(Feature Image: Travis Palmieri and Arctic Moon Photography)
Finals are heating up for our remaining four players in the NBL1.
Austin Rapp’s Knox Raiders took on Owen Foxwell’s Eltham Wildcats in a thriller.
While Gorjok Gak and the Willetton Tigers started their finals campaign against last season’s champions Geraldton Buccaneers in a tight qualifying final.
Ben Ayre and the Sandringham Sabres had the week off as they prepare for their preliminary final this weekend.
35 Points for Foxwell in Semi-Final
It was teammate vs teammate when Owen Foxwell’s Eltham Wildcats faced off against Austin Rapp’s Knox Raiders on Saturday night in the NBL1 South semi-final.
With only one team advancing to the preliminary finals, everything was on the line. The Raiders came out firing, retaining the lead throughout the game with the margin at 71-56 at three-quarter time.
Eltham came out swinging in the final quarter shooting 25-13, but ultimately it wasn’t enough, going down by three points and ending their season.
Foxwell’s amazing effort didn’t go unnoticed, producing his best game in his NBL1 season with a game-high 35 points, five assists, three rebounds, and three steals.
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Rapp had a quiet game coming off the bench but contributed to his side’s win with six points. Knox continues their finals campaign playing Mt Gambier Pioneers in the preliminary finals this Friday night.
Gak Continues Double-Double Trouble
Gorjok Gak and the Willetton Tigers, suffered a heartbreaking one-point loss against Geraldton Buccaneers in Saturday’s qualifying final.
It was an even contest between the two sides, with only a mere point separating them going into the final term (67-66). Gak continued his double-double dominance by recording his 16th for the season with 29 points and 11 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough, going down by a single point (86-87).
Thankfully, Willetton earned a double chance by finishing third in the regular season standings, seeing them back to face the Joondalup Wolves in the semi-finals on Thursday night with a chance to advance to the prelims.
(Gak recorded his 16th double-double in the qualifying final on Saturday. Photo: Arctic Moon Photography)
The Results
Owen Foxwell
Eltham Wildcats 81-84 Knox Raiders
Foxwell: 35 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals.
Austin Rapp
Knox Raiders 84-81 Eltham Wildcats
Rapp: 6 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist.
Gorjok Gak
Willetton Tigers 86-87 Geraldton Buccaneers
Gak: 29 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals.
Phoenix players are now in Melbourne for the start of NBL24 pre-season tomorrow.
NBL24 MEMBERSHIPS ON SALE NOW
