Rollers send big message
THE Gold Coast Rollers have given a glimpse into what might have been this season with a 98-69 Queensland Basketball League win against competition heavyweights Cairns.
Outside playoff calculations after a frustrating onepoint loss to Ipswich last week, the Rollers bounced back at Carrara yesterday, with Deon Mitchell again playing a starring role.
Mitchell finished with 23 points and five assists on 69 per cent shooting from the floor, to lead all scorers, while Rhys Martin had a near triple double (12 points, nine boards, eight assists).
Former Marlin, now Rollers captain, Dwayne Vale was one of six Gold Coast players to finish in double figures as the home side defended well.
Potent Marlins guard Anthony Fisher was kept well below his season average of 20 points, failing to make double figures. QBL MEN WK 13
Townsville Mackay Logan USC
Brisbane Cairns SW Metro Rockhampton Ipswich GC Rollers Toowoomba Sun Coast Gladstone NGC Seahawks South Districts
P W L W% P% 16 13 3 81.3 120.4 16 13 3 81.3 111.6 16 12 4 75.0 110.2 16 11 5 68.8 111.1 15 9 6 60.0 114.9 16 9 7 56.3 100.2 15 8 7 53.3 95.0 16 8 8 50.0 97.8 15 7 8 46.7 100 15 6 9 40.0 100.4 15 6 9 40.0 93.5 15 5 10 33.3 93.2 16 4 12 25.0 86.9 16 3 13 18.8 83.1 14 2 12 14.3 90.5
The Rollers women could not join the party in their first game back at the Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre following the Commonwealth Games, going down 80-56 to the Cairns Dolphins.
Kate Hewett was the only Gold Coast player to reach double figures in an uneven performance by the Rollers. After leading 19-14 at quartertime, the Rollers managed QBL WOMEN WK13
Townsville Ipswich SW Metro Sun Coast South Districts Rockhampton Mackay NGC Seahawks USC Cairns Brisbane Logan GC Rollers Gladstone Toowoomba
P W 16 14 15 13 15 12 15 12 14 11 16 11 16 9 16 8 16 7 16 6 15 5 16 5 15 2 16 1 15 0
L W% P% 2 87.5 126.2 2 86.7 120.0 3 80.0 129.6 3 80.0 112.3 3 78.6 119.0 5 68.8 112.8 7 56.3 101.8 8 50.0 102.6 9 43.8 94.8 10 37.5 95.7 10 33.3 96.1 11 31.3 97.4 13 13.3 85.3 15 6.3 81.9 15 0 52.8
just nine points in the second term, before winning the third and capitulating in the last.
The North Gold Coast Seahawks also played yesterday, with both the men and women losing to Ipswich.
The loss leaves the Seahawks’ women’s playoff hopes on the edge, with the club clinging to eighth spot by one win from Sunshine Coast, who they host on Saturday.