BULLEEN Boomers’ unbeaten start to the season came undone against the Jets as they made it five wins straight in Round 5 of the Big V Women’s. Casey also impressed while McKinnon just got over the line in a big clash against Hume.

Keilor (103) defeated Southern Peninsula (67)

It was a multi-pronged effort from the Thunder that gifted them a 36-point win, controlling momentum throughout the match. They made their presence felt from the opening term of play and only got better as time went on blowing Southern Peninsula away in the second term(34-14)  to really put the pressure on. The Thunder never really lost control of the game and although thy were challenged in patches proved to have the star players across the court that were able to deliver the goods.

The Thunder duo of Emily Suckling and Bianca Babic were once again proving too hot to handle as they combined for 42 points with an even split of 21 each. Suckling was the less accurate of the two converting at 53 per cent from the field but still managed to register three assists and three rebounds. Babic on the other hand went at a 58 per cent clip and recorded five rebounds. But when it comes to craft court play and assists look no further then Ellen Kett who was simply in a league of her own recording a blistering 18 dines along with eight rebounds and eight points. Olivia Tsantarlis, Ebony Sans and Ane Aldalur Soto featured highly on the points-scoring list with 12, 10 and 10 points scored apiece. It was a tough day at the office for Southern Peninsula but Tanarly Hood was a real leader knocking back 18 points, nine rebounds, three assists and a steal in a losing effort. She was assisted by the likes of Ashleigh Wright (14 points) and Annaliese Rogers (11 points) as the side struggled to worry their opponents given their lack of potency.

Hume (72) defeated by McKinnon (77)

McKinnon and Hume put on a spectacle with McKinnon mounting a comeback in the second half to steal the win and keep the Broncos on one win for the season. Hume did all the running in the first quarter creating a 10-point lead thanks to their ability to hit the scoreboard and keep McKinnon away from nailing easy baskets. But that momentum was short-lived as McKinnon worked their way back into the contest with some bold plays and really put the foot down in the third term keeping their opponents to a mere nine points. With it all to play for in the final term, it was McKinnon that kept the good times rolling as the bypassed the Broncos and notched up their third win for the season.

Sophie Byrnes led the troops for the Broncos sinking 16 points in her 26 minutes on court while both Leilani Siamoa and Hailey Wynd got busy with their 11 points each. Siamoa also produced 10 rebounds and two steals as Wynd had a day out off the boards with 13 rebounds, 12 of them defensive. Ellen Wright was once again amongst the top players thanks to her nine points, eight rebounds and three assists. For McKinnon it was Amelia Todhunter who did the heavy lifting, and although she finished with a game-high 25 points, she could have had a lot more given her accuracy was only 33 per cent. Morgan Ili was also a force to be reckoned with in the win sinking 21 points to go in hand with her 11 rebounds. Isobel Anstey was the only other player to make it out of single figures thanks to her 13 points and imposed herself off the boards racking up 10 rebounds.

Casey (99) defeated Whittlesea (62)

Casey made it three wins on the trot defeating Whittlesea in style after a sluggish start to the game. The Pacers snuck out to an early lead but that was short lived as Casey turned the tables in the second quarter to not only steal back the lead but so too claim some ascendancy. It did not get any easier for Whittlesea as Casey went on a tear in the second piling on 34 points to 14 and maintained that level of momentum in the final as they ran out 37-point winners in a strong showing of grit and determination to wear their opposition down.

Another day, another Shereesha Richards show with the Casey representative absolutely tearing it up in the win. She produced a scintillating 43 points at 83 per cent from the field and did not look like slowing down throughout the contest. Her endurance and hunt for the ball was evident as she constantly looked to attack the rim and made her presence felt off the boards with a whopping 21 rebounds -10 offensive and 11 defensive – in a complete performance. Although Richards’ efforts took centre stage, Alannah Gillespie worked hard for her 14 points as did Sarah Parsons (12 points), Rebekka Mawdsley (12 points) and Tegan Fowler (11 points) to secure the win for their side. Sarsha Follacchio was the topscorer for Whittlesea sinking 16 points and converting at 50 per cent while Saule Kontautaite continued her hot start to the season producing another 12 points in her 40 minutes on court. The next best was Emily Verey with eight points as Whittlesea struggled to put up a competitive score.

Sunbury (93) defeated Bulleen (63)

Sunbury shocked Bulleen with a dominant 30-point win, putting a stop to their undefeated start to the season. After an even first term of play, the Jets started to pull away in the second quarter adding 24 points to their tally while keeping the Boomers to 15.  This level of intensity and scoring prowess trickled into the third as Sunbury proved relentless in attack and impressive in defence to once again reduce the impact of Bulleen. The final term saw much of the same with the Boomers unable to quell the influence of Sunbury as they stretched the lead even further and ran rampant to record their fifth win of the season.

There were four main contributors for Sunbury with Orla O’Reilly shaping as a force to be reckoned with given her attacking mentality and relative accuracy to keep the scoreboard ticking over. She led the way thanks to her 28 points at 64 per cent from the field, but it did not stop there as she secured a staggering 18 rebounds, four assists and two steals. Jacinta Beckley was more than a helping hand for the Jets nailing 23 points in her 21 minutes on court while Emily Conn continued to ply her trade through her 15 points, four rebounds and two steals. Tess Barnes was the only other player to reach double-digits with 14 points to her name in the win. Despite the best efforts of Rebecca Cole who slotted 26 points, it was not enough to worry Sunbury who seemed to have the ball on a string. Louella Tomlinson influenced the scoreboard with 15 points as Kate Gaze sunk 11 but that is where the scoring stopped.

Round 6

Southern Peninsula take on Hume in Round 6 with the former on the hunt for their third win and a chance to climb up the ladder. All eyes will turn to the battle between Keilor and Casey as the Thunder hope to topple their higher placed opponents. The two bottom sides in Whittlesea and Hawthorn are set to lock horns as McKinnon and Bulleen fight it out, with the latter hoping to return to the winner’s list. Sunbury will aim to maintain their unbeaten streak and hold onto top spot on the ladder in their matchup against Wyndham.