Transcript
Speaker: Welcome back to East Scott Game, where we give you the X's, the O's and the insights of MBL One East. Thanks for joining us tonight live on YouTube and Instagram. And remember, you can follow us on Instagram and Facebook at East Scott Game, or you can continue to find our episodes on your preferred streaming platforms.
Speaker: While you're there, check out Cut to the Jace, a podcast featuring current Bankstown Bruin Jason Caddy, And It's a Coal World, a podcast by WNBL champion, Beck Cole, both brought to you by basketball.com.au. And we'll apologise for the slight delay in getting this episode underway, because apparently taking three weeks off EGG despite four seasons, I lost all my skills, Lockie. They were gone.
Speaker: Gone. You must have had a very enjoyable break, Squin. I sure did. I sure did. And I'm ready to do it all again in just a few months' time. But that will be post-season, so we'll have nothing to worry about.
Speaker: But speaking of post-season, your season just wrapped up. It's social basketball. How'd you go? Yay, social basketball. Yay. won our Monday night comp in very good fashion, actually. um We play against this team called the Queen Bees.
Speaker: Really lovely team to play against, very competitive and skilled and really great sports. But we got the win last night, which was nice. And I can't tell you. Oh, actually, I think the last time I won a social comp was maybe 2023.
Speaker: twenty twenty three So it's good to be back in the winner's circle. Very good. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you. And that was post-holiday as well. So I so definitely wasn't feeling physically prepared for a tough grand final.
Speaker: Got the W. That's all that matters. That's right. That's right. And thank you for holding down the seat for the last few weeks, Lockie. So you had Olivia Douglas for one episode from the Sharkies. You, of course, had James ah from Waratah on VCR as well filling in. And then a lovely week off. I bet you were really keen for that week off over the King's birthday long weekend.
Speaker: Yeah, I had a really relaxing weekend. I went to Newcastle for the Matildas game. Well, perfect timing, right? So you don't have the conflict of do I go see the Matildas or do I need to commentate a game?
Speaker: Exactly. all out in the end. you know, sometimes NBL1 having the public holidays off is a good thing. Definitely. And I think sometimes given the season is so long, just having that week off for everyone is a good physical and mental reset.
Speaker: I think so. Yeah. But it looks like after round 10, the hits just keep coming in NBL One East. You've done a great job preparing some discussion points for tonight's episode. So take me from the top.
Speaker: Well, first of all, we've got some teams to congratulate on making finals. ah North Bears women sitting at 14 and 0, a full i think full game clear of every team outside the top eight's best possible ah results. so they are well and truly locked in. And courtesy of the fact that Illawarra and Aubrey Wodonga still have to play each other, and that means one of them has to lose, that means COE and Manly Warringah have qualified as well. So congratulations to...
Speaker: all three of those teams. And, uh, dare say the Bankstown Bruins women aren't far behind. Neither are, well, just about the entire top four of the men's comp, to be honest, because they are, or the entire top five are streaking away on the men's side. But the Norse women, well, 14 and 0, they've got Bankstown coming up soon though, which I think, are I think we'll be a, r yes, they've got Comets next week and then Bankstown on the 27th of June. So grand final preview maybe.
Speaker: Although I think Manly and COE and Newcastle might have something to say about that. I think so too. And it looks like in the COE women's programs, Zara Russell has graduated and is probably heading off to start her college career, so she won't be finishing the rest of the season. But I think that was the only graduate from from the women's side.
Speaker: It was, which is crazy. Well, not crazy. They had they had a lot of graduates last last year. or Was it last year they had Or the year before? like feels like they had a very young program for a couple of seasons now. So, yeah, good to see.
Speaker: Good to see the young, the very young team are progressing well. And i mean, t Zara's graduation was announced a good few weeks ago and she's still been playing. But yeah, on the men's side, huh all out or change.
Speaker: Like a ah hi hitting Olympic Park Station. Everyone out.
Speaker: Yeah, so at least the women's side, you know, a bunch of them will go to the under 17 Women's World Cup that's going to be held in July. um But, I mean, then they'll be become back obviously still just as competitive. But it's good that they've got a consistent roster for this yeah particular season and still able to hold steady in that fourth position on the ladder. So, yeah, exciting stuff for them. Yeah, they have doubleheader against Sutherland and Inner West this weekend, and that rounds out their entire regular season before, as you said, they go off for national team duties.
Speaker: Very exciting. um So that's great. And I mean, i think it's on trend as well for the women's competition. i feel like we have similar conversations every season that particular teams are already qualifying for finals well before the ah well before the season has finished. And the men's side is always up to the very last game.
Speaker: oh Yes. Well, he I mean... In fairness, it's partly because Illawarra have only played the 12 games, but, yeah, I don't think they're too far away sitting at 11-1. And, I mean, yeah, north. yeah and As I said, the top four are all pretty close if not there yet.
Speaker: Yeah, and imagine the Gunners are probably only one or two wins away as well because they're currently in fifth with a win-loss record of Yeah. Yeah. yeah And now maybe this is a good segue to talk about the article that you wrote recently on your Substack.
Speaker: I did write an article on my Substack. I originally posted it to my close friends and I got a grand total of two comments, one from a NBL1 East player just saying yes, and another from a fellow commentator also just saying yes.
Speaker: So I decided to put it out to the wider world and got a few more comments that people basically say yes. A few coaches. um few players couple of fans um yeah um i mean it is a topic we broached briefly actually we did our little instagram live on it at the start of the season but that was off the back of what two two or three results like it was 70 point rubbings but those haven't um continued but there has still been a pattern um
Speaker: I kind of felt bad for my my choice of timing for putting it out to the wider world was right after that. um It was ah it was right right after that really close Canberra COE game. so um That was kind of not the best timing, but ah yes, I did write an article all about, oh not so much about the blowouts in NBL One East, but um how they compare to previous seasons and what's going on in other conferences. and
Speaker: and This is specifically about the women's competition because in the men's competition, I think even Penrith have a points percentage well into the 80s, whereas in the women's, the bottom three teams are all sitting at, so I think, 63% or lower. And so specifically about the women's comp and...
Speaker: just that we're having a lot more blowout results and even a lot fewer really close results so even if you'd like take those like middle like 10 to 20 kind of things we're not having a lot of as many as those either i think there was nbl1 south had many five point games in one weekend as or in two weekends as we've had in the entire season so i was yeah um compared to south and north especially less less so central and west, but compared to north and south especially, and compared to previous seasons. We're just having so many more blowouts, and it's just it's just not good watching after a while. i don't think the league wants people, obviously the league doesn't want people to tune into a game and switch off at half time because it's done as a contest kind of thing.
Speaker: Yeah, absolutely. And I think it is a good comparison to south and north because they're still consistently ah the two the the two conferences seen as the two better conferences, they probably have the clubs with more funding to attract the more consistently higher calibre players. But, um yeah, and I think it is fair to say that it still does happen in Western Central. There's still that big disparity between top and bottom. ah What were some of the other comments you got from people other than, you know, agreeing with um your article?
Speaker: I mean, there were ah there there were always, there were the calls that, you know, we need to cut teams from the league. so Some people have multiple reasons for that because some people want full home and away season.
Speaker: And with a 16-team competition, it's just, um unless you just completely ignore the NBL at either end of the season and just say, this is a competition for the next level of player and run it for 20, 22 weeks.
Speaker: You're not going to get full home and away season with 16 teams. It's just not going to happen. So I think some people, you know, kind of like, well, we're getting these things blown out and we all want home and away.
Speaker: and we sort of just kill two birds with one stone and chop a couple of teams? But I don't, I still don't know if it's the right idea. Although, um
Speaker: ahve been I have been trying to um find out what the exact criteria as far as standards go for entry into the league. Because the last set of bylaws I found from 2024 say each there's no limit on the amount of teams, but each club must set...
Speaker: reach a set criteria or set points of criteria but the bylaws don't actually list what those criteria are they list some like objective standards like you've got to have a local comp you've got to have uh junior junior teams in junior reps in every age group you've got to have you know enough stats bench refs say whatever but then there's other criteria that they don't actually list so i don't actually know what the other criteria are for entry into the league so i can't even comment on if the bar You know, the barrier to entry is too low or too high. It's probably not too high, it too low or just right or what it is.
