Photo provided by Sonya Connor Photography
3-Minute Read
It was a depleted start from the Rockets under new coach Georgia Crouch as her former counterpart at the Adelaide Lightning in Matthew Clarke returned to take the helm at the West Adelaide Bearcats. The red and black blitzed their way to a 0-17 start with Yaeger kicking things off with nine straight points including her first triple of the night. It took a visit to the free throw line for Jordyn Freer to break the run but the Bearcats already smelt blood in the water as Yaeger added another five for the term to give her 13 points with another Lightning returnee in Ashlee Strawbridge dropping the late finish off the window for a 6-30 start.
An immediate response was called upon by Crouch and she got from Olympian Lauren Mansfield (10 points & three rebounds) as she drained an early triple then managed to get former Eagle Maddy Freer up and running to cut it back to 18-35. Off the back of a strong performance for SA – the U20s brigade led by Coco Hodges with back to back triples resumed order as the Bearcats took a 26-49 handy lead into the halftime break.
The Rockets continued to try and fight back through the Freer sisters but a strong run of 2-11 from the away side had them in a commanding position of 33-60 with one to play. Yaeger shut the door on this one incredibly quick with a triple and a trademark setback three but knowing these two may be there at the end of the season – establishing a strong margin to chase down in their return meeting was clearly on the agenda as the Bearcats did not yield until the final buzzer.
Yaeger produced in Round one yet again with 30 points at 64 percent, five assists, four rebounds and three steals with both Coco Hodges (12 points, five rebounds & steals and four assists) and Chloe Hodges (10 points, five rebounds & steals and three assists) near identical numbers. The Freer’s will be the pair to watch for the Rockets together with Jordyn Freer adding 15 points & seven rebounds and Maddy in her first game for the new colours eight points & rebounds with five steals and three assists.
The numbers that mattered
- Yaeger did her damage in the first term with 13 of her 30 points coming in the quarter
- The Rockets registered 10 turnovers with eight missed field goals before Abbey Jones made the first with 58 seconds left in the first
- 29 steals were registered in the match with the Bearcats 19 of them led by the Hodges
- Yaeger now has averaged 31.75 points in Round One of the NBL1 Central since 2021 after scores of 15, 35, 47 and now 30 in consecutive matches.
The Three Takeaways
- Yaeger & Clarke are the combo – but we already knew that right?
- Even though we know this Bearcats team is getting stronger – the quick adjustments under Clarke should have the whole league on full notice
- The Rockets depth is concerning – health is a premium with plenty of experience but a slow start is looking likely now
NORTH ADELAIDE ROCKETS 53 (J FREER 15, MANSFIELD 10, M FREER, WARNER 8)
WEST ADELAIDE BEARCATS 76 (YAEGER 30, CH HODGES 12, CO HODGES 10)
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CROSS OVER DRIBBLE 