HAWTHORN Magic have left Bellarine Storm’s championship division hopes on a knifes edge after an upset win which resulted in the Storm sitting perilously close to dropping out of the top five in the Melbourne United Victorian Junior Basketball League (MUVJBL) Under 16 Girls competition.

Ashe Pool:

Keilor Thunder 62 defeated Waverley Falcons 41
Kilsyth Cobras 54 defeated Sunbury Jets 33
Ringwood Hawks 28 defeated by Diamond Valley Eagles 73
Ballarat Rush 41 defeated by Dandenong Rangers 77
Hawthorn Magic 55 defeated Bellarine Storm 37

Hawthorn’s win meant the Magic have strung together back-to-back victories in the past two weeks over even opposition, and now sit sixth, percentage out of the top five. The Magic won all four quarters as the even spread of shooters was led by Evangeline King (11 points) and Ally Marshall (10) as the only two double-figure scorers on the court. Kilsyth Cobras snatched fifth place from the Storm thanks to that result, defeating Sunbury Jets by 21 points. The Cobras never looked like losing in the 54-33 win, as Tayja Maki scored a game-high 11 points in the victory. In other results, the top three sides won their respective games, with Dandenong Rangers’ 36-point win over fourth placed Ballarat Rush the most impressive. The Rangers had three players who reached double figures, with Nyadiew Puoch (23 points), Myah Healey (14) and Dallas Loughridge (13) leading the charge, while Jemma Amoore (13) was the top scorer for the Rush. Diamond Valley Eagles simply dominated Ringwood Hawks in a 73-28 win, with Eleanor Bollands (14 points) and Jessica Delbrocco (11) among 10 scorers on the Eagles side, while Teagan Hudson (11) was the main contributor in the Hawks’ heavy loss. Keilor Thunder’s 21-point win over Waverley Falcons saw Tess Heal and Jaz Salon combined for 29 points, while Falcons Jasmine Connell and Ella Weir combined for 23 in defeat.

Watson Pool:

Frankston Blues 59 defeated Altona Gators 50
Eltham Wildcats 37 defeated by Sandringham Sabres 50
Bulleen Boomers 62 defeated Bendigo Braves 50
Southern Peninsula Sharks 36 defeated by Mellbourne Tigers 79
Knox Raiders 39 defeated by Nunawading Spectres 59

In the Watson Pool, the top five are settled after Bendigo Braves sank to their fourth consecutive loss against an unbeaten Bulleen Boomers. The Boomers came from four points down at quarter time to hit back in the final three quarters and power away to a 62-50 lead. Sarah Calvisi (16 points) and Tabitha Betson (13) led the way, while Jorja Hufer finished with 14 for the Braves. Knox Raiders will be relieved given that result, with the Raiders now locked into fifth despite losing to Nunawading Spectres by 20 points on Friday night. Georgia Varcoe (13 points) was the top scorer for the winners, while Yoshika Cook and Tamsyn Perry both scored 12. Sandringham Sabres consolidated third spot on the table with a 50-37 win over Eltham Wildcats. Hannah Wickstrom (16 points) and Maya Dear (10) were the key scorers for the Sabres in a game that included keeping the Wildcats scoreless in the second term to take a 20-point lead into half-time. Melbourne Tigers also had a thumping win over Southern Peninsula Sharks. The Tigers trailed by a point at quarter time, but clicked into gear after that, piling on 66 points to 22 in a dominant performance. Amy Kurkowski sank 24 points, while Neve Giddey (13) and Camille Letts (12) were prominent. Amber Grant (12 points) was the sole double-figure scorer for the Sharks. In the final game, Frankston Blues knocked off Altona Gators by nine points, scoring 35-20 in the second half to run over the top of the last placed Gators. Zoe Harvey (18 points) and Mackenzie Mitchell (17) were impressive in the win, while Angelina Vi (18) was a shining light in the tough loss.