State Championship Men (13th): Lost
to Hawthorn (9th) 83-79
Saturday July 11th, 2015
The Werribee Devils staged an incredible comeback in the final minutes of their showdown against the Hawthorn Magic, only to fall just short in their State Championship men’s match on Saturday night. Down by 14 with two minutes to play, the Devils intensity lifted, they affected steals and forced Magic turnovers and came within two points before a couple of crucial free throws sealed an 83-79 Magic victory.
The Devils couldn’t have got off to a worse start if they had dreamed it up. Slack defence, missed shots and turnovers resulted in the Magic leading 10-1 inside the first two minutes and then 17-3 a couple of minutes later. A timeout followed with some sharp and direct words from coach Mark Hughes and from there the Devils started the long road back to a competitive contest. They got within six points toward the end of the quarter thanks to the tireless work of big men David Cobb (16 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists) and Darcy Harding (31 points, 11 rebounds) who both had six points for the quarter, while Cobb added three rebounds.
The Devils took two minutes to get on the scoreboard in the second quarter and the Magic cruised along in control of the match with a double digit lead from beginning to end. The scoreline at half time was a worrying 53-35, and the Devils were out-rebounded 14-8 in each of the first two quarters. Nick Morda (7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists) top scored for the Devils with five points, while Harding and Jonathan Sonda (11 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals) both had four points.
The signs were better for the Devils in the third quarter. The Magic started better and stretched the lead out to 21 points early on, but the Devils were able to stem the flow and win the quarter. Two small victories were keeping the Magic to 17 points and winning the rebounds 20-8 thanks to Sonda (six) and Harding (five). Harding also had nine points and Cobb added six. The three quarter time score was 70-54 in favour of the Magic, and despite better things from the Devils, there was no indication of the madness that was to come in the final minutes of the game.
How the Devils ended up getting within two points is still a mystery. Hawthorn held their double digit lead until the last minute, and were seemingly headed for the easy victory they’d earned with their blistering start to the game. They held an 81-67 advantage with two minutes to go and as the clock ticked down to the final minute they still led by 10. Even though the game seemed to be heading for the same conclusion we had seen many times before from the Devils State Champ men this season, one thing was noticeable: the effort, intensity and verbal support from the bench had not stopped all game, whereas on other occasions those factors had dropped off.
This seemed to spur the Devils on and allowed them to find another gear. Darcy Harding went nuts and scored eight points in the space of 90 seconds, and all of a sudden the score was 79-81 with 11 seconds left. Unfortunately Hawthorn maintained possession and three Werribee fouls allowed the Magic to sink a couple of free throws and get away with a four point win, 83-79. Jordan Hughes also contributed 12 points, five rebounds and two assists.
Lost to Waverley (3rd) 104-79
Sunday July 12th, 2015
The Devils were left with no time to reflect or debrief about their near-miraculous comeback against the Magic. Their next opponent was Waverley who were third on the ladder, had won four on the trot and boasted a 121-75 victory last time the two teams met. I would hazard a guess that one of their pre-game goals was simply to improve on that scoreline (and they did).
The Devils did not start well (I feel like I’ve written that before). They took three minutes to get a score on the board and by halfway through the quarter the margin was out to double digits. Jonathan Sonda (13 points, five rebounds, six assists) and Nick Morda both had four points for the Devils, who trailed 28-11 at the first break.
The pattern of the second quarter was almost identical to the first. The Devils struggled to find a way to the basket, once again only managing 11 points, while Waverley poured in 26, to take a 54-22 lead at half time. Justin Ward (six points, three rebounds) led the Devils with four points for the quarter, while Jordan Hughes (15 points, eight rebounds, five assists) had three.
Just like the night before against Hawthorn, there were better signs for the Devils in the second half. Thankfully the Devils shooting form returned to them in the third quarter and their 29 points was more than they had scored in the entire first half. Despite still conceding 26 points, the Devils narrowly won the quarter and took some confidence into the final term, trailing 80-51. David Cobb (13 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks) had a dominant quarter, putting in 13 points, while Jordan Hughes and Cam Hutton (13 points, two rebounds, three assists) both had five points.
The final quarter was another shootout as both teams combined for 50 points and defences on both teams seemingly went out the window. Six Werribee players hit the scoresheet. Cam Hutton (eight points) and Andrew Johnston (six points, three rebounds) provided little sparks late in the game, and Hughes (seven) and Sonda (five) also contributed. The margin remained between 20 and 30 for most of the quarter and in the end the Devils managed to save face and win the quarter again, preventing a loss of the same magnitude as their previous matchup. The final score was 104-79.
The Devils finish the season with two home games. They will host ladder leaders Ringwood next Sunday (July 19th), and finish the following Saturday (July 25th) against 8th-placed Eltham.
