Week 7 Results, Week 8 Game Times + Milestones Galore

MILESTONE: Thursday night, Stuart Macdonald will become the 9th player to play 300 games for the basketball club.

Stu has pretty much achieved everything that is possible to achieve in the basketball club. I could do a massive write up but it would take too long – just look at the list of his achievements … almost unparalleled – in my opinion he is one of the 5 best players to ever play for our club.

2013 – Best Club Man
 2009 – Club Champion
 2008 – A’s MVP
 2006 – B’s MVP
 2007 and 2005 – Wednesday MVP
 4 Time Players’ Player Winner (A’s x 2, B’s and D’s) – one of only two 4 time winners
 3 Lowbrowns (Wednesday night Medal)
 6 Saturday titles (A’s 4 – 2008-2011, E’s 2013, D’s 2014)
 Unanimously voted in as a Member of 20 Year Team for Old Reds
 4th in Points Scored All Time
 7th in Points Average All Time
 9th in Games Played All Time
 2nd in Free Throws Made All Time
 4th in Free Throws Attempted All Time
 10th in Free Throw Percentage
 4th in 3’s All Time
 9th in Fouls All Time
 6th most points for the A’s
 3rd most points for Crazies

Stu joined in 2005 and will become a Life Member of the club this year.

I will tell a couple of stories, in 2011 Stu did his knee and had to have surgery that kept him out of the game for 18 months. In the game he did his knee, Stu was playing amazing – he had 21 points at half time, scored 4 more in the first couple of minutes of the 2nd half – I would argue that he having one of the best games ever played for the club. He then blew out his knee. In 2013 he came back – and it was a work in progress … he joined the F’s – they went undefeated for the season … 17-0 going into the Grand Final. For Stu he was having a quiet season – he averaged 6ppg as he slowly came back. In the final – the F’s found themselves down double figures and nothing was working. In the 2nd half – Stu tapped into his former self and went nuts – he scored 15 in the 2nd half and played unhindered for the first time in the season. He hit a huge 3 in the last minute to get them within one and then Jay hit the game winner on the buzzer. From there Stu joined the D’s in 2014 and lead the team in scoring and had a huge GF to win back to back. This season – he is improving even more averaging 14 a game for the E’s in B Grade.

In every season Stu has played in from 2008 - his team has won a title.

In no uncertain terms – he is one of the best A Grade players ever winning 4 titles, he is a Club Champion and he is one of the great club men in our club.

Most of all, to quote a great man … “he changed Palky's life”.

MILESTONE: Brad Daniel is the latest player to reach 200 games for the Old Reds.

Brad joined the club in 2000 and played his first 6 seasons as the member of the B’s and is the current leader in games played for the B’s with 108. He won his first of 3 titles in the B’s in 2004 with Max, Roughie and Palky – he was the anchor in D and a timely scorer in the post – skills that he has carried across his whole time in the club. In 2006 he moved to the C’s, where he played 2 seasons winning a title in 2007 (I think his team beat Mick Hill’s team in the Qualifying Final as I recall). He was the team's leading scorer in the 2007 and also won the Players’ Player and MVP. In 2008 Brad moved back into the B’s and was awarded Best Team Man that year.

Brad become a Life Member of the basketball club in 2009 and then as often happens on receiving this honour (see Ben Christie, Ben Foran, Phil Motteram, Andrew Sullivan) – he moved away.

On his return in 2013 he joined up with the E’s – reuniting with Roughie and Max – they fell short this year but regrouped in 2014, winning the Grand Final in dramatic fashion. Brad won his 2nd Players’ Player in the 2014 E’s in the closest count of all time – winning with the last votes of the night (sorry Bubs).

Brad can always be counted on to be at all club events – regaling us with stories of some time he blocked the shit out of some guy. As you can see – he is a winner, both of individual awards and championships – he one of only 6 guys to win 3 Saturday titles and 2 or more Players’ Players – the other 5 (Jack Harford, Stu MacDonald, Andrew Williams, Nic Blair and Tom Lunn) all members of the Team of the 20 Years … pretty good company.

Well done Brad.

To the results:
A's (5-1) - BYE

B's (1-1-4) v Gateway A (3-1-2) - Written by Jono - The Bs started the game off well with even scores against Gateway (it was still tip off), for a while the game was close and the B's were in it to win it. Then a few minutes pasted and Gateway had a lead. Joel and Brendon hit a few shots and Phil was being aggressive inside taking good shots, unfortunately they were just not dropping. Half time 29-17 Gateway were up. The 2nd half saw Angus join the team after burning a Uni exam to make the game in time but he soon realised that was a bad idea, he hit a few shots and created some movement in the Forrest that is the B's offence. The 2nd half was similar, Brendon, Joel and Tim hit a few shots and Manners and Phil were being aggressive but the ball just wouldn't go in! Joel was a great addition on Saturday and the Bs benefited from having that extra forward on the court! Lost 36-54 - Jono 14, Joel 8, Gus 6.

Palky said something after the game that has stuck in my mind "you guys are so close to being better" as harsh as it sounds it is 100% correct, there is such a little distance we need to come for our game to go so much further and the Bs can actually start to be a threat in the Saturday A grade.

Jon 14, Joel 8, Angus 6

C's/White (4-1-2) v D's/White (3-4) - Bubs: Plenty of free throws were missed, first 10 minutes were really flat from both teams. We didn't build our lead with a run, just slowly built it over the course of the game. I need to learn to run whilst watching the ball. BB: They started in man. As Bub said we were tentative at first then we started getting aggressive and began breaking them down one on one. Road Train hit a 3. They switched to 2-1-2 and then to a 3-2, but our passing game in the half court was too good. Goody: I’d say it was a balanced team effort across the board, we didn't give them easy looks or second chances and we exploited some mismatches when in offence. If we'd hit some more free throws and a few unlucky rolls dropped we would have buried them! D's win 39-22. C's - G 11, Bubs 9, Moops 6 -


E’s/Yellow (6-1) v Knightsbridge A (1-1-5) – Written by Palky – Knightsbridge are solid and have a draw, 1, 5 and 7 point loses, they have a couple of good scorers and are active on the boards – Yellow would need to shoot well. Yellow shot well – Madman was hitting his jumper early, Palky hit a couple of free throws (showing you how it is done) and two 3’s, Stu hit a 3 and got a couple of layups (cos Stu is good at layups) … Thommo also got 2/2 from the line. Knightsbridge were getting good looks every possession and it was a bit closer than the score line indicated. Yellow up 27-16 at the half. The 2nd half was the Dangerous Stu show – he hit five 3’s and two crafty layups (as you recall he is at good at layups). Yellow were moving the ball well, getting it inside out with Thommo and Big A passing the ball expertly to all the shooters. Defensively Future and Madman were out on all jumpshots and the bigs were cleaning the glass. Palky got a late 3 and two more layups (one off and awesome outlet from Tom “Big A” Brady). Yellow win 61-31. Stu had 26, Palky 16 and Madman 6. Best game of the year for Yellow.


