Latest news with #Buccs
West Australian
16 hours ago
- Sport
- West Australian
Geraldton Buccaneers overcome Joondalup Wolves at home after coach Dayle Joseph ejected
The Geraldton Buccaneers secured a huge win at home against the Joondalup Wolves with players and the home crowd rising to the occasion after their coach Dayle Joseph was ejected, leading to a 20-point win. Buccs star Johny Narkle stole the show with a 33-point performance on Saturday night at Activewest Stadium, while amassing nine rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks as the Wolves had no answer for him. Buccs' big man Liam Hunt also impressed with yet another double-double. Hunt led the charge with 21 points, three assists and 11 rebounds. The Buccs led early in the first quarter with a quick start for the home side. Hunt got the ball rolling for the Buccs with the first points of the game coming from the field. Akeem Springs and Narkle also got their night started early in the first period with Narkle jumping on the scoreboard with seven points. A fightback by the Wolves in the second period saw the momentum swing in the visitors' favour, which saw Joondalup being clinical from beyond the arc while the Buccs fell off the pace as the Wolves took advantage. Joondalup led the Buccs by two points going into the main break, 49-47. It was a close third quarter with neither team able to pull away. The Wolves put a lot of attention on Narkle as the star local began to feel the pressure before an apparent missed call led to the ejection of coach Dayle Joseph. After what he believed was a missed call from one of the referees, Joseph was seen to be upset with the decision and in the referee's eyes it was enough to eject him from the game late in the third quarter. Joseph said he didn't think he deserved to be booted from the contest. 'I don't know what I did to deserve to be thrown out,' he said. 'I jumped up and down a bit, but other than that I don't know what he (the referee) saw. 'It was a heated game, the crowd probably got under his skin with some previous missed calls, so it seemed a bit reactive. 'Myself and Johny (Narkle) had already got a tech earlier in the game so it was better that I got it rather than him being ejected.' Without their coach, the Buccs were forced to stand up going into the fourth quarter, only leading by seven points. Nik DeSantis set the tone with a quick three in the last term before an onslaught from the Buccs saw them run away with the game as the crowd rose to their feet and drove the home side to the final buzzer. Joseph said the win was massive in the context of their season. 'It was a really important win for us at home considering they got the better of us earlier in the season,' he said. 'To beat them by 20 points too is really impressive from our group and to stand up when we did was pleasing.' The Buccs ran away with the win by 20 points with the final score 103-83. The victory sees the Buccs jump into the top four on the NBL1 West ladder, as they set their sights on seventh-placed Mandurah Magic this Saturday at Activewest Stadium.
West Australian
4 days ago
- Sport
- West Australian
Geraldton Buccaneers look to bounce back at home when they face Joondalup on Saturday
The Geraldton Buccaneers head into round 10 of the NBL1 West this weekend coming off a split road trip, with hopes of bouncing back at home when they face the Joondalup Wolves on Saturday. The Buccs return home after a two-game road trip, which saw them pick up a win on Saturday against Lakeside Lightning before overtime heartbreak on Sunday against the Willetton Tigers. The 20-point win over Lakeside on Saturday night was headlined by Aaron Ralph breaking the all-time three-point record, with the star forward and Buccs' captain securing his record in the first half of the contest. The Buccs fell short on Sunday against Willetton in overtime by four points after injuries prevented the full strength team from being on the court. Buccs' big man Liam Hunt had an impressive weekend with back-to-back double-doubles along with Josh Keyes, who secured a double-double against Willetton, and Johny Narkle, who also drew up big numbers against Lakeside. Despite going down to Willetton in overtime, Hunt said the team was in good spirits after Ralph's record-breaking achievement. 'The spirit is pretty high after Ralphie broke that record and obviously the big win against Lakeside,' he said. 'To go down like that against Willetton is tough but they are a top four team. 'You know, it's heartbreaking, but we have just got to keep learning from our failures. 'We can't play perfect, its not possible, but we want to be perfect in everything we can control.' Hunt said having someone like Ralph at the helm as captain was invaluable to everyone in the group. 'He (Ralph) is just a class player and someone we really value in the group,' Hunt said. 'He knows when players need a rev up and a lift and he always provides it. 'Ralphie is just someone you can rely on to deliver in big moments. 'I don't see his record ever being touched.' Turning their attention to this weened, the Buccs host rivals Joondalup in what promises to be a high octane game with both sides sitting next to each other on the league ladder. The Wolves are coming off a win against the Eastern Suns in round nine in what was a low-scoring affair. The Wolves now face a hungry Buccs outfit as the home side looks to bounce back with a big win at home. Hunt said the squad was raring to get over the top of the Wolves in what always promises to be a thriller. 'Joondalup games are always big games,' he said. 'They always are fun games to play in and always seem to come right down to the wire. 'We have had a rivalry with Joondalup for the last six years, so we are looking forward to playing them at home.' The Buccs sit just under the Wolves on the NBL1 West league ladder in fifth, with the visitors holding down the fourth position, making Saturday's contest one to watch. Tip-off is at 7pm on Saturday, June 7, at Activewest Stadium.
