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Season 4 Episode 8: Pinned Down
1 Plays3 seconds ago
Discussion Points:
Huge NBL1 East signings making an immediate impact, including the return of William 'Davo' Hickey!
Bankstown Bruins vs. Sutherland Sharks men a foul affair
EGG GOTW: Bankstown Bruins vs. Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (W)
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Social Media Engagement
00:00:59
Speaker
Hello everyone, welcome back to East Got Game, where we give you the X's, the O's and the insights of MBL1 East. Thanks for joining us tonight live on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
00:01:13
Speaker
And remember, you can follow us on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook at East Got Game. Or you can continue to find our episodes on your preferred streaming platforms.
00:01:25
Speaker
While you're there, make sure you check out Cut to the Jace, a podcast featuring the Bankstown Bruin himself, Jason Caddy, and It's a Coal World, a podcast by WNBL champion, Bet Cole.
00:01:38
Speaker
Both podcasts brought to you by basketball.com.au.
Round Six Updates and Game Postponements
00:01:43
Speaker
But, Lockie, apparently round six of the NBL One East is done and dusted.
00:01:50
Speaker
Sort of. We didn't get every game played, but it's done. Yeah, I was really surprised to see that the Sutherland Sharks and Canberra Gunners and Nationals games were unfortunately postponed due to weather. And I was like, what is going on down there with the weather? What have I missed?
00:02:10
Speaker
what It wasn't the weather. it was conditions, but it wasn't the weather. So I didn't think too much of it at first because the way I walked to the stadium,
00:02:21
Speaker
um there's a few houses between the station and the stadium that all have open fireplaces. So occasionally when it gets cold and you walk there in the morning, you can smell like fireplace smoke. And I was like, all right, I've smelled this before. It's fireplace smoke. People started walking in like later and being like, it's really smoky. What's going on? i was like, it's really smoky. And then i walked outside I was like,
00:02:46
Speaker
it is smoky it was really smoky so for those who don't know southern basketball stadium is directly across the princess highway from the royal national park from like the northwest corner of the royal national park and they were hazard reduction burning and i think the hazard reduction burning in that same spot all week so this was not a small burn i i think it's been about eight years since there was a bushfire of any note in the royal national park So it just got worse and worse and worse all day.
00:03:17
Speaker
We got to about 2 p.m. and we we honestly pretty much finished setting up. And Sutherland General Manager Adrian Dark was like, guys, just hold up.
00:03:28
Speaker
If you've got anything left, just don't don't bother because we're going to see how this pans And it got to about 3 o'clock and he said, no, it's not happening. So, yeah, 3 o'clock. um Yeah, game called.
00:03:40
Speaker
Nothing happening. No game. We did pretty much full setup and full pack down for a grand total of zero minutes of basketball play. Boo! But to be fair, you know, when there's a fire, the house fire, whatever kind of fire, the most damage done ah to to people is actually the smoke inhalation. So I think it was a good idea to postpone the game to protect not just the players' safety, given that they're going to be doing all the running around, but spectators, coaches, everyone. It's probably a good idea just to keep everyone safe.
00:04:13
Speaker
Yeah, I think the um the only saving grace was we had no home Waratah League games. So youth league women, I think, were up in Maitland. Waratah men were away in Canberra. yeah Youth men were somewhere else. So we did yeah so we only lost the two NBL1 games. We didn't actually lose any Waratah games as well, fortunately.
Celebrating Lockie and Player Signings
00:04:33
Speaker
Very lucky. Very good call. But before we get stuck into the episode, there's a big there's an elephant in the room we have to address.
00:04:55
Speaker
It's Lockie's birthday today. Happy birthday, Lockie. Thanks, Squin. ah had to download that little clip to play on on air. There we go. 38.
00:05:07
Speaker
thirty eight
00:05:10
Speaker
Wow, what's it i'm looking I'm looking at the and NBA players who have worn that jersey number and I don't really care to be associated with any of them because I haven't heard of 90% of them.
00:05:22
Speaker
Not a popular number, the old 38. No, I don't think I can recall anyone. I'm not very good at remembering players and players' numbers, but 38 is certainly not a ah popular number to be playing as to be wearing for your jersey. so But 38, how does it feel?
00:05:40
Speaker
Sam as it did when I was 37 yesterday, to be entirely honest, actually probably a bit better because I went out, ah we went to the pub and then went to the football on Sunday. So I was feeling not as good yesterday as I am today.
00:05:52
Speaker
Yeah, but yeah, jersey well, I think most colleagues in colleges, I don't think 38 is an allowed number. So any player who wears their college number in the NBA is not going to be wearing 38. thirty eight Yeah, that's fair. That's fair. Well, it sounds like that you spent your birthday and celebrated your birthday correctly if you were feeling dusty yesterday.
00:06:14
Speaker
wasn't dusty, just better today. had very good day. Went out for lunch with some friends and and also went ice skating. So very nice day. Did you pair the ice skating with the Maccas above the ice skating rink or did you go, you know, a little bit more fancy than a food court Maccas?
00:06:30
Speaker
We went to Nando's actually. so one So one step above. Love Nando's. SJ on. Love a cheeky Nando's. It's never cheeky. Nando's should just be a staple if it wasn't so expensive, but love a Nando's. And SJ is on our Instagram Live wishing you a happy birthday as well, Lockie.
00:06:50
Speaker
Cheers, SJ. Very nice. Very nice. um Awesome. Glad you had a great birthday. um Glad you you should still chose to celebrate it with an East Scott game episode. But for the record, listeners, I did offer Lockie to have the night off for his birthday and he chose to be here today. That's that's how committed he is to NBL One East.
00:07:13
Speaker
Yeah, but this is like, what? What am I going to do? It's like, oh, do you want to talk about NBL 1 East or do you not want to talk about it? going to choose. going to choose every time.
00:07:25
Speaker
Exactly. But it looks like in the last week, aside from a game being postponed due to the hazard reduction, which ironically caused more hazards, there's been a lot of signings this week across the league. How exciting is that?
00:07:40
Speaker
Haven't they just... They've been massive. And, well, the three that have actually played so far have done pretty well for themselves as well, haven't they?
00:07:51
Speaker
Yeah, certainly making a splash early here in NBL 1 East and just in time. Always when we don't think the league could get any more exciting, there's new signings to be announced.
00:08:02
Speaker
Certainly are. So we kick it off with Deontay Williams coming back from college. Yeah. 27 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists versus Manly and then followed it up with 29 and 7 plus 5 steals against Sutherland. So um we saw in that Bankstown-Sutherland game that our Jason Caddy went down during that one.
00:08:30
Speaker
Bankstown's narrow loss and oh adding Deontay Williams it might be a bit of a bit of serendipitous timing for them. Don't know how long Jason's going to be out for but You've got sign that come in and average 28 for the weekend.
00:08:44
Speaker
Never a bad thing.
00:08:47
Speaker
Yeah, rumour has it. Unfortunately, Cadiz gone down with a hamstring injury.
00:08:54
Speaker
Which when you when you reach 38 is ah is' not not good, but um he's not 38 yet. I'm just giving you a bit of a word of warning, mate. No worry. I've done my share of hamstring injuries.
00:09:07
Speaker
So, yeah, hopefully Cadiz okay. I mean, it he's been playing well so far. Obviously, the the captain and the anchor of that Bankstown Bruins side.
00:09:17
Speaker
um But it looks like that the rest of the team were ready to step up and do their best to get the win without him. i did They did. And they almost got there in 54 fouls, I think, were called in the game. Four of them were Tex.
