National Basketball League

R18 Report: Blaze put the heat on the Hawks

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:23:00 +1100

BOXSCORE

Mark Worthington led the Gold Coast Blaze to a 91-50 annihilation of the Wollongong Hawks in Saturday night's spiteful encounter on the Gold Coast.

The Australian Boomer was bruising in defence and lethal in attack, finishing with 25 points, five rebounds and two steals with strong support from Adris Deleon and Adam Gibson (both 13 points).

Only new recruit Ayinde Ubaka (12 points) managed double figures for Wollongong as they struggled to find a way through the jamming Gold Coast defence.

Worthington found himself receiving verbal and physical attention from the Hawks, who became frustrated by the physicality and lop-sided scoreline.

Veteran Hawks coach Gordie McLeod received a rare technical foul for questioning referee Scott Beker, and said after the game the Blaze have "stepped it up a lot of notches" since the teams' last meeting.

"That was like going through a tsunami,'' a stunned McLeod said.

"They manhandled us. There was no way we were going to be able to run and execute the way they were defending.''

The brutish defence is a style that Worthington relishes.

"It works,'' he said. "It's doing a lot more for us as a team than what our other style was.''

But he declared the Blaze were far from the finished product yet.

"The last two weeks have just been a glimpse at what we do (but) we still have our breakdowns and we're not happy about it,'' he said.

"If we were peaking right now then I would be worried. We've got the top two in our sites, they're the benchmark.''

The Blaze ambushed the Hawks early with its rugged defence, knocking the visitors out of their offensive rhythm and leaping to a 17-7 lead.

The injection of Ubaka made some headway against the Gold Coast defence, the guard scoring eight points including a late triple to keep the Hawks within range, 26-17 down after 10 minutes.

Deleon found his range early in the second term, his two long-range jumpshots pushing the lead out to 13 before the technical foul on McLeod increased the advantage to 17.

"We were looking for referees to bail us out and that didn't happen,'' McLeod said.

"Any tech foul doesn't help, but there was a frustration there."

Wollongong launched a mini-fightback with three consecutive baskets late in the term, but they were unable to build any pressure against the impregnable Gold Coast defence, going to the main break trailing 47-29.

Tempers threatened to boil over in the third quarter as Worthington and Larry Davidson came together before Glen Saville and Anthony Petrie exchanged pleasantries.

The dam wall then cracked wide open as the Gold Coast ran roughshod over the visitors to record its fourth consecutive win.

Gold Coast Blaze 91 (Worthington 25, Deleon 13, Gibson 13)
Wollongong Hawks 50 (Ubaka 12)

Crowd: 3122 at Gold Coast Convention Centre

R18 Report: Wilson, Taipans win thrilling Reptile Rumble

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:27:00 +1100

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 on Friday.

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.

Crocs coach Paul Woolpert had nothing but praise for the Snakes.

"We were up 70-62 and then let them score 23 points in the last six minutes and change. You can't do that, but you've got to give them credit, they made some tough threes and three-point plays," he said.

"Warren hit some contested threes that were really tough shots."

Taipans coach Aaron Fearne was relieved his team responded well after a record-low score of 49 against Gold Coast.

"It was a big one after last week's hiding, the group's under a bit of pressure after a loss like that," he said.

After 21 turnovers last week the Taipans gave up just seven against the Crocs and managed 21 assists to be vastly improved in offence.

Fearne praised Warren's effort in particular.

"He was fantastic, got us going and got the crowd involved early," the coach said.

"I was saying to the coaching staff before the game he was probably due for a game like that at home and it was his ma's last game to see him play here and I'm sure she's pretty happy with it."

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 (8 assists, 7 rebounds) 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

R18 Report: Tigers climb past fast-starting Sixers

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:31:00 +1100

BOXSCORE

The Melbourne Tigers ended a six-game losing streak and recorded their first win of 2012, beating a struggling Adelaide 36ers 87-81 at The Cage on Friday night.

Cam Tragardh (20 points) and Liam Rush (18) led the scoring for a Melbourne team that took until the second half to play their best basketball.

