After a week off and both sides suffering a tough loss against Victoria University, the Carnabys flew to Melbourne to play against Australian Catholic University (ACU) in their fifth game of the 2023 UBL season.
Women’s
Hungry for a win and refreshed after the Easter break, the Carnabys women’s side left nothing off the table in the game against ACU.
Hitting the ground running was Captain Sarah Allen (#24), who scored a nice three-pointer for the Carnabys. Allen averages 11 points a game and is one of the Carnabys’ leading scorers.
In addition to the skipper are Ella Thornton-Elliot (#20) and Ella Averill (#32), who average 8.6 and 8.3 points per game, respectively.
The first quarter of the game was close, particularly at the end with just a two-point margin between the teams. However, Thornton-Elliot scored back-to-back baskets to take the Q1 result to 23 – 19, in favour of the Carnabys.
The second term was a group effort to expand the margin by a distance. Numerous Carnabys players had their turn at the basket, including physio student and latte art enthusiast Angela Ng (#12), who scored her first points for this season.
With less than one minute of the first half, Druvinka Fernando (#14) drained a three-point jump shot which took the half-time score to 49 – 32 (Carnabys).
A key driver across the court was Aleka Kabugua (#8) whose diverse talent has placed her in the UBL’s top five for average rebounds, total rebounds, and total defensive rebounds.
As the game progressed, a two-point layup by Sarah Allen put the Carnabys 20 points ahead of ACU in the third quarter. However, the opposition trimmed this back to 14 in the final seconds of that period.
While ACU added another 10 points to their tally, it wasn’t enough to secure the win as the Carnabys kept up their defence and bagged a further 15 points. The final score was 77 – 56. As a result, the Carnabys have leap-frogged over ACU and are now sitting 7th on the women’s ladder.
Men’s
Coming back after the Easter break, the men’s team enjoyed their second win of this season in the game against ACU.
Claiming the first points of the game was Tim Hollick (#7) who currently leads the board in total steals across the entire league. Hollick was followed by Tobey Martin (#11) who scored a three-pointer and is known not to shy away from those tougher long-range shots. At the end of the first quarter, the Carnabys were leading by a small three-point margin.
Going into the second term, the Carnabys focused on expanding the margin by maintaining defensive pressure and scoring baskets. The orange team followed through and outscored ACU.
Carnabys physio student Jordan Farrugia (#23) iced the first half with a smooth three-point shot in the remaining seconds. The half-time score was 39 – 27 in favour of the Carnabys.
With a 12-point advantage, the Carnabys continued their momentum and outdid ACU in offensive plays, rebounds, and second-chance points. The western side also had 26 bench points, highlighting the capability of the Carnabys’ entire line-up.
Heading into the final quarter, the Carnabys had a 17-point advantage (61 – 44) and did not press the brakes. Pushing the margin up further was Ali Rammal (#29) from behind the arc and then Mason Tion (#17) with a three of his own. The Carnabys worked as a union to seal the deal by keeping up the defensive pressure and assisting the scorers. The Carnabys men’s side enjoyed the win against ACU with a final score of 82 – 66. As a result, the Curtin Carnabys Men’s have gone from 11th to 6th on the ladder.
All image credits: Leo Spyrou Photography