00:09:33
Speaker
What a bizarre game against Sutherland. are correct. You are correct. There were 54 fouls, 31 against Bankstown, 23 against Sutherland Sharks with Zeke Evans, Alexander Higgins-Titia and T-Man Wolf all getting fouled off.
00:09:50
Speaker
And there were three bench players, some of them playing around only three minutes but also had three fouls. So, yeah it was a absolute bonanza of fouls. Yeah. ah And two bench techs and...
00:10:05
Speaker
two player techs against Bankstown as well in that game. So ah how long did that game go for? Like four hours? um and i I will be able to tell you approximately when it finished because um when did it finish?
00:10:21
Speaker
It finished at 4.57pm and I think it was a 3pm tip.
00:10:29
Speaker
Yeah, so solid a solid couple of hours. Yeah, because... jake co-commentator at sutherland was messaging me saying what was going on yes and his last text about the game was at 4 57 so he's a long that's almost getting up to nba length of game and they play 12 minute quarters yeah and they have like five different types of timeouts that draw the game out even longer mean i could have watched or i could have watched the marvel you know, anthology in the time of an nb all one game and yeah of an NBA game. Yeah,
00:11:05
Speaker
And ah the Hornsby Spiders have landed a huge signing at this stage of the competition too with Davo Hickey. Yeah. Massive.
00:11:16
Speaker
mean, help them get their first win against Penrith with 21-8-5. And they were right there against Norse. And he had 18-7-4 in a six-point defeat to Norse. Hornsby coming into the weekend without a win.
00:11:30
Speaker
It's... a
00:11:33
Speaker
Start asking some questions. They're definitely going to be at least a nuisance with Devo in the picture, aren't they? And they got...
00:11:43
Speaker
Sorry, and they picked up Martez Brown with Mike Connolly being out. So they've got, yeah, big pieces and it's only one weekend, but wow.
00:11:57
Speaker
And that Davo signing was kept well under wraps. I personally didn't hear any whispers or rumours that he was returning to NBL One East. I have noticed, though, that he doesn't have social media accounts anymore. i noticed that he started to not use his accounts as much or even deactivated his Instagram account, you know, halfway through last year, if not earlier. And I think that was just to purely focus on being present and involved in basketball and shut out some of the outside noise. And it's obviously worked for him. Guy's been in the summer league ever since. He's come back for Hornsby. i really And I really appreciated the surprise that he was coming back.
00:12:38
Speaker
Yeah, i mean no one I mean, I don't know if anyone at Comets knew. I mean, I'm sure some people did, but, yeah, I didn't hear anything about it. um Yeah, it'd be interesting to see how they go because they've got i got Inner West this coming weekend and then,
00:12:53
Speaker
Canberra and Centre of Excellence away and then Canberra at home the very next weekend. So a few games that will test their mettle, no doubt. go a Get a good read on just how good Hornsby Karinga can be with Devo in the line-up.
00:13:07
Speaker
Yeah, massive boost, not just for them but also for the league. So we love having you back, Devo, if you happen to listen to this. And InnoWest Bulls have signed an import to their female program. Do you know much about this player just yet?
00:13:24
Speaker
I know she dropped 25 on the weekend for InnoWest a loss to our Illawarra. Sahia Redard from France, um Had a training camp contract with the Liberty at one point. Has been playing, <unk> done her best work by the looks of it in Spain. Has played a bit in Poland as well. Has bounced around.
00:13:49
Speaker
um Does have winner's medals, I think, in the league and cup in France for Baskettlandes. But that was um when she was quite young, early in her career.
00:14:02
Speaker
But ah yeah, I mean, if you can if you can stick in the Spanish top flight, you can definitely stick in NBL 1 East. um ah Yeah, so between Taylor Levy and Redard, Inner West might be able to ruffle a few feathers now. because I mean, they they lost to Illawarra, but that was you know their first game together. So we'll see how that goes. Because remember last year, Inner West... um very much led by two players in Talia Tupire and Christina Moore. So it might be ah might be something similar here.
00:14:36
Speaker
Yeah, seems like the tides could be turning a little bit for this team. And possibly the the signing that I am also super excited about is Saffron Shields is coming home to Newcastle.
00:14:48
Speaker
Yes. ah love so I love Saffron. She is a WNBA draft pick. Long, but with guard skills. I mean, I know they've, then for a long time, they were trying to mold her into a point guard um at various places.
00:15:09
Speaker
She can slot in there. know, they've got Mia Heidi coming as well. So their starting lineup could be Kingham, Munger, Kingham, Shields, Munger, Heidi, Jefferson.
00:15:25
Speaker
That is...
00:15:30
Speaker
And I think that's that's why Shields will be a great fit and not just a great, you know, another good player to have is the fact that she's long, but she's got those guard skills as well.
00:15:42
Speaker
And that she can probably slot into the backcourt there for for Newcastle. And it's great that she's a Newcastle junior as well. You know, we love seeing, you know, club signing, great bringing great players in, whether they're from New South Wales to a different club like with Davo.
00:15:58
Speaker
or even players from interstate, but when you can sign a big name that is also a local junior. So it just, yeah, just feels good. Now, can't remember if we dubbed this season of NBL 1 East or last season as the homecoming season. I think pretty sure it was this season. It was lost last season. was last season?
00:16:18
Speaker
Yeah. Oh, that's right. That's when Isaiah Lee came back and Jason Kadee came back. But I was going to say, if it was this season, you know, Saffron Shields is just adding to that theme of homecoming. I mean, it is it's it's it's a continuing theme because the league's getting better and players don't feel like they have to go into state anymore.
00:16:37
Speaker
Yeah, definitely.
Local Player Impact and Returns
00:16:38
Speaker
i mean, it's all the advantages of getting the most out of your game, spending time developing your game in the off season if you are a pro, but staying home and having mum's cooking as well.
00:16:50
Speaker
How good. I mean, perhaps you you joke about it, but it is just one less thing you have to think about. Oh, yeah. I mean, if you're looked after off the court, your on-court game's going to be in a much better position. If you're at home, you surrounded by your best friends, your family, home your home cooking, all of those little comforts we take for granted that still make a massive difference in building an athlete, it's a huge advantage, huge advantage.
00:17:19
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, even it's even if you've got, like, you're living with a housemate and you can split the chores and you've just got, like, me, ah I live by myself. I know I've got to do everything. Yeah. you some yeah do The more stuff have to do, the more time pressure and the less and more you can spread it out, more you can spend time you can spend working on your game or your 5K time, if you may.
00:17:43
Speaker
Well, I have a housemate and I still do everything, but that's another story for another time. ah Moving right along. We also had Piper Anderson made her season debut after recovering from an injury. She's obviously slowly getting back in there, but it looks like the Hills nabbed a win as well against the Comets on the weekend.
00:18:07
Speaker
Yeah, Piper, yeah, 15 minutes off the bench, you know, a good start. Didn't play Sunday against Canberra, and yeah, um Hills fended off Aaron Fisher's 36 points and managed to get the win with all five starters finishing in double figures, 84-81.
00:18:24
Speaker
they're at Comet Stadium, the home of Hoops. So it was a – I think that was a big one for Hills. That got them to – they got them four and four, and it's a win against another team that's probably looking to be mid-table there fighting for those last couple of final spots. So big big win for the Hornets in a – Yeah.
00:18:46
Speaker
And having Kuiper back, I mean, if she's back, she can at least get through one game of the weekend, play 15 minutes. Hopefully our trajectory is ah on the way up.
00:18:57
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. And rumour has it that the Hills Hornets women also beat the Chinese under 18 team. Oh, I think um Manly did the same.