The Tigers missed a halfcourt alley-oop three seconds into the game to highlight their recent struggles, Adelaide and their animated bench capitalising by jumping to a 10-0 lead.

Marty Clarke was pleased with the start but recognised his team’s desperation for wins.

“The way they came out, united as a team and playing hard, it was a credit to them. But you don’t get credit in the win-loss column, and that’s what we need right now. We need a win.

“It wasn’t a clean game, the ball being raked out of hands, and I think it was because there was a lot of desire out there.”

Bearded import Chris Warren led the way for the 36ers with 18 first-half points on his way to a superb 31-point, 4-assist, 3-steal outing.

Fellow import Diamon Simpson (17 points, 9 rebounds), centre Daniel Johnson (13 and 11) and Stephen Weigh (12 points) provided the best support.

Scoring dwindled after the 36ers' quick start, Adelaide turning to a zone and the Tigers using their fullcourt press to get easy baskets.

Myron Allen (12 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds) did his best to involve his teammates after picking up a couple early fouls, but the Tigers’ lack of movement against the zone trapped them on the perimeter and starved Tragardh of opportunities.

The Tigers upped their energy in the third with Adelaide switching back to man-to-man and Ron Dorsey (12 points) finding lanes to the basket.

The Tigers took their first lead with two minutes to go in the period, feeding efficiently off Matt Burston (8 points) in the middle pick-and-roll.

The 36ers shrugged off the awakened Cage crowd to level the scores at 61-61 at the final break thanks to a Weigh triple.

But it was Melbourne's crafty new point guard Allen, 12 fourth-quarter Tragardh points and a coast-to-coast Daniel Dillon basket that brought relief to the Tigers’ faithful.

Dillon, who stole the momentum late in the fourth with a huge run-down steal and assist, credited Tigers’ captain Tommy Greer for the turnaround. “Tommy did a great job of leading us on defence, and when he plays like that it ripples down to the rest of the guys in the backcourt, everyone getting in the lanes.”

Jubilant Tigers coach Trevor Gleeson heralded his team for finding old form.

“We haven’t played that way in six weeks, just the intensity and the intent and the teamwork. We haven’t had that effort in a long time.

“That’s the first time we’ve won the rebound count in two months, there’s some good signs there, but now it’s up to us to do it consistently.”

Melbourne Tigers 87 (Tragardh 20, Rush 18, Allen 12)
Adelaide 36ers 81 (Warren 31, Simpson 17, Johnson 13)

Crowd: 3,126 at State Netball and Hockey Centre, Melbourne

Melbourne Tigers appoint new CEO

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:05:00 +1100

The Melbourne Tigers Basketball Club is pleased to announce Dodo Director, and long-time Tigers Board Member - Michael Slepoy, has been appointed CEO of the club replacing Seamus McPeake.

In his first public statement as CEO, Slepoy wanted to pay tribute to his predecessor.

“I know I speak on behalf of the entire club when I say I am very grateful to Mr McPeake for the enormous amount of hard work he has done as the CEO of the Melbourne Tigers. Within this club there is a great level of respect and admiration for his contribution over the past decade”, he said.

Slepoy brings a wealth of operational and marketing expertise, as well as experience from the Dodo business, and is looking forward to getting started in his new role.

“I am excited to be able to contribute to and further the professional image of this great club. I want the club to be known as the most professional basketball organisation and continue the great Tigers legacy of family values and success. I am looking forward to working with our valued members and providing enhanced value to our corporate partners”, Slepoy added.

In additional news, fellow Dodo Director and Tigers Board Member, Larry Kestelman, has been endorsed to take on the role of Chairman of the Board, with the change to be ratified at a scheduled board meeting early next week.

"Angry" archrivals square off

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:38:00 +1100

Two of the National Basketball League’s bitterest rivals will square off tonight when the Cairns Taipans host the Townsville Crocodiles at the Cairns Convention Centre in Round 18 of the iiNet NBL Championship.

The NBL’s two Far North Queensland clubs have a long history of fierce battles but tonight’s game promises to be one of the most intense ever. Both sides will have something to prove after they each suffered embarrassing losses in Round 17.

The Crocs will also be looking for some added payback for their defeat at the hands of the Taipans in last season’s Semi-Finals series.

