AN INCREDIBLE triple-double from Macey Boyle steered last year’s runners-up Keilor Thunder to a 12-point win over Sandringham Sabres in the 2025 Victorian Youth Championship Women’s Division. The talented 20-year-old who spent valuable minutes on court during last season’s NBL1 competition, is eyeing off the Thunder going one better than last year.

Rewind to the 2024 Youth Championship Women’s decider and it was a Lavinia Cox-inspired Bendigo Spirit that got home in a nail-biting six-point result. While Cox’s 30 points were the highlight in the match, Boyle put up 22 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals, shooting at 73.33 per cent in a losing captain’s performance.

Back again for another season as skipper, Boyle was beyond influential, knocking up a video-game statline of 21 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists. She only shot seven of 17 from the field, but got sent to the line for eight free throws, nailing seven of them. She also picked up 15 of her 20 boards up the defensive end.

She was the star of the show, recording more than half of the Thunder’s rebounds, with support from Sarah Carr (seven points, five rebounds and three assists), while Alyssa Rodriguez (17 points – including five of eight from long range – and two assists) and Caitlyn Petersen (12 points, five assists) were the other leading scorers in the win.

Sandringham on the other hand did not quite have the same dominant scorer, with Jasmine Perry (14 points, three rebounds and three steals), Ella Ongarato (12 points) and Lulu McLaughlin (11 points, seven rebounds) the other main contributors on the night.

Keilor looks in much better shape than a completely changed Bendigo Spirit lineup. The reigning champions had none of the players involved in last year’s title, and suffered a heavy 23-point loss to Nunawading Spectres at Red Energy Arena.

Teagan Potter starred as captain, putting up 28 points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists in the win, as she, and fellow starters Mia Tamburrini (16 points, eight rebounds and five assists) and Madi Papworth (eight points, eight rebounds and three steals) controlled the boards. Emilia Drmic (13 points) chipped in off the bench.

It was a two-player show for the Spirit as Captain Amelia Grist and Jazmine Young both managed 17 points, with the former also collecting four rebounds and three steals in the loss. The form will worry the Spirit considering Nunawading played the next day and got humbled by Altona to the tune of 25 points.

Altona flexed its championship intentions with a 13-point win over Frankston on Friday night prior to the victory over the Spectres, while sharing the top of the ladder with a dominant Dandenong side. The Ranges blasted McKinnon Cougars off the court en route to a 96-56 win, before a 15-point triumph over Bulleen Boomers.

Georgia Taylor (39 points), Jada Kennedy (36) and Jaida Reid (35) loom as a dominant trio for the Rangers after their first round performances across the two games. The second of which handed Bulleen another Round 1 loss after the Boomers went down to Ringwood by six points on Saturday.

In other results, Melbourne Tigers proved too good for Casey Cavaliers on the road, securing a 22-point victory at Casey Stadium, while Pakenham went down in both of its games, losing to Waverley Hawks on Saturday by 13 points before a 12-point defeat at the hands of Kilsyth Cobras on Sunday.

2025 BIG V YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP WOMEN’S – ROUND 1 RESULTS:

Nunawading (88) defeated Bendigo (65)
Dandenong (96) defeated McKinnon (56)
Melbourne (71) defeated Casey (49)
Ringwood (56) defeated Bulleen (50)
Altona (70) defeated Frankston (66)
Keilor (80) defeated Sandringham (68)
Kilsyth (85) defeated Pakenham (73)
Altona (85) defeated Nunawading (60)
Dandenong (79) defeated Bulleen (64)

2025 BIG V YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP WOMEN’S LADDER: