Darwin Salties claim 20-point win over Sunshine Coast to boost percentage and keep finals hopes alive
The Darwin Salties have thrown a curveball in the NBL1 North competition after picking up a big double-digit win to keep its finals chances alive.
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It will be a nervous wait for the Darwin Salties men’s side this weekend as their finals hopes rest on the results of other games in NBL1 North.
The ninth-placed Salties will be keeping a close eye on a number of fixtures over round 16 – the final of the home and away season – with seven teams vying for ladder positions from fourth to eighth.
The 10-9 Salties have already played their full compliment of games ahead of this weekend’s final round with only the top three of Gold Coast Rollers, Logan Thunder and Ipswich Force assured of finals action.
The Salties scraped into a quarterfinal in their debut season before going down to USC Rip City on the road, after an 11-8 season.
Coach Matt Flinn said he was hoping for either eighth-placed Rip City, Southern Districts Spartans (sixth) or Mackay Meteors to drop a game and open the door for the Salties.
“It’s a very nervous wait this week,” Flinn said, who believed his team was reaching peak form on the edge of the post-season.
“The way I see it, there’s a top nine and one team is going to miss out.
“It’s never a good spot to be in if you’re waiting on other people’s results.”
Regardless of finals action, Flinn said the goal for 2024 was to build a better record on the road, going 16-3 at home over their two seasons.
“We’re humming along at home,” he said.
“(But) we’re Jekyll and Hyde ... on the road we’re completely different.
“If we get into the playoffs, we’ve proven we can beat every team.
“I think we’ve got the roster to do it. It’s just, give us that chance.”
At their final home game for the season on Saturday night in First Nations Round, the Salties whipped the Sunshine Coast Phoenix 107-87 at the Croc Pot with Makuach Maluach leading the way with 26 points and five assists.
Maluach finished his home and away season ninth in the conference for average points with 23 per game.
Deba George also had 25 points against the Phoenix, hitting six three-pointers from nine attempts, with a 30-16 second quarter setting up the victory for the home team.
A loss to the Phoenix would have ruled out any thought of finals action.
Meanwhile, the Salties’ seventh-placed women’s team, who have qualified for their maiden finals campaign, went down to the Phoenix on Saturday night, 68-57.
Only Ruby Porter hit double digits with points, scoring 22 while collecting six steals while local product and stand-in captain Claire-Maree Hunt scored eight points while pulling down 12 rebounds.
A 20-12 second quarter in favour of the visitors was decisive, with every other term a close-run thing.
Star guard Erin Bollmann (broken finger), and captain Chelsea Brook (ankle), are expected to return for finals action.
NBL1 North Round 14 review: Missing finals at play following tough Salties triple-header road trip
The Darwin Salties chance of a finals appearance is hanging in the balance after a heart-stopping triple-header round.
After a strong 14-point win on Friday night, the Salties men were devastated when they gave up a seven-point lead with two minutes to play to go down by a point to Ipswich on Saturday night.
They then lost to Logan by 22 points the following day to heavily hinder their chances of making the finals.
The women’s side had the most disappointing round of their season, dropping to sixth place on the table, losing their hopes of a home final, and risking a surprise fall from the top eight. The most surprising result was their shock 13-point loss to bottom-placed Red City, which came one game after they knocked off the NBL1 North ladder leaders.
Triple-header results
Salties men: Defeated Red City 117-93, lost 106-105 to Ipswich, lost 97-75 to Logan.
Salties women: Lost 81-68 to Red City, lost 90-76 to Ipswich, lost 74-67 to Logan.
15 seconds to go. Three points down. Two game winners.
— NBL1 (@NBL1) July 1, 2023
Jason Ralph at one end... 🎯
And Deng Deng AT THE OTHER âŒ
Absolute ð•Šâ„‚ð”¼â„•ð”¼ð•Š in Ipswich 😱
Watch #NBL1North via https://t.co/NEk1I7kIKG or the NBL1 App 💻 & 📲 pic.twitter.com/heDgNhKTOb
The Salties will have one last opportunity against Sunshine Coast on Saturday to keep the season alive before waiting for results in the final round the following week where they don’t have a fixture.
A triumph for the eighth-placed men’s side will be a must - plus a little bit of percentage boost would be handy - as the side has Sunshine Coast and Rip City below them on one less win (eight) and North Gold Coast, Brisbane Capitals and Northside on seven wins. These sides are fighting to jump into the top eight and also have three games to play in the season. apart from North Gold Coast which has four.