Speaker: That's kind of unfortunate. Yeah, and they are the only conditions of entry I remember, which is just very, very basic, is that if a club is to enter NBL1 teams, they have to have a women's and men's team enter together.
Speaker: Yeah. they There has been in the past, you know, in in the past iterations of NBL1, In the past, men's and women's teams have entered the competition at the same time, but then men's teams have gone on in the competition without a women's team, e.g. Crusaders. The Crusaders were in Waratah League, Champion League, ABA, whatever you want to call it, for a real for what, nearly a decade without ah a women's team.
Speaker: um Yeah, 100%. i You would think, oh, maybe that's a solution. But, again, logistically and to make a schedule out of that, that's not going to work at all. it's it's No, and you don't want it to. if um I was talking to someone about this and i was saying if you've got a league, and this is a league where the men and women's league is seen as equal as it should be, you can't have a league where you say, okay, X teams can field a men's team.
Speaker: They all get to field a women's team if the women's talent pool isn't as high and vice versa if the women's talent pool is better. You say x amount of teams can field a competitive women's team, therefore they get a men's team.
Speaker: Yes, it means you might have some clubs that can field a competitive men's team miss out. Do we need promotion and relegation between Boratah League?
Speaker: You know? What, you do we need not just promotion and relegation, do we need relegation if you don't meet standards, but not necessarily a team coming up? Are we okay with losing a couple of teams?
Speaker: Don't, I wouldn't say at the end of the season, go you, you and you go, know, you've got to give teams an actual chance to say, okay, oh, wow. There's a bit of jeopardy about this. Let's, you we've got to get our act together and show that we're all competitive, but, um,
Speaker: Yeah, I don't think we can just say if you can have a good, you know, if we've got the talent for 16 men's teams, which we seem to do because fair play, like even Penrith and Aubrey Wodonga who are right down the bottom are competitive enough in most games. um
Speaker: But just because we've got that level of men's talent, we don't necessarily have the talent pool. And it's for the women's league to be as strong, which is unfortunate.
Speaker: um And I know things like college rips the hell out of the league every season, particularly on the women's side, I think more than the men's, which is unfortunate.
Speaker: But, yeah, it's just – and it's more the Sydney talent pool than the whole state. You Illawarra are always going to have the Illawarra players. Newcastle are going to have the Newcastle. You but you've got to fill out all these Sydney teams. So, yeah, that's where the player movement comes in.
Speaker: and Yeah, I think I've shared my opinions on this before. I'm all for relegation and promotion between State League because then I think that that will also improve and broaden the State League competition, keep people super competitive in both to make sure that, A, they're not getting relegated and, B, if they really want to be promoted and play NBL 1,
Speaker: You've got to put in the hard work in the in the office and administration to get there. So that now that's what I like. I like the flow between the two, the and NBA and the G League, essentially.
Speaker: Yeah, i i I really like it. And also the close shot with the NBL one, it just it means unless you are egregiously bad, it's very hard to get like kicked out of the league kind of thing.
Speaker: And I should say as well that ah um it's not like NBA and G League. It's totally different, but yes yeah. Yeah. ah One of our friends on Instagram Live, Chris, was making a funny comment about a particular WNBL team, but we won't say that on air, so that's okay. I'm just happy that he's watching.
Speaker: but um But, you know, just it is round 10 has fit just finished. um We have, what, six more rounds to go? Five.
Speaker: Five more rounds to go. Five rounds to go. Some teams still have double headers in those five rounds. And yet we have, I think they do anyway, assuming they do.
Speaker: Oh, yeah. Yeah. And yet we still have player announcements and new signings coming into the league. don't understand this. I mean, you can add players up until the point your team's played 12 games and some teams, well yeah, as long as you've got eight games left to play, you can announce players.
Speaker: So some teams have done so. so Yeah, that's super exciting. Yeah. so So a couple of players returning home. So Audra Pasacanis back to Illawarra, the Arbor.
Speaker: former New South Wales junior representative, played a college ball, former Billawarra NBL1, Sutherland NBL1, back for the Hawks, which is a a big in for them as they are sitting there right on the cusp of finals. But I know there were two really big names, but my favourite is the return after four years out of Courtney West.
Speaker: Now, for those of you who weren't following way back in the day, The injury that Courtney West suffered, that's a it's an instant career ender.
Speaker: It was horrible what she did to her knee. She took everything out in that injury. um And
Speaker: i don't know how she's done it, but she came back. She played just a few minutes in the first quarter against Hornsby Karengai on the Saturday. And then on the Sunday, she played, I think, 25 minutes and had six points and eight rebounds against Canberra. And she had an assist with her very first touch of the game against Hornsby Karengai.
Speaker: she She was sitting on like 160 assists per 40 minutes played at one point. She was first possession, just dropped it in. It's beautiful. So I am so, so happy to see Courtney back. That is...
Speaker: And great for the Sutherland Sharks to have that extra height inside. of Shot blocking extraordinaire. Do you want to go to the big name, Squinn?
Speaker: Oh, well, before you move on, I will just also add that it is remarkable to see Courtney back after the injury she had, like you mentioned. And what was the homecoming like for her when she hit court again?
Speaker: Um, well, of course I had the headset on, but, uh, I was very high. it's You know, the energy was there. it was good. Yeah. I'm not sure everyone around realized, cause I don't think your signing was actually announced by the club. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: So she was there, but um like a lot of, um I think even like a lot of people there that aren't like, you know, massively in the club would have realized, you know, just how long she's been out for or that she is an ex-player kind of thing. But I know for those of us that were actually, the you know, in the know, it was ah it was a very, very happy moment.
Speaker: Yeah, that's excellent. And especially for Courtney to have the confidence to go on and play 25 minutes in just her second game back and for Turton to back her up as well. That's some really lovely to see. A good mood booster and spirit booster for the Sutherland Sharks.
Speaker: Yes, definitely. um On an otherwise frustrating weekend, to say the least, for the Sharkies. But we'll get into that. Yeah. ah But, yeah, the other big signings we've got, um I mean, tell me do you know much about the new signing for Bankstown?
Speaker: ah ah don't know a lot about him yet, Bismarck Insight. I know he was a college teammate of our Comet's own Ty Barber Bay at Jefferson and Fairleigh Dickinson. So I knew I did i did see that. I haven't had much of a chance to watch you i have to ah catch some highlights because I saw that he he did a little bit. Yeah.
Speaker: So Stan's 6'7", plenty of our college awards, three-times conference tournament team for Jefferson. So definitely comes with our comes with pedigree. And, I mean, that Bankstown team sitting at, I think they were four and eight before he joined. So it might be just the tonic for them.
Speaker: Yeah, absolutely, because especially now it looks like Has Kadir come back to court yet? but Because it looked like his injury was pretty major. Yeah, I don't think so. I don't know that we'll see him the rest of the campaign. So you any extra scorers, any extra players that can contribute for that team is going to very good.
Speaker: um And yeah, the other two big ones, I mean, for me, I admittedly didn't know much about Will Johnson um until I had to also do my research. have you so Is this a player you've seen before?
Speaker: ah Well, he was Comets junior, represented <unk> New South Wales, was comet was Youth League All-Star 5 in 2020, went off and played for some really good colleges. So played for Loyola Marymount, who played in the West Coast Conference alongside bla Gonzaga until this year and St Mary's.
Speaker: uh teams like that and then moved over to the atlantic 10 um which with richmond which is the conference that davidson are in st joseph's um you know schools some pretty pretty good schools so he played at a very high level in college and had the pleasure of watching him his uh hornsby spiders debut and uh came out and uh he was good and then he went off for 40.
Speaker: forty against Newcastle on the Sunday. So, um yeah, just really really good shooter, was filling it up, really really trying to take it to Bayley. He was really trying to assert his dominance on the game in the early stages because he got a basket on Bayley MacArthur, but but I think with one of his first possessions, and even did the who's this guy celebration to Bayley. Yeah.
