[South01]

SEABL MEN CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
26.08.09 09:40



FRANKSTON BLUES vs KNOX RAIDERS

Saturday 29th August – 8:00pm
@ Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre

Knox brings a talented line up to this match high on confidence after a brilliant 5pt unexpected come from behind victory on the road against the leagues best regular season team Brisbane to clinch their second consecutive Conference Title.



Knox will rely heavily on the athleticism and raw talent of East Men Leading Scorer CJ Massingale (25.0ppg, 7.3rpg) and Michael Hill (17.3ppg, 5.8rpg) who have been the foundation of the Raiders’ success so far in 2009. Hill has been playing remarkable of late and will need to produce at both ends of the floor as he will likely be required to contain Blues unsung hero Rob Kampman (22.1ppg, 10.6rpg, 2.7apg). Kampman has scored 20+ points on 17 occasions and its important Hill contains Kampman early and not let him get his shooting range early.



League MVP favourites David Gruber (23.3ppg, 11.9rpg, 2.0apg) and Andrew Harms (22.6ppg, 4.3rpg, 5.7apg) are bound to give Knox Coach Graham Longstaff a few match-up problems to contend with. Harms has been a key provider in both games these two teams have played averaging 26pts, 3rebs and 2ass.



Raiders’ second import Lester Strong (15.5ppg, 10.5rpg, 1.5bpg) has been in outstanding form during the finals but has struggled against Frankston in both games and will need to produce a solid performance this weekend. His performance in the paint against Blues 300 game veteran Grant Dennis (6.3ppg, 6.3rpg) will have a major impact on the game.



Another underrated hero of the Blues line-up is guard Mitch Chapman (15.1ppg, 4.3rpg, 2.9apg) and his duel in the back court with Raiders Sean Carroll (9.1ppg, 5.0apg) will be a clash not to be missed. Both players control the team’s offence superbly and their individual impact in this game will reflect greatly on the team’s final result.



2009 Head to Head – Round 2 Frankston def Knox 92-68 @ Knox

Round 8 Frankston def Knox 102-76 @ Frankston






________________________________________________________________________________
______________



SEABL WOMEN CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
26.08.09 09:45



KNOX RAIDERS vs BRISBANE LADY SPARTANS

Saturday 29th August – 5:30pm
@ Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre

Victorian Basketball heavy weights Knox Raiders take on Queensland powerhouse Brisbane Lady Spartans for the title of best SEABL Women team in 2009. Brisbane made their way to their first SEABL Grand Final after a 67-57 victory vs Bendigo last week.



Knox will rely heavily on Graham, Dunlap and Fryters at the offensive end, and will be guided by the experienced Julia Tan. Fryters and Dunlap combine well in the paint and average a combined 21.7 points and 20.6 rebounds per game and will play an influential role in the game this weekend. Fryters missed the Round 20 loss due to an ankle injury but is determined to play in the grand final this weekend and guide her team to victory. Coach Heath Anderson has the luxury to substitute WNBL quality forward Caitlin Cunningham off the bench to provide another solid offensive presence down low if needed.



Raiders 300 game veteran Julia Tan has had a magnificent season winning the defensive player of the year award and is determined to secure her first SEABL Championship. Tan has played in three Grand Finals and is yet to secure a Championship, and will be determined to secure the win this weekend, as it could be her last game before retirement.



Brisbane has a team full of WNBL quality players with Holly Smith, Rebecca Schatz, Odette Andrew and Emma Randall starting most games, and the experience and individual play of all these players has troubled the Raiders in both previous games. However Emma Randall is unavailable to play this week due to commitments with the Australian Opals team in New Zealand.



Knox has had six previous appearances in a Grand Final, winning in 1992, 1994 and 1996 and runners-up in 1998, 2005 & 2006. .



2009 Head to Head – Round 10 Knox def Brisbane 70-64 @ Brisbane

Round 20 Knox Lost to Brisbane 63-69 @ Knox

Semi Finals Knox def Brisbane 74-56 @ Knox

[South01]

This shapes up to be a great Saturday afternoon/night of basketball.

Ill be there cheering on Wollongong Hawks new import Dave Gruber for the Frankston Blues in the mens whilst cheering for Knox in the Womens,a bit of a mixed bag for me lol


Its at MSAC and will be a packed crowd in the 2000 seat venue as the previous games sold out at Frankston.

[wire]

tonites Womens and Mens games will be livestreamed starting at 5.30pm, go to www.courtlive.net and register, you can watch any VOD from the SEABL and QBL season as well.