West Recap | Anzac Round Sunday

Image credit: @ivyymedia

Patty Brossmann came up huge to ensure the Perth Redbacks won without Anneli Maley before the Goldfields Giants men stayed unbeaten in the NBL1 West and Johny Narkle starred as the Geraldton Buccaneers hit back.

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FIELDO REACHES 350 BUT GIVING BACK TO SLAMMERS THE FOCUS

WOMEN

Perth Redbacks (91) defeated Goldfields Giants (69)

After not quite being able to complete the deal the previous night, the Goldfields Giants started well on Sunday but couldn’t keep it going with Patty Brossmann leading the charge for the Perth Redbacks for the 91-69 victory.

Both teams were in action the previous evening with the Redbacks going down to the Warwick Senators despite Brossmann stepping up impressively in the absence of Anneli Maley.

The Giants played their first road game of the season and put in a strong showing before being overrun by the Lakeside Lightning with both teams attempting to hit back on Sunday at Belmont Oasis.

Goldfields started strongly with impressive and experienced import guard Nici Gilday showing the way with the visitors opening up an early seven-point lead, and still being on top 21-18 by the end of one.

The Redbacks worked their way on top in the second quarter with 23 points to 11 which saw the home team head into the half-time break leading 41-32.

The Giants kept in touch, though, and it wasn’t until the last quarter when the Redbacks pulled away with 35 points to 20 on the way to the eventual 22-point victory to improve to 3-1 to start the season.

The Redbacks have to make up for the 33.0 points, 26.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists that Anneli Maley delivered over the first two games, and Patty Brossmann again did her best with 26 points, 18 rebounds, seven assists and two steals on 10/18 shooting.

Alaska Rhebok had a breakout performance as well with 21 points on 8/11 shooting with Sophie Doran contributing 13 points, five rebounds and three assists, and Natalie Chou 13 points, four assists, four steals and three rebounds despite shooting just 5/15 from the floor.

The Giants have now completed their first road double of the season and head back to Kalgoorlie with a 1-3 record to start 2025 with Nici Gilday producing 18 points, 10 assists, four rebounds and three steals.

Chloe Zorzi also contributed 15 points, three rebounds and two assists, Rachel Pettit 15 points and two steals, Kate Sidebottom 10 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals, and Josephine Odude seven points, nine boards and three steals.

PERTH REDBACKS 91 (Brossmann 26, Rhebok 21, Doran 13, Chou 13)

GOLDFIELDS GIANTS 69 (Gilday 18, Zorzi 15, Pettit 15)

MEN

Perry Lakes Hawks (71) lost to Geraldton Buccaneers (104)

Rarely do the Geraldton Buccaneers lose twice on a road trip and that was bad news for the Perry Lakes Hawks on Sunday with the Buccs hitting back from a Saturday night loss with the empathic 104-71 victory.

The Buccs started their road trip on Saturday night being overrun by the Rockingham Flames and they were backing up on Sunday at Bendat Basketball Centre taking on a Perry Lakes team coming off a road win against the South West Slammers.

Perry Lakes did knock down four three-pointers in the first quarter but Geraldton still managed to be leading 25-20 by quarter-time before the Buccs continued to be rewarded for their work close to the basket especially through Johny Narkle who the Hawks were struggling to stay in front of.

Geraldton outscored Perry Lakes 27 points to 18 in that second quarter to be leading 52-38 by half-time and then the Buccaneers totally dominated the third period to confirm the victory.

The Buccs put up 28 points to 13 in the period while going 5/7 from three-point territory and then from there cruised to the 33-point victory.

Losing twice this weekend on the road was always going to be unlikely for the Buccaneers considering the last time they lost consecutive games on a road double was all the way back when they had a rare down season in 2021.

They have either split or won both games of every road trip double since and that continued by beating Perry Lakes on Sunday with the Buccaneers improving to 3-2 on the season as a result.

Johny Narkle sent a reminder to the basketball world just what a talent he is by producing 31 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals on 12/16 shooting from the field to win the Anzac Medal.

Nik DeSantis was back to top form too with 20 points, five assists and four rebounds on 7/11 shooting with Akeem Springs contributing 15 points on 7/11 shooting too while Liam Hunt had 10 points, six rebounds and four assists, and Verle Williams 11 points, six assists and three boards.

The Hawks are now 2-3 on the season after splitting their weekend with Jaden Stanley-Williams top-scoring with 14 points and seven rebounds with Luke Phillips adding 10 points, seven boards and three assists, Matt Leary 11 points and two assists, and Keegan Phillips nine points and seven rebounds.

PERRY LAKES HAWKS 71 (Stanley-Williams 14, Leary 11, L Phillips 10)

GERALDTON BUCCANEERS 104 (Narkle 31, DeSantis 20, Springs 15)

Perth Redbacks (82) lost to Goldfields Giants (92)

The Goldfields Giants return to Kalgoorlie with their undefeated record in tact for the season after their first road double with captain De'Sean Parsons starring in the 92-82 win over the Perth Redbacks.

The Giants played their first two games of the season on their new home floor at Niels Hansen Basketball Stadium beating the Cockburn Cougars and South West Slammers prior to Easter.

They then started their road double this weekend with a strong showing in the win over the Lakeside Lightning ahead of taking on the Redbacks at Belmont Oasis on Sunday.

The Redbacks were fresh off being the latest team to cop another outburst from Elijah Pepper and the Warwick Senators on Saturday night, and they lost their own star guard Joe Cook-Green to injury in the process.

He wasn’t able to suit up on Sunday either and the Redbacks sorely missed him although not immediately as they raced out to a 9-0 start, and were still leading 29-24 by the end of the first quarter.

The Redbacks pushed out to a 14-point lead in the second quarter as well before still leading 50-45 at the half-time break, but the Giants took over the contest the longer it went.

Goldfields outscored Perth 24 points to 18 in the third quarter to grab the lead, and then went on with the job in the fourth with 23 points to 14 on the way to the 10-point victory.

The result means that the Giants improve to a perfect 4-0 record to start the season as they head back to Kalgoorlie as one of two teams yet to lose in 2025 along with the Senators.

The Giants have a wide array of players capable of match-winning performances and on Sunday it was captain De'Sean Parsons delivering 28 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals on 9/16 shooting from the field and 10/13 at the free-throw line.

Shaun Stewart added 21 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals, Michael Jok 21 points, 10 boards and two steals, Joshua Duach 13 points, four rebounds and three assists, and club debutant Leigh Rickwood-Pitt nine points, eight boards and two blocked shots.

The Redbacks are now 2-3 on the season following their pair of losses this weekend with Lochlan Cummings doing what he could to step up in the absence in the back court of Joe Cook-Green for 23 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals.

Jacob Formosa added 12 points and three rebounds, Michael Riley 11 points and seven boards, Emmanuel Kanwei 10 points and four rebounds, and Callan McDonald nine points, 13 boards and five assists.

PERTH REDBACKS 82 (Cummings 23, Formosa 12, Riley 11)

GOLDFIELDS GIANTS 92 (Parsons 28, Stewart 21, Jok 21)