Late charge helps Sonics outlast Barking Owls in opening round of Albany Basketball Association A-grade comp

Reigning premiers Barking Owls have slumped to a seven-point defeat in round one of the Albany Basketball Association men’s A-grade competition, with Sonics powering home in a thrilling finish on Tuesday night. Zippy guard David Arthur combined impressively with versatile slasher Tyreice Brown — with the lead changing multiple times in the second half — before a late flurry of points sealed the 44-37 win for the Sonics. The Sonics had plenty of the play early in the game, with Callum Dixon and Arthur working in tandem to help push the margin out to five points midway through the first half. However, a few handy baskets courtesy of Evan Delbene and a three-pointer from Lucas Ravenhill at the top of the arc helped the Owls wrest back control, edging to a three-point lead at half-time. With both sides going basket-for-basket in a fast-paced affair, the Owls managed to swing momentum in their favour to be five points up by the 10-minute mark of the second half. The Sonics had to endure some tense moments in the late stages of the contest, but the Owls opted to foul with Arthur rattling in free throws to extend Sonics’ buffer to five points. Matthew Jerrard sealed the game with an open layup. Arthur (11 points), Brown (10), Jerrard (six) and Murdock (five) provided the offensive drive for the winners. Delbene was the standout for the Owls with a game-high 16 points and he was well supported by big man Lucas Ravenhill (nine) and Justin Benson (seven). Meanwhile, Railways made a successful return to the A-grade competition with a 12-point win over Griffins. Adrian Hardy (20 points) caught fire in the 44-32 victory and was well supported by teammate Gerson Alforque (10 points). Zac Beeck (10 points) led the way for Griffins. Jackson Shaw (13 points) and Sam Finigan (10 points) were terrific for the Denmark Magpies in their 41-27 victory over Infernos.