The Salties women’s side are in a more comfortable position, with less teams threatening to jump above them on the table. With an 11-7 record, a win will shore up a spot in the finals, while a loss could see them make a shock exit from the top eight if results in other games go against them.
In the standings, Gold Coast Rollers are the next best side below the Salties in seventh position with nine wins. Townsville and Cairns are also on nine wins but have two games to go in the season.
North Gold Coast could also threaten to knock Salties out of the top eight with four games to go in their season.
The side is currently sitting on eight wins but if the Salties claim a victory in their final home-and-away game of the season, they should safely make the finals.
It is no doubt going to be a big night of basketball at the Croc Pot on Saturday.
In Round 14, co-captain Makuach Maluach continued his fine form on the road for the Salties, picking up his seventh double-double away from home this season and 10th overall.
The gun forward had back-to-back double-doubles after scoring 22 points and 10 rebounds against the Roar on Friday night before his 27 points and 10 rebounds on Saturday night against the Force. The 25-year-old also had five assist in each of these encounters.
Maluach was the best performer for the Salties on the road trip as he completed his fine Round 14 with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists on Sunday afternoon against the Thunder.
Sean MacDonald, the other Salties NBL contracted player on the roster, was busy on Saturday night with 26 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Deng Riak was also good with 10 points and 12 rebounds while Deba George fired on Friday night with 27 points, including six three-balls, shooting at 46.15 per cent from beyond the arc.
Co-skipper Jerron Jamerson fought hard with 20 points, 12 rebounds and seven assist on Friday night before 13 points, six rebounds and five assists on Saturday. The American import completed the road trip scoring 21 points in a tough third game in less than two and a half days on Sunday afternoon.
Viliami Foketi fought hard for the 20 or so minutes he played, while centre Nathan Jawai made an appearance on Sunday, scoring six points, three rebounds and an assist from 10:58 minutes.
For the Salties women, Tsubasa Nisbet was impressive with two near double-doubles on Friday and Saturday.
The 23-year-old New Zealander had 17 points and nine rebounds on Friday against the Roar before backing it up with 12 points and nine rebounds the following night against the Force.
Catherine McGregor was a strong contributor, scoring 10 points on Friday before 25 points on Saturday and 20 points and nine rebounds on Sunday.
Catherine MacGregor was on something different today 🎯
— NBL1 (@NBL1) July 1, 2023
The Darwin forward shot 7ï¸âƒ£ triples in a brilliant shooting performance 💦
Watch #NBL1North via https://t.co/NEk1I7kIKG or the NBL1 App 💻 & 📲 pic.twitter.com/2voKrlcUHV
With co-captain Erin Bollmann out injured, her fellow skipper in Chelsea Brook played 10 minutes for nine points and three rebounds on Friday night and wasn’t seen again for the rest of the road trip.
Claire-Maree Hunt was consistently handy for the Salties while Sophie Johnson had some promising moments.
NBL1 North Round 13 review: Salties have ‘huge win’ to stay alive in season 2023
The Darwin Salties men were forced to dig deep on Saturday night to record a hard-fought win over Northside by two points and keep their finals hopes alive.
With just over four minutes left to play, the Salties went on a 7-0 run to level the scores at 87-all before co-captain Makuach Maluach and big man Deng Riak became the matchwinners.
In the final 70 seconds of the entertaining game, Maluach powered home five points and Riak made the winning play to send the crowd wild at the Croc Pot.
The Wizards had claimed a one-point lead with 30 seconds left from a Cameron Healy three-ball but Riak stepped up at the other end to get back the lead with a lay up.
On the last play, the Salties showed up defensively, teaming up to force a tough Wizards shot that was missed as an important 94-92 victory was claimed by the home side.
It came after the team’s women’s side knocked off the ladder leading Northside by 11 points to make it a complete night for the hundreds of Salties fans that turned out.
Electric atmosphere at the Croc Pot on Saturday night. Darwin’s home of basketball.
— Max Hatzoglou (@MHatzoglou) June 26, 2023
Here’s the moment the @DarwinSalties held on for a crucial two point win to keep their season going 👉 https://t.co/2UZDmIxYf3@NBL1North@NTNewsSport1pic.twitter.com/8GTBw6k08y
Men’s coach Matt Flinn said it was a “huge” win for his seventh-placed side, who have a challenging triple-header and one more home game left in the season.
“At the moment, we’re just fighting to stay alive,” Flinn said.
“The competition is so tight, there are a few teams at the top who are sort of streaking away but there is a real log jam between fourth and 13 and we’re right in that.
“So tonight we had to do what we had to do at home.”
