State Championship Men (13th): Lost to Corio Bay Stingrays (2nd) 80-89
Coming off a pair of double-digit losses last weekend, things weren’t going to get any easier for the Werribee Devils State Champ men’s team as they travelled down the highway to confront the second-placed Corio Bay Stingrays on Saturday night. Their previous meeting in Round 4 saw the Stingrays get up by three points.
While they may have come away empty handed in the end, the Devils scored their second-highest total for the season and were by no means disgraced against a high-quality opposition. In Andrew Johnston’s 200th Big V game, the Devils got off to a quick start and led for two and a half quarters but ran out of legs toward the end of the game, at one stage trailing by 19 before rallying late to get within nine points at the final buzzer, 89-80.
The Devils controlled most of the opening term with Jordan Hughes (11 points, five rebounds), David Cobb (13 points, 16 rebounds) and Darcy Harding (19 points, five rebounds, three blocks) featuring early. Jonathan Sonda had his best game for the year with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and he helped the Devils to a 22-15 quarter time lead with nine points.
The Stingrays regained the ascendancy in the second quarter, thanks largely to former Devil Dion Jewell who knocked down two big three-pointers in the first minute and had 11 points for the quarter. Harding was the standout for the Devils, knocking down seven consecutive points to keep them in the game late in the quarter. After having an early lead, the Devils trailed by one at the main break, 44-43.
The Devils continued to match the Stingrays early in the third quarter, and when Sonda hit a jump shot with five minutes to play, they led 55-52. However, in the space of four minutes the Stingrays scored 19 unanswered points to jump out to a 16-point lead and effectively take the game away from the Devils. Sonda again led the Devils with seven points for the quarter and Hughes scored five.
The Stingrays seemed destined for a big win as they controlled the game and slowly increased their lead out to 19 midway the final term. However the Devils found another gear and went on an 8-0 run thanks to six points each from Harding and Sonda, to win the quarter, gain some respectability and bring the final margin back to single-digits.
Nick Morda again played a good supporting role with nine points, six rebounds and two steals, while Anthony Luxford grabbed five rebounds. The Devils next match is against the Hawthorn Magic at home on Saturday night.
Division One Women (9th): Lost
to Sunbury Jets (8th) 63-71
In Division One women, the Devils missed a golden opportunity for two wins in a
row against similarly-placed opposition, losing to the Sunbury Jets 63-71. The
Eagle Stadium crowd was hoping they could produce a similar result to the Youth
League girls stunning win against top side Hume City, but unfortunately it wasn’t
to be.
The Devils got off to a slow start, scoring two points in the first six minutes. Sparked by seven points from Brittany Klaman (11 points, six rebounds, three assists), they then went on an 8-0 run to briefly take the lead, and at quarter time were down by one point, 12-13.
A Suzie Ashford (eight points, three rebounds) three-pointer to start the second quarter gave the Devils back the lead, and they held it early on. The Jets worked their way back in front for the rest of the quarter thanks to 50% shooting (9 of 18) and held a narrow 26-29 lead at half time. Lauren Conroy (14 points, seven rebounds) had one of her best games for the season and played an important role for the Devils in the second quarter with five points and three rebounds.
The third quarter was free-flowing, high scoring and fun to watch. The two teams combined for 50 points and the pattern of the game was the opposite of the second quarter. The Jets maintained their early lead but this time it was the Devils turn to fight back and control most of the quarter. Two free throws from Kelsey Sigl gave Sunbury a one-point 52-53 lead at the last break. Six Devils players hit the scoresheet in the quarter and Katrina Vogelezang (19 points, five rebounds, two assists) top scored with nine points. Kelly Richardson (five assists, six rebounds) gave away three assists for the quarter.
Both teams took turns leading the game in the final quarter, and it was still up for grabs with the Jets up 63-61 with three minutes to play. At that point the Jets scored six unanswered points while the Devils had five missed shots in a row to effectively put the game beyond the Devils reach.