Speaker: and he ah once Once he got settled into his game, because I thought he was just going to try and go off early all game and settled down, got into his groove and was really good for the Spiders.
Speaker: Yeah, good stuff. I mean, um the likes of Kelly Lupepe from Sydney Kings, he also went to your lawyer, Marymount. And a couple of other Aussie players like Damian Martin way back in the day and that night, they were – also there so that's always a great school to have on your resume uh but the biggest signing for us uh being the fans of women's basketball as we are totally out of the blue was last absolutely out of the blue last team power assigned with the albara wodonga bandits women's team like that was that was a very pleasant surprise That was so cool. um
Speaker: Yeah, I mean, you know, LSU national champion, really highly regarded player, absolute defensive menace. Like her performances in the NCAA tournament, just like, it was like just watching her minutes go up based on what she was doing at defensive end all season was just, yeah, she's,
Speaker: if If you've got the ball in hand, watch out.
Speaker: Yeah, it was someone it was such a huge signing for us, especially A, out of the blue, B, NB or 1 East. I'm sure she would have had offers from so many other clubs and for her to choose Aubrey is, you know, a compliment in itself. My only only worry was that those that don't follow women's basketball close enough weren't going to weren going to understand the gravity of this signing.
Speaker: Yeah. I mean, she's already had a triple-double. So, higher yeah. I think that's why I posted on our Instagram stories, you know, if you don't know her, please do your research on her so you can understand how big of a signing this is.
Speaker: Yeah. And she probably would have also guarded Kaitlyn Clark, right? So that's the second player in NBL 1 East that has guarded Kaitlyn Clark next to Jazz Shelley.
Speaker: Yeah. yeah yeah no she did in the net in the natty against yeah our in the national city national championship game yeah did a hell of a job yeah so i mean no other conference can say that other than nbl1 east as far as we know and im i'm not going research and prove you're wrong i think that's a rabbit hole you won't be able to come back from
Speaker: But, yeah, you did mention before, um you mentioned your Sutherland Sharks women. So the game that we're going to preview, a preview, it's already happened. The game that we're going to review is the Sutherland Sharks women versus Hornsby Keringai Spiders. Before we get into it, though, is there any other discussion points or anything that you'd like to bring up, Lockie?
Speaker: I have moved my clothes rail from the garage up here so I can hang my jerseys closer to the camera. That's the other big news I have. Good.
Speaker: Good decision. Good decision. What jerseys? I can see a Nicholson jersey in there. I can see a Delaney jersey and I can see a Hawks 23 jersey, which I'm going to.
Speaker: I want to say it's Eladent, but I don't think it's Eladent. It is Emilia Garcia Leon. Oh, and what made you what helped you decide to pick those three players today?
Speaker: Just went into the wardrobe and found three jerseys and I've only got – there's 140 jerseys out there across sports. So, spoiled for choice. So, those were the three I went with today.
Speaker: And Lauren did drop 38 against Hornsby-Karingai. She did. She did. but For all the Sutherland people who were ripping me for wearing my Katie Jones jersey at the Canberra game and my Northwestern T-shirt at the Hornsby-Karingai game. There you go.
Speaker: Lauren Nicholson. You're a brave man wearing the opposition's colours when you're working for the home team. Name on the back is more important than the name on the front.
Speaker: Yeah, fair, fair. Okay, yeah, let's get into this game then. Sutherland Sharks women versus Hornsby Keringi Spiders women, and at an OT thriller. Yeah.
Speaker: 97-98 it was in the end, so also a high-scoring affair. i will preface my contribution by saying, Lockie, I'm not sure if you're aware, but the uploaded replay on the NBL1 website is more glitchy than a second-hand Nintendo 64.
Speaker: Yeah, it's was I did not know that when I ah suggested the game. Oh, so it happened, to it did happen to you two, not just me and my, i wasn't sure if it was my bad internet or something, but. No. Yeah, there were parts of this game entered the matrix.
Speaker: Yeah, there were. um And as commentators, we almost entered the matrix. It was absolutely insane to be at. So while this looked like, for for the most part, from what I could watch, it was a fantastic game.
Speaker: um Just elite in terms of individuals, elite in a way that the team, like a team with ah two teams with two rosters that are really quite well-diverse, very well-rounded teams.
Speaker: Both teams have... um anyone that can score 20 on any day. It was a really, really great matchup. It's just a shame that the upload of the game isn't going to be able to showcase that as much as it should. So from the parts that I saw, i can comment on because there were even times where i think even in the in the die in in overtime, the last bucket attempt by Christina Moore could not see.
Speaker: Yeah, no, they because it came straight after a timeout and the auto cut of the timeout took Christina Moores and one with it. Yeah, yeah. So there's just there's just me there's just me yammering on about Lauren Nicholson fouling out with absolutely zero context.
Speaker: Yeah. Oh, well, that's no fault of your own. No. So you were there on the ground enjoying it with your two co-commentators. You had James, obviously, from Waratah on VCR as a guest co-commentator. And is your other regular co-commentator Jake?
Speaker: Yes. Jake Hilton. Yes. Jake Hilton. We've done 94 games together now, Jake and I. so yeah yes What are you going to do to celebrate your 100th?
Speaker: nothing because we gotta spend an hour packing up afterwards like every sutherland home game no hopefully can do something uh but no it was great it was so good having james there like shout out to the man we've been we have been absolutely uh blocked at every turn from getting to call a game at nbr1 or a waratah game together so it was great to finally get him down especially the sutherland horns because he knows the hornsby kareem guy teams so well and he's just chipping with absolutely anything just you know player history and well he's his knowledge of player history because both teams is elite obviously but just yeah what what the Hornsby team does and he knows the players so well it's so good to so it's so good to have him and especially like the girls turned up for you both as well they gave you an absolute show to be able to commentate at your first game together it was it was amazing um um
Speaker: Honestly, what, like, you think, like, yeah, I called the Dolph, like, the Dolphig Dunks down at Nationals, the 2022 and the 2024 Grand Finals especially.
Speaker: um Obviously, 2025 was fun, but bit more of a blowout. But, you know, I had games like that. But that game, that game, that Saturday game, that was up there as one of the...
Speaker: most enjoyable calls I've had. It was close. It was good. And it was fun. So let's get into it. Yes. Take me through the first quarter. What were your observations?
Speaker: It was a Ruby Perkins show. Wasn't it just? Four of the first five bouts that Sutherland committed in this game were on Ruby Perkins driving to the basket.
Speaker: The free throw count at one point was 12 two. Ruby Kerkins had 13 points in the first quarter. Even, I don't say this very often, even Lauren Nicholson was struggling to stay in front of Ruby Perkins.
Speaker: Yeah, the ah the former NBL 1 East Defensive Player of the Year, you know, defensive, ah known as a 3ND player in the WNBL for years, and Ruby Perkins gave her a hard time.
Speaker: she really did um the change of pace every time she got the ball anytime she was given even the smallest of cushions she just took off and she was gone and sutherland had they had very little answer in the early stages it basically took until the first time out before they actually figured out exactly what they were going to do to try and guard her because uh uh it was just
Speaker: It was poetry in motion. It was so good. And then having Christina Moore there, who is also so versatile, that those two there, they are almost the perfect two to build your team around.
Speaker: And the thing with Ruby as well is... When she's penetrating to school, like she doesn't hesitate at all. Like she's always committing to what she's doing. She doesn't have any hesitation, just indecisiveness in her mind. She's always knowing where she's going and she's going at 100%. And she doesn't have to be barging people over. She just does all those little fundamentals really well. She has a quick first step.
Speaker: She cuts off the shoulder of her defender to make sure that they can't, you know, turn around and catch up to her. and she commits 100% to the drive. And then she's always got such a beautiful touch as well. It's quite remarkable for someone so young to have mastered all of those things at different levels as well, at under-18s Nationals, at under-20s, at playing for Australia Juniors and now NBL1. It's quite remarkable.
Speaker: it It really is. And, i mean, yeah, Yes, Sutherland, mean, they're not the tallest team out there, but they had Matty Norris in the starting lineup and then you throw Courtney West out there for a few minutes. It's not like she's taking on only smaller players.