Division One Women (9th): Lost to Whittlesea (1st) 79-54
Saturday July 11th, 2015
The Division One Women faced a big challenge on Saturday night, taking on ladder leaders Whittlesea. The previous meeting between the two clubs was in Round 3, and resulted in a 32 point win to the Pacers.
The match started promisingly for the Devils, with Brittany Klaman (six points, three assists) hitting two early three-pointers. The Devils held a narrow lead for the first few minutes but were soon overrun by Whittlesea. After Georgia Tauschke (12 points, three rebounds) hit another three-pointer to give the Devils a 9-5 lead, they endured a horror four minute stretch which saw six missed shots and four Devils turnovers. By the time they regained their composure, the Pacers had scored 14 unanswered points to jump to a comfortable lead, and went to quarter time ahead 29-15. Klaman led the Devils with six points while Lauren Conroy (18 points, three rebounds, two steals), who was the Devils best on the night, scored four points in the final minute to give the scoreline some respectability.
Things didn’t get much better for the Devils in the second quarter. They could only manage 11 points for the quarter on 4 of 18 shooting, and took nearly three minutes to get on the scoreboard. Turnovers were proving costly, and the Devils made seven blunders for the quarter, compared to the Pacers two. Georgia Tauschke scored seven points for the Devils, while Katrina Vogelezang (six points, 10 rebounds, two steals) had four.
Facing a 50-26 half time deficit, the Devils showed more promising signs in the third quarter without making any inroads on the scoreboard. Although the Pacer lead stretched out to 30 at one stage, the Devils managed to restrict the attack that was so free flowing in the first half and kept them to 15 points for the quarter. The defence tightened up and fouls and turnovers were kept to a minimum. Lauren Conroy had a huge quarter, scoring the first nine points for the Devils before Kelly Richardson chipped in with four. Despite the increased effort and intensity the Devils still went to three-quarter time trailing 41-65, a 24-point margin which was the same as half time.
The only question remaining was whether the Devils girls could salvage anything from the game in the final ten minutes, and unfortunately it didn’t reach any great heights as a contest or a spectacle. Suzie Ashford (five rebounds, two assists, two steals) was lively and scored the Devils first four points of the quarter, while Lauren Conroy finished with five points. Both teams combined for just 27 points and seven successful field goals between them with the Pacers managing to increase their lead by one, to run out with a 25 point win, 79-54.
The Devils have two matches of their season remaining, and have an opportunity for two wins. Their next match is against Keilor, who are just above them on the ladder, and they finish off at home against Craigieburn, who are just below them.
Youth League One Women (5th): Lost to Craigieburn (4th) 83-69
Saturday July 11th, 2015
With their finals destiny in their own hands, the Werribee Devils Youth League women’s team travelled to Craigieburn on Saturday night to take on the Eagles in their most important game of the season so far.
As a fourth vs fifth clash, a win would see the Devils replace Craigieburn in the top four, while a loss would leave them relying on other results to go their way. The Eagles started the game better, controlling most of the first quarter to lead a high scoring affair 25-22 at the first break. Tegan Hindle (16 points, four rebounds, two steals) led the Devils with seven points and Teaghan Doyle (12 points, seven rebounds, six assists) had five.
The second quarter followed a similar pattern, thanks largely to an 11-point quarter from Eagle Zoe Albon. The Devils took 90 seconds to get on the scoreboard and the Eagles maintained a comfortable advantage, at one stage leading by as much as 11. However, the Devils rallied and got within three in the last minute of the half, before going into half time trailing by six, 48-42. Hindle (five points) and Doyle (seven) once again led the Devils scoring.
The Devils came out fired up in the third quarter and did all the attacking in the first minute. A three-pointer to Hindle and a jump shot to Britney Epperson (17 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, two blocks) reduced the deficit to one point and it was well and truly game on! Epperson stood tall for the Devils with eight points for the quarter. The girls drew level in the final minute of the quarter but once again Zoe Albon proved difficult to stop, scoring six points on her own in twenty seconds to give the Eagles a narrow five point lead at the last change, 65-60.
The game was set for a ripping finish and was well and truly up for grabs. However, just like two weeks ago against Warrandyte, the girls shooting form deserted them, resulting in a disappointing loss. They shot just 3 of 19 from the field for nine points and went for four-and-a-half minutes without scoring in the middle stages of the quarter, finishing with an 83-69 defeat.
Other contributors for the Devils included Charlotte Vincent-Lord (six rebounds, three steals, two assists), Hayley Jones (four rebounds, two steals, two assists) and Kennedy Taylor (seven rebounds, two assists).
The girls have two games remaining for the season. They pay a visit to Coburg next Saturday before finishing the season at home against Corio Bay.