Crocs forward Jacob Holmes told the Townsville Bulletin he and his teammates will have no problem getting up for their clash with the Snakes.

"We've got energy to burn at the moment - we've got that negative energy, the anxious energy of wanting to do well and perform against a team that we're 1-1 (win-loss) against and are our arch rivals," Holmes told the Townsville Bulletin.

"So I don't think energy is going to be an issue, it's about making sure it's controlled (and) in the right direction.

"And we have to ensure it's us - there's no point hoping it's us - we have to make sure it is us."

The Crocs’ injured captain, Russell Hinder, said the club would use their 32-point blow-out loss to Perth last round as added motivation against the Taipans.

"We can use this as a useful tool, we can utilise this to our advantage," Hinder told the Townsville Bulletin.

"We can go one of two ways; we can fall in a hole, feel sorry for ourselves and act like little four-year-old girls or we can take it as the lesson that it was and see where we have to get to if we want to be great.”

Cairns head coach Aaron Fearne is all too aware that his side can’t dwell on their own 27-point loss to Gold Coast last round if they are to beat Townsville.

“We don’t have much time to worry about (the Gold Coast loss) it, because we’ve got Townsville on Friday,’’ Fearne said to The Cairns Post earlier in the week. ‘‘They got towelled up as well so it’ll be two pretty angry teams going at it."

The Crocs-Taipans clash tips-off at 7:30PM local Cairns time tonight.

Townville Crocodiles (10-7, 3^rd) @ Cairns Taipans (10-9, 5^th)

Friday 3 February - Cairns Convention Centre - 7:30 PM

Radio: NBL Radio from 7:15 PM click here

Live Stats: Click here

Tickets: Click here

R18 Report: Breakers overwhelm Wildcats in clash of the giants

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:05:00 +1100

BOXSCORE

The New Zealand Breakers fended off the visiting Perth Wildcats 83-77 at the North Shore Events Centre on Thursday, in a battle befitting the two best teams in the iiNet NBL Championship.

In front of their fifth-straight sell-out crowd, the Breakers secured their fifth-straight victory by scoring 17 unanswered points in the third quarter to take control of the contest.

American Kevin Lisch led all scorers with 20 points for Perth, but compatriot Gary Wilkinson had 18 and Cedric Jackson a 15-point, 10-assist double for the Breakers.

Tom Abercrombie, Jackson and Alex Pledger ignited a 15-2 run that swept New Zealand into a double-figure lead midway through the opening period, taking a 31-24 quarter-time lead on 75 per cent shooting from the field and eight assists.

Perth roared past the Breakers early in the second thanks to six straight points from giant Luke Nevill, and only a pair of threes from CJ Bruton (14 points, 4/5 three-pointers) kept the home team within two points at half-time.

Lisch scored 14 points for the half and his team doubled the Breakers' rebound count and outscored them 8-0 in second-chance points.

The Breakers lifted after the break, luring their opponents into early foul trouble and overwhelming them on the scoreboard. By the time Perth ended their 7min 39sec drought they were in a double-figure hole and 66-54 in arrears entering the home stretch.

The Wildcats raise their intensity for one last rally, but a Bruton trey with just under five minutes remaining provided the final nail in their coffin.

“I think it was a tremendous battle,” Perth coach Rob Beveridge said. “They broke away a bit in the third quarter, but the way we fought back was what good teams do.

“It could have blown out to 20 points easily, but the way our guys kept getting after it was pretty special tonight. We didn’t knock down open shots – that was probably the biggest difference.”

New Zealand converted 47 per cent from the field and 10-of-22 from the arc.

While Perth triumphed in the possession stakes, Mika Vukona’s strong 11-point, 10-rebound performance closed the gap in the second half.

“I challenged our guys at halftime to keep them to one shot,” said Breakers coach Andrej Lemanis.

“That was a big part of us being able to establish a big lead in the third quarter. When you throw down a challenge like that, Mika is one who’s likely to respond and that’s inspiring to the rest of the group.”

