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IT was a game that had all the hallmarks of two teams desperate to try to regain some form but it was the Warwick Senators who started hot and finished strongly to claim Game 1 of their quarter-final series with the Willetton Tigers at Warwick Stadium on Saturday night.

There have been times during the regular season in the Women’s SBL that the Senators and Tigers both looked genuine championship threats and while their form wasn’t quite as intimidating head into their quarter-final match up, there’s no reason they can’t get back to their best.

It was the Senators boosted with the returns of Bianca Villegas and Tayla Hepburn who raced out to the hot start scoring nine of the first 11 points of the game.

By the time Stacey Barr hit a triple with two minutes to go in the first half, the Senators were on top by 24 points but the Tigers wouldn’t go away to finish the half with a 10-0 run and even managed to hit the front during the fourth quarter on the back of Laina Snyder’s dominance.

But the Senators responded led by Nicole Jorre De St Jorre and Samaria Howard pushing the ball to steady and claim the 84-74 Game 1 win on their home floor to leave them just one win from a semi-final appearance against either Lakeside or Kalamunda.

Game 2 will take place at Cockburn’s Wally Hagan Stadium on Friday night from 7pm.

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With the Senators entering the finals having won just three of their past eight games and the Tigers four of their past nine, it was always going to be a case of which team could regain some confidence first in their quarter-final match up.

It got underway at Warwick Stadium on Saturday night and Warwick started strongly with Tayla Hepburn scoring the first basket as she returned for her first game in six weeks.

A Samaria Howard and-one play then gave Warwick the opening five points and their lead soon became 9-2. A Nicole Jorre De St Jorre triple on quarter-time saw the Senators in control 30-16 after one before their lead grew to 16 with a Bianca Villegas pull up jumper with six minutes left in the half.

Sam Roscoe’s three-point stretched Warwick’s lead to 19 which soon ballooned to 24 with a Stacey Barr triple heading towards half-time.

But Willetton did respond over the last two minutes leading into half-time with 10 quick unanswered points courtesy of five from Hayley Winter, two from Emma Gandini and a three from captain Desiree Kelley.

The Tigers had warmed to the contest and to start the second half, Laina Snyder caught fire with six points in a minute to bring the deficit down to seven and that soon five with a Winter jumper forcing Senators coach Dion Dagostino into a timeout.

Soon after, Willetton was within two points after Snyder hit from downtown and when Winter did the same, the margin was just one before Barr responded with a three-point play for Warwick against her former team.

Hannah Throns then hit two free-throws to close the third quarter but Willetton scored the first six points of the fourth period to draw level and then they took the lead at 69-67 with a Snyder pull up jumper.

They were still leading by three too when Winter made a layup with four minutes remaining but from that point on Willetton wouldn’t score again.

A Jorre De St Jorre bucket brought the Senators back within one before a Roscoe free-throw drew scores level. Howard and Roscoe then scored to make the lead four with Howard again scoring to make it six before Jorre De St Jorre finished it at the foul line for the 84-74 victory.

Nicole Jorre De St Jorre produced her best scoring game of the season in the 393rd game of her career finishing with 19 points, five steals, four rebounds and two assists.

Samaria Howard added 16 points and eight rebounds for the Senators with Stacey Barr delivering 15 points and eight boards, Sam Roscoe 10 points, six rebounds, three steals and three blocks, Tayla Hepburn 10 points and four boards.

Bianca Villegas also returned from injury for six points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots in just 14 minutes.

Senators coach Dion Dagostino knows that his team still has work to do to get back to their best, but the win was a step back in the right direction as they get closer to full strength once more.

“As a coach you’re never happy with everything, but I’m happy with that result in the end. We could have done a lot better in some areas and we let it get away from us a bit, but it’s a win still in the playoffs so you have to be happy with that,” Dagostino said.

“I think it’s a relief but also provides some belief to the girls that they can do it because the amount of illness and injuries we’ve had has been crazy. It’s awesome for them to believe in themselves because that’s what they need.

“We came out really well in the first half so we thought we had some of our best form back but we knew that both teams were coming into this series off a pretty average run home.

“Now it’s important just to try to get through to the second round and then we’ll have Hepburn and Bianca fitter, hopefully Maddie Hooper back, and we can get back to playing some of our better basketball.”

MVP candidate Laina Snyder fought valiantly for Willetton finishing with 23 points, six rebounds and three assists while Hayley Winter was terrific with 14 points, six boards and four assists.

Wendi Bibbins contributed 12 points and 12 rebounds with Zoe Harper adding 12 points and seven boards, and Desiree Kelley seven points, 12 boards and three steals.

Tigers coach Simon Parker could scarcely believe how bad his team came out of the gates to start the game but he was at least happy they responded to give themselves a chance and they can take that with them into Game 2.

“I don’t think it was them, I think it was more us and we just weren’t ready to play. We didn’t follow the scout on what we were going to do and they might have been a bit nervous being pretty young,” Parker said.

“They just didn’t follow the game plan and I don’t normally use timeouts as quick as I did this time, but I had no choice. I just think our girls were a bit nervous, I don’t think they were that special to be honest.

“They were lucky shooting 19 or 20 foul shots in the first half and then we just missed too many layups and shots in general ourselves, we weren’t shooting the ball well. From the start we just need to be a little bit more focused.”

Senators coach Dion Dagostino knows that his team still has work to do to get back to their best, but the win was a step back in the right direction as they get closer to full strength once more.

“As a coach you’re never happy with everything, but I’m happy with that result in the end. We could have done a lot better in some areas and we let it get away from us a bit, but it’s a win still in the playoffs so you have to be happy with that,” Dagostino said.

“I think it’s a relief but also provides some belief to the girls that they can do it because the amount of illness and injuries we’ve had has been crazy. It’s awesome for them to believe in themselves because that’s what they need.

“We came out really well in the first half so we thought we had some of our best form back but we knew that both teams were coming into this series off a pretty average run home.

“Now it’s important just to try to get through to the second round and then we’ll have Hepburn and Bianca fitter, hopefully Maddie Hooper back, and we can get back to playing some of our better basketball.”

Tigers coach Simon Parker could scarcely believe how bad his team came out of the gates to start the game but he was at least happy they responded to give themselves a chance and they can take that with them into Game 2.

“I don’t think it was them, I think it was more us and we just weren’t ready to play. We didn’t follow the scout on what we were going to do and they might have been a bit nervous being pretty young,” Parker said.

“They just didn’t follow the game plan and I don’t normally use timeouts as quick as I did this time, but I had no choice. I just think our girls were a bit nervous, I don’t think they were that special to be honest.

“They were lucky shooting 19 or 20 foul shots in the first half and then we just missed too many layups and shots in general ourselves, we weren’t shooting the ball well. From the start we just need to be a little bit more focused.”

WOMEN’S SBL FIXTURES – QUARTER FINALS WEEK 1
FRIDAY
Cachet Homes Mandurah Magic 65 lost to Class 1 Orthodontics Rockingham Flames 76
Lakeside Lightning 85 defeated Kalamunda Eastern Suns 77

SATURDAY
Bethanie Warwick Senators 84 defeated Willetton Tigers 74
Chambers Franklyn Joondalup City Wolves 66 lost to Scarboro Toyota Perry Lakes Hawks 102