Townsville Crocodiles http://www.nbl.com.au/ Latest news from the Townsville Crocodiles en Townsville Crocodiles http://www.nbl.com.au/typo3conf/ext/tt_news/ext_icon.gif http://www.nbl.com.au/ 18 16 Latest news from the Townsville Crocodiles TYPO3 - get.content.right http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:35:00 +1100 Crocs vs. 36ers, by the numbers http://www.nbl.com.au/crocodiles-home/news/article///crocs-vs-36ers-by-the-numbers/ Just over ten days since they last visited ‘The Swamp, the Adelaide 36ers are back in town this... Just over ten days since they last visited ‘The Swamp, the Adelaide 36ers are back in town this Sunday to again take on the Townsville McDonald’s Crocodiles.
The Crocs ran away comfortable79-69 winners in their first clash of the season in late January and they will be hopeful of a similar result this Sunday night. 
3 - After not playing Adelaide at all over the first 17 rounds of the season, the Crocs take on their South Australian rivals three times between the 25th of January and the 5th of February.
4 - The Crocs clash with Adelaide on Sunday night will be the Crocs fourth game in 11 days, ending their toughest run of games for the 2011/12 iinet NBL Championship. The Crocs will enjoy a whole week off before again takign on the ‘Sixers, this time at Adelaide Arena. 
5 – The number of Townsville players who recorded double figures in points in the Crocs most recent encounter with Adelaide. Luke Schenscher, Eddie Gill, Peter Crawford, Michael Cedar and Jacob Holmes all hit double figures in their superb 79-69 team effort.
16.4 - Adelaide’s standout performer this season has undoutbedley been young Australian talent, Daniel Johnson, who is avergaing 16.4 point sper game. DJ is fourth in the leaue for scoring and went off for 21 points and 16 rebounds in his lats game against the Crocs.
53 - Townsville and Adelaide have faced off 53 times in the NBL with the 36ers holding a 31-22 lead in their all-time overall series. At home the Crocs lead the 36ers 13-12 overall and will be hopeful of adding another victory to this tally on Sunday. 
2,891 - That’s how many days it has been since the Adelaide 36ers have beaten the Crocs in the NBL. Their 10-game losing streak stretches way back to the 5th of December in 2003, over 425 weeks ago. 
The Crocs next game is against the Adelaide 36ers, tipping off at 6:30pm this Sunday 5 February at ‘The Swamp’. 
Tickets are now on sale for the clash at the Entertainment Centre, call 4771 4000 weekdays 9am - 4:30pm or anytime online at www.tecc.net.au
]]> Crocodiles Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:35:00 +1100 R18 Report: Taipans win thrilling Reptile Rumble http://www.nbl.com.au/crocodiles-home/news/article///r18-report-taipans-win-thrilling-reptile-rumble-2/ Jamar Wilson produced a stunning final quarter to carry Cairns past Townsville. BOXSCORE

The Taipans escaped with an 85-81 home Reptile Rumble win over the Townsville Crocodiles after trailing by as many as eight points in the final term.

The Crocs went hunting in the final term but the Snakes held firm in defence, renowned closer Jamar Wilson (18 points) then guiding Cairns home.

Chris Cedar dropped back-to-back threes to give the Crocs a 70-62 lead with six minutes remaining, but after an Aaron Fearne timeout Alex Loughton (15 points) and Drew Warren (25 points) did the same to bring it level.

Wilson, who has scrambled so well at the death this season for the Snakes, sealed it from there.

Both teams shot at around 50 per cent from the field and must have wondered why scoring seemed so difficult last weekend.

A whirlwind opening from Warren (5-of-10 from long range) gave the Snakes a 12-point lead in the second quarter.

But benchman Todd Blanchfield gave the visitors a huge boost with his three-pointer from the flank on the stroke of half-time.

The Taipans looked like jumping away in the third when Brad Hill latched on to a Jamar Wilson pass for an alley-oop, but they squandered plays at crucial moments to kill their momentum.

That allowed the Crocs to fight their way back into the game with a nine-point run to suddenly grab a 57-55 lead late in the third quarter.

