Triple Treat for Bruins at Parramatta

by noelrr
17/06/2012

The Parramatta Basketball has lost all three games of a triple-header night at the Auburn Basketball Centre (ABC) on Saturday night, in Round Eleven of the 2012 Waratah Championship and State League basketball competitions. Whilst the Wildcats would start underdogs in all three games, it was still disappointing to see how easily the Bruins teams won their respective games, beginning with State League men. The Bruins led 30-19 at the end of the first quarter and never let up from that moment of the game, eventually winning by 81-74 in spite of a whirlwind finish from the Wildcats. Charles Bloemen was Parramatta's best on the night, finishing the game with 18 points, while John Blake had 21 for the Bruins. Game two featured the top-of-the-ladder Lady Bruins against the winless Wildcats women in a Championship League game and this was all one way traffic, from the opening whistle to the final hooter - the Bruins winning 88-27. Five separate players hit double figures for the Bruins (led by Ellie Junod with 22) but that goal eluded Emma Bramston, who was easily the Wildcats best performer. The final game of the night was the last opportunity for the Parramatta Association to grab some much-needed success and the Wildcats Championship League men looked very competitive through the first two quarters, trailing narrowly (45-44) at the half time break. It all began to unravel for the Wildcats from the start of the third term, with the Bruins gradually easing away to lead 65-56 at the end of the period of play, then continuing to make all the running in the final term to record a 88-70 win. Parramatta head coach Merve Tait acknowledged his young women's team were never in contention against the powerful Lady Bruins but his disappointment in the performance of his men's team was palpable. "We (Wildcats) had a disrupted week of training, with only six players at each session and the four players who were on the Australian Chinese Basketball Association tour in China arriving back late". "I have to take my hat off to Bankstown - they were excellent" said Tait. "We didn't accomplish our defensive assignments and I'll be stressing at training this week we need a much better effort against Newcastle this Saturday". Goran Veg was the stand-out player for the Wildcats through the first three quarters but showed the effects of seven hard games in China in the previous ten days, understandably running out of steam in the final quarter. Veg finished with 20 points and 16 boards, ahead of Adi Causevic 13 points and Tyrone Davey 10. Jason Cadee led the Bruins with 27 points. The two Parramatta Championship League teams host the Newcastle Hunters at the ABC this Saturday afternoon, with the women's game tipping off at 3pm and the men's game at 5pm. The Bruins WCL women have a bye, whilst the WCL men host the Central Coast Crusaders at the Bankstown Basketball Stadium, Third Avenue, Condell Park - game tips off at 4pm.

PHOTO: Charles Bloemen soars above a Bruins defender to grab an offensive rebound in the State League men's game - photo by Noel Rowsell

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