The eight-point final margin was the largest of the game. Katrina Vogelezang won the Mel Logan Medal for best Devils player on court, with 19 points and five rebounds. Georgia Tauschke finished the game with nine rebounds and two assists, while Lydia Brooks scored six points and had eight rebounds. The Devils face a challenge in their next match when they travel to take on top-placed Whittlesea.
The Devils got off to a slow start, scoring two points in the first six minutes. Sparked by seven points from Brittany Klaman (11 points, six rebounds, three assists), they then went on an 8-0 run to briefly take the lead, and at quarter time were down by one point, 12-13.
A Suzie Ashford (eight points, three rebounds) three-pointer to start the second quarter gave the Devils back the lead, and they held it early on. The Jets worked their way back in front for the rest of the quarter thanks to 50% shooting (9 of 18) and held a narrow 26-29 lead at half time. Lauren Conroy (14 points, seven rebounds) had one of her best games for the season and played an important role for the Devils in the second quarter with five points and three rebounds.
The third quarter was free-flowing, high scoring and fun to watch. The two teams combined for 50 points and the pattern of the game was the opposite of the second quarter. The Jets maintained their early lead but this time it was the Devils turn to fight back and control most of the quarter. Two free throws from Kelsey Sigl gave Sunbury a one-point 52-53 lead at the last break. Six Devils players hit the scoresheet in the quarter and Katrina Vogelezang (19 points, five rebounds, two assists) top scored with nine points. Kelly Richardson (five assists, six rebounds) gave away three assists for the quarter.
Both teams took turns leading the game in the final quarter, and it was still up for grabs with the Jets up 63-61 with three minutes to play. At that point the Jets scored six unanswered points while the Devils had five missed shots in a row to effectively put the game beyond the Devils reach.
The eight-point final margin was the largest of the game. Katrina Vogelezang won the Mel Logan Medal for best Devils player on court, with 19 points and five rebounds. Georgia Tauschke finished the game with nine rebounds and two assists, while Lydia Brooks scored six points and had eight rebounds. The Devils face a challenge in their next match when they travel to take on top-placed Whittlesea.
Youth League One Men (7th): Lost
to Whittlesea Pacers (2nd) 46-65
The Youth League men’s team have endured a disappointing weekend, losing both games to all but end their finals chances for the 2015 season. The boys only have one game left for the season and have to rely on Bendigo dropping all their remaining games to even have a chance at post-season action.
On Saturday night the Devils took on second-placed Whittlesea and were held to 46 points for the match, their lowest score for the season. The Pacers affected 15 steals, forced 27 Devil turnovers and blocked four shots. The first half indicated a competitive match, with the half time margin four points in the Pacers favour, 28-24.
The third quarter was when the game broke open, with the Pacers winning the quarter 25-11, to set up a match-winning lead at the last change. The Pacers stole the ball six times for the quarter compared to the Devils one, and the Devils turned the ball over eight times.
The final term was even, but the Devils were unable to make up any ground on the scoreboard, meaning the Pacers finished with a comfortable 65-46 victory.
Josh Zamperoni led the Devils with 14 points and 13 rebounds, Cam Hutton finished with 12 points and nine rebounds and Travis Dale chipped in with nine points and five rebounds.
Lost to Camberwell Dragons (8th) 62-85
The Devils lads backed up at home on Sunday against the Camberwell Dragons, needing to win to keep their finals hopes alive, and hoping for a better offensive effort than the previous night.
The Devils opened up a narrow lead early on, but the Dragons gradually got on top and went to quarter time up 20-15. Mark Luxford (12 points, 10 rebounds) opened with four points and six rebounds, Cam Hutton (12 points, four rebounds, two steals) had four points and Curtis Brooks (four points, three steals, one block) nabbed a couple of steals.
