JK SAYS - VOLUME 4
TOO CLOSE TO CALL… One sign of a solid competition is when the majority of team’s involved, have a realistic chance to win in any given game. I think last weekend’s overall results showcased the fact that there are no easy victories coming in 2016 and every squad has to come into every match-up, ready to hoop.
For me it was fantastic returning home to the Fish Tank last Friday night (shout out to Money
Mike)(Editor's Note: You do even live in PNG nowdays?!!!). Everybody in the building got treated to an absolute barnburner, when the Cairns Marlins faced off against the visiting Rockhampton Rockets. God’s Country & Rock-Vegas have developed an intense rivalry over the years and it was evident from the players focus in warm-ups, that this game would continue that trend. With both teams needing to secure a ‘W’ to keep their season’s on-track, it had the vibe and atmosphere of a QBL playoff game in May.
Without their starting NBL front court of Loughton & Trigger, it was shaping to be an uphill battle for the Fish. Local standout Jimmy ‘Boom-Boom’ Mitchell must have missed that memo however, rising to the challenge early-on and taking care of business at both ends of the court. He was aggressive offensively beating bigger defenders off the dribble, while at the other end of the floor, he used foot speed to help gain good post positioning, minimising many of the Rockets early inside looks to Garlepp & Macmillan.
The Marlins kept their hot start rolling into the second quarter with both Fisher and Heuir becoming increasingly involved through their aggressive and confident style play. Some handy bench production from their local products kept the Rockets in the match, but Cairns still had control at the main break.
The third quarter saw the Marlins stretch their lead out to double-digits and they looked set to blow this one wide open. A couple of crucial three’s made by Rockhampton import Jordan Gregory kept them in touch, however the visitors still had a tough task in front of them, facing an 11-point deficit going into the fourth.
Momentum switched in the beginning stages of the final term and a large part of that can be attributed to the play of point guard Mitch Philp. Knowing that his side was in need of something special, Philp took the game into his own hands, not only by making several key jump shots, but also finding his teammates in ideal positions to score. I’ve watched Mitch play in many games over the past few years and to me, this was definitely the best performance I have seen him have in a Rockets jersey (30-points, 6-assists, 6-steals). He wasn’t a lone wolf though and found support through backcourt partner Shaun Gleeson (20-points, 10-assists, 6-rebounds) who also had an outstanding final few minutes. The undersized Cairns bigs fought gallantly, however the pressure built up on the glass by Garlepp & Macmillan eventually took its toll. For the Marlins, 13-year QBL veteran Curt Ahwang found his rhythm from the perimeter and for a couple of possessions it looked as though he would be the home-court hero, however a 42-point final stanza proved to be too much for the home side and the Rockets secured a 96-90 victory.
With it being a bye round for most teams, I won’t try to keep my hot streak rolling by calling the winner AND the EXACT margin in the one game that’s taking place this weekend. Those of you that have contacted me requesting help in picking the margin for other sporting codes, please note that my ‘gift’ only works within the QBL, as my NRL tips took a hiding last weekend also. That’s all from me for another week, but in the meantime, GO QUEENSLAND…
