Round 12 WNBL wrap-up
Tuesday 23 December 2003
AIS point guard Kathleen McLeod rolled her ankle early on in the game and it was all downhill for the AIS from there. The AIS outrebounded Dandenong but you're not going to win games when you shoot 26% from the field, 56% from the line and turn the ball over 20 times. It was a balanced effort from Dandenong with all ten players scoring. Allie Douglas led them with 13 points and 6 rebounds. Rachel Warren was top scorer for the AIS with 12 points.
Perth were ahead 46-41 with one minute to go in the third quarter after a Carly Boyanich putback. After that, Townsville went on an amazing 30-1 run and Perth's next field goal was in the last minute of the game! Another bad choke from Perth and it looks like they have truly forgotten how to win. Perth had 11 scorers but none of them reached double figures. On the other hand, Townsville had five players in double figures, led by Canadian Claudia Brassard who scored 16 points.
The good news for Canberra was that LJ was back in the lineup, albeit playing limited minutes. The bad news was that Jo Hill injured her ankle before the game and sat the game out (severity of injury not known at this stage) and Kellie Abrams injured her ankle during the game (not before racking up astonishing five turnovers in 15 minutes). From all reports, LJ was rusty but contributed when she was in but she only played 15 minutes and Dandenong ground Canberra down with their balanced attack. Allie Douglas once again led the Rangers with 16 points and 9 rebounds. Jessica Bibby had 13 points and Carly Wilson showed her hops by blocking six shots (she's a 5'11" wing). LJ had 15 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in 15 minutes.
I have to admit with MacLeod's injury I was expecting this game to be an easy Sydney win but to the AIS' credit, they fought hard for 35 minutes before crumbling in the final five minutes.
The Flames started off very slow, not scoring in the first three minutes (missed their first eight or nine FG attempts) while the AIS started off well with a couple of made baskets. Despite the absence of their starting point guard, the AIS looked sharp on both ends of the court The Flames eventually found their rhythm and led by two at the first quarter break.
The second and third quarters were tight struggles - whenever one team looked like they were going to break away, the other would fight back. The AIS were hot from the three point line in the second quarter but the Flames hung in there led by Belinda Snell. Sydney stepped up the defensive intensity at the start of the third quarter but the AIS clawed their way back with some torrid shooting from Eva Afeaki and rebounding well on the offensive end. The AIS led 61-60 at the three quarter time break.
The fourth quarter started off with strong defence from both teams but then the Flames' experience asserted itself with Michelle Musselwhite taking control of the game offensively. The AIS had chances but blew them and the Flames continued to play good D while the AIS could not stop the Flames on the other end of the court. After 69-all, the Flames went on a 11-3 run in the last couple of minutes to win 80-72.
The performance of the current AIS team reinforces what a fine coach Phil Brown is. They have good ball movement, they box out well and they play hard (Afeaki and Richards especially). Perhaps if MacLeod was playing, it could have been a different story as her leadership could have steadied the AIS in the last five minutes. Here is a player analysis of some of the AIS players:
Gabrielle Richards: Richards really troubled the Flames in the first half but the Flames did a good job of forcing her out of the key in the second half. Richards has a very bright future ahead of her - she's strong, she has good positioning, she can rebound, she has a good passing eye and most importantly, she can FINISH. There will be another Grima-like bidding war when she graduates from the AIS. In fact, I would rate her above Grima at the moment. The only thing she has going against her is her height (she's about 6"1 and a half) but then again, that's never really stopped players like Tari Phillips.
Eva Afeaki: I'm surprised that the Flames didn't press her whenever she brought the ball up because her handle is very suspect. Still, making the post to guard transition is never easy. Afeaki also needs to realise that her shooting range isn't consistent yet and attack the basket more, using her strength and athleticism. She is great on the boards though and has good court vision and went on a shooting tear in the third quarter where she nailed key mid range jumpers. She's one to watch out for in the future.
Hanna Zavecz: Zavecz was a force on the defensive end with 3 steals and 3 blocks, including a big one on Snell in transition. She was in the passing lanes all night and did a good job on whoever she was on. She wasn't on offensively but has shown this season that she can score. She has size for a 2 guard, athleticism and decent speed - I think she's future Opals material.
Other AIS players: Cristina Fox was shooting very well but has to improve her point skills. Rachel Warren has some good potential in the post. Rebecca Duke and Kate Gurney have to put on some muscle. Duke and O'Hea showed some good skills.
As for the Flames, it was good to see them take out a tight game. They were a lot more patient with their offence this week and attacked the basket more. Their D was good once again and their rebounding work was solid though I reiterate the point they really need a big player who can clean the boards big time (their best rebounder is a 5'11" wing!). I'll repeat another comment I made last week - PLAY THE POINT GUARDS. Furthermore, give them more freedom to be aggressive. Lindsay and Wilson look tentative whenever they're on. They're both excellent penetrators and should be used as such.
Belinda Snell showed once again why she is the glue for the Flames. She did everything again and while not having a hot shooting game, she was more aggressive in driving and posting up and was thusly rewarded (7/8 FTs). Michelle Musselwhite had a good game this week though she should just give up the jumpshots and stick to driving.
Couple of notes:
* This was Briana Hennessy's 100th WNBL game. She got some sort of plaque in a pre-game ceremony.
* Eva Afeaki elicited a few loud cheers from the crowd when announced in introductions. Relatives and friends? Eva is a Sydney girl.
* Secret to the AIS coaching staff's success - expressive hand and arm movements? Phil and his assistants use these to great effect especially when explaining to the players how not to foul. It is always fun to watch Phil during timeouts.
* The ref evaluator in front of me looked like she was busy for most of the game. Rightly so - there were some dubious calls both way though the AIS did deserve their higher foul count.
* If a player "injures" herself when throwing in an inbound pass and the resulting pass goes out - is that a turnover? Musselwhite appeared to injure an ankle when throwing in an inbounds pass after an AIS basket. The ball rolled out but the ref had blown the whistle and insisted on a re-take which got Phil riled up for the next minute or so while Muss recovered (Muss did throw the ball out so it would've been an AIS ball under normal circumstances) . Luckily, she got up and continued to play and despite Phil's protestations, it was a Flames ball.
Townsville inflicts Adelaide's first home loss of the season and takes out the Doomsday Double. Brassard led Townsville with 24 points in 23 minutes while Jodie Datson had 12 points and 11 rebounds. Deanna Smith led Adelaide with 20 points. Townsville look to be in form at the right time of the season and have five out of their last seven at home. It's a case of deja vu for Adelaide who are slumping once again (like they did last season) and they may be the team Townsville replaces in the finals.
Player of the week: Canadian Claudia Brassard led Townsville to a vital 2-0 road weekend. She had two excellent offensive games while Porter and Stevens continues to struggle from the field.
Comments
Just like to note my disgust at you pointing out Abrams turnovers against Dandenong. You obviously failed to note that she also had 5 rebounds in 15 minutes and that Veal ended up with 6 turnovers for the game. Don't be so sinical.
Posted by: Capsfan | Tuesday 23 December 2003
It's not my job to report every little stat - there is a link to a boxscore.
Posted by: Insane Platypus | Wednesday 24 December 2003