The Cockburn Cougars started with the game’s first 21 points in the perfect opening to celebrate captain Kirsty Whitfield’s 200-game milestone on the way to the eventual 66-point win against the South West Slammers.
The Cougars put their perfect record on the line at Wally Hagan Stadium on Friday night hosting the winless Slammers with the added motivation of celebrating captain Whitfield’s reaching her 200th game with Cockburn to earn life membership.
REACHING 200 GAMES WITH COUGARS A DREAM COME TRUE FOR WHITFIELD
It was a Cougars team fresh off handing the Joondalup Wolves their first loss last Saturday night with South West coming into the contest having lost its six games in 2023 by an average of 52 points.
The Cougars showed no signs of complacency with a 35-point to nine opening quarter and that set the tone for the rest of evening on the back of the 21-0 run to start the game in the first four minutes capped off by a three-pointer to Ella Summers.
Cockburn would add another 31 points to 18 in the second quarter, 30 to 12 in the third again beginning with the opening 13 points, and 17 to eight in the fourth with the final 66-point margin the biggest of the night.
The win sees the Cougars improve to a perfect 6-0 record with Cockburn having won six straight against South West dating back to 2019 while the Slammers have lost 19 in-a-row overall and 60 of their past 61 matches in the league.
The Cougars forced the Slammers into 38 turnovers for the night and with 55 rebounds to 32 including 25 to six at the offensive end, the home team took 44 more field goals for the game.
Jessie Edwards was a dominant force down low for Cockburn with 29 points, seven rebounds and four steals on 13/18 shooting.
Sarah Mortensen added 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, Jewel Williams 14 points, three assists and three steals, Amelia Corasaniti nine points, seven rebounds, four steals and two assists, and Steph Gorman eight points, three assists and three steals.
In the end, all 12 Cougars players scored with Harriet Ford adding six points, six rebounds and two steals, Kinley Paterson five points, three boards and two assists, Caitlin Lord five points, four rebounds and three steals, Ella Summers five points and three assists, Jess Hickey four points and five boards, and Maia Clayden three points.
Cougars coach Tyrone Thwaites was pleased with how the evening panned out.
“It’s always tricky sometimes when you play a team who is battling for form,” Thwaites said.
“You need to make sure you execute the best you can against the opposition you’re playing. I think we did that pretty well defensively and we started the game 21-0 and the third quarter it was 14-0, and that’s what I asked for on Friday night.
“The girls did that particularly well and it was difficult at different stages to execute on offence, but I think from what we were hoping to get done for the most part, we got done.”
Captain Kirsty Whitfield celebrated her 200th game to earn life membership with eight points, seven assists, three rebounds and two steals including hitting her lone three-point attempt.
Thwaites was also pleased for her to have such a night to remember.
“She deserves it as well so it was a really pleasing night for her and she really enjoyed it,” he said.
“That’s the main thing for us, and she goes up on the wall as a life member now which is a really terrific achievement.”