00:19:09
Speaker
Sutherland did not. Would you like to hear who we were missing for that game though? Oh, I imagine a lot of people. Lauren Nicholson, Ella Dent, Eliza Fabro, Olivia Douglas and Jordan Dewhurst all weren't there.
00:19:25
Speaker
But it didn't mean we got to gave give senior taboos to Jasmine Bates, Ava Royce and Elena Piljevic. So, you know, three first senior games, even if they were in exhibitions.
00:19:38
Speaker
I'd count it. Oh, absolutely. I mean, it's the same when someone represents the Opals and it's a qualifying tournament or an Asia Cup or a friendly match. It still counts.
00:19:50
Speaker
Yeah, 100%.
00:19:53
Speaker
So great to see Piper Anderson slowly returning back to the court. Love having her back in NBL 1 East as well after her championship winning season with the Townsville Fire in WNBL.
00:20:05
Speaker
And harking back to Friday night versus Sunday games and local derbies. Talk to me about this, Lockie. I just noticed in the draw this week after we were talking so much about it would be cool to have the local derbies, like the games that are more convenient being on the Friday nights. We had North versus Hornsby and Baystown versus Sutherland both end up getting played on the Sunday.
00:20:28
Speaker
um It just was an interesting wrinkle that – um I found it very interesting that those are a couple of games that probably could have got, obviously not yeah in the time since we talked about it, but just that you've got those games on the Sunday that maybe could have been the ah the Friday night games. um Yeah, I mean, especially like that those are the games where people will try. And like North versus Hornsby especially, there's so much crossover between those teams now, especially on the women's side.
00:21:01
Speaker
ah Yeah, just just something I noticed, nothing nothing too controversial about it or, you know, saying, oh, yeah the crowd's were dismal on the Sunday. But just after talking about I was just like, oh, they're right there on Friday.
00:21:14
Speaker
Maybe next season. Yeah, perhaps next season. Don't know how much the competitions are, coordinators and managers listen to us. it
00:21:23
Speaker
They listen to us intently. ah they They put on the new episode on loudspeaker in their office while they're having their team lunches together.
00:21:35
Speaker
ah i think ah it's more likely to be the ah the content creator for Balesville New South Wales doing that. Yeah. ah Interestingly, though, North Bears are the only club to have played 10 games, with some clubs only playing seven, including Penrith Panthers and the Canberra Gunners and Nationals, which is interesting. Looking at the men's ladder, the Gunners are still on top undefeated 7-0, and North Bears are just behind them, having played 10 games. They're nine and one Centre of Excellence still holding in third at seven and one
00:22:09
Speaker
Illawarra Hawks still holding at fourth at seven and one with a really small difference in points percentage of like three point something percent. ah And in the women's competition, North Bears 10-0 on top.
00:22:24
Speaker
Manly Warringah Seagulls now second with eight and one Bankstown flying high at third position with and centre of excellence on 6-2 at fourth. And Newcastle six and two at fifth. So they're tied with about a 17-point something points percentage difference. I say point something because I can't do the math quickly and I don't want to spend too much time in on it.
00:22:51
Speaker
Fair. what i Yeah, you go. so What I found interesting about the lads is to how the men's, like the top five, have broken away from the rest of the pack so much.
00:23:03
Speaker
At seven and two and then five and four, Comets, at six. Whereas the women's, it's like from third to eighth, I mean,
00:23:15
Speaker
I mean, Sutherland have only played six games. but Yeah, it's just so much more condensed on the women's side, whereas the men's top five have just completely broken it open. Yeah, which we normally see it the other way around.
00:23:31
Speaker
Yeah, we normally, yeah. it what I was talking to someone on Thursday night who's not from the East and they were like, oh what's the league balance like? And I'm like, well, you can always pretty much say Norse, Manly, Newcastle and COE will be up the top somewhere and probably Aubrey, Bainstown and Sutherland hovering around somewhere.
00:23:47
Speaker
But this season, it's the men that have, yeah, blasted away, especially with Bainstown dropping both men's games this week. Yeah. And i maybe Maitland having a slightly slow start has, are you know, left them in, know, down a little bit and probably fully expect them to keep growing. But yeah, just interesting that those five teams have really set themselves apart from the rest.
00:24:16
Speaker
Well, if Rain Smith keeps raining threes as he does and boosts the Maitland Mustangs' points four percentage, now they're sitting at seventh at four and four. That is certainly going to help because they're seventh at four and four.
00:24:30
Speaker
Inner West Bulls are eighth at four and four. But the Maitland Mustangs are a good... 11.5 point percentage ahead.
00:24:41
Speaker
Got it that time. ah Comets are, yeah, they're sixth in the men's competition, five and four, and then Bankstown Bruins' men's are four and five. So a bit of a log jam there in the middle. But, yeah, Rain Smith, you keep raining those threes, buddy, and you're going to put the Mustangs in a much healthier position with that points percentage. But, yeah, the women's side, it's like,
00:25:04
Speaker
Hills Hornets are in seventh at four and four. Then the Sharks are three and three. Albury are three and five. Maitland are three and five. Illawarra are three and five. Comets are three and six. and It's getting tight. It's getting tight down there.
00:25:18
Speaker
It is. Like you see Canberra there, two and five, still got to add Katie Jones though.
00:25:25
Speaker
Yeah, Katie Jones has still got to come back as well. So that will be a big boost. Um, we've got a comment here on Instagram live that says money for imports and players, but I'm not too sure what that's in reference to because unfortunately the Instagram live stream is about 30 seconds behind us here on stream yard. So if that person's still watching, just type in what, uh, what that was in reference to, and we'll try and get to it. Um,
00:25:54
Speaker
All right. So yeah, Friday night games versus Sunday games. Friday night games still seem to be really popular. I guess maybe on the plus side, if I was a local of North or Bankstown, knowing that those big matchups would, you know, really do, would persuade me to go to a Sunday game.
00:26:12
Speaker
Yeah, true. True. um But yeah, Friday night, something about Friday nights to just have the good atmosphere. Just ah in my mind, you know, get there after work. Like I think I said in the earlier, another episode, you get there after work, can immediately switch off and start your weekend with a Friday night game.
00:26:29
Speaker
Yeah. All right. So, yeah, let's keep an eye on all these ladders and happenings because there are some big matchups coming up again mean the next round.
00:26:40
Speaker
But focusing on, oh, the comment on Instagram Live in references to why teams are ahead on the ladder was that some clubs have the money for imports and players, which ah yeah which traditionally, is But if you look at the Maitland Mustangs men's team who are absolutely loaded and they're sitting in seventh position.
Game Highlights: Bankstown vs. Manly
00:27:06
Speaker
So I think sometimes the money for players and imports aren't always a direct correlation or a true reflection on who's going to be on top of the table. And, I mean, look at the Canberra Gunners.
00:27:20
Speaker
They've only started to imports in the last two years. and they Exactly. Win, win, winning. Yeah. um Okay, but should we get into our Scott game, game of the week?
00:27:33
Speaker
We certainly should. it was a very it was a very interesting one. Yeah, it was. So this week we're going to review the Bankstown Bruins versus the Manly Warringah Seagulls women's game where the Bankstown Bruins women had a huge win on their home court over the Manly Warringah Seagulls,
00:27:57
Speaker
And it wasn't that close. No, it wasn't it wasn't that close. i mean like We'll get into it, but, yeah, Bankstown essentially... got a 20-point lead and just was able to maintain it for more than half the game, which was so impressive, so impressive.
00:28:15
Speaker
um Okay, so let's go quarter by quarter. As we mentioned, 82 to 65, played at Bankstown Bruins home court. um I think the main change to the line-up for me, Manly, I was wondering where Freya Bykirk and Bree Delaney were. Do you have any news as to why they weren't there?
