ABA 2023-24: Ambassadors overcome persistent Raiders, Sonics make it perfect 10 as competition heads to break

Ambassadors strengthened their finals chances after a hard-fought four-point win over a persistent Raiders under-18 development squad on Tuesday night. Scores were level at half-time but Ambassadors held their nerve in a tense final few minutes to record their fifth win of the season. The result helps Ambassadors remain entrenched in the top four of the standings as the Albany Basketball Association men’s A-grade competition goes into the mid-season break. A big second half from Todd Knuiman and the smarts of veteran Caleb Carmen were vital in their side’s 61-57 triumph. Knuiman hit 10 points in the second half and Carmen added nine as their side just got over Raiders, who continued to fight the deeper the game went on. State guard Evan Delbene led all scorers in the round 10 contest, hitting 23 points for Raiders — four of which came from long range. However the scoring spread from Ambassadors and their desperate defence late in the match helped deny Raiders their first win of the season. Carmen produced a vintage display with 22 points, including two from long range, while the work of Knuiman (12 points) and Zac Beeck (11) did not go unnoticed. Youngster Natale Trichilo nailed three long range baskets to chip in with nine points and Khenneth Manalo scored five in the last half as Ambassadors held down third spot on the ladder. Ambassadors had lost three games on the trot and then drew with Railways Tigers but have enjoyed a strong fortnight with wins over Denmark and now Raiders. Ashton Henrickson (13) and Harry Watters (10) provided valuable support for Raiders but they remain winless in the 2023-24 campaign. A second-half onslaught from Sonics ensured they head into the new year with a perfect record, downing Griffins Crusaders by 29 points. The margin was 14 points at the break but Sonics clicked into another gear as they scored 32 points in the second period. The comfortable 69-40 result was the 10th win on the trot for title fancies Sonics, who are edging closer to securing a finals double chance. With six games to play in the regular season, Sonics sit five wins clear of Ambassadors. Sonics had David Arthur (14), Dillan Gadean (13), Kayden Collins (12), Mark Elentorio (10) and Malcolm van Burgel (10) contribute to the scoreboard as they remain unbeaten this season. In the absence of Sam Holmes, no Crusaders player reached double figures and foul trouble for David Stone did not help their cause. Joley Graham hit nine points and Luke Harvey added eight while Jack Gleeson toiled hard at both ends and hit two triples in a losing affair. Barking Owls maintain the pressure on ladder leaders Sonics, taking care of business against North Albany Kangaroos. Owls’ potent offence was again on display as they won by eight points, with brothers James and Harry Watters leading the way. Four three pointers from Harry Watters helped him to 16 points while James Watters (15) and Delbene (12) played their part in the 59-51 victory. For the Kangaroos, Beadean East was lethal from long range with four triples in his 21-point haul and Drew Willcocks was brilliant with 20 points. In a low-scoring affair to close the round, Denmark emerged with a 12-point win over the Tigers. Twin towers Kye Griffiths and Luke Wilson combined for 26 points as Denmark prevailed 39-27.