Cobras Strike For Title
Tagged in: Kiwis Abroad
Kiwi Gemma Kerr and her Kilsyth Lady Cobras continued their giant-killing ways in the South East Australia Basketball League (SEABL).
Kerr had seven points (2/5 FG, 2/5 3pt, 1/2 FT), eight rebounds, an assist and block in 26 minutes as the Lady Cobras claimed the club’s third SEABL women’s title with a 90-73 win over the top-ranked Nunawading Spectres on Saturday.
In a season that saw Kilsyth lose club patron Hugh McMenamin, the Lady Cobras dug deep to win three straight road games in the playoffs, coming back from five points down after the first quarter against Nunawading to lead by seven points at halftime.
The Spectres closed within three after three quarters but with Kerr hitting two crucial second half threes and the play of grand final MVP Clare Papavs, Kilsyth were able to dominate the fourth 27-13.
Kilsyth now move on to the Australian Club Championship quarterfinals on August 23, where they will face the Central Australia Basketball League (CABL) champion, most likely Angela Marino’s Sturt Sabres.
The news was both bad and good for former Tall Fern Adrianne Gilbert as her Bankstown Bruins quest for perfection ended with a 72-60 loss to the Sydney Comets in the Waratah League women’s final on Saturday.
Gilbert managed 11 points (4/13 FG, 0/4 3pt, 3/4 FT), 10 rebounds, eight assists and five steals in 37 minutes but the 12-point loss was Bankstown’s first this season, ending a 16-game winning streak and denying them the Waratah title.
But Gilbert and the Bruins remain alive in the national championship hunt as the Waratah League provides two teams in 2008, back in action in the national quarterfinals next week with a match-up with the Queensland Australia Basketball League (QABL) champion looming.
That will not be Shannon Proffit and the Maroochydore Clippers meeting them after they were bounced from the QABL playoffs with a 69-54 loss to the lower-ranked Caboolture Suns. Proffit had six points (2/11 FG, 0/1 3pt, 2/2 FT), 18 rebounds, seven steals and three assists in 40 minutes.
Also out of the QABL playoffs in the first round were Callum Baynes, Rowan Gray and the defending champion Cairns Marlins, 89-86 losers to the Townsville Heat. Gray finished with 16 points (7/9 FG, 2/5 FT), seven rebounds, an assist and steal in 34 minutes while Baynes had two points and two rebounds in five minutes.
Former Tall Fern Jess Spinner produced a season-high 19 points (6/11 FG, 5/9 3pt, 2/2 FT), 10 rebounds, four steals and two assists in 25 minutes but could not prevent her Wanneroo Wolves falling 96-72 in game one of their best-of-three State Basketball League (SBL) quarterfinal series against regular season champion Willetton Tigers. Game two is Friday night.