New Zealand Breakers 83 (Wilkinson 18, Jackson 15, Bruton 14, Abercrombie 12, Vukona 11)
Perth Wildcats 77 (Lisch 20, Redhage 15, Nevill 14)

Crowd: 4000 (sell-out) at North Shore Events Centre, Auckland

It Goes Off - Episode 17

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:02:00 +1100

Grantley and Andrew are back for a chat about all the things NBL. Also Mark Worthington has a short message for the boys - particularly Grantley... Talking Points - Gold Coast wins three in a row, the silence is over - Perth Wildcats and NZ Breakers - Resurgence of the Hawks - Hot and Not - 24 Second Challenge competitor - Benny Lewis, Melbourne Tigers.

Sell-out for 'Cats-Breakers

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +1100

The two top teams in the National Basketball League will square off in Auckland tonight when reigning NBL Champions the New Zealand Breakers host current ladder-leaders the Perth Wildcats before a sell-out crowd at North Shore Events Centre to tip-off the action in Round 18 of the iiNet NBL Championship.

All tickets for the big clash have already been snapped up, with the Breakers putting up the ‘Full House’ sign for the fifth consecutive game.

Top spot on the iiNet NBL Championship ladder will be on the line, as New Zealand and Perth have identical 14-5 records, with the Wildcats holding on to the number one ranking on points–percentage alone from the second-seeded Breakers.

Both sides will enter the match in good form as well, with Perth on a six-game win streak and the Breakers having won their past four in a row.

New Zealand have something extra to prove in this one, having been soundly beaten in Perth by the Wildcats earlier in the season. Veteran Breakers guard CJ Bruton, who missed that clash due to injury, says that loss will motivate the Wildcats tonight.

"When someone slaps you upside the head and you feel like you weren't ready for it, you really want to prepare yourself so that your guard is ready this time," Bruton told The West Australian.

"Obviously we had some guys having their first time over there getting their feet wet, but as a group you expect to go over there and play well, which we weren't able to do on their floor.

"Being at home (tomorrow), Perth's got the best road record and (it is important) for us to be solid and being a winning team at home.

"Especially kicking off the new year in the right fashion, we really need to set the tone."

Bruton made it clear he is expecting a physical clash with Perth.

"It definitely will be physical. It's something that they pride themselves on," Bruton said.

"They get up and down the floor and like to get into you. They're very aggressive to the basket, everyone has a licence to shoot the ball.

"They play recklessly, but with a passion and love for the game.

Perth’s Brad Robbins agreed with Bruton’s assessment, with Robbins telling the West Australian the recent history of physical clashes between the clubs was likely to be continued tonight.

“Both teams are very physical and it's always going to happen," he said.

"I don't think there's any particular animosity and we're certainly not revving it up as if it's going to be this great big WWF hit-out, but it's just the way we both play and it's inevitable."

Breakers hard man Mika Vukona said the Round 12 loss to Perth needed to be atoned for.

"I don't know whether we owe them one, but we owe ourselves one,” Vukona told Fairfax NZ. “We let ourselves down. We thought we'd prepared well, but to play so badly was a disappointment."

Vukona made it clear the mind games had well and truly started ahead of tonight’s bout, as he questioned Perth’s ability to take their own medicine.

“They're a team that doesn't really deal well with pressure,” he said. “Taking them on at their own game is something we'll try and do."

The Breakers-Wildcats match starts at 7:30PM local Auckland time tonight.

Perth Wildcats (14-5, 1^st) @ New Zealand Breakers (14-5, 2^nd)

Thursday 2 February - North Shore Events Centre - 7:30 PM

TV: Broadcast LIVE on Sky Sport (check local guides)

Live Stats: Click here

Tickets: SOLD-OUT

By the Numbers - Round 18

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:14:00 +1100

Perth Wildcats (14-5, 1^st) @ New Zealand Breakers (14-5, 2^nd)

Thursday 2 February - North Shore Events Centre - 7:30 PM

TV: Broadcast LIVE on Sky Sport (check local guides)

Live Stats: Click here

Tickets: Click here

In a top-of-the-table clash, the Perth Wildcats will travel to Auckland to face the New Zealand Breakers on Thursday night. Both teams have identical records, although Perth are holding on to top-spot on the ladder courtesy of their superior points–percentage. Both teams are currently four-wins clear of their nearest rivals, so whoever wins this match will sit atop the ladder at the end of Round 18.