In the NBL1 North standings, the Salties are one of four teams between 6th and 9th on eight wins. Then there are two teams in 4th and 5th on nine wins and four team between 10th and 13th fighting for top eight spots on seven wins.
Salties co-captain Jerron Jamerson was unstoppable, claiming his second double-double of the season as he sparked the thrilling comeback when he knocked down his second three-ball of the game to begin the vital 7-0 run in the fourth quarter.
The 31-year-old fired in the first half with 21 points, seven rebounds, two steals, an assist and a block to help lead his side to a seven-point halftime advantage.
Flinn said he was stoked for Jamerson’s performance post-game.
“He was outstanding and what he does for the community and the team,” Flinn said.
“I coach this team hard and he works so hard at practice and I’m just really happy for him because he is a good leader and we saw what he could do tonight.”
Another star who stepped up when the Salties needed it was Viliami Foketi with four consecutive points to make it 87-all with 2:41 minutes to play.
It was one of those rounds of applause that had a different tinge to it when Nathan Jawai stepped onto the court for the first time since April 15, more than 10 weeks ago.
The Salties centre came on with 2:29 left in the first quarter and immediately had an impact, scoring four points and gaining two rebounds before the quarter ended.
“It was an exciting four minutes,” Flinn said.
“Nate’s a special player and you saw what he brings to the group.
“It’s not just what he brings on the floor, it’s what he brings off the floor for our guys.
“He is a great mentor for some our guys and we’re really lucky to have him.”
Flinn said the plan was to use more of him in the club’s final four home-and-away matches.
In the women’s match, the chance of a home final and premiership were heightened after a thrilling come-from-behind win over ladder leaders Northside.
The Salties came from eight points down at halftime to win by 90-79 at the Croc Pot where they improved their home record to 7-1 without star player Erin Bollmann.
Guard Ruby Porter starred with 23 points for the second week in a row while she also picked up four steals, three assists and two rebounds.
Salties co-captain Chelsea Brook was top notch with the winning points to put the side seven points up with a minute left.
Brook finished the match with a double-double, 14 points and 12 rebounds, while her fellow starters Catherine McGregor, Tsubasa Nisbet and Sophie Johnston were also in the double figures for points.
“To have five players in double figures, they face guarded Cat McGregor tonight and we had other people just stand up and that’s why I think we are really dangerous,” women’s coach Rod Tremlett said.
“When you stop one, we have got other guys that can step up with quality.”
Tremlett said Porter had earned the most valuable player award for the game because of her offensive play but also the job she did on Wizards guard Courtney Woods.
“The great thing about Ruby is she is being efficient now, she is being smart with her shot selection and she had to guard Courtney Woods for a lot of that game,” he said.
“And I thought we fouled Courtney and let her off the hook a little bit and she got to the free throw line but I thought the way we guarded on the field was pretty good and Ruby did a lot of that.
“There the things you don’t necessarily get stats for but her offensive stat line was really good and her getting the MVP (for the match) was part of acknowledging the defensive pressure she put on Courtney throughout the game.”
The Salties hold third spot on the NBL1 North ladder with an 11-4 season record.
Rockhampton and Southern Districts, who sit in fifth and sixth spot respectively, are the teams threatening to claim spots in the top four as they sit on 10 wins.
NBL1 North Round 11 review: ‘Poor’ long range shooting and freaky Cadee causes winless Salties triple-header
The Darwin Salties will look to bounce back to its strong shooting ways after a wayward week where three losses were handed down in a crucial Queensland road trip.
The Salties averaged 10 three-balls per game in their triple-header away from home, almost four less than the 13.64 three-pointers they averaged heading into the round.
Salties men’s coach Matt Flinn said the shooting in Round 11 had let his team down.
“It was just uncharacteristic for us, over the whole weekend was our poor perimeter shooting,” Flinn said.
“We’re one of the best three-point shooting teams in the league and that was just an area.
“It happens in basketball, you’re not going to be shooting high forties every game and unfortunately we had some good clean looks but we couldn’t make shots.”
The Salties attempted 99 three-pointers and shot at 30.3 per cent from beyond the arc on the road trip.
Their best performance from beyond the arc came on Friday night against the Gold Coast Rollers where they shot 13 but the following two days saw the Salties score just seven and 10.
Flinn said the triple-header, where the Salties dropped from fourth to seventh, was “a tough trip, no question”.
“I was really pleased with the first two games with the way we fought,” he said.
“It was just some individual brilliance from Jason Cadee and Todd Blanchfield but Jason in particular.
