Basketball New Zealand

Shannon Proffit (ImageSport NZ)

Former Tall Ferns triallist Shannon Proffit became the first New Zealander to produce a triple-double in the Australia Basketball Association (ABA) leagues this season on Saturday.

Proffit produced a rare points-rebounds-steals triple-double in the Maroochydore Clippers 83-72 win over the Caboolture Suns in round 14 of the Queensland Australia Basketball League (QABL), finishing with 18 points, 14 rebounds and 10 steals.

The former Secondary Schools MVP went 8-of-12 from the field and hit 1-of-2 three-point attempts and free-throw line, and added five assists and three blocks in 35 minutes as the Lady Clippers improved to 11-4 and sixth with two rounds of the regular season remaining.

Two other Kiwi women – Adrianne Gilbert and Gemma Kerr – went near triple-doubles last week.

Gilbert had 19 points (7/12 FG, 1/1 3pt, 4/4 FT), 10 rebounds and seven assists in 32 minutes as her Bankstown Bruins won their 13 straight to start the Waratah League, 95-53 over the Parramatta Wildcats.

Kerr produced nine points (3/12 FG, 1/6 3pt, 2/4 FT), 13 rebounds, seven assists and four steals in 25 minutes as the Kilsyth Lady Cobras defeated the NW Tasmania Thunder 93-59 to cling to their top-four spot and make next week’s South East Austraia Basketball League (SEABL) playoffs.

A week after going three rebounds and an assist short of a triple-double, Otago Nuggets guard Shaun Tilby fell one assist shy in the Gold Coast Goannas 115-101 win over the defending champion Cairns Marlins in the QABL.

Tilby had 13 points (5/9 FG, 0/1 3pt, 3/4 FT), 10 rebounds and nine assists in 32 minutes as the Goannas lifted to 9-6 and eighth, while former Nelson Giants forward Rowan Gray had eight points (4/9 FG), six rebounds, four assists and a steal in 18 minutes and Bay Hawks centre Callum Baynes 10 points (3/5 FG, 4/6 FT), five rebounds and an assist in 10 minutes for Cairns.

The loss ruined what could have been a perfect three-game road trip for the Marlins, who defeated the Toowoomba Mountaineers and Ipswich Force earlier in the round, lifting to 10-5 and sixth in their surge towards the top-four.

Gray had 18 points (7/13 FG, 4/5 FT) and six rebounds in 18 minutes and Baynes two points (0/2 FG, 2/2 FT), five rebounds and a steal in 11 minutes in the 102-71 rout of Toowoomba, and Gray recorded 19 points (7/9 FG, 5/6 FT) and two rebounds in 22 minutes and Baynes four points (1/3 FG, 2/4 FT) and a steal in 12 minutes in the impressive 124-83 win over the Force.

Emerging Tall Black Zane Meehl, former Tall Black Miles Pearce and coach Leonard King fell to their fourth loss in five games with the Mackay Meteors, going down 115-97 to the Gladstone Port City Power.

Meehl produced 28 points (8/19 FG, 3/8 3pt, 9/10 FT), five rebounds, three assists and two steals in 44 minutes, while Pearce had 10 points (4/10 FG, 0/1 3pt, 2/2 FT), 13 rebounds, two assists and a steal in 36 minutes.

In the Big V, former Tall Fern Lisa Pardon collected 18 points (6/17 FG, 3/7 3pt, 3/4 FT), six rebounds, an assist and steal in 37 minutes as her Bulleen team ended a 19-game losing streak and celebrated their first win in the final round of the regular season, 69-59 over Eltham.

Pardon had 18 points (9/20 FG, 0/3 3pt), five rebounds, two assists and two steals in 40 minutes as Bulleen lost their final game 75-59 to playoff-bound Dandenong to finish the season 1-20.

Former Tall Fern Julie Ofsoski closed out the SEABL season with six points (1/7 FG, 4/8 FT), four rebounds, two blocks, a steal and assist in 28 minutes as her Frankston Lady Blues fell 68-55 to the Bendigo Lady Braves, ending the year 6-18.

On the Left Coast, former T-Fern Jess Spinner had five points (1/4 FG, 1/3 3pt, 2/2 FT), a rebound and steal in 11 minutes in a 61-53 loss to the Perth Redbacks, and six points (1/5 FG, 1/4 3pt, 3/4 FT), seven assists and two steals in 21 minutes in a 6-58 loss to the Stirling Senators in the State Basketball League (SBL).

Spinner’s Wanneroo Wolves squad dropped to 10-11 but still hold a two-game lead in the race for the eighth and final playoff berth.