F's (6-1) vs Unley Park A (3-4) - Written by Max - The F’s went into the game wary of Unley Park who had been dropped from B grade a few weeks earlier. However the F’s started quickly scoring off the centre tip and were never headed again. The F’s displayed good ball rotation and made the most of their open looks at the basket. Mike was hitting jump shots from everywhere. Meanwhile Cam continued his recent run of good form, dominating on the boards at both ends, and making the most of his shot opportunities around the basket. At the other end, intense man defence was denying Unley Park any easy shots. The F’s went into half time up 28-13. The second half was more of the same except for a spell where the tiring F’s took their foot off the pedal, perhaps a sign that better attendance at Tuesday training might be beneficial. The F’s ran out winners 52-30. Cam and Mike had 12 points each, and Brad had 10. Thanks to Rough Justice for scoring, hopefully we will see his return to the court next week.

G's (5-0) - BYE

H's (2-3) v Burnside City A (0-6) - The H-Bombs returned to the hardwood after their maiden win last week, to face yet another team in the lower echelon of E/F grade.  The opposition gave the impression during warm-ups that they were as short on talent as they were in stature.  This impression did not fade when the game started, the H-Bombs scoring directly from the tip to establish a lead they would never relinquish.  During the first half they continued to score steadily, dominate the boards and play solid D, although the lack of ability of the opposition to pose a credible threat in any aspect of the game contributed significantly to the one-sided nature of the contest.  In fact they only had one player who appeared to have any basketball ability or height, and they didn’t bring him off the bench until half-way through the first half.  The score at intermission was 23-11.  With the result of the game never in doubt, and zealous officiating causing individual foul counts to rise, the second half defence by the H-Bombs was much less intense, allowing the Burnsiders to pick up a few easy baskets late in the game and make their score respectable.  The final score represented the closest margin of the second half, the H-Bombs winning 39-29.  All seven Redmen scored, Rhys scoring the most with 13 and Sam backing him up with 8.

Lady Reds (6-1) v Hawthorn A (0-7) – Written by Palky – 2nd v Last … it wasn’t the best game of basketball, the Lady Reds were too big, fast and skilful for Hawthorn who were a little underskilled. Lots of layups, lots of offensive boards, lots of jumpers. Not much more to say really … other than Georgie hit a 3 (her first ever for the Lady Reds). Win 56-7. Rachel 13, Claire O 12, Alicia 12.

Palky's Player of the Week - Week 7 - Stu MacDonald

Week 8 - Game Times:
PAOCBC As vs Gateway Baptist A - Adelaide Arena - Ct 1 - 4:20
PAOCBC Bs vs SPOC A - Adelaide Arena - Ct 1 - 1:00
PAOCBC Cs vs PAOCBC Es - Adelaide Arena - Ct 1 - 1:50
PAOCBC Ds vs SPOC B - Adelaide Arena - Ct 1 - 2:40
PAOCBC Fs vs SPOC D - Adelaide Arena - Ct 2 - 1:00
PAOCBC Gs vs PAOCBC Hs - Adelaide Arena - Ct 3 - 1:50
Lady Reds vs St Casimir Catholic A - Adelaide Arena - Ct 1 - 3:30

SACBA Week 6 results

MILESTONE: On Saturday – after 17 seasons of takings stats – Troy Tirrell finally played his 200^th. Troy (AKA Trev) has one record that no one will ever beat – he is the only player to play every season for the Old Reds Basketball Club … he has played all 23 seasons since the club was started in 1993.

Troy joined the club out of school and has been with us ever since. This is only his 200^th game in the stat keeping era but he was an integral member in the 6 years stats weren’t kept – playing in and running the Wednesday and Thursday teams as well as the Saturday B’s. He was one of the early leaders of the club and helped solidify its future as we were growing. Historically he is one of our most important members.

Trev has won 2 titles in his time in the club – one with the all-conquering D’s in 2005 (a team that had a 30 point per game winning margin) and the G’s in 2013 that had a great finals run. He was also a key member of the 2009 E’s that had a great run all season only to come up short in the Grand Final – Troy top scored. He was a key player/coach/organiser for the B’s in the 90s and early 2000s and he now lends his veteran savvy to the younger squads in the club.

He has won 2 team MVPs – one in the B’s in 1997 and in the E’s in 2009 and Best Team Man for Wednesday in 1994. He was the Club’s first Life Members (along with Sean Heylen) and he was the first player to play 20 years and he will likely be the first player to play 25 years.

He becomes the 20^th player to play 200 games … took him a while.

Well done.

A’s (5-1) v Oakden A – Written by Lachie - Coming into the game, down Corey and Parry, the A's knew they would have to step it up after last week. With LeBron wanting a man defence and Jack saying no, the A's started in the customary 2-3 zone. Big boxing out from Mike and LeBron let Liam go for double figure rebounds in the first half, with Fast Break Foo and Down Hill Jack getting out for easy fastbreaks. Garfoot started turning it up and making some tough contested shots, but aggressive defense from the guards soon brought this to an end. In the half court offensive quick movement inside got easy cutting layups for Foo and Liam, and big post moves for LeBron. Why doesn't he do that every week? When the defense started getting sucked in Mike and Liam made it rain. LeBron getting double boxed out meant Jack started racking up offensive boards and a few sweet tip ins. Oakden tried to make a late run in the second, but momentum was stopped by a wily timeout after back to back threes. PAC 65 - 28 Oakden. Jack 18, LeBron 14, Foo 12, Mike 12, Liam 11. Free throws 12/16. Much improved.

*Palky edit - this a crazy report ... I'm not sure what of these things did or did not happen - they actually won by 1 – 44-43 when Liam hit a game winner on the buzzer. Jack 18, Mike 8, Foo 7. I'm guessing Lachie is LeBron.

B’s BYE

C’s/White (3-1-2) v Influencers A – Written by Palky – The C’s would need to use their speed and nous to beat the young, athletic and unorthodox Influencers who surprisingly beat the E’s two weeks ago. By using their speed and nous, the C’s/White easily took care of business against the young, athletic and unorthodox Influencers. Just so everyone knows – don’t play man against the C’s – they love it! Their guards can beat their player of the dribble and BB, Tim and Dillon are all willing passers and Goody, Bubs and Hendo are too strong around the hoop to stop. The C’s set up their dominance early – establishing Goody in the low block. Defensively they were able to stay in front of the Influencers and make them take contested jumpers, they gobbled the boards and then ran and ran and ran with Moops and Bubs* getting on the end of the break (Moops had some amazing layups). The C’s won easily 50-22 and they are now starting to get it together as a team – I think they might be the team to beat. Bubs** had 20, Tim with 17 and Dillon 7.

*Worst name for an 80’s Cop Show ever.