“We just found it hard to stay with him in transition and some of the schemes that they put together.
“He is a handful of a player even at the next level so the Gold Coast game got away from us in a five minute period.
“It felt like we were in control of the game for 30 minutes and then, that’s what happens, when you take your foot off the throat for five minutes, there are such good players in this league, they can hurt you.”
Cadee had 52 points in the seven-point loss as a 40-point masterclass from Makuach Maluach wasn’t enough to get the Salties over the line against the Rollers in a second versus fourth encounter.
The 👑 of the NBL1?
— NBL1 (@NBL1) June 12, 2023
Jason Cadee went OFF Friday night, with 5⃣2⃣ points, 1⃣3⃣ assists and 9⃣ made triples 🤯
Swipe to see his highlights 📲 pic.twitter.com/LbZpbCSWtD
Maluach had 39 points to three-quarter time but wasn’t able to fire in the final period as the Rollers came from four points down to win by seven, 110-93.
The Salties didn’t have enough contributors on the offensive end apart from forward Deng Riak (17 points) and point guard Deba George (13 points) who were the next best point scorers.
Maluach finished the match with a double-double after also picking up 12 rebounds on top of his 40 points.
Flinn said “it was the same story the next night on Saturday” with his side coming out of the blocks well.
“We felt the game plan was good, the boys really followed the plan and again, we were in control of that game for long periods of time.
“They just got on a roll and they made shots.”
The Salties shot out to a 12-point lead in the first quarter against South West Metro on Saturday night in Brisbane but fell six points short in the end.
Maluach was a strong contributor again with 21 points while Sean Macdonald found his range, scoring 20 points including three from beyond the arc in the 102-96 loss.
Joshua Spiers was efficient off the bench scoring 10 points in an 11-minute game with the Tasmanian JackJumper managing his game time as he returns from injury.
Riak was another strong performer on Saturday with a double-double 10 points and 14 rebounds.
To close out the road trip with a third game in less than two and a half days, the Salties went down to North Gold Coast by 16 points on Sunday.
The Salties won the second half by a point but were put on the back foot early when the home side powered out to a 15-point quarter time lead.
There was a wide spread of scorers with Maluach (17 points, 13 rebounds) and Riak (15 points and 12 rebounds) leading the way with double-doubles.
No injuries came from the road trip which was a positive for the Salties.
The Salties women’s side picked up a four-point win over the Rollers on Friday night before going down in their other two road trip matches.
NBL1 North Round 11 preview: Salties bolster teams before facing some of league’s best in crucial triple-header
A bolstered Darwin Salties outfit will need to tackle some of the league’s best players when they step onto the court for a crucial Round 11 triple-header.
The addition of Salties veteran Nathan Jawai into this week’s squad could be the catalyst to keeping in-form opponents at bay.
A player mentor role on the bench will be the main priority for the former NBA centre who could play limited minutes as he works his way back from a calf injury.
The 36-year-old last played a game in Round 3, nearly two months ago on April 15.
Salties coach Matt Flinn said the 209 cm basketballer’s “experience having played for championship teams in the NBL is invaluable”.
“He has played for major European clubs all over the world and in the NBA.
“His best qualities to go with that outstanding basketball acumen is his positive impact off the floor working with young players.”
The biggest opposition threat of the three-game road trip for the fourth-placed Salties will come on Friday night when the men’s side come up against one of the league’s leading players for assists and points.
Gold Coast Rollers guard Jason Cadee leads the NBL1 North competition for assists per game with 11.23 and is fourth for points per game with 26.15.
The 2020 NBL best sixth man will be a key player for the Salties to stop if they are to begin their road trip with a win.
The Salties women’s side will receive a boost with the return of Tsubasa Nisbet who missed last week’s game due to national duties with the New Zealand under-23 3x3 side.
The 23-year-old played matches in China as a New Zealand representative and returned to Queensland with the team on Friday via a flight to Sydney.
It is expected the forward will play on Friday against the Rollers but may be managed after being away from the side this week.
Salties guard Catherine MacGregor will be back to full fitness this round after being unwell last week and having limited minutes.
Claire-Maree Hunt will be back into the full rotation with the roster after recovering from an AC joint shoulder injury which she suffered earlier in the season.
While the women’s team will face a Rollers outfit who are lower on the table at 10th compared to its men’s team (fourth) on Friday, challenges are still expected to arise.
Rollers guard Ariana Moorer is fourth in the league for points per game with 23.
The American point guard poses a threat to any opposition with her shooting capability and could spark an improvement to her side’s ladder position.