Speaker: And like you say, yeah, she's she knows what she wants and she goes and gets it. And that was basically, that was a big part of... Hornsby Keringa's offense in the oh the story of the game in the first quarter. um Very good to see Ella Dent finally returning. um She'd been out with a calf strain for fair while, actually the same injury that I was off running for for a few weeks. So I know exactly what she was going through. It's one of the most annoying injuries you will ever have. um
Speaker: but What I found interesting was pre-injury, pre-Ella Dent's injury, even when she was on court, the the outlet would always be the Lauren Nicholson for the Sharks, like in the first five games of the season. It was always, fine Lauren, fine Lauren, fine Lauren.
Speaker: Finally,
Speaker: they're using Ella Dent as, you know, the person bringing the ball up, which I thought was ah was very gratifying to see. I mean, I know, i like, it's probably ah a symptom of, you know, working everyone into the roster, you know, to have the ball in Lauren's hands is the best thing. But it's good to see that, yeah, Ella, and it it happened more and more throughout the game that, you know, they're utilising Ella and Lauren in different ways rather than just Lauren basically being a primary ball handler. and At this level, yeah, she can play point guard, but she's not a point guard.
Speaker: aye
Speaker: Yeah, we want her running the lanes. We want her getting an early catch in transition, you know, whether she can create something for herself or someone else, wait for that trail pick and roll. We don't want the ball in her hand and then just running to a corner. She's a she's a pure shooting guard.
Speaker: Let her shoot the ball. Yes, 100%. The one thing I will say about Hornsby Keringai in the early stages, giving up too many offensive rebounds for teams that aren't massive offensive rebounding. Neither of these teams are massive offensive rebounding teams and both very good on the defensive blast.
Speaker: Liv Douglas was just um cleaning up in the early minutes. I think someone else as well. Three or four O-boards in the first couple of minutes, which was... Not what Coach Shakshara would have wanted to see. Sorry.
Speaker: Yeah, not what Coach Shakshara wanted to see. And it probably helped keep Sutherland in in touch in the first quarter because they are they did fall behind by a bit. um it was They were down 19-12 at one point, and it probably could have been a little bit worse for them.
Speaker: Yeah, I noticed that as well. But ah the the offensive rebound count for this game did surprise me for both teams, both teams having 14 offensive rebounds for the game, which, yeah, which we you don't expect for either of these teams. um And it was multiple people. So Lucy Meade, Christina Moore each had three for Hornsby.
Speaker: Ella Dent had four. Abby Curtin had two. Olivia Douglas had two. So, yeah, it wasn't – that statistic was quite surprising. And, yeah, I can imagine that both coaches would have been tearing their hair out over it. And i and then – Sorry, I was going to say, I think the circumstances in which some of those boards happened as well probably would have been the worst part. I think it felt like more than 14 because of how players were just grabbing them uncontested.
Speaker: Yeah, they were really easy O-boards from both teams as well throughout the game. It was like the seas had parted and the player was there at the right time. And ah and even Ella Dent had putback, I think, in the stretch of the game.
Speaker: And for someone who's a PG, you know, rolling around in the tall timber under the basket, getting a putback is probably, that's that's a bit of a coach killer.
Speaker: Yeah, 100%.
Speaker: But also just looking at second chance points, even though second chance points aren't purely offensive rebounds but can certainly play a big part, Hornsby-Karingai had 15 to Sutherland's nine second chance points. So that was certainly probably an edge just purely based on on hustle and and grit.
Speaker: Yeah, 100%. hundred percent um But I mean, credit to credit to Sutherland. They did bring it back from 19-12 down. They got it back to 21-20 after a quarter.
Speaker: Started to get into a bit more of a rhythm, hit some shots. um Not sure both teams always made the smartest of decisions. Christina Moore was playing drop Matty Norris at one point, which resulted in a three going straight over her head. was like...
Speaker: and then Matty Norris bringing the ball up and trying to cross up a defender resulting in a turnover. Just little things that were annoying. But, I mean, I can't really fault either team too much from this game. But, you know, just those little things that teams need to get out of their game early.
Speaker: Do you think those types of situations were... um I guess just either based on rushing or just in the intensity of the game where sometimes people just kind of carry on and get so caught up in the the speed of it and the rush of the game. And especially if you're the Sharks having to play from a deficit, sometimes those kind of instincts can just take over and that's when we start to make some silly mistakes.
Speaker: Yeah, I think so. I think when you see like Norris bringing the ball up, despite the fact, you know, Dent and Nicholson are on court, you're like, someone should be getting, and everyone's just going, get up court, get in position. Then you realise, you know, it's your four man being guarded by a ah little guard trying to bring the ball up.
Speaker: And then rolling into the second quarter. So the first quarter was 21-20, led by Hornsby Keringai. The second quarter, 24-17. Anything really outstanding from the second quarter for you um
Speaker: My second note on the second quarter is who can actually consistently guard Ruby Perkins on this Sutherland team?
Speaker: Because I know as the quarter went on, it became the Christina Moore show, but um it was facilitated by Ruby. um i think I thought Sutherland, um when they were able to get the ball inside, they had success.
Speaker: But Hornsby, Kareen, Guaya with Moore and Bay, they do such a good job of just knocking the opposition bigs off their position. It's really hard to get set against players who can just muscle just about anyone around.
Speaker: um So, yeah, when Sutherland actually could get the ball inside to someone with their feet set, it looked all right. The problem was doing that in the first place.
Speaker: And, I mean, Hornsby would be really physical against just about everyone. It wasn't just against the bigs. If Nicholson went in there, she was going to, you know, if not get fouled, at least get bumped.
Speaker: So Hornsby were really trying to ah to set the tone with their physicality on defense, which I thought was really good because they've got they've got the lineup to do it with, especially, like I said, with Bay and Moore out there. they're I mean – I mean, we've been watching Christina Moore for years and know versatile she is, but she is still very, very physical.
Speaker: Yeah, I think when you said, you know, that you've asked the question who's going to consistently guard Ruby Perkins, I would argue it's like who's consistently going to guard Christina Moore because she is that versatile. Like she has the the strength and the build of someone like Olivia Douglas, but then she's got the foot speed and agility of someone like,
Speaker: you know, next to a Lauren Nicholson, a Talia Tupaya type player, and she's got those kind of handles. She's got the range of those types of players and she can play inside and outside. So finding someone that's equally going to be able to match that in terms of size and foot speed is really, really difficult. And I have to give credit to Sutherland for changing up their defensive lineups sometimes, trying different people to guard Christina Moore because that's a good exercise in terms of finding who's going to be able to contain her. But also when you're a known scorer like a Christina Moore, it gets really annoying when you're guarded by a lot of different people. um
Speaker: I think we mentioned that maybe in a men's one of the Maitland men's games many rounds back. about just throwing different people at someone like a Christina Moore. Maybe we're talking about Todd Blanchfield in the Illawarra-Maitland game. Yes. um It can just be really frustrating for that person to have to keep adjusting to a different defensive style. So i did like how Turton had faith in his players to to have a crack at guarding Christina.
Speaker: Yeah. But I mean, credit to Christina. She was able to, you know, she had a hot shooting night, four or six, which just, means you've got to respect that as well for the entire night. And they would some of them were real tough looks as well.
Speaker: She was hitting step backs over people. It wasn't all, you know, it wasn't all all cup triples. It was, ah I mean, it was a good shooting night for a lot of players, but um when Christina's on, it it really does open up a lot of things for her.
Speaker: um Unfortunately, can't really say the same for Maddie Norris.
Speaker: Yeah, it just wasn't her night. It really just wasn't her night. um i noticed, especially since the first quarter, she was just overshooting it quite a lot. She ended up with one from nine from the three-point line, and a lot of them just really gone a bit wayward. Like, they were either too too far over, some were little bit too short. Like, it there just wasn't any kind of... consistency But to be fair to Maddie, she certainly redeemed herself by hitting those three free throws to take it into overtime. Like, that was pressure.
Speaker: Yeah, that and, ah ah you know, Shaq icing her with the timeout as well.
