Saturday, September 5, 2009

Day 2 Review - Hawks vs Blaze


Cameron Tragardh touched the Blaze for 40
There’s a freight train in Darwin right now and its name is the Wollongong Hawks. They beat the new look Gold Coast Blaze tonight 107-90.

The recipient of their stellar play was Cameron Tragardh tonight. The ABA scoring machine elevated his game to those levels tonight. Going 16/20 from the field “Trigger” dropped 40 in thirty one minutes of playing time.

Thirty of them come in the first half where it seemed the Blaze defense was putty in Tragardh’s hands. He scored on face up jumpers, spinning floaters and a flip over the shoulder that had me believing he may drop fifty.

After the break he slowed a little but Glen Saville (20pts) and import of the moment Tywain McKee (18) picked up the slack to help the Hawks cruise through to the final tomorrow night against the New Zealand Breakers.

These guys were not the only ones causing trouble. Long armed point guard Rhys Martin was very solid with a 12pts, 8 rebs and 5 assists performance and Larry Davidson chipped in with 12 pts and 8 rebs.

Although the Hawks had a healthy lead for most of the second half, it was Joey Wright’s ejection in the second quarter that helped open up the game.

For the first nineteen minutes this was a very even contest but the Hawks received six free throws and the ball after Wright was escorted to the locker room. This stretch of play saw the Hawks head to the locker room at the half up 11.

Blaze import guard Ayinde Ubaka (15pts) came to life in the third with nine points which helped cut the three quarter time lead to six.

McKee soon snuffed out any hope of the Blaze making a game of this. A transition three by the Coppin State grad pushed the lead back out to double figures midway through the fourth.

Game, set and match as the Hawks spread the floor and continued to make the extra pass for an uncontested shot the rest of the way.

For the Blaze James Harvey and Anthony Petrie had 19 a piece to lead the team.

Tomorrow the Blaze will take on the Townsville Crocodiles for third place.

Random Thoughts From The Game

- Blaze import Michael Joiner had a Rolan Roberts type night fouling out in sixteen minutes.

- Pero Cameron missed this one as he is still getting over an injury he suffered in the NZNBL.

- Zac Delaney of the Hawks saw his first game time here in the Top End Challenge. The diminutive point guard will become a cult figure in the Gong.

- Matt Campbell missed this one for the Hawks as he has a badly sprained finger.

- After pumping up rookie Tim Coenraad’s tyres yesterday, he backed it up with a donut. Oh, to be a rookie.
I’m sure Blaze Coach Joey wright will be disappointed his team only created three steals. Wright coached teams love to create easy opportunities off of turnovers.

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