**Palky’s Player of the Week

D's/Reds (3-3) v E's/Yellow (5-1) - Written by Palky - Yet another installment of Reds v Reds but in this case one of the Reds are the Yellows ... but they were wearing white. Reds in Red were missing Road Train so Morgan filled in in his place (can we call him Road Train Junior or Freight Train or Convoy). Yellow started well against the Reds' zone – hopefully I am not letting the cat out of the bag here … you don’t play zone against Yellow – they will kill you, too good at passing, too good at shooting. Palk, Mad, Stu and Future all hit 3’s and long jumpers, that spread the middle to allow Thommo to score inside. Marine was scoring for the D’s – but only a bit – and Yellow went in up 25-9 at half time. The 2^nd half Reds did what they should have done from the start and played man … and it was a grind. It was a mission in free throw futility, put nicely, when Thommo is the best free throw shooter on the court you know it isn’t pretty. Ned (AKA Tan Chino*) was getting to the line but airballed not one but two free throws. Big A and Thommo were too big inside, Stu and Foo a bit too crafty for Yellow. Simon hit some late baskets – a nice runner and a couple of jumpers for Red. Yellow win 33-17. Yellow – Stu had 10, Thommo 8, Future 6 – Red – Sime 6, Marine 5, Tan Chino 4.

*Because he wears Tan Chinos

F’s v Cherry Saints A – Written by Max - The F’s had a big win against a depleted Cherry Saints team earlier in the year, but this time the F’s had only 5 (with Brad still recovering from the flu) and Cherry Saints had a full roster. The F’s applied early pressure with a man defence but dropped back to a zone after 6 minutes to better protect the keyway. The F’s looked good on transition with Josh finishing strongly on a fast break. Darcy was controlling the play and shot a nice 3 pointer. Lots of sloppy passing hurt the F’s though and they held onto a 9-8 lead at half time. In the second half Cam was mega on the boards at both ends of the court, scoring on a couple of put backs and a nice drive. Brad also started to find his touch inside. The F’s used all of their timeouts to catch their breath and drain the clock. With time running down and the F’s sitting on a small lead, Cherry Saints ran a full court trap on the tiring F’s. This caused a couple of turnovers but also left them exposed with a couple of lob passes over the defence resulting in easy buckets for the F’s. End result the F’s ran out winners 34-26. Brad had 10 points, Cam and Darcy had 6 points each. Big thanks to Lenny for scoring for us.

G’s v Golden Grove A – NO REPORT. Won 15 – 42-27. Morgan 16, Hanzolo 8, Charlie 7.

H’s v Saint Peters A -  Written by Hitman - After a month-long hiatus caused by a combination of a bye, a balls-up and a birthday, the H-Bombs returned to the hardwood against St Peters Not Old Collegians - finally, a game against another team in the lower half of the E/F grade.  The opposition were quick to concede the two points for not having a scorer even before tip-off, and equally generous in conceding points soon after tip-off.  However, after the initial scoring burst, the game never reached any great heights due to the creative refereeing, calling an early foul on Kara when there was clearly no contact – a fact conceded by the opponent - but later in the game, they allowed other contact of Taperooesque proportions to go unwhistled.  After a half with few highlights beyond the early scoring flurry, the Redmen went into the break leading 11-5 (including the 2 points for no scorer).  The second half again began with an outburst of scoring, with Troy nailing his second triple for the game before it again turned into a grind, although with more scoring than the first stanza.  The Redmen did enough to maintain their lead, a couple of times SPNOC drew within a couple of buckets, only for Rhys to get a steal and a weaving coast-to-coast bucket to push the margin out again. The final siren was a welcome end to a frustrating forty minutes, the scoreboard reading 28-21 for a wire-to-wire maiden victory to the Redmen.  Rhys led the scoring with 8, Reid and Troy with 6 apiece.  Thanks to Mike for earning us 2 points by picking up the pen.*

* No, you don’t get to add them to your stats. 

Lady Reds (5-1) v Adelaide A (6-0) - Written by Palky – Another chapter to the Lady Reds v Adelaide battles … it has pretty much been a one sided battle with the Reds only beating them the once in 4 years. Both teams were undefeated going into the game and they are clearly the best 2 sides. The Reds started well with Alicia hitting an early 3, Megan and Rachel scoring on the break and Georgie scoring inside. Tied at 10 – Adelaide went on a 12-0 run and went into halftime up 22-12. The 2^nd half – the girls got down 18 and decided to matched up. This threw Adelaide off their game and they started to comeback – Megan and Alicia hit 3s, Rachel scored inside and hit a couple of free throws and Claire and Georgie both scored inside. Adelaide only stayed in it because they hit their free throws – going 9 of 10 in the second half and the Reds lost 28-35. Rachel 8, Georgie and Alicia 6.  

SACBA Week 5 Results + NO GAMES THIS WEEKEND!

As (4-1) lost to SPOC As (3-1) – Written by Mike Hill

Another day, another win for the A's. *

A's bolstering a full strength squad**, against Saints newly formed side with Crazy Chris and Kong. A's got out on the break early to kill the game***. Some late points inside from Kong kept the game respectable****. A's winning 60-40*****. Player of the day was Jack Harford as per usual******.

*We didn't win.

** Liam was out sick and Corey was late

*** We were down the whole game.

**** Our late scores got us within 2 with the ball and 12 seconds to go but we choked the possession.

***** We lost 41-39

****** Jack had his worst game but was still our best player.

Probably needed this loss to wake us up to playing half-court offence.

Scorers: Jack 12, Foo 10, Corey 9.

The A’s went 16/33 from the line. Lost by 2.

Bs (1-1-3) lost to Oakden As (2-3) – Written by Jono
The B's started off the game ok, the scores were pretty even but we kept a lead for most of the half, Tim was getting to the ring and drawing fouls, and Crawf got a few baskets to keep it close. Garfoot started to hit some long 2s and we were down 19-16 at the half. Second half the B's the game was pretty similar to the first, Phill was a good presents inside getting plenty of D boards but our problem was in our offence. At the end of the game we started to throw a few stupid fouls and it looked like emotions came into play with a couple silly unsportsmanlike fouls. Manners got a ridiculous tech and the end of the game just fell apart. the B's lost 44-34

The B's are starting to have some good moments on court but there is still a lot we need to work on.

Scorers: Jono 12, Tim 11, Phil 6.

White (2-1-2) defeated SPOC B (2-3) – Written by G

It was a shaky start for the Whites, shooting 6 airballs in the first 5 minutes. We steadied the ship, started putting together some good offences and getting the ball in the hole. The only thing letting us down was turnovers and getting back on D. We went in at half time up 11-8. The 2^nd half was freer flowing for both sides. We were getting some great extra passes for a better shot and hitting them. Tim and Bubs were getting open and hitting jumpers, Tim outside the key, Bubs inside. With about a minute and a half we were up by 4, but someone thought this wasn’t close enough and turned the ball over for an easy layup at ½ way. We steadied again and played good D and chewed the clock. They got the rebound with 15 seconds to go, Bubs does the smart foul at ½ way and SPOC don’t bother calling a sub or timeout and we win by 2. Bill Jr. (nfi what his name is) tried to argue that calling a sub didn’t stop the clock whilst jamming his finger into the instruction sheet exactly where it says that subs stop the clock. Also he’s salty when they lose.

It was a great team win and showed some good signs of gelling. But there is still a ways to go.

Score: 27-25

Scorers: Bubs 14, Tim 9, Goody, Hendo 2.

