Kerr’s Cobras Suffocated
Tagged in: Kiwis Abroad
The defending and repeat Australian Basketball Association (ABA) women’s club champion Townsville Flames denied Kiwi Gemma Kerr and her Kilsyth Lady Cobras at the Final Four weekend in Melbourne.
Kerr registered eight points (3/6 FG, 2/5 3pt), four rebounds and a steal in 24 minutes as the South East Australia Basketball League (SEABL) champion Lady Cobras fell 77-71 to the back-to-back champion Flames in the national semifinals.
The Flames, who got 23 points from Rachael Flanagan in the semifinal win over Kilsyth, went on to defeat the Waratah League winners, the Sydney Comets, 73-57 in the title game.
Clare Papavs top-scored with 21 points for Kilsyth, who led by three points after three periods before a 25-16 final quarter, which included nine turnovers and allowing Townsville to shoot a high percentage, saw their championship dreams evaporate.
Tall Blacks centre Nick Horvath continued to put up impressive numbers in the Australian National Basketball League pre-season with the South Dragons.
Horvath, a former Dragons import, now unrestricted player after gaining New Zealand citizenship in April, poured in 27 points (9/20 FG, 0/2 3pt, 9/13 FT), pulled down 10 rebounds and also had two assists and two blocks in 35 minutes in South’s 112-95 win over the defending champion Melbourne Tigers last week.
Fellow Kiwi international Mika Vukona grabbed 14 rebounds and had six points (2/9 FG, 0/1 3pt, 2/2 FT) and a steal in 30 minutes in the same game.
In the Sunshine State, former Tall Black Casey Frank posted 17 points (6/11 FG, 3/4 3pt, 2/2 FT), seven rebounds and a steal in 25 minutes and Tall Blacks captain Pero Cameron added 11 points (4/8 FG, 1/3 3pt, 2/2 FT) and eight rebounds in 25 minutes as the Gold Coast Blaze fell 113-96 to the Townsville Crocodiles in the final of the Queensland Cup tournament in Cairns on Saturday.
Earlier in the tournament, Frank posted 12 points in the Blaze’s 110-99 win over the Sydney Spirit on Thursday.
Lindsay Tait’s Wollongong Hawks and Paora Winitana’s Adelaide 36ers split their two-game pre-season series last week, the Hawks winning 118-111 in game one on Thursday and the Sixers avenging with a 95-83 win on Saturday.
