Photo Credit – Anthony Furina (AU) – Meaza Otto pictured in the first home games rattled off a game defining 24 points on the road to snare the points
3-Minute Read
Men
The Waatu Men have continued their undefeated UBL record against the Fed Falcons with another all-around and beyond arc display to strike gold again in Ballarat 70-107 at the Fed Sport and Recreation Centre.
Angus Crosby (Physiotherapy) got things rolling for the Waatu in a tight opening term – Bailey Nathan (Computer Science) picking up his mark from outside with multiple triples. Standing in their way was Luke Logan (Eight first term points) as the best for the Falcons made money from outside in the land of plenty. Harry Bruce (Commerce) closed out the first quarter with some timely makes on schedule to make it 26-29 after one.
Waatu burst out of the second term break with a quick 0-7 run led by Ayual Garang (The architectural designer with five quick points) executing the plans for the Waatu as FED coach Tyler Kennedy took the timeout 26-36. The Waatu upped their defensive intensity to clamp down on the home side but an off balance make from Matthew McAuliffe finally got the Falcons going breaking a 0-15 run. Bruce (15 points) however closed it out with a triple to take Scott Freer’s crew to a comprehensive 32-51 lead into the main change.
Isaac Hampel (the Engineer electrical with 13 points) sparked with a triple then followed it up with another then created the play on the rim to give him eight quick points. Heath McPherson made a cameo for the home side with some timely baskets but chipping into the margin was not easy as the Waatu maintained control. Crosby (15 points and four rebounds) continued to be active with ball in hand with Garang fancy with ball in hand crossing over his opponent and blowing by for the two off the window pushing the Waatu out beyond thirty with Lachlan Drummond and Carly Baptiste cutting it back slightly to a 48-75 three quarter time margin.
Trying to bring them back into the game Drummond nailed some quick shots with an aggressive layup and a turn around jumper with Freer calling the timeout just to settle down the away side 55-82. Thomas Mestrov (Banking & Finance) responded best on the numbers with five points of his own with Garang’s tip in pushing it out further and to pine time. Mitch Cretan nailed the triple in his first minutes before Everett Webb scored his first points in Waatu colours with a triple to complete the comprehensive 70-107 performance at Fed Sports and Recreation Centre.
With six players reaching double figures the two standouts across the four terms were Mestrov with 19 points and 12 rebounds and Ayual Garang with 14 points and 5 rebounds. Drummond the sure hand of the Falcons led from the front with 20 points, seven rebounds while Luke Logan proved tricky to handle at times with 16 points with four triples.
Women
The Waatu Women returned to where they won their first ever UBL match in 2023 and got the job done once again in Ballarat 52-61 at the Fed Sport and Recreation Centre.
Meaza Otto (Health and Medical Science) who missed the last trip in 2024 started healthily with some early scores for the away side as Bella Woosnam (Exercise & Sports Science with Nutrition) made an opening stanza triple 3-9. The Falcons hit back through Georgia Bodey and Millie Cracknell, but the opening quarter belonged to Otto with another two off the inbound then followed it up with a block on Emily Smyth to give the Waatu a slender 8-13 lead at the first change.
Demi Thompson opened the scoring in the second term with the triple with Woosnam returning the favour with two rainbow rainmakers of her own 11-19. Faith McKenzie made a couple of big baskets in a row who made some tough looks to bring it back to 18-23 with timeout going to Lachlan Coppick and the Waatu. McKenzie put the home side in front with the Waatu turning to Tamika Reid for the response with the finger roll and1 then stealing the lead back in through Chloe Gray (Primary Education) as she edged the away side in front 27-28 at the main change.
Abbey Noblett nipped away at the margin early in the third with an outside strike helping her Falcons to a 7-0 run to snare the lead back 34-31. Otto and Woosnam however found their money at the charity stripe, Madi Hughes (Occupational Therapy) made the huge block and Otto’s third stanza superb with nine points for the quarter as the Waatu won the term and took the ascendancy 38-45 with one to go.
Otto continued her run at the rack with another deuce to open the fourth before Noblett broke the run of points for the home side with a triple in the corner 41-48. Otto attacked from the front again, but Thompson kept the Falcons in touch 50-56. FED went for the press but left the back door open for an easy Reid finish off the window. Thompson brought them back within range of the margin again the curtain closed on this one once Otto’s final nail from outside finished things off 52-61.
Meaza Otto produced her best game of the season so far with 24 points, seven rebounds, six assists and fours steals backed up by the work of Bella Woosnam with 13 points with three triples, nine rebounds with fours steals. Faith McKenzie led from the front as skipper again for the Falcons with 16 points and 21 rebounds with eight offensive while Demi Thompson helped keep the home side in the contest with 10 points, seven steals and five rebounds.
Men – FED FALCONS 70 (Drummond 20, Logan 16, McPherson, Oellering 9) defeated by AU Waatu 107 (Mestrov 19, Bruce, Crosby 15, Garang 14)
Women – FED FALCONS 52 (McKenzie 16, Thompson, Bodey 10, Noblett 9) defeated by AU Waatu 61 (Otto 24, Woosnam 13)
Catch all the action from this Wednesday August 27 from 11:00am ACDT on the UBL website and stay tuned to the crossoverdribble for match reports and features throughout the season.
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