Friday night’s encounter is set to be the first of a few challenges the Salties will face in their tough road trip.
The Top End side will play three games in two and a half days.
The 7-4 men’s outfit will face sixth-placed North Gold Coast on Saturday night before taking on eighth-placed South West Metro on Sunday afternoon to end their road trip.
On Sunday, Seahawks forward Majok Majok will be a key player to look out for with the two-time NBA champion coming second in the league for rebounds with 12 per game.
The second placed women’s side with a 9-2 record will take on the ninth-placed Seahawks on Saturday and complete their trip against the third-placed Pirates on Sunday.
NBL1 North Round 10 review: Salties enter crucial triple-header week as top four teams following men’s win
Darwin Salties men’s co-captain Makuach Maluach scored more than 25 points for the fourth consecutive game to steer his side to a convincing 18-point win over Townsville.
The Salties win-loss record improved to 7-4 and they jumped a spot into fourth following the 102-84 triumph at the Croc Pot as attention turns to a crucial triple-header next week.
Beginning on Friday, the Salties will take on second-placed Gold Coast Rollers before facing sixth-placed North Gold Coast Seahawks and eighth-placed South West Metro Pirates on the weekend.
It will be a tough three games in less than 72 hours for the Salties which could have a major impact on their finals chances.
On Saturday night, a 36-22 first quarter and 31-21 third quarter led the Salties to a dominant performance for their second straight win.
Maluach had the most points in the game with 27 and the most rebounds for the Salties with seven while Sean Macdonald led the assists on the court with nine.
Viliami Foketi proved to be a major threat from beyond the arc as he landed four three-balls from five attempts. He finished with the most three-pointers in the game.
And new recruit Anyang Garang played 12 minutes and scored four points from four field-goal attempts on debut for the Salties.
In the women’s encounter, Australian Opals star Stephanie Reid charged to a double-double for Townsville to devastate the Salties in a 27-point loss at the Croc Pot.
It was a 33-15 final-quarter deficit which led to the Salties to their biggest loss of the season.
Reid had a game-high 26 points and 10 assists as well as six rebounds to leave the Salties with a 9-2 record.
The Salties will hold onto their second spot on the ladder following the round.
A positive from the game was co-captain Erin Bollmann who fought hard with 24 points, nine rebounds and six assists, continuing her strong run of form.
It will be the type of individual form the Salties will be needing when they play three games in three days in their challenging triple-header next week.
The Salties will take on 10th-placed Rollers on Friday before facing ninth-placed Seahawks on Saturday and then completing the round against third-placed Pirates on Sunday.
NBL1 North Round 9 review: Salties get season back on track with double digit wins
The Darwin Salties have got their season back on track after double digit wins over Rip City at the Croc Pot on Saturday night.
Following Round 8 where winning streaks were snapped, the Salties men piled on 30-16 points in the third quarter which led to a 12-point victory to go to 5th on the ladder with a 6-4 record.
Co-captain Makuach Maluach was on fire with 29 points and 11 rebounds, and Deba George and Sean Macdonald went at 50 per cent from beyond the arc with five and four three-balls respectively.
The widespread array of contributors continued for the Salties and their concerns around poor second halves were simmered as they defended well, winning the half 59-48.
Centre Deng Riak had 13 points and 11 rebounds, co-captain Jerron Jamerson had 16 points and seven assists, and Viliami Foketi had two-three balls and 11 points.
The 113-101 win over gets the Salties back on track after a three-game win streak was ended last week by Rockhampton.
It was also an extra special feeling for the Salties to get the win over City who ended their season last year after a three-point win in the quarterfinal.
The Salties women flew out of the gates, scoring 52 points in the first half to gain a 18-point lead at halftime.
The fast start led the Salties to a steady 11-point win with co-captain Erin Bollmann leading the charge with a near triple double.
It was a stunning performance by the 29-year-old who finished the game with 16 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.
Bollmann had a flurry of teammates backing up her strong performance which included Ruby Porter (12 points, six assists), Chelsea Brook (14 points, nine rebounds) and Catherine McGregor (20 points, three steals).
Skye Rees and Tsubasa Nisbet were also handy contributors.
The 86-75 win for the Salties was their 10th for the season and has them in 2nd position on the table with a 9-1 record.
They Salties went down to Mackay last Friday but they completed the double-header round with a win over Rockhampton the following day.
The Salties will spend another week in the Territory as they return to the Croc Pot next Saturday to face Townsville.
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Originally published as Darwin Salties claim 20-point win over Sunshine Coast to boost percentage and keep finals hopes alive
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