00:28:36
Speaker
Don't know why Brie wasn't there, but Freya has left for college. so so Already? Yep.
00:28:44
Speaker
Aw, sadness for us. Yeah, considering I'm commentating comments mainly this coming weekend. More sadness for you Exactly. but Oh, well.
00:28:55
Speaker
Yeah, so no Freya. I don't know where Brey was, but I know why Freya. Yeah, Freya's last game was maybe two weeks, two games ago now. can't remember exactly, but yeah, it's recent, I guess.
00:29:07
Speaker
We wish Freya the best of luck as she starts her college journey with Pepperdine.
00:29:13
Speaker
Pepperdine or Pepperdine? Pepperdine. Ah, so you politely didn't correct me. I appreciate that. That's all right. I've been there. It's very nice. Well, you should know.
00:29:27
Speaker
but yeah, let's look at this quarter by quarter. Let's go to our notes. um I was really interested in this game, A, because of not so much because Bankstown won, because they are very capable of beating big teams, given their roster, um but more so the deficit.
00:29:48
Speaker
It was almost a 20-point win, which probably surprised me the most. um So quarter by quarter, we first need to say congratulations to Shilah Hill and Talia Tupaya for reaching their playing their fiftieth games.
00:30:02
Speaker
four in the NBL one across different teams. So congratulations to both of them. Again, it feels like that Talia particularly has played more than 50 NBL one games just because she's been a household name for so long.
00:30:17
Speaker
ah But, yeah, I think the thing that I liked the most in this mer first quarter was how much Alex Delaney was attacking the rim. Yeah.
00:30:29
Speaker
And being really aggressive, it looks like she identified really early that nothing was going to come easy and that she perhaps had some foot speed um ahead of, I think was DeFreitas that was guarding her a lot of the time.
00:30:45
Speaker
Yeah, that was one of the yeah that was ah one of the first things I noticed was just the battle between Delaney and De Freitas in general. And I think you're 100% right.
00:30:56
Speaker
Alysselanyi came out was like, I am the leader of this team. The backcourt battle is going to be insanity. i mean i have to I'm going to have to take over and get things done here.
00:31:08
Speaker
And credit to her. She... figuratively and literally put her head down and tried to make things happen. Yeah. And look, high full credit to the Bankstown Bruins defense from this game, especially from the tip off.
00:31:26
Speaker
But as Caleb was mentioning on the, on commentary going into that game, Manly was actually the number one ah ah team in NBL one East women's competition for offensive rating. And the third team ah highest the third third best team in the competition for defensive rating, whereas Bankstown were the 12th best team in defensive rating going into this team. But they had locked them down from that first quarter. Nothing came easy for Manly. I couldn't tell if they were playing pack D or if it was just really great ah man-to-man defense, but any dribble penetration,
00:32:09
Speaker
Manly really, really struggled to find, get two feet in the paint, to find any receivers. And they were had to settle for threes quite early ah in this game. But I feel like that was ended up being their biggest strength. They kind of did because they were, what, one of eight from two-point range, um Manly, in the first quarter. Yeah.
00:32:32
Speaker
And a lot of those were tough angle layups from players trying to get to the rack and just having their shot changed by DePratis or Keanu Davis-White there in the paint, just making life difficult for them.
00:32:47
Speaker
You forget how long Keanu Davis-White is as well. When she is in full extension and walling up, you forget how long she actually is. And I would be very intimidated to attack the rim going against someone like her.
00:33:01
Speaker
Oh, and remember, she features she's played pretty high-level Aussie rules football as well. So she's ah not going to take a backwards step in any contest, as, I mean, we've seen throughout her career. And um just keeps developing so well. I mean,
00:33:18
Speaker
from watching her play youth league back in the day when she was barely touching the court at the senior level to what she has become now. She's just... um She is a you know an integral part of that Bankstown lineup and playing alongside De Freitas is just going to... That is dangerous for pretty much any opponent they're going to face this season.
00:33:40
Speaker
um i'm going to I don't know when Bankstown and Newcastle play each other, but those two against Heidi and Jefferson...
00:33:49
Speaker
Yeah, when Caleb mentioned on the call that Mia Hardy is still to join Newcastle, I immediately also thought of that matchup, Heidi and De Freitas. was like, that's the one that I want to watch. Me personally loving a great post-player matchup. That is going to be a really, really good one to watch in the future.
00:34:08
Speaker
yeah i was I was really impressed with De Freitas. It's probably one of the first times I've got to properly sit down and watch her play a complete game. um yeah she I mean, as you'd expect from a player with her experience over in Europe at a very high level, just fundamentally sound, making the right decision, an absolute menace in pick-and-roll offence. Just...
00:34:33
Speaker
um incredibly difficult to stop and sets good screens all over the court and really long, good foot speed. And just, I was so very impressed with her, especially in the first quarter, just getting to watch it for the first time.
00:34:52
Speaker
yeah yeah then just she She just yeah she resets position in the paint to get baskets really well. And Bankstown did a good job swinging the ball a couple of times to change the angle where she'd reset and just get Delaney backside and she'd just have the open pass to the basket. and it was Just Bankstown, they just looked they just look more polished in the first quarter on offense for large parts.
00:35:18
Speaker
Yeah, and I think ah going back to Bankstown's defence, I think they did a good job of being really physical with Manly, and I think that rattled them from the onset.
00:35:29
Speaker
oh Yeah. that That level of physicality, not allowing any dribble paint penetration, not allowing two feet in the paint, contesting everything, taking the bumps. I think that really rattled Manly a little bit. And then you could see that further on in the game. Yeah, offensively, I totally agree. ah Bankstown were very well organized, very well disciplined, and everyone executing their roles really well, which we then go and see during the game when you have the likes of the Dunlop sisters just spotting up in those right spots ready to hit threes. So, yeah, Bankstown were very focused and very disciplined with their game plan for for both ends of the floor. But I also wrote that two-man game between Heal and De Freitas. Oh, classic, classic chicken roll because when you've got Shiloh Hill who has matured so much as a player now where she feels like she doesn't have to shoot everything and she's surrounded now by a team
00:36:25
Speaker
that are confident with scoring and kind of and so that pressure's taken off. You've got Tupiah, you've got DeFreitas, you've got Davis-White, you've got the Dunlop sisters ready to go, you've got Proctor ready to There's not that pressure of, hey, everything has to go through you and you have to score everything. And her passing placement on the pick and roll was brilliant. um Yeah, DeFreitas when she rolls, oh, that was great. I love that two-man game between them.
00:36:53
Speaker
Same. i And felt like Manly took a while to kind of figure out exactly how they wanted to defend it as well. ah we've kind of bit betwet in between And that's because Shiloh can just do so much. he Sure, she doesn't have the pressure, as you said, but doesn't mean she can't still go and just make something herself if, you know, if something's not on, the initial option isn't there. So, just I mean, it's going to be tough for everybody, but...
00:37:21
Speaker
Yeah, it did look like it was taking Manly a little while to sort figure things out. and But, yeah, I just loved it. Loved everything about it.
00:37:33
Speaker
at um And I think you can go back to the physical battle. And, yes, on defence, but I still i think also... It's something Manly should have been ready for at both ends, was the physicality of this Bankstown team. that Everyone knows what kind of players these are, especially you've got ta if you're Talia.
00:37:54
Speaker
mean, there were times where I've seen Talia play the four and the five in a pinch when she's had to. You know, she will battle with anyone. um And yeah, it didn't... I'm not sure if Manly and Warringah were caught off guard because I can't imagine they were caught off guard, but they just didn't seem as...
