Sixers excite in pre-season win over Phoenix

Athleticism and shooting looks to be the order of the day for the Adelaide 36ers this NBL season and there was plenty of it on display especially from their new faces in Friday night's impressive 101-65 win over the South East Melbourne Phoenix in Mount Gambier.

Playing at the new facility at Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre where there the Mount Gambier Pioneers play during the NBL1 South season and regularly pack it out and create a tremendous atmosphere, and the locals got behind the 36ers on Friday night.

There was plenty to like from what the new-look 36ers produced as well with the shooting prowess of Trey Kell III and Jamaal Franklin, along with the excitement and athleticism from Next Star Trentyn Flowers, Alex Starling and Kyrin Galloway.

The majority of the 36ers squad for NBL24 was available for their first hit out against real opposition aside from returning import and excitement machine Jacob Wiley.

The Phoenix were closer to full strength than they were for their first clash this pre-season with California Baptist University with Mitch Creek back in the line-up despite the absence of Matt Kenyon, Craig Moller and Alan Williams.

After South East Melbourne scored the opening four points of the game, Adelaide warmed to the task beginning with a triple from Jamaal Franklin and then a dunk from returning centre Isaac Humphries.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Can&#39;t faze Flowers. Trentyn passed the first test in his pre-season debut ? <a href="https://t.co/Vojmxi1TKg">pic.twitter.com/Vojmxi1TKg</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1697575817239576884?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Franklin was just warming up and soon threw down another dunk and then drained a three-pointer, benefiting from the set up work of veteran guards Jason Cadee and Mitch McCarron.

Nick Marshall hit the floor to hit a triple as well for the Sixers on the court he calls home in the NBL1 South season before much of the fascination in the second quarter was the point guard battle between Sixers Next Star Trentyn Flowers and Phoenix signing Ben Ayre.

The two went at it almost the whole second stanza with Ayre called for an unsportsmanlike for a hard foul on Flowers. The Adelaide Next Star delivered a statement block up the other end on Ayre, and there was no love lost between the two feisty point guards.

In the end, Adelaide was having all the answers on the scoreboard leading 61-35 by half-time, and then completing the job with 24 points to 11 in the fourth quarter to secure the 36-point victory.

The Sixers finished the game shooting 55 per cent from the floor and going 12/25 at 48 per cent from downtown while also getting to the foul line 28 times and making 23.

The Phoenix found the going tougher especially when Gary Browne went off in the second quarter and didn’t return. South East Melbourne shot just 38 per cent from the floor for the game and went 3/19 at 15 per cent from behind the three-point line.

There was plenty to like from a 36ers perspective including Trey Kell III finishing with 14 points, six rebounds and three assists with 2/3 three-point shooting against his team from last season.

Jamaal Franklin delivered 14 points and six rebounds too with 4/8 shooting from downtown while Alex Starling produced 13 points and eight rebounds, Trentyn Flowers 12 points and seven boards, Isaac Humphries 12 points and six rebounds, Jason Cadee 11 points, and Kyrin Galloway 10 points, six boards and two blocks.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Creek from deep 3??<br><br>Watch live &amp; free on the NBL app ? <a href="https://t.co/idlXlpXDyA">https://t.co/idlXlpXDyA</a> ?<a href="https://t.co/R2QLb5AJxY">pic.twitter.com/R2QLb5AJxY</a></p>&mdash; NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1697548831364399453?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Mitch Creek worked into the game after a rusty start for the Phoenix with 12 points and three rebounds with Will Cummings showing some encouraging signs with 12 points despite three turnovers.

NBL1 West Best Defensive Player Gorjok Gak had 11 points and three rebounds, returning four-time champion Rhys Vague 10 points and five boards, and development player Kody Stattmann eight points, two rebounds and two steals.

Both teams have another pre-season hit out against fellow NBL opponents leading into the NBL Blitz on the Gold Coast, both on Saturday September 9. 

The Sixers will be taking on the Brisbane Bullets at The Lights while the Phoenix have a pre-season Throwdown with Melbourne United at Casey Basketball Stadium.

HUNGRY JACK'S NBL PRE-SEASON GAME

ADELAIDE 36ERS 101 (Kell III 14, Franklin 14, Starling 13)

SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE PHOENIX 65 (Cummings 12, Creek 12, Gak 11) 

BOX SCORE