Speaker: Yeah. ah Yeah, that that was pressure, and that was, I mean...
Speaker: I was thinking about my heart rate wasn't up. I don't know if I was just like in the moment as a commentator, if I just actually had, you know, all the faith in the world in Maddie or a combination of the two, but, um, yeah, maybe, maybe I'm just the ultimate professional. that's not it. Uh, but, um,
Speaker: good ah but um I did also one thing Jake pointed out and I'll give credit for it Stu that Jake pointed out that there was a stint there in the second quarter where Hornsby Keringai would just getting Liv Douglas as the defender every possession for a while. They just throw it in there.
Speaker: well Yeah, if Bay was inside and Douglas guarding her, that's who they'd take it to just every time, which I found ah found kind of interesting. I don't know they were trying to unlock something there or if they were just trying to, know, if they just focused on Liv being Sutherland's dominant inside presence and trying to,
Speaker: jag a couple of cheapies, cheap fouls out of her or, um well, think it was. But, yeah, just just interesting that that's where you'd go against someone that we call the lighthouse because even an ocean liner can't move her.
Speaker: Unless that was an attempt just to wear her down, like just to make her tired, um just having that relentless. Because I remember also when playing in those positions of, say, a four or a five,
Speaker: yeah, you're running up and down just as much as everyone else. It's actually the the physicality, the boxing out, getting over posts, you know, slightly like defending a post player, fighting for position. Those are the things that really wear you out when you're in those positions. It's not so much the having to run full court and make cuts and all that other stuff. So i wonder if it was just an attempt to wear it out and maybe – um obviously try and pick up some early fouls but then obviously as well when you're more tired you're
Speaker: more susceptible to fouling and making poor decisions. So maybe it was just trying to wear her down. fair that that's That's a fair point. as I mean, yes, Starks had Courtney back, but there's not a whole lot of ah pure inside presence left on that are left on that bench for Sutherland.
Speaker: You know, Dewhurst, Walsh, Kerry, Garland, Andre Younis, there's not really any bigs there. No, and i mean, Hornsby could even play three out, two in with Ayanna Bay and Christina Moore.
Speaker: They have that particular edge in the inside presence over someone like Sutherland because obviously Maddie Norris has the size, but defending post players isn't her kind of in her natural skill set. Yeah.
Speaker: And funnily enough, you you mentioned that there was a play way back early in the first quarter where Ashlyn Waller was guarding Christina Moore and they switched, but all it did was end up with Ashlyn Waller guarding Ayanna Bay instead, which is what's the difference?
Speaker: Yeah, or, yeah, I mean, you sure you switch, but your problem remains the same. Yeah. Uh-oh.
Speaker: But also, I mean, you've got to keep giving credit to Lauren Nicholson in the second quarter. Every time Hornsby punched, she punched back. She just kept racking up points, whether it was going to the rack, knocking down the occasional three. I mean, she ended with 38, but she kept the scoreboard ticking over for Sutherland. I mean, they were down eight.
Speaker: at halftime 45-37, but Lauren was putting this team on her back. as I mean, yeah Maddie's not hitting shots. Abby Curtin didn't have a point in the first half. Emily Garland was good.
Speaker: She was good throughout, especially late on, but she was ah she was chipping in. But Lauren really really just kept this team humming along. Oh, definitely. Solid as a rock.
Speaker: And in this second quarter, the Hornsby-Curingai Spiders shot 62.5% from the three-point line. Both teams shooting a really great clip, but 62.5% was the best shooting quarter or period to old time period of this game. um But otherwise, nothing ah really statistically stood out for either team in these quarters um other than Hornsby extended their lead to 12%.
Speaker: Yeah, ah fortunately, some them were get it back, but yeah.
Speaker: But then how the tides did change for the Sharkies in the third quarter. They ended up winning the third quarter 25-8, so getting that 14-point swing within a quarter. I mean, what do you think was set in that locker room at halftime?
Speaker: um
Speaker: I think... I have a feeling that ah Michael Turton might have told Ella Dent to get more active on defense. She certainly did that. um
Speaker: Yeah, I mean... straight out of the locker room it wasn't too flashed they had two straight turnovers it was two early threes for the spiders and two turnovers for the sharks but after that boy howdy did the sharks bring it yeah and it wait i really did feel like it started on defense and ella dent was big she is always um and it wasn't something so much in the first half she got her hands in there she was really active on defense she was more aggressive going to the basket i don't know she just needed a half to get you know coming back from injury, getting the legs under her again. But, know, it almost felt like she was like, all right, I've had a half.
Speaker: I feel good. Let's kick it into turbo.
Speaker: Yeah, especially baby coming back from injury, always got that hesitation in the back of your mind. Am I going to be okay? I don't want to injure myself again. but yeah, no, she was certainly back. She was so back that I forgot she was injured. I'm glad I had that luxury.
Speaker: ever ever Having to sit there and she's just there in street clothes or whatever on the bench for the last five, weeks six weeks. Yeah, that's been real fun. um Yeah, that that was it. And then gave way to Abby Curtin. She hadn't scored a po point all night.
Speaker: And then she was just given a chance at an open three. hit. And two minutes later, she had nine points. That is what she finished with. but it was the fact that she put those nine points together in that stretch of the game that dragged it back to, what was it, a tie ball game? at ah Or Hornsby up by one at the end of the third quarter.
Speaker: Yeah. And just two players having absolutely mammoth, mammoth quarters is really what did it, what did it for the Sharks. Yeah.
Speaker: Lauren Nicholson continued on her merry way, but yeah, really started at the defensive end, which I was very, very happy to see. And they also really, this is when they actually like slowed down Ruby Perkins.
Speaker: She still was facilitating well, but they managed to really put the clamps on her scoring.
Speaker: Yeah, i think I think that was really important for them to do that because otherwise it just would have gotten a little bit out of hand and the Sharks may have found themselves um playing with eight was more than seven points down.
Speaker: which would have been really difficult to come back from. But that was definitely ah a key is just limiting Ruby Perkins and what she can do and where she can go. Ruby was still making some great passes because she she finished this game with a near triple-double.
Speaker: But, yeah, still making some great passes in the second half, um always knowing where her receivers are, having to sometimes throw passes over two defenders. So,
Speaker: They were definitely making it a lot harder for her to even facilitate. I've got to give Sutherland credit for that. But, yeah, Ruby Perkins ended up with 25 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, with 53% shooting overall. Like, that's outrageous.
Speaker: i always is It was as I posted on Instagram earlier today. I'm always grateful when I get to call a Ruby Perkins game. So think I've done three now.
Speaker: But this was the first one. in I think this might have been my first one at NBL 1 level.
Speaker: Again, put on a show for you. She certainly did.
Speaker: defence was key in the third. What else did you see? um
Speaker: I saw a Lucy Meade 3, and that is foreshadowing. yes Yes, it is. Ruby Perkins um ruby perkins finding Lucy Meade for a three. And that's the thing, Hornsby, even when Sutherland ratcheted up their defence, they were able just get enough baskets. Christina Moore started bringing the ball up a little bit more often, which allowed Ruby to sort of survey the scene without the ball, you know, see a pop-up in different spots to start running the offence.
Speaker: ah Leah Hartman was good off the bench. Loves flying in for an O-board, does Leah Hartman. Doesn't always get them, but you know she's going to contest.
Speaker: She hit a corner three that was really, really big. And yeah, I think that's why it felt like the O-boards were bigger bigger numbers than they actually were. Not just that some of them were so easy, but then you get players like Hartman just absolutely flying in and not always getting it. But you think, wow.
Speaker: Can someone, anyone see where she came from? You meant to, you know, get bodies on people. But it is what it is. But, yeah, then we ah roll around. Oh, again, statistically, if we have a look at the analysis stats on the NBL1 website, statistically in the third quarter, Sutherland had 12 of their 34 points in the paint. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: So ah two and only two fast break points going on an 11 point run. So there was certainly putting the work in and I, um I can't remember specifically. And given that the game, the replay was so glitchy, 12 points in the paint with ah that better level of defense. I imagine lots of it came from stops and running without being recorded as fast break points.
