Tough weekend for local sport

BASKETBALL

The weekend’s double-header ended in disaster for the Cockburn Cougars, who lost all four games across both the women’s and men’s fixture.

The double header started on Friday night with the Cougars women going down by nine points in their away game against the Warwick Senators.

Matilda Muir led from the front for the visitors with 20 points while Nicole Roberts (19 points) and Kisha Lee (18) also tried hard in the 86-75 loss.

Missing captain Gavin Field after an injury sustained last week, the Cougars men were blown away in their match to go down 97-44.

No Cockburn player made double digits as the team struggled to sink points, Jake Harris and Seva Chan doing their best with nine points each.

Home court advantage on Saturday night did little to change their fortune as both teams went down to Mandurah Magic.

The women again fought hard but fell short in the 80-64 loss, Lee sinking 21 points while Muir and Ruby Benn dropped 13 each.

After their 53 point drubbing the night before the men put up a better showing but fell just short in their 91-84 loss.

Jaarod Holmes top scored with 22 points in the seven-point loss while Chan (18) and Hayden Bell (15) backed up strongly.

The Lakeside Lightning men returned from Kalgoorlie victorious after downing the Goldfields Giants by a point in a nail-biter.

Lakeside’s John Isenbarger dominated in the paint with 37 points while Jobi Wall (22) and Kyle Armour (20) also dropped plenty of buckets in the 98-97 win.

The Lakeside women had a bye.

After 10 rounds Lakeside are on top of the women’s ladder with Cockburn 11th, while Lakeside sit 4th on the men’s ladder with Cockburn 12th.

Round 11 will see Lakeside travel to take on Warwick on Friday night while Cockburn will also play away against Perry Lakes on Saturday night.

FOOTBALL

East Fremantle are on the board in season 2019 after downing Swan Districts by 14 points in Saturday afternoon’s WAFL action.

The Sharks got off to a strong start with a three-goal-to-one opening quarter, slamming home another four in the second to open up a 22-point lead at halftime.

The inaccuracy in front of goals which plagued Swan Districts in the first half subsided in the third as they kicked four goals to one to bring the margin back to just two points, but the Sharks managed to hold on in the last for the 86-72 win.

Ryan Ambrose, Thomas Bennett and Kyle Baskerville kicked two goals each for the Sharks, while Nick Kommer picked up a game-high 26 disposals.

South Fremantle is now equal top on the ladder alongside Subiaco and Perth after handing the former their first loss of the season.

The Bulldogs took the lead early in the first and never gave it back, kicking 12 goals to nine to beat the Lions 83-61.

Kyle Russell booted three goals for South Fremantle while Mason Shaw and Brandon Donaldson slotted two each.

Jake Florenca had 29 disposals.

After six rounds South Fremantle sit 2nd on the ladder on percentage, while East Fremantle are in 10th.

In round 7, South Fremantle will host East Perth while East Fremantle is also at home against Perth.

Both games start at 2.15pm, May 25.

RUGBY

It was a tough weekend for the Harrisdale ARKS against Cottesloe, going down in all four games.

The ARKS had a nightmare start to the premier grade when the Cottesloe kick off wasn’t secured and resulted in a try within two minutes.

A halftime score of 34-7 only worsened in the second half.

A few minutes in ARKS centre Gershom Adams was yellow carded by the referee for a high tackle, the numerical advantage allowing Cottesloe to score three more tries in quick succession and help them win the game 60-14.

The ARKS reserves’ lack of numbers saw them comprehensively beaten by Cottesloe.

With only nine reserves players taking to the field, with the rest made up of third grade players in their second game, Cottesloe’s fresh legs saw them secure a massive 98-12 win.

The ARKS third grade team, missing a number of key players through injury, had a mistake-riddled opening half which their opponents capitalised on.

While the ARKS scrum was dominant, dropped balls in contact and passes that went astray cost them and at halftime they were 22 points down without having scored.

While they finally found the try line in the second half, the ARKS weren’t able to peg back the lead and they went down 41-12.

The ARKS Women were up against it in only their third game together, playing a Cottesloe side with two internationals and a sprinkling of state players.

Next week ARKS are back at Harrisdale in all four grades, the men hosting Associates and the women competition leaders Kalamunda.