Reds (3-2) defeated to Knightsbridge A (1-1-3) – Written by G

Being down 4 players Corey and Morgan offered to fill in. The Reds had control early on but let Knightsbridge back into the game through not getting back on D. Knightsbridge scored 8 points in the last 3 minutes to go into half time ahead 14-13. The second half was a struggle with the Reds not being able to put the ball in the hole and lapses on transition D. Then in the last 5 minutes the Reds went on a tear outscoring Knightsbridge 10-3, Winning 37-30.

Scorers: Jay 14, Corey 12, Morgan 5.

Yellow (4-1) lost to Influencers A (1-4) – Written by Palky

After 2 years (almost to the day) on the sideline rehabbing from his leg injury, Tim Purgacz returned to the basketball court … it was great to see him out there and testament to his hard work to get back on court. The E’s were down Big A and The Future, so this would be a tough one against the quick and youthful Influencers. Up against the man, Yellow were getting great looks with nothing falling. Stu and Thommo did the bulk of the scoring. Influencers hit so many rubbish shots – banked jumpers, fall away j’s, contested 3’s – it was a frustrating game. Stu had a shot to tie it with 20 seconds left but it didn’t fall. Yellow with their first loss – 28 to 35. Thommo 11, Stu 9, Corbel 5. Free throws 8 of 20!

Fs (4-1) defeated Northgate A (2-3) – Written by Max

This should have been an easy win for the top of the ladder ‘F’s against the bottom of the ladder Northgate, even without Brad and Rough Justice. The F’s never really got going though and other than a few good plays looked flat. Cam did his best around the hoop with some strong rebounding and put backs. However Northgate got far too many offensive rebounds and second chance opportunities. Northgate clogged up the lanes on defence and the F’s couldn’t convert their outside shots. Again the game was marred for both teams by horrible umpiring. It was inconsistent and at times unfathomable. It might not have changed the outcome but made for an unenjoyable game. It’s a joke that the two umpires responsible are employed year after year. The F’s went down 30-21. Cam scored 7 points, Mike and Darcy had 5 points.

Gs (4-0) Game to be replayed

Hs (0-3) Game to be replayed

Lady Reds (5-0) defeated Trininty A (0-5) – Written by Palky

Palky was enjoying a cold one after a tough loss, so missed the first 30 minutes of the game … and the word missing is used loosely, because he didn’t “miss” anything. A top v bottom clash – the Lady Reds played down to Trinity’s level and won 26-6. Lots and lots of free throws. Trinity didn’t seem to happy. Megan scored her 4 points when Palky was there so at least he saw that. Georgie and Tracey 7, Megan and Claire 4. Next game is a big one against Adelaide.

Game Times:

NO GAMES THIS WEEKEND!!!!!!

Venues:

Wayville Stadium – Rose Terrace, Wayville

Adelaide Arena – 44a Crittenden Road, Findon

Marion Leisure Centre – Oaklands Road, Morphettville

Westminster School - Allison Avenue, Marion

Trinity Baptist – Bedford Square, Colonel Light Gardens

SACBA Week 4 Results + Week 5 Game Times

This link is a complete history of the NBA in terms of Elo, i.e. if they were playing League of Legends instead of basketball. It’s pretty interesting!

As (4-0) defeated Bs(1-1-2) – Written by Mike Hill and Jono Self

Mike – The A's and B's dressed for the masquerade ball the A's went without suit jacket (Corey) and it looked like B's were wearing the short skirt (missing Big Phil).

The A's came out and hit the bar early, with one player knocking down 4 shots in a row, looking strong before they got to his head, leaving him to wingman the rest of the day. The B's made plenty of opportunities for themselves, buying a round of shots, but had trouble finishing. 28-10 half time.

In the second half our teams hit the dance floor, picking up the pace of the evening. The A's capitalised off girls "on the rebound" or "on a break" opting to press up nice and close. The B's struggled to let loose until they wriggled their way past the mosh to the other side of the floor. At the end of the night, both removed their masks to find it was a dance with your sister.

A's up 72-25

Jono – The first few minutes were looking good, until the Bs just starting losing it and the As started to find it. The As just kept destroying the Bs defence while there was just no talk on the court, luckily Scott can't shoot from around the rim and we got some easy boards but he can hit a pull up three on the break... There were a couple good moments between the dream team (Jon and Gus) with a few missiles through the key to find the bearded man for easy 2s. Timmy got a bit warm hitting the shots. But the As trap definitely made us create some silly mistakes. Overall lets just not talk about it...

Still trying to balance as new team members mix in and we form as a team

Scorers: Jack 24, Foo 16, Mike 10. Gus 12, Tim 7, Jono 4.

FYI Jack is scoring 20.5 ppg. He’s really asserting himself as the best player in the competition.

White (1-1-2) drew with Knightsbridge A (1-1-2) – Written by G

Not a lot to say. They played well, we didn’t. G had a shot to win, missed it, Goody got the rebound and put it in for the tie. They had one guy go off for 16. He hit a bunch of 3s with a hand in his face.

18-18 half time, 36-36 final score.

Scorers: Bubs 13, Goody 10, G 8.

Reds (2-2) defeated to Influencers A (0-4) – No Report

Score: 32-27

Scorers: Ned 8, Lachy, Marine, Jay, Road Train 6.

Yellow (4-0) defeated SPOC B (2-2) – Written by Palky

Thommo was back in the team after his nuptials/honeymoon. The Future was out Yellow only had 5. Saints B’s were also short of players with only 4 regulars – so they had Bobo from the A’s fill in. Saints jumped out of the blocks hitting 4 straight shots and getting a quick lead. Yellow chipped away and Thommo was cutting well through the lane finishing around the hoop and Madman was hitting his baseline j. Saints played good D – getting active hands in the passing lanes and crashed the boards well, this made life tough for Yellow. Palky hit a 3 and found Thommo inside on a nice pass – Yellow up 17-12 at the end of the 1st half. 2nd half, Stu came to life. He made three 3’s and a couple of layups (because Stu is good at layups). Palky hit another 3 of a great pass from A and Thommo was causing havoc scoring inside. A did an awesome job on the glass (unfortunately he hurt his back with 10 minutes to go but soldiered on to kept Bobo scoreless for 38 minutes of the game). Yellow played great team D on Saints best player not letting him get anything easy. Yellow won 37-27 – Stu 13, Thommo 12, Madman and Palk 6.

Fs (4-0) defeated Hope A (3-1) – Written by Max

PAOCBC ‘F’ vs Hope Church A: Both teams went into the game undefeated with 3 wins each. We got out to a quick start with Tye hitting a couple of open mid-range jump shots, and Brad finishing strongly inside. The umpires were busy calling fouls, with Josh racking up 3 within 5 minutes, forcing him to sit out the rest of the half. Hope were getting pinged for fouls too, with a couple of Tech fouls thrown in after protesting some calls. The first half was a real grind with the F’s leading at half time 10-5. The second half wasn’t much prettier, with Cam and Josh quickly moving to 4 fouls each, and one of Hope’s players fouling out with 15 minutes remaining. Darcy was showing off his skills with a couple of skillful drives to the basket. The F’s were getting plenty of opportunities at the free throw line but couldn’t convert, opening the door for Hope to edge their way back in. Max hit a steadying three, and Brad again got a bucket and the foul inside. With minutes remaining Tye threaded a pass to Darcy inside for the score and foul to seal the game. F’s went out winner 20-17, with abysmal 3 of 16 free throw shooting. Tye had 8 points, and Brad and Darcy 4 each.