Speaker: it was There was a little bit of that. um I think, Curtin, when she scored those nine quick points, got into the got into the paint a couple of times. Nicholson got downhill a bit.
Speaker: um
Speaker: So, yeah. Trying to think if it was third or fourth quarter. If you look at fast but fast break points, yeah, it must have been one either side.
Speaker: I was sure there was four fast break points in one quarter, but... Whatever, there was definitely two there were definitely two tip-aways where it was it it was definitely Lauren Nicholson got one away. I'm sure there were two at least. But fast break points are very difficult to ah very difficult to be awarded, I find.
Speaker: Yeah, I think we've talked about this before as well, where we're always expecting more fast break points to be recorded and then they're not. So who knows? Yeah. yeah um But, yeah, interestingly, though, despite winning the quarter 25-7, Sutherland only shot. now it was twenty five eighteen wasn't it? No, twenty five to eighteen with the difference being seven. seven yeah um Yes, Sutherland surprisingly dropped their three-point shooting percentage to 33% but managed to win the quarter. So just able to make it up elsewhere. Yeah, I think they were probably, i don't think, didn't feel like they shot as many threes maybe in that quarter.
Speaker: And, like, they their shooting percentage from inside the arc was 61%. So, yeah, like, they're definitely making it up in other areas. Yeah, definitely. And then we're heading into this ah very exciting fourth quarter.
Speaker: Just before we get into it, we've got Lockie Everett on Instagram Live saying that you spell Lockie wrong. No, you spell Lockie wrong. Yeah.
Speaker: And he also asked... Hey, at least we both spell Lachlan with an a which not everyone in not all the players in NBL1 East do. That is true. That is true. He also asked if the Norse pink jersey is the best East jersey ever, which perhaps we can table that question for next week.
Speaker: I mean, I've got a mainly Indigenous jersey up, and the Illawarra Indigenous jersey is fire as well. And hopefully it's in the mail for me soon because I really like it before they come up to ah come up to Sutherland in a few weeks.
Speaker: But the Norse pink jersey is... Yeah, I wish I could. The Norse pink jersey is is fire. But moving on.
Speaker: Yeah, let's get stuck into this fourth quarter. i mean, talk about two halves mirroring each other. Hornsby winning the first quarter by one, winning the second quarter by seven.
Speaker: Sutherland flipped that script, win the third quarter by seven, and then win the last quarter by one. And then obviously getting to OT. But the fourth quarter, what do you think were working for Sutherland to be able to keep up that momentum that they built in the third?
Speaker: I
Speaker: i don't just want to say Emily Garland shot a whole bunch of threes, but it is kind of what happened. but um Yeah, they they did. they They got players open. I felt like they were getting players open better, and that's why Emily Garland was able to shoot a bunch of threes. Yeah, and...
Speaker: yeah and I mean, Lauren continued. Yeah. Okay. So this is the one of definite fast break points I saw happen was in the fourth quarter because Ella Dent was still ratcheting up the defense and forced two pretty abject passes from Ruby Perkins. One got knocked away and Lauren Nicholson was able to pick it up and go the length of the court or half the length of the court for the easiest of baskets. And another one, Hornsby Kareem guy just managed to ah retain possession. but um
Speaker: I mean, yeah, Lauren auren Nicholson was – this was a part of the game where she really started, or even more so than she usually does, was really drawing defenders. It looked like the Hornsby-Karingai would just let someone else beat it If someone else beats us, fine, but we are not going to let Lauren Nicholson be the one to do it. And, yes, she finished with 38-4-6 and four steals or something.
Speaker: but they were hell-bent on making everything as difficult as possible for her. And Lauren found teammates in a couple of positions. There was one huge... I think the defense just collapsed on her, and she just fired to Garland on the wing.
Speaker: Emily Garland, wide open, wing three. You just put it in the score sheet before it's left to hand almost. So I thought that was that was probably... probably one of the most important things was that Sutherland were able to get players open a lot better you know in at various times during the fourth quarter.
Speaker: um And the defense continued to be solid. I know it was only an 18-19 quarter, but like, so it it's of those things you're like, oh, Sutherland just dominated because only won the quarter by one, but they did some really good things in the cards.
Speaker: and And to say that it was only, i don't think we could say only a 1918 quarter. I think that still digs the numbers. I mean the margin, not the not the scoring. No, the scoring is reasonable, but yeah, just the margin is only one kind of thing.
Speaker: Yeah, the scoring is certainly reasonable ah for a fourth quarter for both teams that have been physical and playing at like 90 plus percent of their pace the whole game. i don't know how some of these athletes don't look tired when it gets to the fourth quarter in some of these games because it looks like they look fresh from what I could see on the replay. May have been a little bit different there actually on the ground on the day. Well, they weren't playing like they were tired.
Speaker: No, exactly. They looked fresh. Like they looked just as fresh in the fourth quarter as they did in the in the first or second. I was so impressed by that. They just didn't let anything up. They didn't let themselves down. They were, yeah, really, really locked in. It was such a great way to finish a game and ah certainly a game that deserved overtime.
Speaker: It really did. And the events leading up to overtime were,
Speaker: It was epic. wasn't one of these games where it was like it stayed close because both teams were falling in a hole. It stayed close because both teams were absolutely bawling.
Speaker: Yeah, I don't think you could write a better script. No. I mean, i ah think it was about four four minutes to play.
Speaker: where Christina Moore tried to body her way through Emily Garland and Garland pulled the chair and got called for the foul. Yes, I remember that because it's the one where you said Emily Garland was really upset by it and Emily Garland does not get upset very often. There were people holding her back.
Speaker: Yeah, I don't blame her. I thought that was a charge too. I didn't see it as Emily Garland pulling the chair from Christina and the replay, but obviously would have looked so different when you're there. I genuinely thought Garland had position first and took that bump fair and square fair and square for a charge. So I was really surprised when they called it a block. So so was I. um Yeah, I think James and I sort of, know, when we discussed it, we sort of shared a look it.
Speaker: ah Yeah, I mean, yeah. Yeah, do I mean, I think Jake said pulled the chair, but yeah, you look back on the replay and it looks like Christina just went straight through her chest. But got call. Yeah, definitely. And fair play to Emily, came right back up the other end, used that energy and just buried a three from the opposite wing from the one she'd hit from earlier. You know, she just...
Speaker: made Made the best of the situation. You know, the foul was caught and she came back down and responded with another three. And I think she finished with six of eight from three or something ridiculous. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, she did. She did. She was like an all in the back end of the game where in terms of context and a game of the line, she was on fire. Like she really, really drove the Sharkies home in the end with that great shooting. Six from eight. um Certainly someone that we know from watching her,
Speaker: you know, grow through her out her career in the NBA or one East can hit that. um and But i' I'm hoping that now other the opposition ah seriously putting her down as a three-point shooter bite by now, surely. yeah.
Speaker: 100%. mean, her numbers dropped. I had this written down last few seasons. I think it was 2023 she was a 40% three-point shooter and it dropped to about twenty high 20s last year.
Speaker: and So it had gone like 40s, mid-30s, high 20s. I don't know what it is this year but the season, but just on that performance alone, she's a shooter you have to respect. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, cause and she can get hot pretty quickly, like um she has them pretty short in either New's league. ah Yeah, I mean, she's a player with multiple 30-point games in the league. I think those were both back when she was a 40% three-point shooter, but um yeah she's proven already that she can do it, and she is extremely valuable to the Sutherland Sharks team.
Speaker: And so how else did what else did you find, you know, consider highlights for this fourth quarter before it got into OT? I mean, it was very dramatic, as you said, getting into this OT. First of all, the Lauren Nicholson and one tie the game at She was basically shooting that off the floor.
Speaker: first She got bumped and straight went straight up and straight back down and through the hoop. And then she hit the um one it was It was a tough basket to make.
