ROUND 8 of the Big V Women’s saw McKinnon land one of the biggest upsets of the season, downing Sunbury Jets to end their unbeaten run. Meanwhile, Whittlesea are still on the search for their first win after Southern Peninsula notched up another victory.

Southern Peninsula (73) defeated Whittlesea (52)

Southern Peninsula ensured that Whittlesea remain at the bottom of the ladder securing their third win of the season while the Pacers are still on the hunt for their first. It was an even start to the contest with only two points separating the two sides at quarter time, and while the lead was in favour of Whittlesea that all steadily changed as the match went on. The real onslaught came in the final term when the Sharks piled on a whopping 23 points to nine to run out victorious.

The combination of Ashleigh Wright and Tanalry Hood was at its damaging best as the duo found the basket with ease sinking 17 and 16 points respectively. Hood could have had a triple double but fell just short thanks to her 12 rounds and nine assists to accompany her 16 points. Mikaela Watson got busy with 23 points of her own in her 26 minutes of court while she also pulled down seven rebounds. For Whittlesea it was the familiar faces in Saule Kontautaite and Lyndsey Hoogenhout that kept their side within touching distance. Kontautaite led the way with 20 points and nine rebounds while Hoogenhout also made her presence felt collecting 12 rebounds and 14 points. Emily Verey worked tirelessly sinking 12 points but it was not enough to worry Southern Peninsula.

 Casey (77) defeated Wyndham (62)

Casey and Wyndham went toe-to-toe in a high scoring affair before things mellowed out for both sides. Casey mounted the pressure in the opening term, establishing an eight point lead and continued that scoring momentum into the second quarter to hold a commanding 13-point lead heading into the main break. Casey were not able to replicate the same scoring prowess in the second half as Wyndham upped the ante but still fell short given Casey’s composure under pressure.

Casey had four players hit double-figures with livewire Shereesha Richards once again monopolising the play with her scoring impact. Richards had the ball on a string notching up a game high 25 points at 63 per cent from the field while her accuracy from the charity stripe was also impressive going at an 83 per cent clip. Richards received support from the likes of Rachel Bell (16 points, four rebounds, three assists) and Georgia Koopmans with 15 points. Dakota Crichton was the only other player to sink 10 points in the win while also amassing eight rebounds, two assists and three steals. Nicola Handreck was a workhorse for Wyndham posting 16 points, six rebounds and three assists in the loss while partner in crime Courtney Middap chimed in with a handy 13 point in her 38 minutes on court. Georgia Tauschke was not as damaging on the scoreboard as usual but still produced big numbers off the boards with 11 rebounds, 10 of which were defensive, while also amassing four steals.

Bulleen (87) defeated Hume (68)

It was a one-sided affair between the second placed Bulleen and eighth placed Hume with the Boomers walking away with a 19 point victory to their name. They burst out of the gates and did not look like slowing down at any stage. However the Broncos did rally mounting somewhat of a third quarter revival to win the term 21-15. But that thought was quickly squashed as Bulleen answered the call in the final term to produce a 23 point to 14 term.

It was a masterclass from WNBL talent Rebecca Cole who simply could not be denied with ball in hand. Cole starred with a game-high 38 points while also collecting six rebounds and four steals. Louella Tomlinson also put on a show with her 20 points at 64 per cent from the field to accompany her eight rebounds and four blocks while Kate Gaze was the other one to get busy with her 13 points and six rebounds. Sophie Byrnes tried her darnedest for Hume registering 17 points, nine rebounds and two steals as teammate Hailey Wynd was also a force to be reckoned with credit to her 15 points and four steals. In her 10 minutes on court Charlotte Lord had an impact draining nine points as Leilani Siamoa was down on her usually high production rates only managing eight points and two rebounds.

McKinnon (72) defeated Sunbury (67)

Sunbury were handed their first loss of the season as McKinnon ran rampant to ruin the Jets’ unblemished record. Sunbury raced out to an early lead only for McKinnon to peg back the margin in the second. Neither side could be separated in the third quarter shooting 14 points each with the game blown wide open in the final quarter as McKinnon found their shooting range to edge ahead and steal the win.

With four players hitting the double-digit mark, McKinnon showcased an ability to share the rock around as both Amelia Todhunter and Rosie Fadljevic secured 15 points each. Both shot at 50 per cent or more from the field highlighting their overall control on the tempo of the game with Todhunter influencing off the boards with her six rebounds and four steals. Claire Ioannidis got busy with 13 points in 25 minutes as Tegan Cunningham provided a helping hand with seven rebounds and 12 points at 50 per cent from the field. Jacinta Beckley stepped up to the plate with 18 points and 12 rebounds in a strong showing to try and keep her sides undefeated record intact. Bianca Dufelmeier helped led the charge for Sunbury posting 17 points while Orla O’Reilly was the next best with 16 points, seven rebounds and five steals.

Keilor (74) defeated Hawthorn (58)

Keilor flexed their muscles and proved why they sit higher on the ladder than their opponents with a resounding win over Hawthorn. After a tighter than expected first quarter, Keilor kicked it up a gear in the following three to create some much needed separation on the scoreboard. The Thunder’s best term of play came in the final stanza as they piled on 21 points to eight in a testament to their defensive prowess and attacking capacity.

Bianca Babic proved to have a hot hand for the Thunder draining 24 points while also reeling in the rebounds with 10 to her name. Ellen Kett was influential with her 16 points as Emily Suckling found her mojo credit to her 14 points. Kett could have had a triple-double had things gone to plan finishing with 11 rebounds and eight assists. Bella Niven-Brown was the most prominent shooter for the Magic converting 21 points at 44 per cent from the field and also collecting 10 rebounds. Amy O’Hara also had a profound impact racking up 17 rebounds and 11 points as Ella Crump got busy with her nine points in 30 minutes.

Round 9:

Bulleen will be eager to impress and claim another win in their clash against Wyndham as a bottom of the table clash between Hume and Magic will be interesting to watch. Casey and Southern Peninsula go head to head while Whittlesea will have to be on high alert as McKinnon will be on a high after knocking off the top of the table Jets. Expect a high-octane battle between Keilor and Sunbury as the latter hopes to return to its winning ways.