Things got really ugly really quickly for the Devils early in the second quarter as James Guley subbed in and launched three 3-pointers in the space of two minutes. All of a sudden the Devils found themselves down 33-17, not even halfway through the quarter. However, the boys gradually tightened up the defence, worked their way back into the game and found themselves within seven points. A couple of late turnovers to Josh Toniato (four points, two rebounds) proved costly, but good defensive hustle minimised the damage. The margin at half time was nine points in favour of the Dragons, 39-30. Sharieff Nepe led the Devils with five points for the quarter, while Josh Zamperoni (nine points, six rebounds, four assists) and TJ Remy (five rebounds, three assists) grabbed three rebounds each.
The third quarter was a higher scoring affair, largely free of fouls or turnovers. The Devils kept chipping away at the deficit and at one stage got within three points midway through the quarter but were unable to take the lead. The Dragons were just able to stay at arms length and match whatever the Werribee guys were able to produce. They stretched the lead to 12 in the final minute but a Cam Hutton jump shot reduced the three-quarter-time margin to 10, 64-54. Travis Dale (13 points, three assists) stood up for Werribee, scoring 10 third-quarter points, Josh Zamperoni had three rebounds and three assists, and Cam Hutton had a couple of steals.
The Devils fought hard and stayed with the Dragons for the first half of the final quarter with no progress on the scoreboard. With 4:43 remaining the Devils were down 60-71, but from there the Dragons went on a 14-0 run, during which time the Devils took twelve shots but missed them all. The Devils only managed eight points for the quarter and their only points in the last five minutes were two successful free throws from Curtis Brooks after the final buzzer. It was a disappointing way to end a largely competitive contest.
The boys have played 21 of their 22 games, so they have Round 16 off. Their final game for the season will be at home against Ballarat on Sunday July 19th.
The Youth League men’s team have endured a disappointing weekend, losing both games to all but end their finals chances for the 2015 season. The boys only have one game left for the season and have to rely on Bendigo dropping all their remaining games to even have a chance at post-season action.
On Saturday night the Devils took on second-placed Whittlesea and were held to 46 points for the match, their lowest score for the season. The Pacers affected 15 steals, forced 27 Devil turnovers and blocked four shots. The first half indicated a competitive match, with the half time margin four points in the Pacers favour, 28-24.
The third quarter was when the game broke open, with the Pacers winning the quarter 25-11, to set up a match-winning lead at the last change. The Pacers stole the ball six times for the quarter compared to the Devils one, and the Devils turned the ball over eight times.
The final term was even, but the Devils were unable to make up any ground on the scoreboard, meaning the Pacers finished with a comfortable 65-46 victory.
Josh Zamperoni led the Devils with 14 points and 13 rebounds, Cam Hutton finished with 12 points and nine rebounds and Travis Dale chipped in with nine points and five rebounds.
Lost to Camberwell Dragons (8th) 62-85
The Devils lads backed up at home on Sunday against the Camberwell Dragons, needing to win to keep their finals hopes alive, and hoping for a better offensive effort than the previous night.
The Devils opened up a narrow lead early on, but the Dragons gradually got on top and went to quarter time up 20-15. Mark Luxford (12 points, 10 rebounds) opened with four points and six rebounds, Cam Hutton (12 points, four rebounds, two steals) had four points and Curtis Brooks (four points, three steals, one block) nabbed a couple of steals.
Things got really ugly really quickly for the Devils early in the second quarter as James Guley subbed in and launched three 3-pointers in the space of two minutes. All of a sudden the Devils found themselves down 33-17, not even halfway through the quarter. However, the boys gradually tightened up the defence, worked their way back into the game and found themselves within seven points. A couple of late turnovers to Josh Toniato (four points, two rebounds) proved costly, but good defensive hustle minimised the damage. The margin at half time was nine points in favour of the Dragons, 39-30. Sharieff Nepe led the Devils with five points for the quarter, while Josh Zamperoni (nine points, six rebounds, four assists) and TJ Remy (five rebounds, three assists) grabbed three rebounds each.
