Anonymous
Years ago
Sixers Win Game 1
First match report from Fox Sports
Sixers pull away from Cats
September 2, 2005
Adelaide 102 Perth 93
THE Adelaide 36ers opened the NBL season with a confident win over Perth at the Distinctive Homes Dome in Adelaide tonight.
The Wildcats threatened in the second and third terms, but were blown away at the start of the last after the 36ers had led by just three points at the final break.
Adelaide imports Willie Farley (23 points) and Dusty Rychart (22) found plenty of scoring avenues, while Brett Maher finished with 19 after a slow start.
Rychart was dominant under the boards with 17 rebounds.
Shawn Redhage led all scorers with 27 for Perth, with Peter Crawford (14), Tony Ronaldson (13) and David Bailey (13) threatening in patches.
The match was Farley's 100th NBL game, and he duly opened the scoring for the home side.
Adelaide started with more energy than Perth, and pushed out to a seven point quarter time advantage.
Farley was both confident and prominent early, while fellow Rychart was highly influential under the basket and on the scoreboard with eight points.
Former 36er Paul Rogers met with predictable boos when he came on at the mid point of the term, and like his teammates took time to get warm.
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However Rogers and the Wildcats were far better after the interval, quickly gobbling up Adelaide's lead.
Forwards Matt Burston and Redhage provided viable scoring options, and diminutive guard Bailey added menacing speed as Perth grabbed a three point lead near halftime.
The Sixers responded through Rychart and Paul Rees, allowing Adelaide to snatch back a one point margin at the main break.
Neither side could create any great momentum in term three, and the lead changed hands several times.
Maher worked his way into the game and his three pointer allowed the Sixers to sneak out to three points in front at the last change.
A few minutes into the last it had blown out to double figures as Adelaide made the crucial break.
Rychart, Farley, Maher, Mark Nash and David Cooper all contributed to a 16-4 run in the first six minutes of the quarter and the Sixers were able to cruise into the finish.
ADELAIDE 102 (W Farley 23 D Rychart 22 B Maher 19) bt PERTH 93 (S Redhage 27 P Crawford 14 T Ronaldson 13 D Bailey 13) at the Distinctive Homes Dome, Adelaide.
AAP