00:38:12
Speaker
up for the physical battle that Bankstown were going to bring.
00:38:18
Speaker
Yeah, I think they were probably expecting how physical it was going to be, but perhaps ah not at that intensity and at that level straight from the tip-off, which is really hard to mentally prepare for anyway. ah But I felt like...
00:38:34
Speaker
As the game progressed, I know that Zoe Miller was on three fouls in the first quarter, which would have been so frustrating, but just one of the other adversities they had to overcome. You could tell when she got back in the game and she could be more productive in the second half, she was giving the same level of physicality back to Bankstown, and if she wasn't scoring, and she was getting to the free throw line.
00:38:56
Speaker
Stop reading my notes. we We do this often. We do this often. um And I think Manly got caught off guard perhaps on the defensive transist defensive transition a little bit in that first quarter, which I was probably surprised by a little bit. But, yeah, Bankstown just click clicking on every levels. Like the passing was great, people in the right spots. um They shot at such a great percentage as well.
00:39:29
Speaker
i think – particularly for this first quarter. Just have a look at the official analysis. Yeah, first quarter for Bankstown, 60% from the three-point line, 40% when you round it up from the two-point range. And Manly, I think, yeah, probably got a little bit rattled with the physicality um and then it carried on throughout the game because this is one of the lower shooting percentages from Manly in a little while, which is quite unexpected. Yeah.
00:39:59
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, they finished the game shooting sub 30% from the field. That's not something you'd expect from Manly ever. um they they had They had some good looks that just didn't go down, but um there were also a lot of looks that Bankstown made very difficult for them throughout the game.
00:40:21
Speaker
Oh, nothing came easy for Manly in that first quarter at all. I mean, you had Delaney and Mowbray firing from the three-point line, which was awesome. just what they needed. And side note, I really hope that my three-point attempts looked as pretty as Alex Ansari's three-pointers. Like, their shooting technique in terms of their follow-through and the height of the follow-through was just so nice to watch.
00:40:47
Speaker
Can you tell me about your numbers there up at the... ah the ah the analysis tool for your shooting. I know your i know your threes are good. Oh, yeah. I can hit a ninety cent i can hit a three with 96% accuracy, but then I can also go and play at Ork and Flower on a Monday night and hit an absolute bricks. So I built an outhouse last night in my social comp, but...
00:41:12
Speaker
ah We digress. We digress. ah let's let's So that was essentially how the tone of the game was set for me in quarter one. Bankstown rattling Manly with their physicality. Manly, I think, probably didn't adjust quick enough to change some of their half-court offense in that first quarter one. I felt like they got stuck a couple of times and maybe didn't resort to some pick and rolls and handoffs as early as they could. But Bankstown winning that first quarter 23-16.
00:41:43
Speaker
And it didn't get much better from there for Manly, unfortunately. And, I mean, the the thing i I think I noticed most about Manly offensively in the second quarter is they just found it difficult to get match-ups where they had an advantage.
00:42:02
Speaker
And i think that's...
00:42:09
Speaker
Rob, I mean, so many of these Bankstown players are so versatile um in how they can play. Like, you've got Davida Dale out there, who's an excellent defender. You've got Tali Tupaya, who's fast enough to stick with a good number of players whilst also being able to win the physical battle. We've talked about the length of De Freitas and Keanu Davis wide, and they're not slow either.
00:42:28
Speaker
And then Shiloh can stay in front of just about anyone. it's very It was very difficult for... Manly Warringah to get matchups they liked. Whereas Bankstown, I think, found it a little bit easier to get matchups they liked throughout the second quarter.
00:42:47
Speaker
ah I mean, there was one play, it was really early in the second in the second quarter where Shiloh literally just ran away from Sarri Mowbray and forced to switch. And then it was mo Mowbray guarding Keanu Davis-White in the paint.
00:43:02
Speaker
um Shiloh just cut straight across the middle, went left. Nope, I'm going back. I'm going out to the three-point arc. ah k And then Moe Ray was like, I've got a card. Go on Keanu now. Someone else going to to take Shiloh. And it was just over.
00:43:17
Speaker
and I mean, that that was where it first stood out for me. But, yeah, When you've got that level of versatility on your in your lineup, it makes it a lot easier to defend and base down to a full advantage because they they've really pulled it out in this set, pulled out the lead in this second quarter.
00:43:36
Speaker
Yeah, they really did. They won this second quarter 25-14, so they really just built on what they had established in the first quarter. I agree as well. Going back to what you said about quarter one with ah about how Manly were guarding the pick and rolls, um i feel I don't feel like they...
00:43:55
Speaker
really sorted out how to guard the pick and rolls the whole game because there were lots of times like you just mentioned they were getting caught up in mismatches sometimes there was a show and a show and go on the pick and roll sometimes it's a straight switch they didn't really stick to one particular rule on the pick and rolls and i think that did cause them a lot of headaches and um some easy buckets for bankstown who were just shooting at such a good percentage this game and were making a lot of the easy early easier shots that were coming bankstown's way they were making whereas manly uh were missing a lot of their easier shots which is very unlike them yeah really really unlike them um
00:44:39
Speaker
ah You go back to the field goal percentage, but yeah it did feel like that Manly-Rungo left a lot of points on the table. And I think, honestly, it looked like they got a bit rattled. Early in the second quarter, they threw a couple of passes in transition that just weren't there, and it just looked like they...
00:44:57
Speaker
um I think we mentioned a couple of games earlier this season is sometimes teams just are looking for that one shot because they think if they whip the ball, up it looks like if they actually try to run something, they don't know if they're going to get a shot that's any good. And it sort of felt that way with some of these passes mainly with throwing...
00:45:15
Speaker
It was like, i've got we've got to get the ball down there. We've got to get a shot before they get set and actually get the ball in the basket. And it just led to a few few turnovers that were for passes that were really never on against a Bankstown team that was getting back pretty well.
00:45:32
Speaker
Yeah, their defensive transition was really good. And then you've got, you know, the bench points then starts rolling as well from the second quarter. You had the two Dunlop sisters hitting threes.
00:45:45
Speaker
Like we had Rachel first um hitting a three at I think seven minutes, 37 left wide open and just knocking that one down.
00:45:55
Speaker
ah We had Keanu Davis-White going coast to coast at the five-minute mark, um which, you know, you can't just let someone go coast to coast like that. But I think she that was the play where she was quietly chuffed with herself or for pulling that off as well. So full credit to her for that play. And then unfortunately for Manly at the four-and-a-half-minute mark, Zoe picks up her fourth.
00:46:21
Speaker
yeah that was and as we'll see in the second half as we already mentioned just what but that was so much what could have been uh because you know like zoe no no backward step um and the problem even when she was playing with three fouls like she had three fails it's sort of like there's always in the back of your mind, oh I could actually commit an offensive foul as well and get my fourth. if you You know, you're barreling in. It's not just always about how you defend, which makes it so difficult for someone like Zoe who can attack aggressively against just about anyone, and we'll see later.
00:47:04
Speaker
And, of course, we already mentioned no Freya. That's a permanent thing, but still, and no Bree. I mean, I mentioned in preseason, and I felt like Manly maybe they were one depth spot short and it it kind of showed today when they had players out.
00:47:20
Speaker
oh hopefully Hopefully, we see Bree again soon. no idea where she was. But, yeah, I mean, they only ran seven. Cassidy Thompson and Niamh Smith didn't get a run. Maya Jelena played 14 minutes. Honey Badger, Kim Dickinson, a full half hour off the bench. But, yeah, they i really didn't have a lot to go to. And when you've got, yeah, Zoe picking up fouls, even Alex Delaney finished with four.