Saturday July 11th, 2015
The Werribee Devils staged an incredible comeback in the final minutes of their showdown against the Hawthorn Magic, only to fall just short in their State Championship men’s match on Saturday night. Down by 14 with two minutes to play, the Devils intensity lifted, they affected steals and forced Magic turnovers and came within two points before a couple of crucial free throws sealed an 83-79 Magic victory.
The Devils couldn’t have got off to a worse start if they had dreamed it up. Slack defence, missed shots and turnovers resulted in the Magic leading 10-1 inside the first two minutes and then 17-3 a couple of minutes later. A timeout followed with some sharp and direct words from coach Mark Hughes and from there the Devils started the long road back to a competitive contest. They got within six points toward the end of the quarter thanks to the tireless work of big men David Cobb (16 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists) and Darcy Harding (31 points, 11 rebounds) who both had six points for the quarter, while Cobb added three rebounds.
The Devils took two minutes to get on the scoreboard in the second quarter and the Magic cruised along in control of the match with a double digit lead from beginning to end. The scoreline at half time was a worrying 53-35, and the Devils were out-rebounded 14-8 in each of the first two quarters. Nick Morda (7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists) top scored for the Devils with five points, while Harding and Jonathan Sonda (11 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals) both had four points.
The signs were better for the Devils in the third quarter. The Magic started better and stretched the lead out to 21 points early on, but the Devils were able to stem the flow and win the quarter. Two small victories were keeping the Magic to 17 points and winning the rebounds 20-8 thanks to Sonda (six) and Harding (five). Harding also had nine points and Cobb added six. The three quarter time score was 70-54 in favour of the Magic, and despite better things from the Devils, there was no indication of the madness that was to come in the final minutes of the game.
How the Devils ended up getting within two points is still a mystery. Hawthorn held their double digit lead until the last minute, and were seemingly headed for the easy victory they’d earned with their blistering start to the game. They held an 81-67 advantage with two minutes to go and as the clock ticked down to the final minute they still led by 10. Even though the game seemed to be heading for the same conclusion we had seen many times before from the Devils State Champ men this season, one thing was noticeable: the effort, intensity and verbal support from the bench had not stopped all game, whereas on other occasions those factors had dropped off.
This seemed to spur the Devils on and allowed them to find another gear. Darcy Harding went nuts and scored eight points in the space of 90 seconds, and all of a sudden the score was 79-81 with 11 seconds left. Unfortunately Hawthorn maintained possession and three Werribee fouls allowed the Magic to sink a couple of free throws and get away with a four point win, 83-79. Jordan Hughes also contributed 12 points, five rebounds and two assists.
Lost to Waverley (3rd) 104-79
Sunday July 12th, 2015
The Devils were left with no time to reflect or debrief about their near-miraculous comeback against the Magic. Their next opponent was Waverley who were third on the ladder, had won four on the trot and boasted a 121-75 victory last time the two teams met. I would hazard a guess that one of their pre-game goals was simply to improve on that scoreline (and they did).
The Devils did not start well (I feel like I’ve written that before). They took three minutes to get a score on the board and by halfway through the quarter the margin was out to double digits. Jonathan Sonda (13 points, five rebounds, six assists) and Nick Morda both had four points for the Devils, who trailed 28-11 at the first break.
The pattern of the second quarter was almost identical to the first. The Devils struggled to find a way to the basket, once again only managing 11 points, while Waverley poured in 26, to take a 54-22 lead at half time. Justin Ward (six points, three rebounds) led the Devils with four points for the quarter, while Jordan Hughes (15 points, eight rebounds, five assists) had three.
Just like the night before against Hawthorn, there were better signs for the Devils in the second half. Thankfully the Devils shooting form returned to them in the third quarter and their 29 points was more than they had scored in the entire first half. Despite still conceding 26 points, the Devils narrowly won the quarter and took some confidence into the final term, trailing 80-51. David Cobb (13 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks) had a dominant quarter, putting in 13 points, while Jordan Hughes and Cam Hutton (13 points, two rebounds, three assists) both had five points.
The final quarter was another shootout as both teams combined for 50 points and defences on both teams seemingly went out the window. Six Werribee players hit the scoresheet. Cam Hutton (eight points) and Andrew Johnston (six points, three rebounds) provided little sparks late in the game, and Hughes (seven) and Sonda (five) also contributed. The margin remained between 20 and 30 for most of the quarter and in the end the Devils managed to save face and win the quarter again, preventing a loss of the same magnitude as their previous matchup. The final score was 104-79.
The Devils finish the season with two home games. They will host ladder leaders Ringwood next Sunday (July 19th), and finish the following Saturday (July 25th) against 8th-placed Eltham.
