Salties Central: Five things we learned from Round 6 of NBL1 North action
A debut Salties title is a genuine chance in 2023 after a big win on the weekend, which featured breakout performances amid some injury concerns.
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It was a magical weekend at the Croc Pot for the Darwin Salties with wins for both the men’s and women’s sides.
The women came from behind to record an inspiring eight-point win to maintain their 6-0 unbeaten run to start the season.
Meanwhile, the men stormed to a 19-point lead at quarter time, leading them to a comfortable 117-91 point triumph for their fourth win of the campaign.
Here’s what we learnt from Round 6.
George leads the way in three-point frenzy
The Salties recorded the biggest tally of three pointers in a NBL1 North match so far this year.
Salties guard Deba George was on fire from beyond the arc against the Brisbane Capitals on Saturday night with a season-high eight three pointers.
The 38-year-old has the fifth most three pointers in the NBL1 North so far with 27 from six matches.
George achieved an incredible 66.7 per cent accuracy against the Caps, from his 12 three-ball attempts, with his efforts backed up by his teammates who also fired from outside the perimeter.
The season-high total of 21 for the match was six more than their previous best, and reached with minutes left to play in the third term.
Guard Sean MacDonald was the next best behind George from deep with five three pointers.
Brook’s threatening from long range
Chelsea Brook‘s five three-pointers in Saturday night’s match against the Brisbane Capitals has moved her up to sixth on the NBL1 North leaderboard with 17.
The 24-year-old’s hot shooting from beyond the arc saw her pick up a season-high 25 points in the Round 6 match, while she almost claimed a triple double with eight rebounds and assists.
The captain has played a major part in the Salties’ 6-0 start to the season.
MacGregor’s injury concern
Salties guard Catherine MacGregor has been pivotal this season with more than 10 points in every game except for one.
However, her team may need to find another sharp shooter after the 20-year-old went down with an ankle injury on Saturday night against the Capitals.
MacGregor was seen in discomfort at the Croc Pot in the seventh minute of the first quarter with footage indicating she may have rolled her right ankle.
She remained on the floor for just over a minute and was helped off by teammates and trainers after play was stopped at the next basket.
The extent of the injury has not yet been confirmed, but Salties fans will be hoping to see MacGregor — who had been on fire in the game with 11 points — back on the court soon to keep her side’s undefeated run alive.
Are the Darwin Salties women’s team a genuine title chance?
Bolstered by some quality additions during the off-season, the Salties have met every challenge posed so far in the NBL North in 2023, and none were bigger than the one they faced down on Saturday night at the Croc Pot.
Coming off two great wins on the road in Round 5, the Salties took on the third-placed Brisbane Capitals in red-hot form — on a four-game streak and having won the past three by an average of 30 points.
And they went into the clash without star player Ruby Porter due to illness and lost Catherine MacGregor, one of the franchise’s most accurate shooters, to injury in the first quarter.
MacGregor, who had already put up 11 points by that stage, is third for the Salties for average points this season (14.50), and has strong numbers in assists (fourth) and steals (fifth).
The Salties would score 13 of the last 15 points of the game to claim their sixth successive victory, underlining their depth in 2023.
However, big questions will be posted by the league leaders, the 8-0 Northside Wizards and the third-placed South West Metro Pirates, who have only dropped two games so far.
They face those teams in rounds 13 and 11 respectively.
But with a seven-point win over the fifth-placed Rockhampton Cyclones in Round 3, the Salties have got the better of the top bracket of teams so far this season.
When will we see Nate?
He was the big name signing of 2022 and played nine games for the Salties in a campaign hindered by injury.
Former NBA centre Nate Jawai would average eight points, four boards and 20 minutes on court per game to be a solid contributor despite having ongoing issues with his body.
However, Jawai has barely been on the floor this season, making his presence felt on the sidelines in a coaching and mentoring capacity.
He has been on court for just 16 minutes so far from two games in 2023: a six-point, five-rebound game against Cairns Marlins in Round 2 and a stat-less few minutes against the Rockhampton Rockets the following weekend.
Coach Matt Flinn told this publication the big man was still rehabbing, has embarked on some light conditioning and is unlikely to play in the short term.
Five things we learned from Round 5 of NBL1 North
It was a fruitful first road trip for the Darwin Salties as the ladies went 5-0 and the men produced one of the biggest comebacks in the franchise’s short history.
With a raft of new recruits across both squads, and some tinkering with off-court management, year two is promising to be a step up in improvement at Marrara.
And Round 5 against Cairns and Townsville also threw up plenty of talking points from a largely successful far north Queensland crusade.
New approach pays off
Bar a disappointing loss to the Cairns Marlins on the Friday night, the Darwin Salties’ plan to fly out a day earlier for road trips proved a major success.
With the lady Salties now undefeated after accounting for Cairns and Townsville, and the men producing an incredible comeback victory against the Heat, an investment in spending more time away from Darwin has paid dividends so far.