Gs (4-0) defeated Henley Beach A (2-2) – Written by Phwalker

Round 4 saw the elusive G-Spots up against a valiant yet outclassed SPOC "E" team filled with you typical SPOC rigor. SPOC came at us hard and physical early, but while they may be able to bully some of the younger teams in this grade they more than met their match with our stand and deliver defense which more than once had a boy in blue on the mat and the charge call go our way. At the other end, we opened 'em up time after time and with an even spread of scorers we lept ahead 20-10 at the half.

The second half was a bit more of the same although with a hefty lead our intensity dropped and there was probably a 5 minute period that would've been hard to watch regardless of the team you supported. Never the less, we held our own and trotted in with a 30-14 win. Morgan, Phil 7 Pritch 5

To the credits:

The Brittany "OOps I did It Again" for repeat offenders:

After much protest last week regarding disallowed 3 pointers it turns out the refs and scorers may have had it right all along with Two Tone again putting his piggies over the line during the 3 attempt. This week's version was an horrific bank so probably shouldn't have counted anyway.

Quote Of The Week:

"NOO, DONT SHOOT" Irony was dripping off the ceiling as Jimmy Townsend unleashed his vocal cords from the back court against a possibly unwise 1 on 5 long range jumper.

Notes Worth Noting:

Morgan didn't do anything too silly this week so he's not getting a mention in the credits. On the other hand, Pritch is yet to do anything silly at all this season and so he's getting a mention just for that. And it's his Birthday. Happy 21st mate. Charlie needs a new alarm clock.

Hs (0-3) had a bye – No Report

Lady Reds (4-0) defeated Dunn B (2-2) – Written by Palky

Dunn B would be a good test for the undefeated Lady Reds. The Reds had a full team for the first time this year – with the new named Wano coming in for her first game. It was a good start to the game – Claire (with an I) scored inside, Megan hit a couple of jumpers and Georgie was a presence in the low block. Dunn had a couple of good shooters that made a number of jumpers as the Reds were too tall inside. The Reds were super balanced with everyone scoring in the 1st half – Tracey hit a couple of tough runners and Clare (without an I) hit a long 2. Reds up 27-13 at halftime. The 2nd half was much the same – the Reds getting the ball inside to Georgie (who is having a great season) and Claire, balanced with the outside shooting of Megan and Alicia, then combined with Rachel leading the fast breaks. Megan made a crazy Euro step layup (which she must have learnt from me). The defence and rebounding was too much for Dunn (who are a quality team) and the Reds won easily in the end 41-25.  Georgie 9, Megan 8, Claire 6. This Lady Reds team is very good and they are playing great basketball together.

Game Times:

As (4-0) vs SPOC A (2-1) – Marion Leisure Centre - Ct 1 – 1:00

Bs (1-1-2) vs Oakden A (1-3) – Marion Leisure Centre – Ct 1 – 2:40

White (1-1-2) vs SPOC B (2-2) – Marion Leisure Centre – Ct 2 – 3:30

Red (2-2) vs Knightsbridge A (1-1-2) – Marion Leisure Centre – Ct 2 – 2:40

Yellow (4-0) vs Influencers A (0-4) - Marion Leisure Centre - Ct 1 - 3:30

Fs (4-0) vs Northgate A (1-3) – Marion Leisure Centre – Ct 3 – 2:40

Gs (4-0) vs Henley Beach A (2-2) – Marion Leisure Centre – Ct 3 – 1:00

Hs (0-3) vs Spicer A (1-3) – Marion Leisure Centre – Ct 3 – 1:50

Lady Reds (4-0) vs Trinity A (0-4) – Marion Leisure Centre – Ct 3 – 4:20

Venues:

Wayville Stadium – Rose Terrace, Wayville

Adelaide Arena – 44a Crittenden Road, Findon

Marion Leisure Centre – Oaklands Road, Morphettville

Westminster School - Allison Avenue, Marion

Trinity Baptist – Bedford Square, Colonel Light Gardens

SACBA Week 3 Results + Week 4 Game Times

A's (3-0) v Gateway A (1-1-1) - Written by Lachie - Lachie is the Big Gun. Jack would have failed to poll as he only played regular person great and not Jack great, meaning he seemed only normal. However he had a hilarious tech foul for whinging about an out-of-court call which the rest of us (or at least Corey and I) agreed was in fact out off Jack. Short conversation goes, Joel from Gateway: why are you playing with these WORD DELETED? Scott: You mean my friends? SENTENCE DELETED. Mike had a few turnovers. Scotty dropped FOUR points, PB for the birthday boy. Expected pollers: Lachie, Jack, Foo, Birthday Boy. Win 60-45. Jack 18, Big Gun 14, Foo 11.

B's (0-1-2) v SPOC A (2-1) - Written by Jono - Reds started well Phill scoring inside for 2, Tim hit a jumper and Jono a nice bucket also and in d battled hard against Kong with Krantz and Phill battling hard on the defensive boards. Reds down six at the half. Start of second half reds played our tempo and self hit big buckets, Krantz Brendan and Phill fighting hard against much bigger opposition reds cut it to two years 19-21. Unfortunately that would be all the the scoring and reds lost their way in last 5 mins.  Lost 19-37. Corbel 6, Jono and Phil 5.

C’s/White (1-2) v E’s/Yellow (3-0) – Written by Palky - White were down their two on court leaders in G and BB (they were at an alphabet party by the looks) and Yellow were trotting out their 5 man line-up. It was a fast start with both teams scoring freely – for Yellow, Madman and Stu were making jumpers, Foo got to the basket for an easy layup and A and Stu were making their FTs. On the other end – Bubs was getting to the basket for his pull up j, Hendo made a jumper and a put back, Goody scored inside and Dillon hit some jumpers, including a 3 – Yellow up 21-20 at half time. The game was turned on its head early in the 2nd half, when Future went down with a  bad ankle sprain at the 18 minute mark – with no bench, Yellow had to run out the game with 4. They employed the little known 1-3 zone – with Palky getting out to the first shot and forcing White to get the ball weakside – the D was employed to confuse and make White take outside jumpers. It worked! Yellow were still able to get good looks at the basket by playing one side of the floor and setting on ball picks. Stu was getting to the basket for layups and Madman was getting his open looks in the corner. White were still scoring but were looking shaky – Hendo made a couple of jumpers but with Yellow slowing White’s fast break opportunities, they weren’t getting the easy baskets they needed. With 30 seconds to go and 2 seconds on the shot clock - Palky made a banked 3 to Yellow up 5. Big A fouled 3 times in a row at the end – White didn’t call timeouts to stop the clock. White scored with 5 seconds left and it ended with Yellow pulling out the improbable win by 3 – 34-31. Yellow – Stu had 13, Madman 10, Palky 5 and White – Bubs 10, Hendo 8, Dillon 7. Side note – Yellow 8-10 free throws, White 2-6 free throws … Yellow once again escape with a win cos they shoot free throws good.