Ian Crosswhite made the bucket and drew the foul to get it straight back for the Snakes and they held on for a 60-59 advantage to start the final quarter.

Cairns Taipans 85 (Warren 24, Wilson 18, Loughton 16)
Townsville Crocodiles 81 (Gill 17, Schenscher 16, Blanchfield 13)

Crowd: 4835 at the Cairns Convention Centre]]> Match Reports Crocodiles Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:27:00 +1100 Crocs vs. Taipans, by the numbers http://www.nbl.com.au/crocodiles-home/news/article///crocs-vs-taipans-by-the-numbers/ With their season series tied up at one apiece, tonight’s ‘Reptile Rumble’ between the Townsville... www.nbl.com.au or follow the Crocs on Facebook at www.facebook/GoCrocNation The Crocs next home game is against the Adelaide 36ers, tipping off at 6:30pm this Sunday 5 February at ‘The Swamp’. Tickets are now on sale for the clash at the Entertainment Centre, call 4771 4000 weekdays 9am - 4:30pm or anytime online at www.tecc.net.au  ]]> Crocodiles Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:51:00 +1100 Gill primed for point guard battle http://www.nbl.com.au/crocodiles-home/news/article///gill-primed-for-point-guard-battle/ After a horror night out during last week’s massive loss in Perth, Townsville McDonald’s Crocodiles... www.tecc.net.au ]]> Crocodiles Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:48:00 +1100 Crocs vs. Taipans key match-ups http://www.nbl.com.au/crocodiles-home/news/article///crocs-vs-taipans-key-match-ups/ As the Townsville McDonald’s Crocodiles’ prepare for Friday’s all-important ‘Reptile Rumble’ in... www.tecc.net.au ]]> Crocodiles Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:45:00 +1100 R18 Preview: Cairns Taipans v Townsville Crocodiles http://www.nbl.com.au/crocodiles-home/news/article///r18-preview-cairns-taipans-v-townsville-crocodiles-2/ With both teams coming off hidings, the stakes are particularly high for this "Reptile Rumble". Tip-off: Friday, February 3, 7.30pm (local), Cairns Convention Centre

Radio: NBL Radio

Last time they met: Townsville 95 (Gill 21, Crawford 15, Holmes 14) d Cairns 67 (Warren 16, Wilson 11, Hill 10), Round 2, 2011/12, Townsville Entertainment Centre

Baked Snakes
Cairns were completely out-hustled by Gold Coast last week, something rarely seen in Aaron Fearne’s time as Taipans coach.

The Blaze beat up on the Taipans’ ball-handlers and turned a usually composed team into a rudderless ship.

Just as importantly, guard Adam Gibson led a relentless attack on Cairns’ respected transition defence, opening up numerous scoring opportunities and never letting the Taipans set the tempo.

While Cairns might normally have an advantage the following week, using their poor performance as motivation, their north Queensland rivals are bouncing back from the very same thing.

Rocked Crocs
“It was a very physical game and we just didn’t play very well,” was swingman Peter Crawford’s summation of their capitulation in Perth.

“Everyone’s grumpy, no one’s happy about it.”

The Wildcats dished up the same meal as Gold Coast, turning the game into a fast and physical affair where depth and individual talent had a greater bearing.

Crawford was honest when assessing how the game got out of hand so quickly after an even first quarter.

“Shawn (Redhage) hit a tough three on the buzzer, and momentum is a funny thing,” he said.

“They beat us convincingly twice in the season and twice in the pre-season and they are probably feeling pretty good against us, and we might have had that in the back of our minds too.

"You put those together and a couple of calls going for them and all of a sudden it’s a blowout.”

Harden up
The Crocs severely lacked mental and physical toughness on the night, and Crawford said the game was a much-needed wake-up call.

“I think it’s really motivated the group to … be more physical with each other at training and really up our intensity.

“The Wildcats and the Breakers are top of the table now,” he added.

“We’ve got to make sure we take care of our week-to-week stuff to get up to their level.”

There is no time for reflection, however, with Cairns another imposing defensive team – albeit with a slower modus operandi – who can move alongside the Crocs with a win on Friday.

“Cairns really grind it out defensively, so it’s tough to get good looks against them as well,” Crawford said.