The third quarter was a higher scoring affair, largely free of fouls or turnovers. The Devils kept chipping away at the deficit and at one stage got within three points midway through the quarter but were unable to take the lead. The Dragons were just able to stay at arms length and match whatever the Werribee guys were able to produce. They stretched the lead to 12 in the final minute but a Cam Hutton jump shot reduced the three-quarter-time margin to 10, 64-54. Travis Dale (13 points, three assists) stood up for Werribee, scoring 10 third-quarter points, Josh Zamperoni had three rebounds and three assists, and Cam Hutton had a couple of steals.
The Devils fought hard and stayed with the Dragons for the first half of the final quarter with no progress on the scoreboard. With 4:43 remaining the Devils were down 60-71, but from there the Dragons went on a 14-0 run, during which time the Devils took twelve shots but missed them all. The Devils only managed eight points for the quarter and their only points in the last five minutes were two successful free throws from Curtis Brooks after the final buzzer. It was a disappointing way to end a largely competitive contest.
The boys have played 21 of their 22 games, so they have Round 16 off. Their final game for the season will be at home against Ballarat on Sunday July 19th.
Youth League One Women (5th): Defeated
Hume City Broncos (1st) 70-60
“As much as we love an underdog. We just don’t think they can cause the upset. It is fairly obvious and well known that the Broncos are on a different level in this competition. They will go undefeated and are of course favourites for the title…” – official Big V game preview.
On a night that was ‘all about the girls’, the Werribee Devils Youth League Women’s team has delivered a resounding “Nuts To You!” to the Big V game previewer as well as a few others by toppling the previously undefeated Hume City Broncos 70-60 at Eagle Stadium on Saturday night. The two previous meetings between these clubs this season resulted in 15 and 30 point wins to the Broncos. The win means the girls have won four of their last five and remain in contention for a finals spot, even though the teams around them keep winning as well.
The Devils girls bounced out of the blocks early, in control for the whole quarter and even raced to a 10-point lead before being pegged back slightly to hold an 18-13 lead at the first break. The Teaghan/Tegan duo of Doyle (16 points, five rebounds) and Hindle (10 points, four rebounds) combined for 11 first-quarter points.
The Broncos fought back in the second quarter, gradually reducing the deficit to finally take the lead for the first time with three minutes left in the half. The Devils were finding Mua Laloifi hard to stop. She had eight points for the quarter and finished with 31 for the game. Kennedy Taylor (seven points, four rebounds, four assists) stepped up with five points for the Devils, while captain Taylah Lea (six points, six rebounds) grabbed four rebounds and the Devils went into half time trailing 31-34.
The third quarter was an arm-wrestle in which the lead changed several times and the Devils came out marginally on top, finishing with a four-point lead, 48-44. Britney Epperson (12 points, 12 rebounds) rose above everyone else with 10 points and six rebounds for the quarter, and Teaghan Doyle dished out three assists. It was still anyone’s game, but the Eagle Stadium crowd could smell an upset looming.
As the final quarter got underway, Laloifi opened the scoring for the Broncos and it was clear she would be the main obstacle standing between the Devils and a huge upset win. She finished with 14 points for the quarter but it was the lack of other Bronco contributors that made the difference. The Devils led for the entire quarter, but never by much, and when Charlotte Vincent-Lord (10 points, two rebounds) made two free throws with 35 seconds remaining, the 10-point margin was the largest of the game. Doyle had eight points for the quarter, while Vincent-Lord had five and Epperson pulled in five rebounds.
In the end, the Devils triumphed 70-60 and Teaghan Doyle was a worthy winner of the Abel/Just Medal, awarded to the best Devils player, with 16 points and five assists.
As unlikely as it was, the victory was an important one for the girls, as it keeps them in the finals hunt. Their three remaining games create a fascinating picture: Craigieburn and Corio Bay are just above them on the ladder, while Coburg is just below. The bottom line is the Devils just need to keep winning.
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