D's (1-2) v Knightsbridge A (1-2) - No Report. Win 35-31.Jay and Ned 10, Road Train 6 (he also hit a 3).

F's (3-0) v SPOC C (1-2) - Written by Max - The F’s had just Cam, Darcy and Max from the regular lineup this week, with Jono and Road Train offering to bolster the lineup. Saints were down on numbers too with only 5 players, and only a couple of familiar faces from last year’s epic grand final game. The F’s started strongly with Jono and Road Train scoring around the basket. Max lit up for a pair of 3’s and Jono hit a 3 as well. Saints meanwhile were looking sloppy with the ball, however a short burst of scoring kept them in the game at half time, the F’s leading 17-12. In the second half the F’s took control, Darcy was finding Jono and Max with lots of space to shoot. Cam’s hands were everywhere on defence and he converted on a coast to coast fast break with the sweet give and go to Max. Meanwhile Road Train just kept sucking in the rebounds all game long. Saints frustration boiled over in the dying minutes with a couple of heavy fouls. F’s went out winners 42-21. Looking forward to next week’s clash against the also undefeated Hope Church A. Jono had 15 points and Max had 13.

G's (3-0) v Spicer A (1-2)  - Written by Phil - The “G’s” this week unleashed their man-o-man menace onto the hapless souls of Spicer A. It was effective. Focused on a little individual accountability, defending and picking of the pass rather than fouling the man and fast offensive transition, our ascendancy was quickly establish and never relinquished. We saw the first of the Hanzalik Drive, The Charlie Bake (n- shake) and The Two Tone Two-Step as all players contributed to the score-line which read 17-6 at the half and 43-15 at full time. Jimmi hit a few three’s, Morgan some from under the rim and Pritch cleaned up on the break. Yours truly even got one in from the foul line (must of deflected off a dread). Overall, Jimmi 11, Charlie 9, Tone 6 (or 8) Pritch 6, Hanzo 5 and a few to Morgan and Phil saw a pretty awesome spread of scoring. Note too that Tone had his highest scoring game for the club to date and was possibly/possibly not robbed of 2x3 pointers which may/may not have been recorded incorrectly depending on whether he did/did not have a foot over the line. (I’d have given him at least one). Regardless, thanks to Troy and Willevation for working the pen.

To the credits:
 THE SHORT AND TALL PLAY(ER) OF THE DAY: Pregame Charlie was asked to do a number on their 6’5” centre who we knew was the key to their otherwise scattered offensive. To his credit Charlie was in like Flynn and proceeded to hand out a defensive shellacking to the long limbed lad. Scoreless after 40min and I can’t remember a single pass getting to him inside the key. Well done Charlie. Matched with some points at the other end hopefully a few players’ player votes coming your way.

THE CHURCHILL PRIZE FOR STAYING CALM AND CARRYING ON: After a somewhat frayed performance in round 2, full credit to all the lads who this week showed far greater composure in the glare of the referee spotlight. Special mention to Morgan who this week contributed the consummate team game at the expensive of some personal baskets. Not a single travel called either!!!!

COACH’S COACHING CONTRADICTION COMMENDATION: With 5 minutes left with 5 fouls to our name and having so far amassing more than 7 fouls in 5 from 5 halves of basketball, the call was to back off and make sure we got through a half without going into the penalty. All for naught it would seem as first play back Phil creamed a guy under the ring for #6, scorched a guy seconds later for #7 and  fouls #8,9,10&11 followed in even distribution and quick succession. A small case of do as I say and not as I do??

H's (0-3) v Knightsbridge B (2-1) - Written by Hitman - This week the H-Bombs faced the White Knights of Knightsbridge, whose fifth player arrived literally as the teams walked out for tip-off. In the early part of the game, both teams also had an invisible sixth player on court who was the target of so many passes that a possession ending in a shot by either team was a rarity, and a score even more so.  As the half wore on there was a marginal improvement in the quality of play, although the White Knights settled more quickly than the Redmen, who still had problems directing the ball to a team-mate.  At the long break the Reds were down 16-8.  The second half began with Troy nailing consecutive triples to almost bridge the gap, unfortunately we weren’t able to bring the margin back completely and spent most of the half 3-5 points down.  Although not as bad as the first half, our propensity for untimely turnovers proved our undoing.  A late drought on our part and a scoring surge from them blew out the final margin, the final 33-24 scoreline not a reflection of how well we played in the second half.  Reid led the way with 10 points and Troy added 6.  Thanks to Morgan for scoring.

Lady Reds (3-0) v Unley A (1-2) – Written by Palky - Unley A have won the last 2 A Grade titles but look to have lost their 5 best players (much like their male counterparts). The game plan was to get the ball inside and get out on the break … and that is exactly how that went down. Reds were running at every opportunity with Alicia, Megan and Rachel all scoring on the break. In the half court, Georgie was rolling low and getting inside for easy baskets. Reds up 26-11 at halftime. More of the same was called for in the 2nd half as Unley struggled with Reds speed and ball movement and their height on the glass. ClaireO and Georgie were causing trouble inside, scoring on every possession. With the Reds controlling the defensive glass, they were able to run and score on the break. ClaireO hit a nice hook inside, Alicia hit a crafty runner and Clare R hit a nice 3. The big scorer for the game was Georgie – she was cutting through the high post and she just couldn’t miss. It was the best game she has played for the Lady Reds – it was quite a sight to see. Reds won 54-15 – Georgie had 22, Megan and ClaireO 8 and Alicia 7. +

Palky's Player of the Week 3 - Georgie Silz

Week 4 Game Times - Adelaide Arena

PAOCBC A vs PAOCBC B - Court 1 - 2:40pm  
PAOCBC C vs Knightsbridge Baptist A - Court 1 - 5:10pm  
PAOCBC D vs Influencers Pioneers A - Court 1 - 3:30pm   
PAOCBC E vs SPOC B - Court 1 - 1:50pm 
PAOCBC F vs Hope Church A - Court 2 - 4:20pm
PAOCBC G vs SPOC E - Court 3 - 3:30pm  
PAOCBC H vs BYE                       
PAOCBC Ladies A    - Court 3 - 2:40pm

SACBA Round 2 Game Reports + Round 3 Game Times

As (2-0) defeated Influencers A (0-2) – No Report

Score: 85-38

Scorers: Jack 22, Mike, Foo, Corey 16.

Bs (1-1-0) defeated Oakden A (0-2) – No Report

Score: 28-26

Scorers: Jono 12, Phill 6, Angus 5.

White (1-1) defeated to Unley Park A (0-2) – Written by G

Having lost to these guys in the semi-final last year we were out for some blood. We could see they didn’t have many of their team from last year so we saw this as an opportunity to play hard and see what we could do, having mostly our full team (Bubs late withdrawal). Right from the outset we set the tone (sorry Tone). We defended hard, secured rebounds and push the break. It took them about 12 minutes to score their first points and by then the game was well and truly over. We ran all over them scoring at will on the fast break and in half court with some slick passes and even slicker finishes. Tim Moors had the whole stadium going https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95SYdjRVCR0. The slaughter eventually stopped after 40 mins, White running away 66-17. Goody had 20, Tim Moors 17, Dillon 13.