“That’s the good thing about the NBL, it’s a different style every week, but the group’s been good at adjusting to the different styles we have to play.”

The wrap
Townsville have lost their past five games in Cairns, and memories of last year’s semi-final series are still fresh for Crawford and the other remaining squad members.

Centre Luke Schenscher is a key component of the Crocs’ offence, sucking defenders into the key and creating open looks for shooters like Crawford, Michael Cedar, Jacob Holmes and Todd Blanchfield.

Perth sent some physical double teams but mostly backed Luke Nevill to defend him without help. Expect Cairns to have similar faith in Ian Crosswhite, hoping he can negate Big Luke’s influence and force the Crocs into one-on-one play.

Taipans point guard Jamar Wilson will then have the crucial job of keeping counterpart Eddie Gill out of the lane where he regularly creates open shots.

Gill will also need to replicate Gibson’s aggressive work in transition. Few teams win halfcourt battles in Cairns, who use the deafening crowd and disciplined defence to keep teams out of their normal flow.

A veteran of many “Reptile Rumbles”, Crawford expects this to be a war, noting that this close to the playoffs “the importance of every game is massive” whether a local derby or not.

Prediction: Taipans by 5

]]> Previews Crocodiles Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:56:00 +1100 Crocs desperate to bounce back in Northern Derby http://www.nbl.com.au/crocodiles-home/news/article///crocs-desperate-to-bounce-back-in-northern-derby/ After breaking record for all the wrong reasons over the weekend both the Townsville McDonald’s... Crocodiles Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:48:00 +1100 Massive weekend ahead for Crocs http://www.nbl.com.au/crocodiles-home/news/article///massive-weekend-ahead-for-crocs/ The Townsville McDonald’s Crocodiles will look to erase the memories of Saturday’s embarrassing... Crocodiles Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:23:00 +1100 R17 Report: Wildcats smother Crocs in The Jungle http://www.nbl.com.au/crocodiles-home/news/article///r17-report-wildcats-smother-crocs-in-the-jungle-1/ Shawn Redhage led another balanced and dominant home performance from Perth. BOXSCORE

The Perth Wildcats set up a tantalising top-of-the-table clash with New Zealand by beating the third-placed Townsville Crocodiles 87-55 at Challenge Stadium on Saturday night.

The Wildcats went a long way to securing the victory with an 11-0 run over the last five minutes of the second quarter, before two Drew Williamson triples and some Peter Crawford ill-discipline had the Cats up by 24 in the third term.

The home team then scored the first 14 points of the last period to lead by 37 with just under five minutes to go and cruised to the 32-point win.

The Cats set up the win thanks to some trademark full-court defensive pressure, forcing the Crocs into 12 turnovers in the first half and another eight in the second.

Townsville have not won in Perth since the famous semi-final victory in February 2009, and the loss keeps them locked in a battle to remain in the top four.

It was even contribution from the Cats with Shawn Redhage scoring 16, Kevin Lisch 15, Jesse Wagstaff 13, Luke Nevill 11, and Damian Martin limiting the influence of Crocs point guard Eddie Gill.

Nevill clearly took the points in his match-up with Crocs giant Luke Schenscher.

Jacob Holmes top-scored for the Crocs with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Crawford had a tough night but scored 11 and Elvin Mims added 10 in a night to forget for Townsville.

The Wildcats won their sixth straight game for the first time in Rob Beveridge's time as coach, and now play New Zealand on Thursday in a game with huge bearing on who will take first place and home-court advantage in the playoffs.

Perth Wildcats 87 (Redhage 16, Lisch 15, Wagstaff 13)
Townsville Crocodiles 55 (Holmes 14, Crawford 11, Mims 10)

Crowd: About 4000 at Challenge Stadium, Perth]]> Match Reports Crocodiles Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:24:00 +1100 Crocs roll to fourth consecutive victory http://www.nbl.com.au/crocodiles-home/news/article///crocs-roll-to-fourth-consecutive-victory/ The Townsville McDonald’s Crocodiles have stretched their winning streak to a season high four... www.tecc.net.au]]> Crocodiles Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:41:00 +1100