Under-Manned Wildcats Stun Hawks

by noelrr
15/08/2011

An under-manned Parramatta Wildcats has stunned the playoff-bound Illawarra Hawks, on Sunday afternoon in Wollongong, grabbing a 96-87 victory in the final round of the 2011 Waratah Championship League (WCL) competition. The Wildcats arrived in Wollongong late, minus their uniforms and with just six players - including Goran Veg, Stefan Blaszczynski, Ing Lau, Adi Causevic, Rory Sutton and Frank Meredith. To say they looked ill-prepared to face the might of the Hawks roster was perhaps an understatement, as the home team was fielding a full-strength line-up, including the Wollongong Hawks guards Tyson Demos and Daniel Jackson. The youngsters had combined to destroy the Wildcats in the previous outing between the two teams and the local fans were now more than confident this would again be the situation on Sunday. The subsequent nature of the game would however take everyone by surprise, with the Wildcats trailing 22-19 at the end of the first break in play but then jumping to the lead in the second quarter and refusing to be run down. The Wildcats led 45-38 at half time, then 70-60 at the end of the third quarter, before closing the game out magnificently for a gutsy 9-point victory. Goran Veg led the Wildcats with 29 points and 9 boards and said after the game "I was a bit surprised when I was the only Parramatta player at the venue half an hour before the game". "I knew a few players weren't backing up after Luke Martin's wedding on Saturday night but it was a bit lonely half an hour out from tip-off". "We also didn't have our uniforms and Ing (Lau) made a second return trip back to Auburn, so it was good of Illawarra to delay the game by ten minutes for us". "Unfortunately for them (Illawarra), we then 'dusted them' in the game". Causevic had 21 points, Blaszczynski 19 points and 8 boards and Lau 18 points and 6 boards. The Hawks still progress to the playoffs in fourth place, thanks to their 99-75 win over the Central Coast Crusaders the previous night on the Central Coast. The playoff contenders are the Sydney Comets, Newcastle Hunters, Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, Hawks, Northern Suburbs Bears and Sutherland Sharks. The Comets and Hunters are straight through to the Finals Weekend, which will be held in Newcastle over the 27-28th August. The Sea Eagles play the Sharks and the Hawks play the Bears in two elimination quarter finals next weekend, with the two winners also progressing to the Finals Weekend. PHOTO: Rory Sutton scores in the paint against the Hawks - file photo from the first game between the two teams, courtesy of Noel Rowsell (www.photoexcellence.com.au)

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