00:47:44
Speaker
um Makes it so tough on your rotations when you're already shorthanded. I will say, though, Maya Jelena put in some great minutes this game for Manly, and it reminded me of the Instagram reel that Manly uploaded that I'm pretty sure Maya was the genius behind, where it's about when you invite your boyfriend to come and watch your basketball game and all they watch you do is sit on the bench.
00:48:09
Speaker
But i hope, Maya, that your boyfriend was watching this game to see you bury a couple of threes in such a tough competition. Well, hope it wasn't her boyfriend. hope it was her husband.
00:48:20
Speaker
Her husband even better. Maybe it was her husband and her boyfriend. I don't know. But ah either way, it was Oprah or significant other was watching that game. Why? Because you provided some quality minutes off the bench for Manly. My other highlights in the second quarter, I think, was just DeFratis ceiling under the basket like she's in there to claim the key as a taken over it as a as land like she was just owning it she however she was in danger a lot of times of picking up a three-second violation and i think there were lots of times it could have been called yeah but if they're not calling it stay in there until they do
00:49:13
Speaker
I mean, I remember going to under a few years ago, and this player was just – and there was someone in the crowd, they like 16, 17, 18, and the rest didn't call it.
00:49:26
Speaker
I don't know if they were, like, sneaking their foot out in this person in the crowd, but, like, if they to if they're not going to call it – keep at it. The only thing I will say, I felt like they, there were a couple of times Bankstown perhaps got a little too predictable with going into Defraitas and mainly kind of recognize it, but she was just so good there that half the time it didn't even matter.
00:49:48
Speaker
She just made something happen anyway. Yeah, just being a target and just being disruptive on the, like, disrupting Manley's defense and making them scramble, whether she got the ball or not, I think was, she just attracted enough attention um to put Manley under pressure. and in that second quarter as well you know the shooting percentage for bankstown increased that little bit more they shot 43 from the two-point range and 75 from the three-point range in that second quarter and manly's improved a lot in the two-point range but it was still only 20 which is very unlike them and still though a solid 38 from the three-point range really keeping them in that game But other than that, institute there weren't any other outstanding to statistics in the second quarter I could see. Did you pick up on anything?
00:50:45
Speaker
Not really. i mean we i mean, it kind of bears out in you know what we've been saying about Bankstown in the pick and roll, that they had 20 points in the paint in the first half. There's and absolutely zero surprises there. Yeah.
00:50:59
Speaker
Just, I mean, you talk about Manly, yeah, they improved from three-point range, but they're still lagging so far behind Bankstown in those numbers. i You mentioned the points from the bench. I mean, Bankstown had more points from the bench in the second quarter than Manly had for the entire game. So so it says a bit, doesn't it, about just how it went?
00:51:20
Speaker
That's right, 13 points from the bench in that second period for Bankstown and Manly had a total of 12 for the whole game. Those 13 points in that second quarter, thanks to the Dunlop sisters, just letting it rain. Who's training those Dunlop sisters? Who's putting it like who is who's training them in the offseason? Because they've improved so much again, season to season.
00:51:44
Speaker
But, I mean, it's kind of a thing. We talked about KDW. She's improved season to season. Bankstown Dunlop's improved. They've got things going well there there. I mean, their starting lineup is mostly not Bankstown locals.
00:52:01
Speaker
But coming off the bench, that is a loaded local, you know, local lineup. Well, yeah, let's get into the third quarter because Caleb, off the back of what we were just saying, made a really great point in the third quarter about how it is the Bruins bench that is like this perfect supporting cast to all these other different pieces. They've been there from the very start of Bankstown entering the NBL 1 East competition.
00:52:27
Speaker
They've been turning up every season. They're all improving on their game as individuals and now the chemistry that they've got as a team Their foundations in this women's program is really outstanding and I hope it stays at this club for a long time. I think we've talked about before as well that we love clubs like Bankstown and Manly because they have this sustainable approach to building their senior programs and, look, du the Dunlops and Davis Whites of the world are now reaping the benefits.
00:52:59
Speaker
Yeah, and I mean... Like I just said, yes, their starting line-up is, you know, not from the club, but they didn't also go out and try to replace their local youngsters with more players from other clubs, which they could have they could have tried to do, and they didn't. And um I know Lauren Curtin is, you know, big on, you know, having that local core supplemented or complemented by big names in the positions you need. And that's exactly what they've done.
00:53:30
Speaker
That's exactly what you've got to do. ah But my notes from the third quarter, De Freitas again just absolutely camping in the key like she owns the place, not getting any three-second calls, which, like you said, just...
00:53:47
Speaker
Like just do it until you get stopped, really. Yeah. um I felt like sometimes Manly, i don't know if they were panicking a little bit, but I felt like sometimes in their half-court offense they were just rushing a little bit too much in a sense where maybe playing with a little bit too much pace I felt like they could have...
00:54:06
Speaker
maybe turn it down again just a little bit to focus on getting a really, really good shot. And I think maybe that was still like being rattled with that physicality from the start and then finding themselves however many points down halftime, which, again, i respectfully, I don't think anyone was expecting that big of a deficit.
00:54:29
Speaker
And then at the six-minute mark, poor coach Nate gets a tech.
00:54:36
Speaker
on it had been coming i think it had been coming sorry nate but yeah when the camera is in that position it's very easy to see when the visiting coaches are talking to the officials because the i think the camera's positioned a little closer to the visitors bench oh yeah it was almost just like a vip access to the visitors bench um But, yeah, and then in comes Zoe Miller making up for lost time. She's just tucking that ball under her arm and she's like, let's do this. If i'm if we're going to fight back, I'm going to lead the fight from the start.
00:55:15
Speaker
And we talked to her a couple of weeks ago about how she learned to play with more physicality, with her experience with the Sydney Flames, and it came to a head this game. The battles between her and Shiloh in particular were so good to watch.
00:55:30
Speaker
that was three or four of the best minutes of basketball i've watched this season it was a lights out so he was like if we're going down we're going down swinging and i am going to swing a lot she every time just ball straight just straight in just it was just And not like barreling in uncontrolled and throwing something up, trying to draw contact. It was barreling and kick, barreling and fire out, barreling and wedge a finger roll somehow once. But which i ah I did write down that, you know, yes, it's been a tough game for Manly, but also were some times where they just couldn't catch a break. Like, when's the last time you saw a wedge or like a hook finger roll layup kind of thing?
00:56:19
Speaker
Just doesn't happen. No, no. It was so good. yeah um yeah She had that drive on Shiloh to draw a foul and then rip the inbound away from Kayla Proctor straight afterwards and had four points in the space of that.
00:56:36
Speaker
um She had one that should have been an assist for Kim Dickinson, but Kim just couldn't finish. It was just, yeah, nothing to lose and played like it. It was beautiful. Yeah.
00:56:48
Speaker
Yeah, it was excellent. And when sometimes you need that one player in those situations when you're down by a bit at halftime. You just need that one player to get the motor running again, to be the spark, to inspire the others. And she just came out on a tear, which I really loved. And going back to your point from the first quarter where you felt like Bankstown were much better at creating these opportunities where they could have an advantage over their opponents, whether it be on a switch or getting De Freitas on the inside on a seal.
00:57:19
Speaker
I feel like Zoe then gave it back to them in this third quarter where she was able to identify someone with less experience and maybe less strength as a yeah a very young proctor was guarding her. And Zoe's like, that's it.
00:57:33
Speaker
I'm going for it. And she was really trying to make the most of those situations.
