buzzer.
NBL1 Men vs Geelong Supercats
Frankston won their first game of the season by beating Geelong 77-72.
The Blues trailed by three points at three-quarter-time, but overran the Supercats 27-19 in the final term to come away with a five-point win. Damon Bozeman starred for the Blues with 20 points, three rebounds and five assists, while Igor Hadziomerovic had 17 points, eight rebounds and one steal.
Frankston shot 56% from the field in the first term to lead by seven points at quarter time. Hadziomerovic was the main benefactor with seven points and two rebounds in the term. The lead changed in the second quarter as the Supercats held the Blues to six points. Geelong outscored Frankston 16-6 to lead by three points at half time.
Frankston improved their ball movement in the third quarter, which allowed them to add 19 points to their score. However the Supercats matched the Blues points and retained their three-point advantage. DeMarcus Gatlin dominated for the Supercats, shooting 7-10 from the field in the first three quarters.
The Blues played like a team hungry to taste victory for the first time this season in the final term. The home side hit the boards and played on the break to claw their way within touching distance of the Supercats.
A three-point play by Lachlan Barker gave the Blues the lead with 40 seconds left on the clock. Geelong tried to mount a comeback, but the Blues held on until the final buzzer.
Despite the defeat, Gatlin recorded a double-double (21 points and 10 rebounds) to add to his impressive performances this season.
NBL1 Women vs Bendigo Braves
Bendigo have continued their undefeated start to the season and taken over top spot with a thumping 99-81 win over Frankston at Bendigo Stadium.
Gabrielle Richards (29 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists), Kelly Wilson (17 points, eight rebounds, 16 assists), Tessa Lavey (22 points, five triples) and Nadeen Payne (25 points) all came up huge for Bendigo.
The Braves were only narrowly edging the Blues 13-12 late in the first quarter before the home team closed the period on a 13-6 run, capped off by skipper Wilson’s triple.
Bendigo opened the second term hot, scoring 18-straight points, with 10 of those belonging to Payne. And suddenly the Braves lead 44-18 and forced the Blues into a timeout. Richards’ jumper iced a blistering first half for the Braves, who held a commanding 58-32 advantage at the main break.
Things started getting ugly early in the third term as Payne’s trey saw the Braves have twice as many points on the board as Frankston at 70-34. But Bendigo fought back for the rest of the quarter and pulled it back to a 25-point margin at the end of three.
Behind the lead of Stephanie Reid, the Blues continued to restore the scoreboard in the fourth, but the result had already been decided. Reid finished with a team-high 22 points for the Blues in an otherwise disappointing showing.
NBL1 Men vs Bendigo Braves
The Braves have pulled away from the Blues in the second half to record an 88-73 win at the Bendigo Stadium on Thursday night.
After an even first half saw the scored tied at 42 at the main break, Bendigo won the third quarter by nine points before extending their lead beyond double digits in the final term to record their second win of the season.
The hosts shared the scoring load, as five players managed over 10 points, with Jake Cowling top scoring off the bench with 19 points on 7-11 shooting (including 4-5 from deep).
Ray Turner added 16 points while Matthew Andronicos’ 16-point, 10-rebound double-double in just 20 minutes was important for the home side.
Majok Majok was one of Frankston’s best with 14 points and 15 rebounds, while Damon Bozeman (19 points, nine rebounds) and Igor Hadziomerovic (17 points, six rebounds) also impressed.
The visitors just edged the first half as they led for more of the opening 20 minutes, although both sides enjoyed five-point leads before half-time.
The game was tight up until the final minutes of the third quarter, as Bendigo closed the term with a 10-0 run, turning a one-point deficit into a nine-point lead with one quarter to play.
The Blues were kept at arms length for the final term, as Bendigo eventually cruised to their 15-point win.