Both sides are currently on winning streaks, with the Wildcats having won their past six straight games and the Breakers four in a row. This game is especially critical for New Zealand if they have hopes of winning the minor premiership. Perth beat New Zealand at Challenge Stadium in Round 12, 86-62, and hold a 1-0 lead in their three-game season series. Were New Zealand to drop this one at home, the Wildcats would clinch the series and the tie-breaker should the two teams finish on identical win-loss records at season’s end.

The 62 points the Breakers scored against Perth back in December in their first meeting for the 2011/12 campaign was the lowest score the Breakers have ever made against Perth. Their previous low was 72 points on 8 January 2010. It was also their second lowest score of the season, ahead of only the 57 points the Breakers scored against Cairns on New Year’s Eve.

In their first meeting this season it was super-sub Jesse Wagstaff who did the damage for Perth with 26 points, while Kevin Lisch added 18. Cedric Jackson top-scored for New Zealand with 15 points and Thomas Abercrombie had 14. Perth kept the Breakers to what remains their season-low of 30 rebounds for the game. The Perth guards also clearly upset the Breakers perimeter game as New Zealand shot just 3-of-22 on three-pointers (also a season low).

This clash also sees the league’s best home team against the club with the best road record. Perth are an NBL-best 7-3 on the road while the Breakers have lost just once from nine home games this season, also an NBL-best record.

In 28 previous meetings between these clubs, the Wildcats have won on 16 occasions and the Breakers 12. Of the 15 of those games played in Auckland however, the Breakers are 10-5 over the Wildcats.

The last time the Breakers hosted Perth at the North Shore Events Centre was on 13 April last year. That was for the deciding Game Three of their Semi-Final series when the Breakers beat Perth by 16 points to advance to the Grand Final series where they would ultimately capture their first NBL title.

Adelaide 36ers (5-13, 8^th) @ Melbourne Tigers (9-12, 6^th)

Friday 3 February - State Netball Hockey Centre - 7:30 PM

TV: Broadcast on ONE from 10:30 PM (check local guides)

Live Stats: Click here

Tickets: Click here

Either the Adelaide 36ers or the Melbourne Tigers will end their current losing streaks when the two sides meet at The Cage on Friday night. Adelaide have lost four in a row and the Tigers are on a six-game losing streak. If Melbourne were to lose this game, it would surpass the six-game losing streak the Tigers experienced at the start of last season that ruined their campaign (although that streak technically was actually 10 games long as it started in the last four games of the 2009/10 season).

Whilst normally playing on the road is a worry for NBL teams, the Sixers may not be so unhappy to travel to Melbourne. Adelaide have a better road record than they do at home this season (2-7 at home, 3-6 on the road). Melbourne are 6-4 at home this season but have dropped their last two matches at The Cage (to Gold Coast and New Zealand).

This will be the second time Melbourne and Adelaide have squared off in 2011/12. In their opening clash in Round Seven, Stephen Weigh had 24 points and seven rebounds for the Sixers and Diamon Simpson added 18 points and 12 boards to guide Adelaide to a 95-89 win at home. Since departed guard Patty Mills was Melbourne’s best with 32 points and Cameron Tragardh added 18.

The Tigers and Sixers have played each other 78 times previously, with Melbourne winning 44 games to Adelaide’s 34. In games played in Melbourne, the Tigers lead Adelaide 26-13, including winning their past three straight match-ups at The Cage. Adelaide haven’t won in Melbourne since 27 December 2008.

Cameron Tragardh continues to lead the NBL in scoring at 17.6 points per game, but he has hit somewhat of a slump of late. He scored a season-low of just four points last week as Melbourne capitulated to NBL cellar dwellers Wollongong. That was the first time all season Tragardh had failed to score in double-figures, with his previous season low being 10 the week before. Tragardh’s scoring has slid progressively in each of his last four matches since he scored 22 points against New Zealand on January 8.

