KILSYTH Cobras have emerged victorious in the battle of the undefeated sides in the Melbourne United Victorian Junior Basketball League (MUVJBL) Under 18 Boys championship division Ashe Pool. It was better news at the other end of the ladder, Dandenong Rangers 2 won the bottom two match to claim victory over Collingwood All Stars.

Ashe Pool:

Kilsyth and Dandenong’s huge clash was the talk of the competition heading into the match, and the game did not let spectators down with the Cobras racing away to a seven-point lead at quarter time before extending the margin to nine points at the main break. The Rangers refused to give in however, powering back into the contest with a stunning 19-7 third quarter to hit the front, 43-40 at the final break. Kilsyth Cobras picked up again in the final term with a 19-10 quarter to run over the top of the Rangers in a 59-53 victory. Roosevelt Williams was again the top scorer with 20 points for the winners, while Liam Croney was the other key scorer for the Cobras, posting 16 points. For the Rangers, Riley Simmons was the sole double-figure scorer, finishing with 18 points, while Harrison Bowater scored eight in the loss.

After a tough opening few games, Geelong Supercats made it back-to-back wins with a terrific seven-point win over Werribee Devils at Eagle Stadium. The Supercats raced to a seven-point lead at the first break before the Devils started to peg them back. By the final break the Devils trailed by just three points, but the Supercats were keen to steady and managed to score 19 points to 15 in the final quarter to record the memorable 59-52 victory. Hamish Carey (16 points) led the way for scoring, while Ethan Nicholls (12), Kade McKenzie (10) and Jake Collis (10) were also strong. Makur Jongkuch (19 points) top scored for the Devils as Darrien Herbert managed 12.

In other results, Bendigo Braves and Waverley Falcons played out a 71-all draw with the Braves coming from a five-point deficit at the final break to run over the top of the Falcons thanks to 20 points from Dylan McCauley. Josh Keble sank 26 points for the Falcons in what was a high-scoring contest between the sides. Dandenong Rangers 2 belted Collingwood All Stars by 41 points in a bottom two clash, Blake Williams (18 points), Bryce Curtis (15) and Sebastian Kozlowski (14) did all the damage for the Rangers, while Cameron Ross (eight) was the highest scorer for the All Stars. In the final game, Bulleen Boomers claimed a solid 12-point win over Eltham Wildcats. Anthony Dell’Orso was the standout shooter on the court with 22 points for the Boomers, while Nicholas Uzelac and Lorne Waldron both sunk 12 for the losers.

Watson Pool:

No team remains undefeated in the Watson Pool after Melbourne Tigers snatched back top spot following a seven-point win over the previously undefeated Nunawading Spectres. The Tigers lost last week but were quick to bounce back with an impressive 61-54 win over the Spectres, as one end of the court seemed to be the dominant scoring end with 72 points to 43. Ezrah Vaigafa was impressive with 24 points for the winners, while Lynzel Mataika posted 10 and Harry Quinlan sunk nine. For the Spectres, Curtis Brecko and James Roche both managed 12 points, while Matthew Martini also managed 10.

Keilor Thunder is the third side to sit on four wins from five games after overcoming the equally impressive Diamond Valley Eagles by 12 points in a vital win. The Thunder led at every change, and aside from a 16-all third term, before running out for a 65-53 victory. Paul Tsapatolis (26 points) and Jeffrey Ofoedu (17) did the bulk of the scoring in the big win, while Erik Kafritsas (11) was the top scorer for the Eagles. Ryan Hoffman and Matt Marasco also managed nine apiece for the losers.

Korumburra Wildcats’ hot form continued with their third consecutive win, knocking over last placed Ringwood Hawks away with a 19-point victory. Level at half-time, the Wildcats piled on 44 points to 25 to skip to a 75-56 point victory. Korumburra had three big scorers in the win, including competition leading scorer, Keith Robinson with 20 points, while Christian D’Angelo (23) and Patrick Ryan (21) were damaging in the win. Thomas Lock was the main scorer for the Hawks with 24 points on the board.

In other results, Knox Raiders were too good for Ballarat Miners, running out 70-48 winners as Joshua Woodford and Adam Slavnic both scored 13 points in the win, while National Basketball League (NBL)1 listed William Hynes finished with 11 for the Miners. Meanwhile Casey Cavaliers won their second game of the season and in the process handed Hawthorn Magic their fifth consecutive loss, taking out the game 58-48. Corey Roos scored 13 points for the winners, while Will Burgess did all he could for the losers, sinking 21 points.