Reds (0-2) lost to SPOC B (2-0) – No Report

Saints are tools. Playing Kong as a 7^th. Enough said.

Score: 24-42

Scorers: Marine 7, Kobe, Ned 5.

Yellow (2-0) defeated Knightsbridge A (1-1) – Written by Palky

Yellow trotted out their similar five as last week – A, Palk, Stu, Madman (the past) and Dan Foo (“The Future”) … are we all agree that Dan should now be called The Future or Future? Can I have a seconder? Can we pass this motion? The “I’s” have it … Dan Foo is now The Future. Yellow’s early ball movement was fantastic – finding open shooters every possession, Palky, Stu and Future all hit 3’s and they got out to an early lead. Yellow were limiting Knightsbridge to outside looks and A was dominating the glass at both ends – getting all the D boards and then scoring on the other end attacking the O glass. Stu was scoring at the rim and the 1st half ended with Palky doing his first ever Eurostep lay-up (I mean 1st ever – he had never even attempted one in a game, practice, training, the lay-up line, the school yard … ever). Yellow up 25-13 at half time. The first 10 minutes of the 2nd half was much the same – Palky, Stu and Mad all getting open looks, Future carving up in the lane and A getting on the offensive boards – Palky and Stu hit 3’s but not much else was falling. After being up 18, Yellow started to run out of legs and Knightsbridge started making some shots. Yellow settled with a Madman jumper, a Stu fast break, Big A tip in and then an “and 1” from Stu attacking from the high post. Yellow win 42-30. Stu had 16, Palk 11 and A 8. The 2 things to take form the game – 1. Yellow’s ball movement is a thing of beauty and 2. They need a bench.

Fs (2-0) defeated Cherry Saints A (1-1) – Written by Max

For the second week in a row the opposition were in total disarray at the start of the game, this time with only 3 players. The F's made the most of it going on a 10-0 run until the rest of the Cherry Saints team turned up.  Their extra players didn't seem to have much impact and the F's continued to score freely.  Just and Josh were getting out on the fast break, and in the half court game Max knocked down a pair of 3's. Meanwhile Brad was dominating around the basket. The F's went into the half time break up 29-13.The second half started slowly and the F's were looking lazy getting back on defence, getting caught out by the Cherry Saints  multiple times. Mike Tye found his mid range shooting touch scoring 12 for the half and 18 for the game.  The rest of the team were looking a little scrappy, missing layups and turning the ball over. Looking forward to some stronger opposition to see where the team really is. F's run out winners 52-28. Mike Tye 18, B-rad 11, Max 9.

Gs (2-0) defeated Henley Beach A (0-2) – Written by Phwalker

Foul Travel Travel Foul Foul TECH Foul Travel Foul Foul Foul Foul Travel Travel Foul Travel Foul.

Foul Travel Travel Foul Foul Foul Foul Foul Foul Travel Foul Foul Foul TECH Travel Foul

We won on all the numbers, even the bad ones. Old Reds 23 Henley Beach 19 (3/18 at the line) Jimmi 11, Hanzo, Charlie 4

To The Credits:

Baby Out With the Bathwater Dummy Spit Award:

3 way tie, Morgan with 2 techs, Tone with 4 fouls in 40 secs and Phil sitting out the entire second half out of un-vented frustration

St Kilda 55 Point Turnaround Great Moments In Sport Award:

Phil pulls in a monster board, hits the ground running, flips it long to Roadtrain on the break. Shit. Roadtrain is scoring.......Sitting down...... Not moving.... and not on our team.

Quote of The Week:

After some sound advice last round about putting the ball through the hoop, Referee Bob came up with this scorching assessment this week: "The reason you won was you (Phil) sat out the second half". Ouch.

Hs (0-2) lost to SPOC Es (1-1) – No Report

Score: 22-29

Scorers: Rhys 10, Reid 8, Will, Sam 2.

Lady Reds (2-0) defeated Dunn A (0-2) – No Report

Other team forfeited.

Game Times:

As (2-0) vs Gateway A (1-1-0) – Marion Leisure Centre - Ct 1 – 4:20

Bs (1-1-0) vs SPOC A (1-1) – Marion Leisure Centre – Ct 1 – 1:50

White (1-1) vs Yellow (2-0) – Marion Leisure Centre – Ct 1 – 2:40 – DERBY

Red (0-2) vs Knightsbridge A (1-1) – Marion Leisure Centre – Ct2 – 4:20

Fs (2-0) vs SPOC C (1-1) – Marion Leisure Centre – Ct 2 – 3:30

Gs (2-0) vs Spicer A (1-1) – Marion Leisure Centre – Ct 3 – 3:30

Hs (0-1) vs Knightsbridge B (1-1) – Marion Leisure Centre – Ct 3 – 2:40

Lady Reds (2-0) vs Unley Park A (1-1) – Marion Leisure Centre – Ct 2 – 1:50

Venues:

Wayville Stadium – Rose Terrace, Wayville

Adelaide Arena – 44a Crittenden Road, Findon

Marion Leisure Centre – Oaklands Road, Morphettville

Westminster School - Allison Avenue, Marion

Trinity Baptist – Bedford Square, Colonel Light Gardens

SACBA Round 1 Results

As (1-0) defeated Oakden (0-1) – No Report

Score: 65-33

Scorers: Jack 18, Lachy 14, Liam 11.

Bs (0-1-0) drew with Gateway (0-1-0) – No Report

The final 20 seconds by Palky - Jono hit 2 FTs with 20 seconds left to put B's up 6. Gateway came up, passed the ball up the top, Kerwin took a stupid 3 from in front and it banked in. Reds inbound to Brendon - he got trapped, tried to bounce it off Gateway but bounced back onto his leg and out of bounds. Gateway called for a timeout - refs didn't acknowledge it but scorer stopped the clock for 10 seconds. On the inbound - gateway shooter got open and hit a 3. Brendon got a good look for the win but missed it.

Thunder report: http://www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=gatewaythunder

Score: 37-37

Scorers: Sar 13, Angus 8, Brendon 7.

White (0-1) lost to SPOC Bs – Written by G – We were down on numbers, the Tims were out and G had a dodgy calf. Saints only had 5 but none of them had hyphenated last names, so we knew they meant business. Saints started quickly with #6 getting out on the break for 3 quick buckets. For the rest of the half we managed to steady the ship, with Goody doing well inside and some solid team defence. We went it down 13-16 at half time. In the second half Saints hit their stride, with everyone contributing. We didn’t have enough on the offensive end and they ran away with it, 20-36. There were some things we did well, and a lot we need to work on, but it’s hard when you’re missing all but one of your back court. Big thanks to Tone and Jimmy for filling in.

