St George Basketball produced one of its strongest performances of the season on Saturday night, defeating the highly regarded Blacktown Storm 65-59 away from home in the NSW Waratah League.
Facing a Blacktown side stacked with experienced talent and backed by a strong home crowd, the young Saints squad showed composure, discipline, and resilience to secure a vital victory.
The opening quarter was a defensive battle, with both teams struggling to find rhythm offensively. St George matched Blacktown’s intensity from the opening tip, trailing by only two points at quarter time, 16-14.
Led by point guard Loukas Triantis, who controlled the tempo while applying relentless defensive pressure, the Saints began to take control in the second quarter. Yianni Trikilis provided the offensive spark, helping St George head into halftime with a deserved 34-29 lead.
Blacktown responded strongly after the break, applying heavy pressure and forcing turnovers as they attempted to swing momentum back in their favour. Despite the challenge, the Saints remained composed and held a narrow 50-47 advantage heading into the final quarter.
The last period showcased the maturity and determination of the St George side. Every player contributed, whether through defence, rebounding, or smart shot selection, as the visitors gradually extended their lead to close out an impressive six-point win. 65-59.
Head Coach George Aliferis praised the performance following the game.
“I could not be prouder of my players,” Aliferis said. “When it mattered most, we showed what our potential can be against the bigger clubs. We finished with 36 rebounds, shot 56 per cent from the field, and limited ourselves to only 10 turnovers, which was a huge improvement from recent weeks.”
The Saints continue to build through local talent in a competition increasingly filled with import players and experienced NBL1 athletes, making the result even more significant for the club.
The win caps off another successful weekend for St George Basketball, with several junior and senior representative teams also recording victories.
The Saints now prepare for a huge double-header at Hurstville Aquatic Leisure Centre this weekend, hosting the Port Macquarie Dolphins on Saturday night at 6.30PM and, who have 2 American imports, before taking on second-placed Central Coast Waves on Sunday afternoon at 3.30PM.
Greek heritage player performances
- Loukas Triantis (Sponsored by Bacino Bar): 10 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal
- Yianni Trikilis (Sponsored by Kids Kapers): 23 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists
- Ross Aliferis (Sponsored by Valsamis & Associates): 4 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block
- Nicholas Alexander: 5 points, 7 rebounds
Other great results
- Men’s Red def. Camden Valley Wildfire 90-83
- U12 Boys def. Blacktown Storm 43-37
- U14 Boys def. Manly Warringah 54-50
- U16 Boys Red def. Hills Hornets 74-66
- U16 Boys Grey def. Hornsby Ku-ring-gai 73-70
- U18 Boys White def. Camden Valley Wildfire 58-55
- U18 Boys Grey def. Macarthur United 64-61