For the record, if Tragardh were to lead the league in scoring at the end of the regular season at his current level of 17.6 ppg, it would be the lowest scoring average of any NBL scoring leader in league history. The previous low was set last year when New Zealand’s Kirk Penney averaged 20.1 ppg.

Tragardh isn’t the only player that has suffered a scoring slip recently, as Adelaide’s Diamon Simpson has had his own struggles of late. The athletic big man scored in double-figures in all of his first 12 NBL games, but over his last five has scored eight or less on three occasions.

The 22-point loss by Melbourne last round to Wollongong was the Tigers largest of the season thus far. They scored 68 points in the loss, which was the sixth time this season that Melbourne scored under 70 for a match.

Townville Crocodiles (10-7, 3^rd) @ Cairns Taipans (10-9, 5^th)

Friday 3 February - Cairns Convention Centre - 7:30 PM

Radio: NBL Radio from 7:15 PM click here

Live Stats: Click here

Tickets: Click here

The reptiles will rumble for the 45^th time in NBL history when the Cairns Taipans host their archrivals and Far North Queensland neighbours the Townsville Crocodiles on Friday night. This will be the 45^th instalment of their storied rivalry, with the Crocs currently leading the all-time series over the Snakes with a 28-16 record.

The good news for Taipans fans however is that Cairns have dominated the Crocs when playing at home in recent times. The Snakes have beaten Townsville on their past five straight trips to Cairns, with the Crocs’ last road win against the Taipans being on 11 November 2009. The Taipans lead 12-9 overall in all games played against Townsville in Cairns.

These two sides have met twice so far in 2011/12, with the season series tied at 1-1. Cairns won the season opener in Round One at home, 81-76, while the Crocs struck back the very next round with a 95-67 romp in the return match in Townsville. That 28-point defeat remains the Taipans’ biggest loss of the season.

Importantly, that Round Two victory gives the Crocs the advantage of a +23 points differential, which could be critical given they will play each other four times this season. The two sides will meet again in Round 20 in Townsville.

If the Crocs hope to take a 2-1 series lead, they had better find a way to keep Dusty Rychart off the boards. Over the first two games he has averaged 11.0 rebounds. The Taipans meanwhile will need to find a way of stifling the scoring of Crocs import Eddie Gill. ‘The Thrill’ has averaged 17.0 points over the first two clashes.

These two teams were of course Semi-Finals opponents last year. The Taipans ultimately defeated the Crocs 2-1 to advance to the Grand Final series for the first time ever in club history.

The Crocs and Taipans both hit major scoring droughts in Round 17. The Crocs managed just 55 points in their loss to the Perth Wildcats, which established a new league low this season and was the second lowest score in club history (behind only the 51 points they scored against none other than Cairns on 18 December 2010).

The very next night however the Taipans, always looking to go one “better” than their archrivals, scored just 49 points in their loss to Gold Coast to set a new NBL season low. It was also a club record low for the Taipans, whose previous low score was 53 points recorded on 29 April 2011 against New Zealand. The Snakes’ 49 points was the fifth-lowest score in NBL history.

This game will see Townsville’s Michael Cedar move into outright fifth place on the club’s all-time games played list. It will be his 178^th game as a Croc and he will move out of his current tie for fifth with Pat Reidy, Jason Cameron and Brad Davidson (all on 177 games played for Townsville).

Cairns big man Ian Crosswhite needs three more rebounds to move into sixth place on the club’s all-time rebounding list. He is currently seventh on 650 and three more will see him pass Gary Bodnikoff (652).

Wollongong Hawks (5-13, 9^th) @ Gold Coast Blaze (9-8, 4^th)

Saturday 4 February - Gold Coast Convention Centre - 6:30 PM

TV: Broadcast on ONE from 10:30 PM (check local guides)

Live Stats: Click here

Tickets: Click here

The last-placed Wollongong Hawks will look to win for the third time in four games when they take on the fourth-seeded Gold Coast Blaze at ‘The Furnace’ on Saturday night. The Hawks, who defeated Melbourne at home last round, have yet to win back-to-back games this season but could do so with a win here. The 90 points the notched against the Tigers last week was the club’s second-highest score of the season.