Division One Women (9th): Lost to Whittlesea (1st) 79-54
Saturday July 11th, 2015
The Division One Women faced a big challenge on Saturday night, taking on ladder leaders Whittlesea. The previous meeting between the two clubs was in Round 3, and resulted in a 32 point win to the Pacers.
The match started promisingly for the Devils, with Brittany Klaman (six points, three assists) hitting two early three-pointers. The Devils held a narrow lead for the first few minutes but were soon overrun by Whittlesea. After Georgia Tauschke (12 points, three rebounds) hit another three-pointer to give the Devils a 9-5 lead, they endured a horror four minute stretch which saw six missed shots and four Devils turnovers. By the time they regained their composure, the Pacers had scored 14 unanswered points to jump to a comfortable lead, and went to quarter time ahead 29-15. Klaman led the Devils with six points while Lauren Conroy (18 points, three rebounds, two steals), who was the Devils best on the night, scored four points in the final minute to give the scoreline some respectability.
Things didn’t get much better for the Devils in the second quarter. They could only manage 11 points for the quarter on 4 of 18 shooting, and took nearly three minutes to get on the scoreboard. Turnovers were proving costly, and the Devils made seven blunders for the quarter, compared to the Pacers two. Georgia Tauschke scored seven points for the Devils, while Katrina Vogelezang (six points, 10 rebounds, two steals) had four.
Facing a 50-26 half time deficit, the Devils showed more promising signs in the third quarter without making any inroads on the scoreboard. Although the Pacer lead stretched out to 30 at one stage, the Devils managed to restrict the attack that was so free flowing in the first half and kept them to 15 points for the quarter. The defence tightened up and fouls and turnovers were kept to a minimum. Lauren Conroy had a huge quarter, scoring the first nine points for the Devils before Kelly Richardson chipped in with four. Despite the increased effort and intensity the Devils still went to three-quarter time trailing 41-65, a 24-point margin which was the same as half time.
The only question remaining was whether the Devils girls could salvage anything from the game in the final ten minutes, and unfortunately it didn’t reach any great heights as a contest or a spectacle. Suzie Ashford (five rebounds, two assists, two steals) was lively and scored the Devils first four points of the quarter, while Lauren Conroy finished with five points. Both teams combined for just 27 points and seven successful field goals between them with the Pacers managing to increase their lead by one, to run out with a 25 point win, 79-54.
The Devils have two matches of their season remaining, and have an opportunity for two wins. Their next match is against Keilor, who are just above them on the ladder, and they finish off at home against Craigieburn, who are just below them.
Youth League One Women (5th): Lost to Craigieburn (4th) 83-69
Saturday July 11th, 2015
With their finals destiny in their own hands, the Werribee Devils Youth League women’s team travelled to Craigieburn on Saturday night to take on the Eagles in their most important game of the season so far.
As a fourth vs fifth clash, a win would see the Devils replace Craigieburn in the top four, while a loss would leave them relying on other results to go their way. The Eagles started the game better, controlling most of the first quarter to lead a high scoring affair 25-22 at the first break. Tegan Hindle (16 points, four rebounds, two steals) led the Devils with seven points and Teaghan Doyle (12 points, seven rebounds, six assists) had five.
The second quarter followed a similar pattern, thanks largely to an 11-point quarter from Eagle Zoe Albon. The Devils took 90 seconds to get on the scoreboard and the Eagles maintained a comfortable advantage, at one stage leading by as much as 11. However, the Devils rallied and got within three in the last minute of the half, before going into half time trailing by six, 48-42. Hindle (five points) and Doyle (seven) once again led the Devils scoring.
The Devils came out fired up in the third quarter and did all the attacking in the first minute. A three-pointer to Hindle and a jump shot to Britney Epperson (17 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, two blocks) reduced the deficit to one point and it was well and truly game on! Epperson stood tall for the Devils with eight points for the quarter. The girls drew level in the final minute of the quarter but once again Zoe Albon proved difficult to stop, scoring six points on her own in twenty seconds to give the Eagles a narrow five point lead at the last change, 65-60.
The game was set for a ripping finish and was well and truly up for grabs. However, just like two weeks ago against Warrandyte, the girls shooting form deserted them, resulting in a disappointing loss. They shot just 3 of 19 from the field for nine points and went for four-and-a-half minutes without scoring in the middle stages of the quarter, finishing with an 83-69 defeat.
Other contributors for the Devils included Charlotte Vincent-Lord (six rebounds, three steals, two assists), Hayley Jones (four rebounds, two steals, two assists) and Kennedy Taylor (seven rebounds, two assists).
The girls have two games remaining for the season. They pay a visit to Coburg next Saturday before finishing the season at home against Corio Bay.
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