Speaker: um She got the m one and then
Speaker: And then the elegant Ruby Perkins battle went back again because Dan forced another bad pass by Ruby Perkins, but then dent went up caught with the ball and missed the off balance layup and no fair, which I was, i but I, I made the point of saying no fail because there was a lot going on in the paint down there when they were dent drove in, but then I think the,
Speaker: The play, I mean, the play to put Hornsby-Karingai up 81-78 with 15 seconds to play. Two New South Wales under-20s teammates, both leaving for college in a matter of weeks.
Speaker: Ruby Perkins, screen from Ayana Bay, gets Elladon off her back. Maddie Norris is right there. Steps through. Abby Curtin half commits to helping.
Speaker: fires it out to Lucy Mead on the left wing and with Abby Curtin just chiding out of the closeout, buries it. 81-78.
Speaker: Lucy's, that three-pointer of Lucy's had no signs of missing. If there was an accuracy measure on that ring for that shot, it would have been in the 90 percents.
Speaker: It was, it was, we were directly behind her behind her elbow. It was beautiful.
Speaker: um So, yeah, so that puts them up by one, did you say, or tied? No, that put them up 81-78 because the final play was the, as you mentioned earlier, the Matty Norris free throws.
Speaker: Now, what did you think about this foul, Paul?
Speaker: It was... I'm still not 100% on it
Speaker: um' It's World Cup time, so I've been saying a lot. Seen them given, but I've seen worse let go. o So, like, there was contact.
Speaker: For sure. And I i think it's going it's probably going to get called most of the time. Yeah. i mean Yeah, I was on the fence for this one because I felt like Ayana Bay, she got there in time and she did make contact.
Speaker: But i don't i know that the i don't think the contact was in the action of shooting, but more in the landing, but not in a way of the landing where you're taking out someone's legs where they can't land, which is cardinal sin. It was just more a bump on the arm once the shot had gone.
Speaker: So maybe you're saying it should have been two free throws because they were in the bonus. Yeah. it was often it was ah It was after the shooting action. that's That's kind of, i mean, from the one time I watched the game, that is my recollection. So I have move back have another look.
Speaker: It was also in the furthest point on the court from where we sit because we actually sit to the left of halfway and it was in the far right corner. So watching it live and, to be honest, in that situation, your eyes kind of track the ball when you're calling the game. So I don't think I even properly saw the contact live, to be honest. ah You know, I was ready to.
Speaker: make the call if it went in. But, yeah. um Yeah. I mean, hey, it delivered us this ridiculous 33-point overtime period.
Speaker: Yeah, again, like y'all get tired? Are you seriously scoring 33 points collectively in an overtime game and then we still, like Hornsby still won by only one point? yeah Usually in overtime a team will really tear away. their Their strength and conditioning shows, their whatever else shows in the overtime period and they will win by like, you know, at least five.
Speaker: yeah 33 points in an overtime period, still maintaining that high standard of high basketball IQ on the offensive end for both teams and the grit on the defensive end.
Speaker: Like, ridiculous. They could have probably gone for a sixth quarter. kind of Well, James was calling out it. He was saying 2-0-2, 3-0-2. I was like, James Simmer, we've got double headers this weekend, mate.
Speaker: We've got to conserve energy too. Yeah. Well, he had one. He had to be up at the brick pit on a on Sunday. But yeah, these teams didn't let up in the in the overtime period at all. um Obviously, 16 17 in favour of Hornsby. Having a look at some of the analysis stats, the shooting percentages were still well maintained. Well, I say Sutherland dropped. Two-point range Sutherland were only 25% in the overtime period, but that was 60% from the three-point range.
Speaker: yeah They had nine points from the bench in that overtime period as well, whereas Hornsby, best two-point percentage of the game in this overtime period with 83%, maintaining 50% from the three-point line, which they just shot a great game from the three-point line, and 10 points in the paint. so real strong focus for Hornsby in that overtime period of getting the ball inside.
Speaker: Oh, yeah. And I'm just looking in overtime. right So 60% for Sutherland from three-point range. That's three of five. All three makes the skeleton key, Emily Garland.
Speaker: Mm-hmm. Yep. She was three of three in overtime, looking at the shot chart. Mm-hmm. Yeah. That's exactly what the shot doctor said in our bonus episode. You've got to learn to shoot, not just shoot, but you've got to learn to make shots when you're tired. And here's Emily Garland, three from three in an overtime period.
Speaker: And can just that first one, that inside out game with Lauren Nicholson where Christina Moore came to double, that was beautiful. Very good. Lauren Nicholson just saying and just being like, here, Emily.
Speaker: that was Yeah, and Laura nicholson lauren Nicholson still having faith in her teammates in overtime to step up and perform their roles too, you know. yeah She's not tucking it under a wing and doing everything herself. She's still, you know, putting trust in her teammates.
Speaker: Yeah, 100%. And I liked you mentioned the um Hornsby points in the paint because, and also your mention of Maddie Norris defending in the paint earlier because she was defending Iana Bay with four fouls.
Speaker: So I just thought that was a really smart option. Just throw it in to, know, it's probably going to be usually be Bay in that situation. But if Maddie Norris is guarding someone in the paint, throw it in there.
Speaker: you know she's not, either she gets her fifth foul or she can't play defense as hard as she wants to. And it's, you know, it's gonna be a lot easier getting baskets that way against someone who can't defend to their full capabilities.
Speaker: And it's not so much that Ayana Bay is, you know, a foot taller or has a longer reach than Maddie Norris either. She's just so crafty with her footwork. She makes it really quick decisions under the basket.
Speaker: She's very agile and mobile for a five-man. And she's still got a really nice touch while under pressure. So she's got that unique skill set of almost being like an undersized big that can play just like a seven-footer.
Speaker: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker: But yeah, what an absolute barn burner. What were, were there any other highlights for you in this ah extra period? ah There were a couple. The um Lauren Nicholson firing a perfect pass to Emily Garland whilst rolling an ankle.
Speaker: That was, i thought I thought the play was dead. And then she's just managed to recompose itself and find the fire of the pass to the, to the hot shooter. Um,
Speaker: Only to, um I mean, it was so good. And then you send Ruby Perkins to the line. She misses both. You let them get the offensive rebound.
Speaker: And then Lucy Meade, again, corner three this time. You could almost have... You were so... Sorry, Sharkies, but you gave up an O board on Ruby Perkins missing two free throws. You were given a gift and you were given a gift and you picked it up with all the Christmas wrapping and dropped it in the bin.
Speaker: i was going to say, you were given a gift and you exchanged it the wrong gift back to the shop because you you're stuffed up there, guys. You stuffed up. You did. um That's such a shame.
Speaker: And then, like, you know I love to say, you know I love to talk about players who won't win game MVP, but without them, the team doesn't win. talked about it as far back as Casey Ardern in the 2022 Grand Final. but We go on, Lucy Meade guarding Abby Curtin, driving baseline and forcing her to ah step on the base, slip and step on the baseline.
Speaker: She's just two massive threes, massive defensive play. And I mean... It was just a fight to the absolute end. You had Lauren Nicholson on the floor with Ayana Bay wrestling for the ball.
Speaker: Garland hit another corner three to put Sutherland up. And then Chris, well, you haven't even seen the play, the Christina Moore play. Nope. Nope. Because it according to the internet, it does not exist.
Speaker: So, Christina Moore, out of the timeout, Christina Moore goes to the rack for the quick two, draws the foul on Laura petroum is lauraur Nicholson's fifth foul in the process, um hits the free throw to make it 97-96, and then you have said you have seen Liv Douglas go one of two and then the final play, yes.
Speaker: um I don't think so. I don't think so. I think I just, no, that was it. It was just kind of like Christina Moore's attempt and then there was no more stream. The stream had ended.
Speaker: Oh, no. So you haven't seen the last foul 60 feet from the basket? No, not at all. Not at all. Oh, goodness me.
Speaker: So... After Moore gets the and one, Sharkies go down the other end, toss it into Liv Douglas. She gets fouled, goes one of two at the line. um
Speaker: No timeouts for the Spiders? Yeah, because they're bringing it in for the backcourt. And like three seconds or something on the clock. And Ruby Perkins is weaving her way through, trying to you know find get upcourt enough to actually be able to get a heave up.
