NBL1 action hits Wonthaggi

THE Wonthaggi Amateur Basketball Association (WABA) held a huge day of basketball at the Bass Coast Community Stadium on Saturday, enjoyed by countless families from around the area. 
The Coasters home floor played host to an NBL1 preseason game between the Ringwood Hawks and the Frankston Blues. 
The NBL1 is a high-quality basketball league that is effectively one level under the NBL itself, the NBL1 consists of five conferences around the country, the Hawks and Blues play in the South. 
Ringwood’s women’s squad kicked the day off by hosting a girls basketball clinic at 2:30pm.  
Then the Hawks men’s team came out to run a clinic for the boys from 3:30pm.
From 5pm, Ringwood and Frankston clashed in the women’s preseason match which was a terrific contest and was supported well by all and ended in a close three-point Frankston win.
Following the women’s match, the highly anticipated men’s contest got underway from 7pm in front of a packed crowd, there was barely a single spot free in the grandstand all night. 
Despite finishing at different ends of the table last NBL1 season, the Blues and Hawks produced a close contest in the first quarter until Frankston proved they’re a cut above and pulled away in quarters two and three. 
A highlight for the healthy Wonthaggi crowd was watching former Aussie Boomers Olympian and current Melbourne United guard Brad Newley work his magic for Frankston. 
Newley scored well and led the way on defence in the Blues’ 29-point win. 
The NBL1 South will tip off on Saturday April 1 for the Blues and Sunday April 2 for the Hawks.