00:57:39
Speaker
Yeah. and I did ah also notice that during that time was also Freitas was off court for a bit of that as well. And I think that's perfect time for someone like Zoe to just attack the paint because she, De Freitas basically controlled the paint the entire time she was on offensively and defensively. And if you're going to go for it, perfect timing.
00:58:11
Speaker
Yeah, De Freitas unfortunately getting in some early foul trouble herself and she was fouled out in the end, only playing 21 minutes and 35 seconds, but still put up 13, 6 and 3 in that time. Had she stayed on a little bit longer, bit scar a bit scared to see how much those numbers would have grown. Yeah.
00:58:32
Speaker
um But for me as well in the third quarter, I thought Manly started to contest contest the offensive boards a lot better. And I think that really started to then cough up perhaps some more second chance opportunities or then start to challenge Bankstown that little bit more in terms of trying to create something out of when they were getting nothing in the first half.
00:58:57
Speaker
yeah and i think that comes back to again but with everything ran through it was defraudis you know not being there and there was also times when um defraudis and talia were both off course so bangston did run a little bit more of a bench unit or maybe not a total bench unit but i think two starters on at the most of uh periods of this third quarter so um there was a there was a part of me that was like I think it got back to 14 at one point, and I was like, feels like Nelia coming back, but the Bankstown really have this in control because they're just sitting a couple of extra players for a little while. But by the same token, momentum's a big thing.
00:59:43
Speaker
So ah yeah even though that might have been the case, I think Bankstown had it fairly under control for a lot of the way. Oh, feel so too. Bankstown did a great job in that first half of just asserting their dominance, shutting Manly down on the offensive end. Again, the number one offensive rated team in NBL 1 East coming to this game. Got a 20-point lead by completely grinding it out, making tough shots, making big threes, and then able to make hold it for the next half. Like, that's impressive. That's pretty impressive.
01:00:18
Speaker
It got out to 30 at one point. i think it was the biggest lead of the game. I think I saw 64-34 at one point. You're right. yeah You're right. Quarter three, the biggest lead that Bankstown had was 31 points, and they were in the lead again for the whole game. So getting it out to 31 points is pretty outstanding.
01:00:37
Speaker
That's amazing. Well, Manly hadn't lost in 26 or 25 games or 26 games before this one. So struggle to remember the last time Manly would have trailed by 30 in a game.
01:00:49
Speaker
Other than Nationals. Thanks, Swim. Yeah. Other than Nationals. if We really need to be reminded of that. I mean, they were basically playing a WNBL team. I mean, yes, sorry yes.
01:01:04
Speaker
Yeah. the Yeah. It's no. and yeah yeah When you have full-time interviews of Christy Wallace and Agnes Emanopu and Kira Glover. Yeah. Yeah. Fair point.
01:01:15
Speaker
One of those three have played WNBA. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Fair play. But yeah, as I mentioned before, I felt like Manly were doing a great job just trying to get some scraps and hustle out of scraps, crashing the O boards. In the third quarter, they had six second chance points, which was more than all of Bankstown's second chance points. So yeah.
01:01:37
Speaker
Manly ended up with nine second chance points. They didn't have any in the fourth quarter, but Bankstown only having four for the game. Manly's two-point range percentage as well greatly improved again in this third quarter, getting up to 46%. Their three-point percentage dropped a little bit, but it was still only 25.
01:01:57
Speaker
ah But Bankstown's three-point percentage really dropped in this third quarter. dropping down to 36%. So some tables were starting to turn. Some momentum was starting to turn.
01:02:09
Speaker
Certainly Manly was doing everything in their power to to fight back. But Bankstown were just able to pin them down and keep them down.
01:02:20
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, fourth quarter. for Start of the fourth quarter to break us back in Ball movement... Early in the t fourth quarter, their ball movement looked some of the best it was all game.
01:02:34
Speaker
um is it then They went inside out with De Freitas, didn't get a basket, but it looked good. And then they went back to the pick and roll. And that did work and got a result.
01:02:45
Speaker
um And yeah, as you said, they just pinned them down. They just did not let Manly Warringah get back into it. I'm
01:02:57
Speaker
im Manly Warringah, I think...
01:03:04
Speaker
struggle to find a way to say this. Yeah, I don't think they're moving the ball and getting through sets. They struggle with it all day and... though If they were going to get back into this game, it either had to be a single person, like absolute takeover, which isn't really in Manly's DNA, or they had to absolutely just rip them apart, rip Bankstown apart with just clinical offense. And it just it just wasn't going to happen today based on the evidence of the first three quarters. And it kind of didn't in the fourth either.
01:03:37
Speaker
Yeah, Manly was certainly getting a lot better shots in this third and fourth quarter and a lot easier shots at the basket. But I think because but because of the physicality and how tough it was for Manly to get any shots from the outset, this is where I feel like they were rattled for the rest of the game where you kind of have that fear of like, oh I'm going to go up for a layup and expect a bump.
01:04:00
Speaker
But then that's when you shoot over the the bat like the side of the backboard, something short, because you're always expecting a bump or a slap or some kind of pressure. And then when you get used to that and then the pressure's all of a sudden taken away or it's a lot less to what you're used to that's when you're like, i have to readjust again. So Manly was certainly getting a lot better shots, but I think it was just and just a little bit rattled because in this fourth quarter, their two-point percentage went back down 16% or 17%.
01:04:30
Speaker
yeah although in saying that i the final three minutes of the game were it was it was very evident that the game was done as a contest by then i think that's the nicest way i can talk about the final three minutes of the game um but that also kind of stemmed from the fact that Zoe Miller fouled out with 420. Just over four minutes to play. Because she once again, fouled straight in.
01:05:05
Speaker
Kick to Josie Redan in the corner for three. Very next defensive possession gets tangled up with Talia Tupaya and fouls out. Absolute world class reaction from Zoe to that foul, by the way.
01:05:19
Speaker
Oh, yeah, it was really unfortunate. um Getting tangled up with Talia as well is very easy to do and she can do it so well where the person is really restricted but also looks like the person has committed the foul. Yeah, and I think it was a 16-point game then and I think once that happened, I thought any chance of a miracle just fell by the wayside, unfortunately.
01:05:45
Speaker
And I think they were exploited as well in that pick and roll again in that fourth quarter. So they kept switching, which wasn't really working. So given that Bankstown are loaded with so many talented guards that can shoot and pass out of a pick and roll, you know, Shiloh Hill, Tali Tupiah. even when um even when davida davis has got it at the top of the key um i wonder if just trying a blitz defense instead where you know as soon as they take the dribble off the pick you go and double or you can just show and then retreat just trying something a little bit like that uh just to change it up a bit and just to disrupt bankstown a little bit more i wonder if even that would have helped just a little bit
01:06:30
Speaker
We'll find out in seven games' time when they play each other maybe? Yeah, I hope so I hope so um But otherwise, ah I think the only other notes that I had from this game was that ah Manly were averaging 44% field goal percentage coming into this game. And, yeah, this probably being one of their lowest in a long time. shooting at 29 from the field overall in the end they were actually leading the league in rebounds this game uh going into this game but uh were out rebounded by bankstown 53 48 bankstown assists
01:07:13
Speaker
and manly still had fifteen which still isn't bad No, 15 assists on 22 made field goals, but 23 assists on 29 made field goals. 10 of them Shaila Hill.
01:07:26
Speaker
And I think that just harks back to your point earlier about she doesn't have to. She doesn't feel like she's not playing like she thinks she has to drop 30 a night for a team to get a win anymore. I mean, we've seen her drop 50 and lose a game. So, yeah.
