Perth Wildcats Win Game One in NBL Grand Final Series
The days of huge crowds at NBL games may be long gone but still they could manage to get a full house for game one in Perth as the Wildcats took on the Hawks in game one of the NBL finals.
The Perth Wildcats are looking to be the first team in National Basketball League history to win five championships. They are just one game from the milestone after defeating the Wollongong ahm Hawks in Game One of their best-of-three Grand Final series at Challenge Stadium in Perth on Friday night, 75-64.
Playing before a sold-out Wildcats crowd at Challenge Stadium, affectionately known as ‘The Jungle’, Perth outscored the Hawks 18-11 in the final period to take a 1-0 series lead.
Import Kevin Lisch and naturalised Australian Shawn Redhage equal top-scored for Perth with 15 points apiece. Galen Young added 11 and Damian Martin and Jesse Wagstaff eight apiece. Martin also hit a huge three with a minute and a half to play to extend the Wildcats’ lead to eight points and help seal the win.
Rookie star Tim Coenraad was the game-high scorer with 16 points for the Hawks. Skipper Mat Campbell added 13 and Luke Martin 11.
Perth started the better and led 20-15 at the first break. The margin blew out to 15 in the second quarter as the Wildcats looked set to run away with the game, before Wollongong fought back to trail by just three points, 38-35, at the half.
The Hawks actually took the lead briefly in the third stanza before Perth steadied to lead by four points at the final change. Wollongong stayed close for much of the final period, before Martin’s three helped stem the Hawks’ challenge.
New South Wales Premier Kristina Keneally may be feeling a little nervous after the Hawks’ Game One loss. Ms. Keneally has a friendly wager going with Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett over the result of the series, and has agreed to wear a Perth Wildcats’ jersey every time she exercises for a week if the Hawks lose to Perth. Mr. Barnett has agreed to do the same with a Wollongong singlet if the Wildcats lose the Grand Final.
Game Two of the series will now shift to Wollongong with the Hawks hosting at WIN Entertainment Centre on Tuesday 9 March at 7:30PM (local). Game Three will be at Challenge Stadium on Friday 12 March at 7:00PM (local) if required. All games of the Grand Final series are being televised live on FOX SPORTS.
NBL Grand Final series – Game One
Perth Wildcats 75 (Kevin Lisch 15 points, Shawn Redhage 15, Galen Young 11)
defeated
Wollongong ahm Hawks 64 (Tim Coenraad 16 points, Mat Campbell 13, Luke Martin 11)
Venue: Challenge Stadium, Perth
Perth leads best-of-three series 1-0
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