Reds (0-1) lost to Yellow (1-0) – Written by Palky – The first of four derbies between last year’s B Grade Champs (D’s/Reds) and the newly formed old persons team (E’s/Yellow). The Yellow’s started well with Palk and Stu hitting a 3 and Madman knocking down a couple of jumpers. Red’s stayed in touch with some 3’s of their own from Simon and Jay, a tough “and 1” from Brad Hughes and a fast break layup from Ned. A and Road Train battled inside – much like Superman andNuclearman from Superman 4. Yellow up 16-12 at halftime. The 2nd half was tight – Reds got up early behind some 3’s from Ned and Jay, Yellow took control with Stu and Foo getting to the basket – either scoring or getting to the line. Palk hit another 3 and Big A got to the basket on a great drive, Yellow took the ascendancy. Reds then kept coming with Ned hitting four 3’s for the half – scoring 16 in the 2nd. Yellow managed the clock well in the closing stages, Madman got to the line, up 1 – he made the first, missed the 2nd, A got the O Board … back to Madman and this time he made 2 of 2 – Yellow up 4 as time ran out. Reds top scorers – Ned with 18, Jay 8, Brad 4 and Yellows had Stu with 14, Madman 8 and Palk and A 6 – as team they shot 13/17 from the line. Tough game early on – good signs for the Yellows – they didn’t shoot well from the floor but got lots of good shots. They will be on the improve with Thommo, Purge and Dan Foo’s fitness still to return. Reds showed a lot – they need to improve their ball movement and spacing – bit too much one on one and dude’s getting in other dude’s space … but that will come, Ben Orken’s return will help too.

Fs (1-0) defeated Northgate (0-1) – Written by Max – The F’s coasted to an easy win against an undermanned Northgate team (apparently half of the regular team was at a bucks show). Tight man on man defence caused them to fumble the ball, leading to plentiful fast break opportunities. However our half-court game also looked good with smooth ball rotation and strong attack at the basket. The F’s foul shooting was horrible going 5 of 16 from the line, and that was without Moorfoot in the lineup this week! Everyone played well with Cam, Brad and Mike scoring in double figures. Darcy Lord also made his debut for the club and demonstrated that he will be a valuable addition to the team this year. Final score 47-8.

Gs (1-0) defeated St Peter’s Anglican (0-1) – Written by Phwalker – From Little Things Big Things Grow

The height and awkwardness of St Peter's Anglican was always going to prove an interesting first round for a newly assembled G squad. And so it was. Well, in a testing sense as opposed to anything spectacular on court. SPA boast 5 players all taller than our tallest and all far less skilled. Their only basketball credibility presents in the form of its 6th and shortest member, a feisty "yes I will drive and shoot at any opportunity" guard who quickly lived up to his motto.

Even knowing this beforehand, our defence struggled to get position on him and by half time he'd been to the line 5 times for 8/10. Meanwhile at the other end, rushed shots, poor execution and a failure to finish undid what was a reasonable defensive effort and a domination of possession.

Halftime saw us 11~12 down after a very uninspiring 20 minutes and 5 more of the same had G ready to throw in the scorer's pen and join the carpark crew for a beer. a few more fouls kept him busy though, SPA #6 too with another trip to the line and a dodgy 17 step layup pushing it out 11~15.

Then something odd happened. We played the first of 2 phases totalling 3 minutes of good basketball which saw back to back charge calls on #6, fouls 4&5, and off to the bench to watch his team remain scoreless for the final 15 minutes of the game.  

Meanwhile we couldn't buy a bucket. That is until with 2 minutes left when phase 2 of our devious plan came into play. Charged with finding a score and leading our offense for the final few runs down the court, Pritch had a license to do as he pleased. Finding a bit of space, he nailed a sweet treble and suddenly the flood gates opened.  The ball suddenly found the centre of the hoop, SPA hearts dropped and we came up with 9 points in 2 minutes to canter home to a 22~15 win.

Overall an uninspiring victory, but a victory none the less and some lessons can be learned moving forward.  Our 3 minutes of glory were very good and based on some strong fundamental skills. The defense held up, we rebounded enormously especially given the height difference and we found ways to the basket even if we didn't finish.

PAOCBC G 22 SPA 15 Morgan 11, Pritch 6

* Shout out to those who came down and watched, scored and barracked from the sidelines. There was a strong RED presence all day. Great to see. **A special mention too to Matt Rundell, injured at training in the pre-season. Matt today found out he will require a full shoulder reco, 9 months on the sidelines and unable to even get a game in in his comeback to basketball. Matt has already proved himself to be fully committed to the team even without playing: watching the games and running the bar post match. Matt, we wish you well for the rehab and look forward to running together next season.

To the credits:

PLAY OF THE DAY: I really want to give it to myself this week, but in all fairness Pritch's 3 was pretty sweet and much needed given our inability to score. HUGE

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "I stole the ball with my cock" Morgan puts it all on the line.

GREAT MOMENTS IN SPORT: Awesome to know that with my muse from last year Bjork moving up to the D"s, he's been replaced with a like minded tall always willing to entertain. I suspect Morgan may feature prominently here, especially if he keeps returning home to pick up his forgotten shorts only to FORGET HIS BLOODY SHOES!! (Thanks to Big A for the loan)

Hs (0-1) lost to SPOC Ds (1-0) – No Report

Score: 16-50

Scorers: Rhys 10, Nige, Will, Lenny 2.

Lady Reds (1-0) defeated Dunn A (0-1) – Written by Palky –  The Lady Reds lost a few players this year – Jordy and Loz – but return their core, Megan, Tracey, Alicia, Claire, Wans (currently in Thommo’s sweet manly arms) and Georgie. Up against the always solid Dunn A this would be a good first hit out. The Lady Reds looked good early – solid D, Claire and Georgie controlling the paint and scoring inside. The Reds had a fill in – Rachel – and she was very handy, getting good passes inside and on the break. Reds D was stifling and they were up 16-7 at halftime. 2nd half was more free flowing, Rachel, Tracey and Georgie all got out on the break, Claire scored a couple of tough baskets inside and Alicia hit some nice runners. Reds won 37-17. Rachel had 11, Georgie 9 and Claire 7. Sign of good things to come.

Game Times:

As (1-0) vs Influencers Pioneers A (0-1) – Marion Leisure Centre - Ct 1 – 2:40

Bs (0-1-0) vs Oakden A (0-1) – Marion Leisure Centre – Ct 1 – 1:00

White (0-1) vs Unley Park A (0-1) – Marion Leisure Centre – Ct 2 – 1:50

Red (0-1) vs SPOC B (1-0) – Marion Leisure Centre – Ct2 – 2:40

Yellow (1-0) vs Knightsbridge A (1-0) – Marion Leisure Centre – Ct 2 – 3:30

Fs (1-0) vs Cherry Saints A (1-0) – Marion Leisure Centre – Ct 3 – 2:40

Gs (1-0) vs Henley Beach A (0-1) – Marion Leisure Centre – Ct 3 – 3:30

Hs (0-1) vs SPOC E (0-1) – Marion Leisure Centre – Ct 2 – 4:20

Lady Reds (1-0) vs Happy Valley A (1-0) – Wayville – Ct 3 – 4:20

Venues:

Wayville Stadium – Rose Terrace, Wayville

Adelaide Arena – 44a Crittenden Road, Findon

Marion Leisure Centre – Oaklands Road, Morphettville

Westminster School - Allison Avenue, Marion

Trinity Baptist – Bedford Square, Colonel Light Gardens