01:07:41
Speaker
it's all it's very It's very healthy to see, yeah, that she can play and yeah get 10 assists and pick up the win. And it really looks like a lineup that she the maybe is not built around her because she was one of the later signings, but works in a way that is geared well towards her.
01:08:06
Speaker
Totally. And I wonder if Talia Tupai is also feeling less pressure to have to drop 30, 40 a game as well and not carry a team on her back. Now she's able just to relax and do what she can. And,
01:08:19
Speaker
You know, you look at the points um table for Tali and you're like, oh, okay, she only had 11, but she also had nine rebounds, four assists, four steals, two blocks, and shot three from seven from the field.
01:08:33
Speaker
I mean, that's still a very good day at the office and she can still defend pretty much anyone. Exactly. I mean, four starters in double figures and then David vita Dale with 8.7 rebounds and four assists.
01:08:48
Speaker
Share the sugar.
01:08:52
Speaker
the end of the day, where everyone still wants a championship. ah So it doesn't matter who's putting the numbers up. It's just a matter of getting the wins on the board. um But, yes, that were some of my outstanding stats for this one.
01:09:05
Speaker
I think the thing also about this Bankstown team and who they've got is there's no players there that aren't already proven entities to WNBL teams. If they're playing in this offseason,
01:09:17
Speaker
they don't need to prove themselves to coaches and go well if i don't drop 25 30 a game i'm not going to get looked at for wmbr everyone knows what talia and shiloh can do they're going to get if coach well ah i think shiloh's already exercised a year about option for next year so we know she's gone um but you know if a team wants talia they know what she can bring she doesn't have to go out there and you know, play iso ball to generate highlights to get a coach to pick her up.
01:09:46
Speaker
It's fine. You can just play within the team concept and everything's fine, which is not always, i mean, every player wants to play, you know, to win a championship, but sometimes you are trying to put yourself in the shot window as well.
01:10:01
Speaker
Yeah, totally, totally. um And in a game where, you know probably one of Manly's lower scoring games, lower shooting percentages, as we mentioned, they still managed to put up three more shots than Bankstown.
01:10:18
Speaker
Yeah. A couple more offensive rebounds got the mo got them over the line. but Yeah. um Yeah, so, I mean, turnover number's close, offensive rebound number's close, means the field goal attempts were actually more for Manly than Bankstown, but Bankstown just they put it in the net better.
01:10:39
Speaker
Yeah, they really did. Sorry, just thanks to all the things we've talked about, not just shooting. Oh, of course, yeah. It really was just one of those games where it was really tough from the outset. Like, man, Bankstown did a wonderful job sticking to their game plan and being very disciplined and playing like a pack.
01:10:58
Speaker
um which really also helped them get the win as well, everyone just doing their bit, doing their role. And then just a a few errors here and there from Manly, like, you know, missing a few shots that they weren't used to, dealing with the physicality, um just the switches and the communication and the rules on the pick and rolls. And then it was it wasn't like Manly played badly. It was just some of those small errors that,
01:11:28
Speaker
were that bankstown were just ready to exploit and played their best game 100 i mean mainly came out the next day and beat coe so it's not like they completely fell in a hole on the back of this one game and they beat they beat coe 80 to 67 the next day shot 38 from the field despite going well they shot despite going five and 26 from three point land they shot 38 overall
01:11:56
Speaker
So, and mean, Bankstown came out the next day and then beat Sutherland and held Lauren Nicholson and Abby Curtin to a combined 14 points. So, i mean, Maddie Norris had 29, but still there's there's been days where Maddie Norris has had 29 and Lauren Nicholson still put up 25 plus of her own. So it's not an either or situation when you play the Sharks.
01:12:20
Speaker
No, so, that yeah, Bankstown, two massive wins for the weekend where perhaps from some perspective looks like they were looking down ah a barrel, but they've come out victors in a huge, huge doubleheader win. So looking ahead, though, to the next round, Bankstown now play the Canberra Nationals away down at Tuggeranong Stadium in round seven.
01:12:47
Speaker
And then in round to eight, they've got the inner West Bulls at home. Round nine, they've got the Crusaders. So that's already another three potential wins for the Bankstown. And then they've got Newcastle at home in round 10. So that's the one where we're going to take another look at, given that me or Heidi will be back.
01:13:06
Speaker
Heidi De Freitas, let's go. um It's a tough little run for Bainsdown. Newcastle at home. I mean, three the three big games are at home, but newcast sorry Newcastle at home, Illawarra away, and then North at home, and then the rematch against Manly up there at the Nest. So good good solid litmus test for, I love that term lately, litmus test, for Bainsdown playing Newcastle, North, and Manly-Warringah in the space of four games there.
01:13:38
Speaker
Yeah, just lots, just keep building, keep building. um Yeah, super exciting for them. ah And, yeah, like you said, Manly as well, waste taking no time to dwell on that loss to Bankstown, back up and beat the Centre of Excellence 67 to 80 the next day. and Manly in Round 7 will now play Comets away. and in Round 8 they've got Maitland away.
01:14:08
Speaker
And in round nine, they've got Hills Hornets at home. And round 10, they've got a doubleheader at home against Aubrey Wodonga Bandits and then the Centre of Excellence the next day. So not too bad for them either.
01:14:21
Speaker
No, but, I mean, Aubrey Wodonga. They haven't quite put it together, but I feel like they could at any moment. So...
01:14:34
Speaker
um I mean, any team with unique Thompson in it is ah is a dangerous proposition. Yeah. Never say never.
01:14:44
Speaker
All right. Birthday boy, do you have any final um observations from our East Scott game game of the week between Bankstown and Manly Warringah women? um
01:14:59
Speaker
Look, going down by 31 for Manly Warringah. not good at all it's probably a bit of a warning to the competition as well that bankstown can go up by 31 on manly waringa but i don't think i saw anything that mainly warrior can't solve in the game um come back in what is it five weeks time or six weeks time or whenever it is and i think we'll see a much closer game
01:15:28
Speaker
And Bankstown Bruins, you just keep rolling. I mean. You bring that defense to any game and every all of your opponents need to be scared. 100%. That, I think.
01:15:41
Speaker
Yeah. Newcastle, I mean, especially now, I mean, if you've beaten Manly Warringah, the only place to go from there in this season at this point is to beat North. And they have that game in a few weeks' time. So.
01:15:52
Speaker
Plenty of time to prep. Exactly. Exactly. Very good. Any other news or discussion points from across NBL 1 East before we sign off? um No, I think that's the that's about a wrap. Yep.
01:16:08
Speaker
I will be at Comet Stadium this Saturday calling the Delaney Derby, Comets versus Manly. So do tune in if you are not otherwise occupied.
01:16:19
Speaker
We'd love to have your company. But, yeah, that's about it. Who are you on with? I'm with je once again.
01:16:27
Speaker
The basketball diva, Jem Hudson. Very good. Love having a new female commentator in the mix. Yes. Excellent. All right. Well, that is our time for ESCOT game this episode. Thanks again to everyone for tuning in live on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
01:16:48
Speaker
I know we've still got a couple of viewers on YouTube, so if you've got any questions or points you'd like to make, put it up in the comments now. and we can get it on air. But otherwise, perhaps even we've left it too late.
01:17:04
Speaker
ah Remember, you can de you can send us a DM on our Instagram page at escockgame if you have any further discussion points you'd like us to cover in future episodes. If there's any athletes out there also listening to the podcast who would like to be a guest on a future episode, please, our DMs are open.
01:17:26
Speaker
But otherwise, Lockie, what do we say to the good people? Look, how many times I've got to tell you, don't sleep on the east.