This Sunday, 3rd September, the Wolves were in action in Round 1 of WABL Finals.
Our U12 Champs Boys were in action against Willetton. A slow start plagued as we trailed from the outset and closed the first quarter trailing by 7. Griff Gardiner had 20 points in mounting a comeback charge with his teammates. Ultimately, we fell 64-65 and look forward to the semi-finals against Warwick. Our U12-2 Boys were successful in their game against Suns 1s. We outscored our opponent 42-24 in the 2nd half on our way to 61-53 victory. Lewis Brown had 13 points and Josh Epple and Kobi Bunt had 12 and 10 points, respectively. Our U12-3 boys fought valiantly but lost 39-49 to Rockingham. We got good shots, but they just wouldn’t go down in the 2nd half. It ends what was a great first WABL season for many of these players. Our U12-4 Boys opened their finals run with a matchup against Rockingham 2s. Cruz Carlson led all scorers with 15 as the Wolves came out on top 53-47. Eastern Suns Blue now stand in the way of a Grand Finals appearance for our U12-4 Boys.
Our U12 Champs Girls matched up with the Lakeside Lightning. We fought hard but lost 30-46 in the end. Coach Mark Loxley was surely disappointed in the result, but the team and coaching staff should be pleased with their progress and development over the course of the season. The U12-2 Girls Green were outscored by 9 through 3 quarters of action before they went on their 4th quarter run. Unfortunately, we were unable to convert enough plays in the end and came up short, 32-39. Nala Priddis led all scorers with 15. The U12-4 Girls took a 3-point halftime lead against the Slammers 2s. After an even 3rd quarter, the Wolves continued to scrap and claw towards victory however we fell 1 point short 32-33. A tremendous season in Div 3 comes to an end for a team that showed great unity throughout the season.
Our U14-3 Boys advance with a decisive victory over the Flames, 58-37. Ashton Naylor, Taj Peroomal, and Tyler Simon each scored in double figures, and Zachary Heppard had 9 points. We will match up against Eagles next week in what is sure to be a great game. Our U14-4 Boys put themselves in position to advance with a strong 4th quarter charge. A hectic final minute of the game saw good shots go begging and numerous offensive rebounds, but we fell 52-55 on the final buzzer. Dylan Thomson and Sandile Magaisa finished with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
The U14 Champs Girls established a 10-point lead at halftime and held off quite the charge from their opponent, Rockingham Flames. Beth Georgiu, Jade Timoko, and Harper Norris each scored in double figures to help their team advance to face Perry Lakes Hawks in the Semi-Finals. The U14-2 Girls battled adversity and a difficulty opponent in Suns 1s. We were able to build an 11-point lead at halftime and saw that lead cut to just 2 heading towards the 4th quarter. Zoe French was huge throughout with 17 points. Amelie Barrett and Penny Tatam really put the game out of reach with impressive shots in the 4th quarter, each finishing with 10 points.
The U16 Champs Boys led throughout their game with Willetton. Unfortunately, the Tigers made their free throws and timely 3s to take the lead in the final minute of the game. The Warwick Senators await is what is undoubtedly a rivalry game, with the winners advancing to the Grand Finals. The U16-3 Boys came out on top of the Hawks with a 30-14 2nd quarter that proved to be decisive. Rhys Weir came alive with 24 points including 2 triples. Chase Peroomal scored all 18 of his points on 6 3s made as the Wolfpack won 86-74. Zak Ryan and Ollie Fisher were terrors on the glass and helped swing the game in our favour. The U16-4 Boys took down Perry Lakes 2s to earn a semi-finals matchup with the Willetton Tigers. Kai Starr and Hudson Rampling scored 28 and 24, respectively.
The U16-2 Girls were able to hold off Willetton 52-59. Agook Chol was huge with 12 points and grabbed critical rebounds. Rosie Wheeler scored 17 to lead the Wolfpack. Luca Kuhn and Jemma Crock scored 8 and 7 respectively. The U16 Green and White teams each won their games to setup an all-Wolfpack semifinal. U16 Green went up 62-42. U16 White took a 7-point deficit through 3 quarters and turned that into a 6-point victory when it mattered most. It should be quite the game 8am at Cockburn!
The U18 Champs Men had their hands full with the East Perth Eagles. Stephan du Toit had 7 3s on his way to 27 points to break the Eagles’ zone. Seb Hewitt and Max Bennett were physical forces on both ends. It was an incredible performance by this team that lands them with a chance to take down the Hawkies on their home floor at 3pm. The U18-3 Green team advanced in similar fashion with James Dalton erupting for 25 points including 6 triples. Kayne Ferguson and Tyler Jarvis provided a bit of hustle and inside scoring the put the Wolves up 73-66.
The U18 Champs Women dispatched the Slammers 69-53. We were able to jump out to a 21-10 lead and never looked back. Grace Gardiner led all scorers with 17 points including 2 triples. We advance to play the Hawkies on their home floor at 7pm. The U18-2 Women took a loss to the Tigers but still advance to play the Eagles this Sunday. Jorja Montgomerie had 15 points to lead the Wolfpack. The U18-3 Green team lost 50-66 to Hawks Blue. Ava Tomazin and Jorja Herman had 11 points apiece. With the result, the team advance to play Hawks White.
The U20 Men took a pair of difficult losses to Suns. The U20-2 Men lost 75-81 despite 5 players in double figures. Harrison McGuinness had 3 triples joined by Jamon Yam, Ewan Butler, Xavier Mills who each 2 3s made. The U20 Champs Men lost a hard-fought game against their Suns opponent. Jack Kingswood poured in 44 for the Wolfpack. The game was undone as 3 of the 6 Wolves players were disqualified for reaching the foul limit in the 4th quarter.
We are incredibly proud to have 17 teams qualify for Semi-finals and wish them the best of luck this weekend!
Here is a table of your Wolfpack teams in action at Bendat and Wally Hagan on Sunday 10th September.