The 2020 State Basketball League season was scheduled to be the 32nd season of the State Basketball League (SBL), but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was cancelled and later replaced by the amateur-based West Coast Classic.
| 2020 State Basketball League season | |
|---|---|
| League | State Basketball League |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | Season that was scheduled: 14 March – 25 July (Regular season) 31 July – 22 August (Finals) |
| Number of games | 26 (men) 22 (women) |
| Number of teams | 14 (men) 12 (women) |
Season that was scheduled
editAfter two weekends of pre-season games for the men (the first for regional teams and the second for metro teams) and one weekend for the women,[1] the regular season was set to begin on Saturday 14 March and end on Saturday 25 July after 20 rounds of competition. A small-scale round 1 for the men was scheduled to open the season, with the Goldfields Giants playing away to the Geraldton Buccaneers and Cockburn Cougars. A full round of fixtured games in round 2 was scheduled for the remaining teams to make their season debuts. Round 1 was scheduled as a bye round for the women, with all 12 teams making their season debuts in round 2. In continuing tradition, there was to be Easter Round (5), Anzac Round (6), Women's Round (9), Heritage Round (13), and Mental Health Awareness Round (18).[2] The finals was then scheduled to take place between Friday 31 July and Saturday 22 August under a revised finals model similar to the NBL1 format.[2][3][4]
In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in Australia in early to mid March 2020, the season was suspended indefinitely with no games having taken place.[5][6][7] On 14 May 2020, the season was officially cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic.[8]
West Coast Classic
edit
To fill the void of a cancelled SBL season, a state amateur competition known as the West Coast Classic (WCC) was announced on 12 June 2020. All 14 Men's SBL teams and all 12 Women's SBL teams competed in the 10-week competition. The competition began on Friday 24 July and had all teams playing each other once in a home and away fixture. The top four teams following the regular season competed in the finals, with semi-finals on Friday 25 September followed by the women's grand final on Saturday 26 September and the men's grand final on Sunday 27 September.[9][10][11][12][13]
Women
editThe Joondalup Wolves finished atop the regular-season standings with a 10–1 record.[14] The semi-finals featured the Wolves against the fourth-seeded Rockingham Flames and the second-seeded Warwick Senators against the third-seeded Perry Lakes Hawks,[15][16] with the Wolves defeating the Flames 101–48 and the Hawks defeating the Senators 95–70.[17][18][19][20] In the grand final, the Wolves defeated the Hawks 72–54 behind 13 points and 12 rebounds from game MVP Kayla Steindl.[21][22]
Men
editThe Warwick Senators finished atop the regular-season standings with a 12–1 record.[23] The semi-finals featured the Senators against the fourth-seeded Lakeside Lightning and the second-seeded Perry Lakes Hawks against the third-seeded Joondalup Wolves,[24][25] with the Senators defeating the Lightning 92–84 and the Hawks defeating the Wolves 96–70.[26][27][28][29] In the grand final, the Senators defeated the Hawks 96–81 behind 15 points, six rebounds and six assists from game MVP Corban Wroe.[30][31]
References
edit- ^ "SBL PRE-SEASON BLITZ". SBL.asn.au. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
- ^ a b "2020 SBL SCHEDULE". SBL.asn.au. 11 December 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- ^ "A revised SBL Finals Model has been announced for the #SBL20 season!". facebook.com/WA.SBL. 25 September 2019. Archived from the original on 21 February 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- ^ "NEW SBL FINALS MODEL FOR 2020". SBL.asn.au. 26 September 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- ^ "UPDATE: SBL Games Postponed". facebook.com/WA.SBL. 14 March 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
- ^ "SBL SEASON POSTPONED". SBL.asn.au. 16 March 2020. Archived from the original on 16 March 2020.
- ^ "SBL SEASON POSTPONED". SBL.asn.au. 17 March 2020. Archived from the original on 17 March 2020.
- ^ "MEDIA RELEASE: SBL 2020 CANCELLED". SBL.asn.au. 14 May 2020. Archived from the original on 14 May 2020.
- ^ "2020 WEST COAST CLASSIC". SBL.asn.au. 12 June 2020. Archived from the original on 12 June 2020.
- ^ Garlepp, Josh (12 June 2020). "Basketball Western Australia announce West Coast Classic tournament in lieu of cancelled SBL season". TheWest.com.au. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ "WEST COAST CLASSIC - 2020 FIXTURES" (PDF). BasketballWA.asn.au. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 July 2020.
- ^ "ROUND 1 MEN'S WEST COAST CLASSIC PREVIEW". SBL.asn.au. 24 July 2020. Archived from the original on 24 July 2020.
- ^ "ROUND 1 WOMEN'S WEST COAST CLASSIC PREVIEW". SBL.asn.au. 24 July 2020. Archived from the original on 24 July 2020.
- ^ "Standings for WCC Women 2020". SBL.asn.au. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020.
- ^ "ROUND 9 SPOTLIGHT | HOT LIGHTNING NOT QUITE ENOUGH FOR FINALS". SBL.asn.au. 20 September 2020. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020.
The semi finals are now set for Friday night in the West Coast Classic with the Warwick Senators hosting the Perry Lakes Hawks at Warwick Stadium, and the Joondalup Wolves playing the Rockingham Flames at HBF Arena.
- ^ "SEMI-FINAL WOMEN'S WEST COAST CLASSIC PREVIEW". SBL.asn.au. 25 September 2020. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020.
- ^ "Wolves vs Flames". FIBALiveStats.com. 25 September 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ "Senators vs Hawks". FIBALiveStats.com. 25 September 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ "SEMI FINALS WEST COAST CLASSIC WOMEN'S WRAP". SBL.asn.au. 26 September 2020. Archived from the original on 26 September 2020.
- ^ "GRAND FINAL WOMEN'S WEST COAST CLASSIC PREVIEW". SBL.asn.au. 26 September 2020. Archived from the original on 26 September 2020.
- ^ "Wolves vs Hawks". FIBALiveStats.com. 26 September 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ "POWERFUL LADY WOLFPACK CLAIM WEST COAST CLASSIC TITLE". SBL.asn.au. 26 September 2020. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020.
- ^ "Standings for WCC Men 2020". SBL.asn.au. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020.
- ^ "ROUND 9 SPOTLIGHT | LIGHTNING SECURE FINALS SPOT ON LAST POSSESSION". SBL.asn.au. 20 September 2020. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020.
That means that the semi-finals will feature the Warwick Senators against the Lightning on Friday night at Warwick Stadium while the Perry Lakes Hawks play the Joondalup Wolves at Bendat Basketball Centre.
- ^ "SEMI-FINAL MEN'S WEST COAST CLASSIC PREVIEW". SBL.asn.au. 25 September 2020. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020.
- ^ "Senators vs Lightning". FIBALiveStats.com. 25 September 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ "Hawks vs Wolves". FIBALiveStats.com. 25 September 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ "SEMI FINALS WEST COAST CLASSIC MEN'S WRAP". SBL.asn.au. 26 September 2020. Archived from the original on 26 September 2020.
- ^ "GRAND FINAL MEN'S WEST COAST CLASSIC PREVIEW". SBL.asn.au. 27 September 2020. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020.
- ^ "Senators vs Hawks". FIBALiveStats.com. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
- ^ "DEEP SENATORS TOO MUCH AS WARWICK WINS FIRST BANNER". SBL.asn.au. 28 September 2020. Archived from the original on 28 September 2020.