In the past, teams would travel on a red eye flight the morning of games, which players struggled to adjust to.
With home games against Brisbane (third) and Mackay (13th) to come, Rod Tremlett’s players can start to think about a debut finals berth.
And no team is going to want to come to the Croc Pot in the post season.
Meanwhile, it might still be early in the campaign, but the Salties’ incredible comeback against the Heat could prove to be invaluable come the pointy end.
Bollmann back to her best
The US import was massive on the road, putting up huge numbers in both matches.
Against the Dolphins, Erin Bollmann had 14 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists and five steals, followed by a 16-point, nine-rebound, seven-assist and two-steal display against the Townsville Flames.
She is also tracking second and fifth for average assists and steals for the conference.
Even Townsville’s livestream commentators, hardly bastions of unbiased opinion, were glowing in their praise for the former G League coaching associate on Saturday night.
Her shooting accuracy was also on point after a below-par Round 3 performance, going at 58 per cent over the weekend.
For all the team’s new-found depth, with the likes of Catherine MacGregor, Sophie Johnston and Tsubasa Nisbet contributing, Bollmann remains the club’s most important player.
Makuach the magician
The Sydney-born superstar had a quiet night at the office against the Cairns Marlins, kept to just two points after half time and 12 in total for the game.
It was a repeat of Round 2 at the Croc Pot, where Makuach Maluach would add to just three points across the third and fourth quarters after putting up 20 in the first half.
After a fast start, with 13 points in the opening term, Maluach produced just five across the second and third terms as the Salties wilted and desperately needed a circuit breaker.
So with partner in crime Deba George dropping 10 in the final term, Maluach responded with 14 of his own to totally change the course of the match.
And it all came with co-captain Jerron Jamerson having minimal influence.
Foketi’s finesse
Award-winning defensive player Viliami Foketi had been serviceable for the Salties this season without putting up any major offensive numbers.
Foketi had averaged 11 points a match from 19 matches with the Mackay Meteors in 2022, before making the switch to the Croc Pot.
However, his game went to a new level on the road, putting up seven points against the Cairns Marlins on Friday night.
And the ex-Meteor had some clutch moments against the Heat, with a big three-ball in the second term and a dunk in the third as the margin blew out to double digits.
His second three would ice the game with 20 seconds remaining.
With Deba George also stepping up late in the game, the new faces at Marrara had a say in the outcome.
Chelsea Brook can’t miss
The Salties centre has become one of the competition’s most lethal shooters after a so-so start to the season.
Going at 11 per cent against the Cairns Dolphins in Round 2, the Salties skipper looked relieved to land her first bucket late in that game at Marrara, after nine attempts.
However, Chelsea Brook has not gone below 70 per cent since, with showings of 75, 75 and 70 per cent.
With added scoring depth via Catherine MacGregor, who had 25 points against the Dolphins, the Salties have a range of weapons to call upon.
Bench player Jess Boundy also went at 100 per cent against Cairns, connecting all four of her shots, underlining her increasing ability to come on and have an impact.
Five things we learned from Round 3 of NBL1 North
It was a memorable night at the Croc Pot in Round 3 of NBL1 North with the Darwin Salties getting the chocolates in both clashes, despite slow starts.
The lady Salties are now 3-0 after accounting for the Rockhampton Cyclones 83-74 while Matt Flinn’s men finished strong in the final quarter to beat the Rockets, 115-95.
And there were plenty of talking points from those emphatic wins.
Chelsea Brook is back
After going 1-9 against Cairns Dolphins a fortnight ago, Chelsea Brook returned to form in a big way.
Shooting 75 per cent overall, Brook also went five from five beyond the arc while making her presence felt in the paint with six rebounds.
The competition’s elite rarely have two quiet games in a row and Brook showed why she’s such a valuable piece in the Salties’ arsenal.
Meanwhile, Tsubasa Nisbet’s scoring output increases each week while her rebound tally has remained consistent.
Jess Boundy
With Erin Bollmann’s radar askew, the former North Gold Coast Seahawk stepped up to score some important early points for the Salties amid a strong Cyclones start.
Down 20-9 in the first quarter, Boundy would nail her opening three attempts – the first two being maximums – plus an important layup in the final quarter as the Salties held off a Rockhampton charge.
Finishing with a total of 10 points, and three first half assists, it was one of Boundy’s best games for the Salties, after averaging less than five points per match in 2022.
Mixed bag for Bollmann
By the star guard’s lofty standards, it was a mixed night at the Croc Pot.
Shooting at just over 20 per cent, making three from 15 attempts – her season average was 40 per cent in 2022 – Bollmann struggled to find offensive connection and was stripped of the ball on several occasions.
Her frustration grew as the night wore on, especially with a few referee decisions.
However, she was important under the rim and setting up play, pulling down a team-high 11 rebounds plus 10 assists.
Her relative lack of points might also speak to the depth of the Salties this season.
With Ruby Porter shooting just seven herself, would Darwin have won the match last year with that level of offensive output from their two stars?