Gold Coast meanwhile are coming off their massacre of the Cairns Taipans, where they kept the Snakes to the fifth lowest points total in NBL history. If the Blaze can win here, it will be their longest string of victories for the 2011/12 season. They have currently won three straight matches (beating Melbourne twice and Cairns once), which equals the three in a row they notched earlier this season.

This game will be the 500^th game in a Wollongong Hawks jersey for veteran Glen Saville. ‘Sav’ will become just the second player (after teammate Mat Campbell) to reach that milestone for the NBL’s only remaining foundation club. In his 499 games for Wollongong thus far, Saville has amassed 6,652 points (1^st in club history), 3,905 rebounds (1^st), 759 steals(1^st), 1,780 assists (1^st) and 411 blocks (1^st). Saville debuted for the Hawks on 22 April 1995 in a game against the Hobart Devils. He scored 11 points on debut and added three rebounds and one steal. This will be his 536^th NBL career game as he also played one season with the Sydney Kings. Saville and Campbell will become the only pair of teammates in NBL history ever to play 500 games each for the one club.

The Hawks are currently 3-5 on the road this season, which is actually better than their 2-8 home record. The Blaze are 6-3 at home thus far, and have gone 6-1 since dropping their first two home games of the season against New Zealand and Cairns.

The Blaze and Hawks have met on 15 occasions previously, with Gold Coast winning 10 times and the Hawks five. When playing at home, the Blaze are 6-1 against Wollongong. That lone Hawks win at The Furnace to break the club’s duck there was however on Wollongong’s last trip to Gold Coast.

These two teams have met just once before this season, with Gold Coast scoring an 83-58 victory at the Sandpit in Wollongong. That 58 points was Wollongong’s second lowest score of the season, as the Hawks scored just eight points in the opening period. Chris Goulding led five Blaze players in double-points in that game. Joevan Catron top-scored for the Hawks with just eight points.

The Hawks and Blaze will meet again on two more occasions this season, playing each other twice in Round 21 (once in Wollongong and once on the Gold Coast).

Adelaide 36ers (5-13, 8^th) @ Townsville Crocodiles (10-7, 3^rd)

Sunday 5 February - Townsville Entertainment Centre - 6:30 PM

TV: Broadcast on ONE from 10:30 PM (check local guides)

Live Stats: Click here

Tickets: Click here

The Townsville Crocodiles must back up from their Reptile Rumble in Cairns on Friday to host Adelaide on Sunday. Townsville will no doubt be grateful that the 36ers also play earlier this round (@ Melbourne on Friday) as this will be the Crocs’ fourth game in 11 days.

The 36ers will be looking to snap a ten-game losing streak against the Crocs in Townsville. Adelaide haven’t won at The Swamp since 5 December 2003.

Overall, Adelaide have won 31 of their 53 previous meetings with Townsville. The Crocs do however lead 13-12 in the 25 matches played between these two clubs in Townsville. That statistic includes their one and only meeting thus far this season, which the Crocs won 76-69 last week. With the teams meeting three times this season (the next being in Round 19 in Adelaide), if the Crocs can win this clash they will clinch the season series.

Adelaide won 15 of their first 17 meetings with the Crocs (and Suns as Townsville were then called). In recent seasons however the tide has turned, with Townsville winning six of their past seven meetings.

Whilst there is no doubting that Eddie Gill has been a terrific import for the Crocs this season, he does lead the NBL in one unwanted statistical category – turnovers. Gill is averaging a league-high 3.2 miscues per game. His opponent in this game, Adelaide import Chris Warren, is ranked fifth in the league in the same category, with 2.8 fluffs per match.

Despite Gill’s NBL-high average in this department, the Crocs are still averaging an NBL-low 13.1 turnovers per game.

The Crocs record this season is pretty good but could be even better if they could up their scoring in crunch time. The Crocs are currently averaging a league-low 20.5 points in the final period.

Team Season Stats – click here

Player Season Stats – click here

League Stats Leaders – click here

Player Milestones Upcoming – click here

2011/12 iiNet NBL Championship Ladder

R18 Preview: Cairns Taipans v Townsville Crocodiles

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:56:00 +1100

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