Birthday Cake Just Needs The Icing
Illawarra Mercury
Saturday July 26, 2003
WOLLONGONG Roller Hawks linchpin Joey Johnson is aiming to celebrate his birthday by blowing out the candles on the Wentworthville Wheelkings this afternoon at Shellharbour City Stadium.
Johnson has been in MVP form throughout the season and has his unbeaten side rolling toward their first appearance in the National Wheelchair Basketball League play-offs.
Averaging 33.7 points per game, the two-time Canadian Paralympian is determined his 28th birthday coincides with the Roller Hawks' seventh straight win.
``Not only is it Joey's birthday, he's got his partner over here visiting, so he's certainly primed for a big game," Wollongong coach Frank Castelli said.
Wollongong downed the Wheelkings by nine on the road in the opening round of the season.
However, Castelli believes Wentworthville's addition of Dutch international Koen Jansens will make the visitors hard to handle.
``He missed their first four games and he's a real danger player for them," he said.
``We've talked about our game plan and we're approaching it a little differently to last time. Jansens is their main organiser and main offensive weapon, but he's also a very good organiser at the defensive end. Our plan is to target him offensively and defensively and try to cut him off at both ends of the court.
``It really is a must-win game for them. They've got a 1-4 record, so they'll be approaching it with desperation because their season is pretty much over if they lose."
The Roller Hawks are banking on continued strong performances from Tristan Knowles and Tim Maloney.
Knowles (37.7ppg) is clearly serious about retaining his spot in the Australian side for the 2004 Paralympics, while former national representative Maloney is proving to be the perfect compliment to the dynamic 1-2 punch of Johnson and Knowles.
``Joey and Tristan work very well together," Castelli said.
``Joey grabs the board and Tristan takes off and Joey gets it to him. They want to be known as the most dominant big man partnership in the league."
Today's clash is the first of a challenging six-game stretch for the Roller Hawks, who just received a hefty boost in the form of a major sponsorship deal with Telstra.
Following the Wheelkings, Wollongong take on the Troy Sachs-led West Sydney (away), Brisbane (home) and West Sydney (home) before heading to Perth for a season-ending double-header against the Wheelcats.
``We've had six games to find out what our strengths and weaknesses are and now we have to dig a little deeper," Castelli said.
Tip-off today is at 3pm.
© 2003 Illawarra Mercury
