It was another mixed night for the Cockburn Cougars in Round 6 of the NBL1 West competition with a big win for the Women’s team on Saturday at Belmont Oasis while the Men’s didn’t quite fare as well.
The two Cougars teams were in action on Saturday evening at Belmont Oasis Leisure Centre starting with the Women delivering an emphatic performance to continue their hot form with 118-51 victory against the Perth Redbacks.
The Cockburn Men found the going a little tougher and it was the Redbacks who came away with the 87-75 win with the Cougars having now lost their past three after opening up the season winning the first four.
Starting with the Women’s clash at Belmont Oasis, the Cougars came into the contest having won four of their opening five matches of the season including being fresh off becoming the first team to beat the Mandurah Magic last Saturday night at Wally Hagan Stadium.
The Redbacks came into the game having won just two of their first six games but they were without Makailah Dyer, Jess Jakens, Rebecca Motroni and Kayonna Lee, and they were no match for the firing Cougars.
The Cougars scored 13 of the game’s first 15 points and were never headed from there going on to lead 35-13 by the end of the opening quarter.
It was another 30 points to 14 in the second period from Cockburn to see them lead Perth 65-27 by the half-time break.
It was more of the same in the third quarter with another 33 points to 11 before the Cougars cruised to the 118-51 to improve to a 5-1 record on the season while the Redbacks are now 2-5.
Kat Tudor might have only played 19 minutes for the Cougars but put in a superstar level performance hitting 7/12 from beyond the three-point line for 29 points, four rebounds and two assists.
Jessie Edwards delivered another 20 points and 11 rebounds for Cockburn, Ella Summers 18 points and seven boards, Alina Hartmann 10 points, eight assists, six rebounds and three steals, and Tia Morgan nine points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Then in the Men’s contest, the Redbacks were at home at Belmont Oasis to the Cougars on Saturday and produced another commanding performance to improve to 4-3 on the season while Cockburn have now lost three in-a-row after opening up the 2022 season winning four consecutive matches.
Cockburn was attempting to stop its run of losing two consecutive matches, but it was Perth who started well to lead 30-23 by quarter-time.
However, the Cougars fired back impressively in the second term with 26 points to 14 and that meant the went into half-time leading 49-44.
The Redbacks came out an inspired outfit from half-time, though, and put up 28 points to 12 in the third quarter, and then closed the deal in the fourth period to end up winning 87-75.
Perth won the game despite losing the rebound count by eight but they shot an impressive 50.0 per cent from the field and went 9/22 from downtown while the Cougars went just 38.4 per cent from the floor and 10/29 from three-point range.
Carter Skaggs top-scored for the Cougars with 20 points, 10 rebounds and three steals while hitting 4/11 from three-point land with Paschal Chukwu adding 14 points and 13 boards, Josh Hunt 11 points and six rebounds, and Seva Chan 11 points and six boards.
