THERE are always few sides that start the year in promising form. The 2022 season has seen Wyndham do that to a certain extent, winning two of its first four games for the year and sneaking into the top four in the standings of the Big V Women’s championship. Coming up against the Hume City Broncos in Round 3, Wydnham was the favoured side heading in, given it had enjoyed a stronger start to the year. However, the Broncos had pushed Pakenham in their Round 2 clash, so there was the slight possibility of an upset. It didn’t pan out that way, with Wyndham ensuring Hume remained winless after three rounds, and claiming a tense five-point win.

Hume (70) def. by Wyndham (75)

In an entertaining clash, Wyndham has edged past the Hume City Broncos when the two sides locked horns at Broadmeadows Basketball Stadium on Saturday night. It was a result that was expected by many, given the Broncos had not won a game to start the year. What was not as expected was the manner in which the game played out, eventually proving to be a tale of two halves. The Broncos got off to the perfect start, claiming a nice lead by the time the main break rolled around, setting themselves up for their first win of the season. Wyndham was determined to not let that happen, turning things around in the final two quarters and dominating the opposition. In the end, the visiting side snuck past Hume to grab a five-point win, in a match that went right down to the wire.

The Broncos got rolling early in the first term, gaining ascendancy on the scoreboard thanks to their two-way work. Wyndham struggled to find the bottom of the net, thanks to the tough defensive work of the opposition. In contrast, Hume looked to score from mid-range, a move that paid off, taking a six-point lead into the first break. Things continued on a similar trajectory in the second term, with Wyndham only managing eight points. The offence of the Broncos continued to roll, with Briana Gray well and truly involved with some impressive shooting. Wyndham trailed by 17 points at half time, with Hume in pole position to claim the win.

The tables were turned in a big way in the second half, with Wyndham coming out and taking full control of the game. Hume’s offence didn’t drop off too much, it was just the Wyndham scoring that really changed things. The visitors began to fire from behind the three-point arc, taking the lead early in the fourth quarter and never looking back. They outscored the opposition 56-34 in the second half and holding off the Broncos in the final minutes to claim a five-point win.

For the victors, Mackenzie Drew and Holly Dolny provided some serious scoring off the bench, each pouring in an equal team-high 15 points in 25 minutes or less. They were excellent at producing a spark in the second half, and meshed well with the starters to close the match. For the Broncos, Gray led the way with 18 points, eight boards and six assists as she battled bravely to drag her side over the line, but fell painfully short.

Victorian basketball fans were treated to a number of other games over the weekend, with some big results in the context of the season.

Across the courts

Pakenham (60) def. by Chelsea (76)
Sunbury (57) def. by McKinnon (76)
Bulleen (69) def. McKinnon (57)
Chelsea (68) def. Southern Peninsula (39)