Jerron’s hot streak
Kept relatively quiet last round against Cairns Marlins (14 points), Darwin’s all-heart co-captain was back to his best against Rockhampton.
With the Salties trailing early in the second term, Jamerson would nail 18 of the Salties’ next 19 points, including 11 in succession.
He’s somewhat of a barometer down at the Croc Pot, and a fit and firing Jamerson often lifts his team when it’s most needed.
Salties finish strong
With Darwin’s lead trimmed to just four points 10 seconds into the final quarter, some Salties fans might have felt a bit nervy after their team coughed up an 18-point lead against the Cairns Marlins a fortnight prior.
However, the home team would never be threatened again, eventually outscoring Rockhampton 28-12 from that point on.
The Salties dominated the boards in the final term (13-6), Josh Spiers had three of his team’s four steals while Rockhampton turned the ball over six times to Darwin’s three.
Big man Deng Riak was huge across the night with 11 rebounds, almost doubling his season average of last year.
Recap from Round 2 of NBL1 North basketball
Darwin Salties men’s team blew a golden opportunity to go 2-0 in NBL1 North while our ladies put in arguably their best quarter of the season against Cairns at the Croc Pot on March 1.
Former Saltie Tad Dufelmeier did a number on his old side with 23 points and 12 boards as the Marlins reeled in an 18-point deficit early in the final term at Marrara.
Meanwhile, star guard Erin Bollmann led the home team’s comeback against the Dolphins, keeping the visitors to just four points in the second term.
Find out the five things we learned from Round 2 of NBL1 North.
Cairns serviced by even spread of shooters
Facing an 18-point deficit early in the final term, the Marlins refused to roll over at Marrara.
Landing five three-pointers in the final five and a half minutes, Cairns simply swept Darwin off their feet.
The numbers show the visitors boasted an armoury of offensive weapons the Salties couldn’t replicate as they were outscored 33-13 in the final term.
Tad Dufelmeier (23 points, 12 rebounds), Curt Ah Wang (19 points), Travis Drinnan (17) Ky Stattmann (16) and Jonah Antonio (15 points, 10 rebounds) did the damage as the home team were outscored in both quarters after half time.
Darwin only had three players to hit double digits: Sean Macdonald (25 points) Makuach Maluach (23) and Jerron Jamerson (14).
Maluach did the majority of his scoring in the first half with 20, adding just a further three by the final siren.
A missed dunk with four minutes to play in the game also felt pivotal to the outcome.
With Darwin actually having a far superior shooting percentage compared to Cairns (49.2 to 43.9), this loss will sting for some time.
Tad’s magnificent return to the Croc Pot
He may have left the franchise during the off-season but it appears former Saltie Tad Dufelmeier still has strong connections with his old side.
There were a few brief hugs with former teammates Josh Spiers and Makuach Maluach just before the tip-off with coach Matt Flinn also describing his ex-soldier as a “great human” in the lead up.
And the spring-heeled former Adelaide 36er was not overawed by the occasion, arguably his side’s most important player with 23 points and a match high 12 rebounds and five assists.
Bollmann and Porter a dynamic duo
It took 40 seconds for two of Darwin’s most talented players to provide another taste of what fans can expect in 2023.
Under the rim, Bollmann showed expert vision to find Porter outside the perimeter to land her first three for the evening.
Porter would repay the favour, albeit in the opposite direction in the second term, but Bollmann was unable to convert in a rare error for the brilliant playmaker.
Overall, Bollmann (24 points, seven boards, four assists and steals) and Porter (13 points, six rebounds, three assists and four steals) were again among the most dominant players on the floor for Darwin.
Injury clouds gather over Marrara
It was a tough night for two local recruits, Tracy Village Jets’ Jamie-Lee Peris and Lightning’s Claire-Maree Hunt.
Hunt hit an early three to get an early boost of confidence, and she attacked the ball hard and pulled down some strong rebounds (three).
She would also strip an opponent of the ball amid a stunning second quarter for the Salties (outscoring the Dolphins 21-4), setting up a fast break as Ruby Porter applied the finishing touches for two points.
However, her night came to a sudden end after landing awkwardly on her shoulder with just over six minutes left in the term, silencing a super vocal, local crowd.
In a similar vein, Peris, who had her left knee strapped, limped off after just a minute of game time earlier in the match.
Brook’s quiet night
The Salties would have been delighted to have banked a strong win and with close to zero points from Chelsea Brook, the franchise’s MVP of last season.
The Adelaide Lightning centre was strong in other areas (eight rebounds, five assists) but landed her first points for the game late in the final term, a rousing three-pointer.
Brook (shooting at 11 per cent) and Skye Rees (no points from seven attempts) struggled to find the basket against the Dolphins.
The former was one of the Salties’ leading scorers in 2022, but a quiet night offensively didn’t seem to matter too much.
New recruit Catherine MacGregor (18 points) complemented the old firm of Porter and Bollmann, especially from outside the arc where she landed three from eight attempts.
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