West Australian
29-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Geraldton Buccaneers gear up for double-header on the road against Lakeside and Willetton
Coming off a massive win against league leaders Warwick at home last Saturday, the Geraldton Buccaneers are now gearing up for a double-header road trip against Lakeside and Willetton. After handing the Warwick Senators their first loss of the season, the vibes are up in the Buccs' camp, with the squad now preparing for their next challenge as they travel to Perth this weekend in round nine of the NBL1 West season. Local star Johny Narkle has been the Buccs' best player so far this season, shining bright in the Buccs' last game against the Senators. The star guard put on a show with 30 points, 11 rebounds and two steals and was named player of the round in the NBL1 West. Arguably in career best form, Narkle said preparation had been the key for his performances. 'Preparation for me is a big part of it,' he said. 'Both the physical and mental side of the preparation are equally important.' After the win against Warwick, Narkle said coach Dayle Joseph got the best out of his side, with new inclusions this season in Verle Williams and Akeem Springs slotting perfectly into the side. 'For me I felt good going into the game obviously they're (Warwick) the top team but as Dayle said we're rarely the underdogs going into a home game so obviously winning felt great because it shows us what we're capable of,' he said. 'With the addition of Verle and Akeem I feel like we're starting to gel real good after that loss to East Perth. It was like a wakeup call but since then we're starting to understand how each other play.' The Buccs now face a road trip to Perth where they will first play Lakeside Lightning on Saturday night. Lakeside sit 12th on the league ladder and are coming off three straight losses. The Buccs will be looking to walk away with a win on Saturday before their other game on Sunday against sixth-placed Willetton Tigers. The Buccs are yet to play the Tigers this season. The last time the two met Willetton knocked the Buccs out of the finals in 2024. Currently sitting fourth on the ladder, the Buccs will be looking to get one back on Willetton as they aim to go two-from-two on the road. Narkle said the squad was rearing to go with confidence high after last round's win. 'We're feeling good, it's a great opportunity to come away with two wins especially knowing what we can do as a team and how we performed the last week,' he said. The Buccs play Lakeside on Saturday from 7pm at Lakeside Rec before their clash against Willetton on Sunday from 12pm at Willetton Basketball Stadium.
West Australian
22-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Geraldton Buccaneers prepare for their biggest challenge yet as they host the top-placed Warwick Senators
The Geraldton Buccaneers are confronted by their biggest challenge yet — preparing to beat the unbeaten Warwick Senators at Activewest Stadium on Saturday night in round eight of the NBL1 West. The Buccs are coming off a win at home last round, while the star-studded Senators sit atop the table with nine wins from nine games in season 2025. Wildcats listed players Elijah Pepper and Todd Withers have been leading the way for the Senators this season, tallying up some incredible statistics. Pepper averages 40 points, six rebounds and seven assists while Withers averages 16 points, four rebounds and one assist per game. The pair have proven to be a headache for sides this season, with no one able so far to hand Warwick their first loss of the season. Buccs coach Dayle Joseph said it will be a welcome challenge as the Buccs look to cause a major upset this Saturday at home. 'I think it's a really good challenge for us,' he said. 'Considering over the last couple of weeks we've been up and down and our standards haven't probably been where we would like them to be. 'We've had a couple of weeks to work on that and hopefully we can put something together and challenge the Senators this weekend.' The sixth-placed Buccs, with a 5-3 record, now have the opportunity to pick up back-to-back wins at home when they face the Senators and will be looking to lean on their home fans for support. Joseph said the home crowd played a huge part in the contest of the game. 'Being at home is a great advantage to have with our home fans behind us,' he said. 'I think it is great however for any away side that comes up here to face us. 'They have the opportunity to play in front of a packed house even if it isn't their fans, it certainly amps everyone up.' An added hunger has been adopted by the Buccs after dropping a very winnable game at home against the East Perth Eagles in round six. Joseph said the squad took the loss to heart and used it as motivation to bounce back last round with a strong win over the Perry Lakes Hawks, hoping to carry that same hunger into Saturday night. 'We spent a bit of time on Tuesday highlighting some some areas and it did get a bit personal with a few things we weren't doing right,' Joseph said. 'We took that loss at home to heart but from that we improved a lot last week. 'I wouldn't say we were great last week but we certainly improved a lot on what we showed the week before. 'So we're hoping we can improve on that again against obviously, this is a real test when you plan the top team who's undefeated. 'They have NBL quality players on their squad, and hopefully we can answer that challenge.' The Geraldton Buccaneers take on the Warwick Senators at Activewest Stadium May 24 with tip off at 7pm.
West Australian
19-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Geraldton Buccaneers bounce back with a win as they topple the Perry Lakes Hawks at home
The Geraldton Buccaneers bounced back from last week's loss with a win at home against the Perry Lakes Hawks in round seven of the NBL1 West competition on Saturday. Star guard Johny Narkle shot 25 points with eight rebounds, two assists and an impressive five steals. Narkle provided the Buccs with an all-round game, with impressive work at the defensive end as well as his work up the court in the 96 to 68 win. Aaron Ralph also starred with a 20-point performance in his 13 minutes of game time. The Buccs veteran made the most of his time on the court shooting at 67 per cent from beyond the arc, showing his value as the Buccs pulled away from the Hawks in the third period. It was the Hawks that got off to a quick start in the first quarter with a flurry of points through Nic Floyd before the Buccs answered back through Ralph who got his night started with a three. The Hawks managed to run out to a narrow lead after the first, up by four points to the Buccs. The Buccs jumped out of the blocks in the second quarter with Josh Keyes and Narkle scoring for the home side before Verle Williams and Liam Hunt joined the party with important points. The third quarter saw the Buccs run away with the game as Narkle and Ralph punished the Hawks from beyond the arc. Clinical scoring from the field saw the Buccs go into the last break up by 25 points. Williams and Keyes worked in tandem as they made the most of their opportunities. Ralph put the game to an end with impressive shooting in the fourth from deep as the Buccs claimed their fifth win of the season as they climbed back up to sixth spot on the league ladder. The Buccs now prepare to host the Warwick Senators at Activewest Stadium on Saturday, May 24.
