HART Sapphire Series round seven reviewed: Tigers pounce on third win, Jets fly over undefeated Titans
Round seven of the HART Sapphire Series brought upsets and tension to Nissan Arena, with the previously undefeated Titans left to dwell while Cougars escape Wildcats’ claws.
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Round seven of the HART Sapphire Series was filled with nail biting wins and a shock loss, with the competition’s strongest contenders now fighting for redemption.
See where you team sits at the halfway mark, and watch the replay of the ACU Brisbane North Cougars’ near-upset loss against the Brisbane South Wildcats.
JETS V TITANS
Off the back of an expected loss to the Carina Leagues Club Tigers in round six, the TAE Aerospace Jets came out firing to de-thrown an undefeated Gold Coast Titans Sapphire side.
The Nissan Arena showdown took place on court one, with Titans coming into the match as clear favourites.
But tenacity and determination set Jets apart as they gradually extended their lead and won 65-49.
Head coach Paula Stuart believes the loss to Tigers last week gave her girls a push to do better.
“I think that not playing to our expectations last week meant we had a bit of a point to prove, and the point to prove was more to ourselves than anyone else,” Stuart said.
“We wanted to make sure after having a look at what happened last week that our mindset was right.
“We worked through that as a team which was good.”
The first quarter featured a tight battle down the court with only one goal separating the teams after 15 minutes of intense play.
A second quarter push from the Ipswich side is what made all the difference however, as they gained a 12-point lead over Titans going into the second half.
Captain Hulita Veve was a star as usual for the Jets, and her leadership on and off the court seemed to be working magic.
“Hulita is the one that leads players not just on the court but off the court as well,” Stuart said.
“She just brings an extra vibe … a great team member to have in your team.”
Titans scrambled to make a comeback in the third quarter but to no avail as Jets held onto their lead.
It was a messy final 15 minutes, with Titans turning over 50 balls but being unable to convert.
Stuart was unimpressed with Jets’ final quarter of play but is already prepping for their round eight clash against the Bond University Bull Sharks.
“We’ll go back to the drawing board,” she said.
“It is a new game, second half of the season.
“We’ll have a look at what worked well with the Bull Sharks early the earlier round since they have improved a lot and matured on court.”
Danielle Taylor and Lily Gribble watched from the sidelines, injured and unlikely to return for next week.
TIGERS V BOND
The Carina Leagues Club Tigers have continued their winning-streak in both the Sapphire and Ruby Series after defeating the Bond University Bull Sharks.
The Sapphire match-up was a showdown of old and new, with four Bull Sharks facing up against their old club.
Bond got out to a first quarter lead before allowing Tigers to creep back in.
In the circle for Tigers, Chloe Bingham and replacement player Annie Lawrie struggled to execute shots under the defensive pressure of Maddie Ryan and Ella Spencer.
Bond Sapphire head coach Rebecca Stower was impressed with Ryan’s level-headed performance.
“We talked a lot about her just keeping focused on what she had to do and not letting the uncontrollable affect her again,” Stower said.
“She worked really hard this game and I think that made a really big difference.”
Ocean Karekare played a key role in the centre court after Alanna Penny suffered a severe concussion.
Traditionally a centre, Karekare stepped into wing defence and got hands to ball at crucial times.
Meanwhile in the circle, the duo of captain Hannah Le Sage and Kaylin Van Greunen continued to impress Stower despite disappointing shooting statistics.
“Hannah’s workload was high.
“To finish off shots with that workload, you can credit a little bit to fatigue,” she said.
“Hannah has also never played huge minutes in Sapphire … I think last week was her first full game, which I didn‘t realise.
“She’ll get better and better as she builds her match fitness and mental resilience, and Kailyn just shoots at volume when you put it in perspective.”
Tigers came out firing in the second quarter, but a combination of tight defence and unforced errors from both sides caused the game to yoyo in momentum.
Bond trailed by five goals heading into the final quarter and were hungry to secure their second win of the season.
But missed goals at crucial times allowed Tigers to hold on and eventually seal the deal 51-50.
“It’s not acceptable at this level,” Stower said
“There were crucial points in the game where we needed to score just be a little bit calmer under pressure.”
The loss means Bond remain in sixth position with an away game against Jets to come in round eight while Tigers jump to fourth spot and look to enjoy their second bye round.
In the Ruby league, head coach Joeanne Hope was pleased with her team’s 58-42 victory, but is aware there is a long way to go for the season.
“They’ve got more to give,” Hope said.
“They’re very aware of that, so it's good that they're all on the same goal and they want to kind of contribute to that together.”
Goal shooter Tia Crombie was expected to miss at least another game leading into the round, but received clearance for half of the match during warm-up after undergoing last minute assessment.
It was a pleasant surprise for the Ruby coaching panel, who welcomed Crombie back into the side.
“Our game plan was all driven around a moving circle and that obviously had to change.
“Tia got cleared about 10 minutes before eligibility closes so I made a few changes in terms of what we started with to compliment her coming in.”
In the centre court it was Aaliyah Sheppard who stole the show.
The young star got hands to the ball defensively and withheld from the floating style seen in recent games.
“We’ve been working on really going harder at the ball,” Hope said.
“She was able to execute that really well with timing, getting her hips around and the give-and-go, so I think she was one of the key highlights.”
Goal attack Emily Gage was also a valuable player for the Tigers, taking big hits in the circle but remaining calm.
Ruby assistant coach Justin Wise was the first to point out Gage’s tenacity under pressure.
“Emily really stepped up,” Wise said.
“She did a lot of work off the ball and copped a bit of a bashing.”
Despite a shock-loss to the ACU Brisbane North Cougars in round four, Tigers’ Ruby are leading by goal percentage.
They will face the Barastoc Panthers next week in Toowoomba.
THUNDER V PANTHERS
The Barastoc Panthers celebrated their first win of the 2023 Ruby season after a tight battle against the Sunshine Coast Thunder.
The 52-46 victory keeps the Toowoomba side out of wooden spoon position, and raises spirits heading into the second half of the season.
Panthers will brave the top-of-ladder Tigers in round eight at home, while Thunder go head-to-head with Wildcats.
COUGARS V WILDCATS
The Brisbane South Wildcats failed to keep their momentum after a flying start against the ACU Brisbane North Cougars.
A second-half comeback was the result of Cougars finding their groove which ultimately led to a 55-49 victory.
Coming into the match Cougars were sure favourites.
But determination from the Wildcats, who suffered a loss last week, made it no easy feat for the defending champions.
Wildcats led the first quarter 14-8, before being just three goals up at halftime.
The competitiveness continued after the break, when Cougars took the lead for the first time and quickly gained a six-goal advantage.
Once again, the ‘championship’ quarter decided Cougars fate, as the Wildcats were unable to reign it in during the final 15 minutes and succumbed to yet another close defeat.
The Wildcats’ wait for win number two will continue as they plan to face the Sunshine Coast Thunder in round eight.
It was a different story in the Ruby match-up, as Cougars dominated to win 60-44.
The Wildcats may not have been victorious, but a 16-goal difference between second and sixth highlights the quality of competition between Ruby squads.
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