NEWCASTLE Falcons had to settle for a split of their NBL1 East Conference weekend road trip, going down 95-68 to Canberra Gunners at Belconnen on Sunday after a 92-84 victory over Albury-Wodonga Bandits at Albury on Saturday night.
One up and one down left the Falcons in second position on the men's ladder with an 11-5 win-loss record behind the league-leading Gunners (13-4), who blew Newcastle away in the first two quarters on Sunday to establish a match-winning 50-20 lead by half-time.
The Falcons more than matched the Gunners in the second half but never recovered from Canberra's onslaught in the first two quarters and were punished for committing 23 turnovers in their biggest loss of the season.
Myles Cherry (24 points, five rebounds, two steals) and Ryan Beisty (19 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, three steals) were the only two Newcastle players to score in double figures as the Falcons struggled to find their rhythm on offence, and could not control the Gunners at the other end.
The disappointing performance and result in Canberra were in stark contrast to the way the road trip began at Lauren Jackson Sports Centre in Albury the previous night.
Cherry (26 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, one steal, one blocked shot) and Beisty (19 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, three steals, one block) led Newcastle to a 92-84 victory over the Bandits on the first leg of the double-header.
Making 13 of 17 shots (76.5%), Cherry was almost unstoppable under the basket, and Beisty's 19 points included four three-pointers.
Guards Jaidyn Goodwin (13 points, six rebounds), Jakob Dorricott (12) and Matur Maluach (11) played valuable support roles to give the Falcons five players in double-figure scoring.
The Bandits led by as many as 13 during the first period before taking a 25-20 advantage into quarter-time, but the Falcons rallied in the second term to edge ahead 39-37 at the long break.
Newcastle then built a 10-point lead in the third quarter only to have the Bandits respond, and the Falcons had to settle for a 67-65 advantage heading into the final period.
Three-pointers by Goodwin and Dorricott sparked an 8-2 Newcastle run to start the fourth quarter, and the Falcons were able to hold their nerve down the stretch to register their 11th win of the year.
A triple double by American import Nicole Munger inspired Newcastle to an 88-54 victory over Canberra Nationals at Belconnen on Sunday, allowing the Falcons women's team to also split their weekend results in Albury and the national capital.
Munger amassed 10 rebounds and 10 assists to go with her game-high 27 points against Canberra, which included five three-pointers, and she added three steals for good measure as the Falcons bounced back from a 115-88 loss to Albury-Wodonga Bandits in Albury on Saturday.
Chyra Evans also hit five three-pointers in her tally of 23 points, adding six blocked shots, five steals, five assists and four rebounds in another dominant all-court display, and Emily Foy had 18 points.
Newcastle never trailed, building a 24-7 lead by the end of the opening quarter, and went on with the job in the second half. The win kept the Falcons in fourth position with a 10-5 record.
The class of Lauren Jackson (34 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals, two blocks) and American import Unique Thompson (28 points, 17 rebounds, three steals, two assists) proved the difference in Albury-Wodonga's 115-88 victory on Saturday.
The table-topping Bandits (13-2) led Newcastle 27-19 at quarter-time, 67-35 at the half and 94-51 heading into the final term.
The margin blew out to 45 points midway through the fourth quarter but, with Jackson and Thompson on the bench for the final minutes, the Falcons finished the game on a 22-4 run.
Evans (27 points, six rebounds, two assists) and Munger (23 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals) never stopped for Newcastle, and guards Kate Kingham (12 points, six rebounds) and Jessica Relf (11 points) also scored in double figures.
Newcastle's men and women will face Central Coast Crusaders at Terrigal next Saturday.