Speaker: and Ella Dent's guarding her and is called for a foul on the floor with 0.9 seconds to play 60 feet from the basket. And they're late. So even before Ruby's put the shot motion up, um,
Speaker: Yeah, so probably can't discuss exactly the merits of the call or anything about the call or the play because you haven't seen it. But that is how Ruby Perkins ended up at the line hitting one of two free throws to our put the Spiders ahead. And it just ended with Abbey Curtin firing it down court, but Christina Moore intercepted. But yeah, so it ended on free throws on a foul 60 feet from the basket.
Speaker: Wow. It all came down to that. That is so surprising. And it would have been so frustrating as well for the Sutherland Sharks players because Ella Den isn't someone you know like you like she does. She stays in the game. She doesn't usually get fouled out. No.
Speaker: no can't imagine her having that mental lapse of committing a foul like that. but Unless you just thought it was over already and mistimed it and kind of threw herself into it too early.
Speaker: i don't know. I don't think so. i I'm not going to speculate. I'm just going to say that's that's what happened. um Yeah. if you can If you can find the ah if we can on the video, I will show you because I think we do save we do save local copies at Sutherland, so we might have the video.
Speaker: We'll see. um But, yeah, so that's how it ended, and and it ended 98, 97 in Horsby-Karinga's favour. um And Lucy Mead, you have a new biggest fan, and it's me.
Speaker: So well let's just go through some of the outstanding individual stat lines as well. So for Sutherland, as you mentioned during the episode, Lauren Nicholson had 38 points, four rebounds, six assists and four steals, shooting at 56% overall. which included five from nine from the free throw line and, of course, five from five from the free throw line because you can always bank on Lauren Nicholson making her free throws.
Speaker: And, of course, Emily Garland coming up big. In 26 minutes she had 20 points, three rebounds, four assists, six from eight from the three-point line shot 70% overall.
Speaker: seventy percent overall ah And then for Hornsby Keringai, as we mentioned, Ruby Perkins with a near triple-double of 25 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, shooting at 53% overall.
Speaker: um Just the one three for Ruby, but the one three are still counts. And then Christina Moore, 28 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three steals, shooting at 50% overall, including four from six from the three-point line. So people putting up incredible numbers with the field goal percentage to back it up. Even like I mentioned, Hornsby Keringa shot at 52% overall from the three-point line.
Speaker: like That's incredible, especially in a game like this. But then Sutherland still shot well at 40% overall from the three-point line. So when I was trying to find out what really happened here in this game for one team, for Hornsby to get the edge over the Sutherland to get this win, statistically it's, again, one of those games that didn't really come down to a lot.
Speaker: There were a couple of quarters like you know Sutherland only shot 25% in OT from the two-point range, but then 60% from the three-point range. um Hornsby, Keringai, I think it was just timing of things, that overtime quarter, 83% from two-point range, 50% three-point range and 10 points in the paint. I think it came down to a lot of timing of everything, timing of offensive rebounds, timing of fouls, the universe, you know.
Speaker: providing when people are going to make free throws and when they're not. It was just one of those very cosmic games of basketball. And it was also the second time in as many home rounds that Sutherland have had a player come off the bench, shoot lights out from three points range and lose in overtime.
Speaker: Because Harrison Rayner went 5 of 8 from three-point range against Central Coast a couple of weeks ago. It was a leak to watch. And 8 of 8 at the line as well. And we lost in overtime.
Speaker: And now Emily Garlan's gone 6 of 8 from three-point range. The shark has lost in overtime. Damn. And she's got one up on him, so that's nice.
Speaker: But, yeah, there have it. um Any final thoughts or interesting facts about this game that you'd like to share? I just think it was a it was an absolutely crucial win for Hornsby Kareem guy.
Speaker: ah James mentioned at the start of the call um that with Jessie May already gone, think Lola Grawlton's gone. She wasn't at Youth League or NBL One on the weekend. So that's that. They've got Ruby's leaving soon. Lucy's leaving soon.
Speaker: They've got to stack wins while they've got this full-strength team. um So their their run home isn't too horrendous, I don't think. um But you don't want to leave yourself. I think their last weekend is pretty wretched. It's before that that they're...
Speaker: They've got a kind of run. So they've got Hills, Albury, Central Coast, Comets, Newcastle coming up, and then Bankstown. So, you know, you want to have your wins under your belt by the time you get to Newcastle and Bankstown. So very crucial win. And for the Sharkies, combined with the ah the Sunday loss to Canberra, they're down to six and six. So they've got a kind of a...
Speaker: Recalibrate. Get, you know, two very close losses. The 11-point loss to Canberra on Sunday was closer than that as well. um They are... Someone fouled with 0.5 left on the clock and nine points up.
Speaker: It happens. um But, yeah, so... Games that were, know, obviously can't get much closer than one-point loss in OT and then a loss that was close against Canberra. but So they've got to come out swinging against COE this weekend and against Hills and make sure they are put a couple of wins together and know really make that push for the top eight, which they would be saying they should be making a push for the top four, but they've now lost to everyone in the top five, I think.
Speaker: no And to be fair to Sharkies, they've only played 12 games. Yeah. So Sharkies, Illawarra and Penrith are the only teams in the women's comp that have only played 12 games, whereas COE have played 18 because, as we know, they try and play as many as they can before they have to go away for World Cups and such. So it's quite skewed in that way. So the Sharkies are six and six in eighth position.
Speaker: In seventh position is Aubrey Wodonga at 7-7. So that's ah I think that's a pretty crucial difference. It is. But, ah I mean, Sharkies, they do who they play. They play COE Hills.
Speaker: Then they go to Canberra. Then another doubleheader, Manly Warringah and Inner West. Then they host Illawarra and they finish with Penrith and North both at home. So if they win the win the balance of their games there, they should be fine.
Speaker: You know, in the games you expect them to win. I'd say they should be fine. They've all got to come out and do it. But do we know exactly when Ruby and Lucy will be leaving the Spiders?
Speaker: Not 100% sure, but I mean, I talked to Ruby at Comet Sutherland and she said in a few weeks. So I guess when Zara when zara Russell leaves COE, that's when Ruby will leave Hornsby considering they're going to the same place.
Speaker: Yeah, you're right. You're right, actually. That's probably a good indication because, yeah, they've got Hills next week, 20th of June. Aubrey Wodonga away, 27th of June. Then we're really cutting it fine.
Speaker: And then come the start of July, they've got Crusaders. That will be fine. that's gar that they'll They'll win that with Ruby or not. um And then, yeah, Comets, Newcastle by the time it's 10th of July because,
Speaker: You know, when does NCAA technically tip off? It's August. ah No, basketball season not till, like, no. They start training, like, real early, but April season not till November.
Speaker: It's all the training. Oh, of course. I've got to go to school, though, is the thing. That's the bigger thing is I've got to actually go to class. That's right. That's right. You can't just be flying in and getting your timetable when you get there.
Speaker: So, yeah, it's cutting it pretty fine, but I think, i'm I'm confident the Spiders will be beat Hornsby in round 11 next week. The big question mark will be the game against Aubrey Wodonga. If Hornsby are full strength, Aubrey Wodonga have now just leveled up with last year power.
Speaker: Some very tasty matchups there as well. LT versus Ruby Perkins. oh Oh, give me some. Spoilt. Spoilt. Yeah.
Speaker: Because, yeah, they're hanging in there, the Spiders. they They're six, played 14 games, nine and five. So, yeah, hopefully they're able to stay in there.
Speaker: Very good indeed. ah And now are you calling any games next weekend, Lockie? I do have Sutherland COE on the Saturday.
Speaker: Very much looking forward to watching COE. have aott Actually, I haven't seen them since the grand final last year, so very much looking forward to it and from from what I hear, um this COE roster that you'll be commentating next round may not be the same next season despite their ages, which I can tell you more about offline.
Speaker: Thank you. just to Just to give that mic drop for those that may be listening. um But otherwise, ah I think that's time for us to say goodbye.
Speaker: ah think it might be. But what do we need to remind our listeners before we go?
Speaker: do i really need to keep reminding you? I will anyway. Absolutely. Don't sleep on the east.
