Bulls Maroon come out on top after physical match against Tornadoes Black in basketball league
Fresh off the back of returning to the court with a big win, Bulls Maroon have continued building their momentum with a 16-point win over Tornadoes Black.
Bulls Maroon and Tornadoes Black went head-to-head in the 13th round of the Bunbury Senior Basketball League’s men’s A-grade competition at the South West Sports Centre on Tuesday.
The match got off to an even start, with the teams matching each other shot for shot early on.
Keen to establish dominance, Bulls Maroon employed a highly physical defence against Tornadoes Black, swarming them any time the Tornadoes had possession of the ball.
Despite Cameron Raper coming off the court early with a sprained ankle, Tornadoes Black managed to rally and take the lead thanks to rebounds and strong driving by Luc Perkins.
However, Bulls Maroon managed to fight back and lead 22-17 by quarter-time.
The second quarter saw Bulls Maroon’s Kyle Jones put his body on the line while Travis Durnin managed to get some early shots in to extend their lead.
Not willing to give up easily, Tornadoes Black fought back to bring the scores level, prompting the contest to reach a high level of physicality.
As both teams threw their bodies around scrambling for the ball, Tornadoes Black’s Kent Placente bagged a few three-pointers to keep his team in close contention.
Despite the intense contest, Bulls Maroon held on to lead 43-41 at half-time.
After the half-time break, Durnin and Clive Weeden combined to extend Bulls Maroon’s lead once again.
While Callum Heap managed an impressive steal, Tornadoes Black struggled to convert in the physical contest as Bulls Maroon began pulling away.
At the final change, Bulls Maroon led 64-53.
The physical contest continued into the final quarter, with both teams continuing to fight hard in an effort to claim victory.
Tornadoes Black started strong and put the pressure on at every opportunity but it was not enough to stop Bulls Maroon charging through the court.
Durnin and Weeden combined to make several impressive shots, including a slam dunk by Weeden, and Bulls Maroon went on to win 89-73.
Elsewhere, Tornadoes Red defeated Bulls 93-79, Aces Sky smashed Eaton Eagles 102-52 and Bulls Gold held off Conquerors 107-88.
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