By Kieren Vartuli

Woodville Warriors 70 | North Adelaide Rockets 66

The Woodville Warriors hosted the North Adelaide Rockets at St Clair on Friday in an intense second round fixture. The Warriors were able to get their first W of the season despite Opal Mader and Jo Hill’s combined 31 points for North. The defensive pressure from both teams was evident right from the opening tip and was not let up throughout the entire game making it exciting for the fans in attendance.

Both clubs played quite evenly throughout majority of the first until the Rockets began to string a few consistent shots together while the Warriors couldn’t get it to go. This allowed a 10-point buffer against the home team at the end of the first.

North Adelaide kept the foot on the gas throughout the second term but the Warriors also stepped up to the contest and outscored the Rockets 12-11. The Warriors moved the ball well, establishing good looks both inside and out but were unable to finish and with the Rockets’ strong defensive presence in the paint, they held a 9 point lead at halftime.

Coming out of the break, Woodville looked like a completely different side. The efforts on both ends of the court showed on the scoreboard cutting the lead down to 4. Both sides were going basket for basket throughout the second half putting on an excellent show. A few hustle plays and one deep 3 by Woodville’s Tess Keenan cut the lead to 2, with Tavarsha Scott’s 3-ball tying it up soon after.

North Adelaide and Woodville were trading buckets back and forth once again in the fourth, but the home side were able to hold onto their victory despite a late push in the final minutes.

It is evident both of these clubs will have the opportunity to have a successful 2016 campaign.

Round 3: Saturday, 2 April at 6.30pm

Woodville Warriors VS Central Districts Lions at Starplex

North Adelaide Rockets VS South Adelaide Panthers at Marion