THE 2022 Victorian Junior Basketball Season (VJBL) season finally kicked off on Friday night, and despite an interrupted pre-season to say the least, the fixture was able to proceed as scheduled. The Under-18 girls competition had 10 matches on the schedule for the evening, as all 20 teams looked to start in the strongest fashion possible. There were big blowouts, close finishes and impressive individual outings as the year got off to a cracking start.

FRANKSTON BLUES (62) def. WAVERLEY (41)

The Frankston Blues have kicked off their 2022 campaign with a bang, taking down Waverley to the tune of 21 points at Frankston Basketball Stadium on Friday night. It was a convincing performance from the home side, outperforming their opponents in all four quarters in a truly complete performance from a side that is hoping of competing at a high level throughout the season.

When speaking to Rookie Me Central last week, Blues coach Adam Kerr flagged defence as a key point of emphasis for his side going forward, and this was evident in Friday night’s win. The hosting team was terrific at not allowing their opponents any easy baskets for the majority of the match, with their intensity proving a serious challenge for Waverley whenever they were looking to generate a score. This was reflected in the final scoreline of the match, especially in the first half, where they were only able to produce 14 points. Frankston took a 15-point lead into the main break, setting themselves up for a cruisy second half as they emerged as one of the best defensive teams in the competition.

For the Blues, there were a number of valuable contributors in the win, with four players scoring double-digits in the points column. At the top of this list was Chantelle James, who led all-comers with a game-high 17 points to prove the most damaging offensive performer on the court. She had some strong help from teammates Gerogia Mann (11 points) and Mackenzie Mitchell (10 points), with the trio getting involved in the scoring action more than any other players on the court.

Across the courts

VC Ashe

The first match on the schedule for the Ashe division of the competition saw Bulleen 1 claim a strong win over Gippsland United at Mullum Mullum Stadium, with the final margin sitting at 14 points. It was a triumph set up by a dominant first half from the home side, as they took an 18 points lead into the main break in play, and cruised home from here.

Sandringham could not have started the season any better, taking down Broadmeadows by a whopping 51 points at Sandringham Family Leisure Centre on Friday night. It was a complete offensive performance from the home side, taking apart the Broadmeadows defence, which was echoed by the fact that six Sandringham players scored eight points or more.

The story was not as positive for Bullen’s second side, with the 2 team falling to Altona to the tune of 23 points at Mullum Mullum Stadium on Friday. The home side simply could not get their offence rolling, and down the other end, Altona were firing with ball in hand. Trinity King-Hawea and Rosabella Asiata combined for 39 of the team’s 61 points in a damaging display.

The final Ashe match for Round One saw Knox prove too good in their clash against Keilor at Knox Basketball Stadium on Friday night, claiming a 12-point triumph on their home court. Despite the visitors getting out to a red-hot start, Knox stormed home in the final three quarters behind a 20-point effort from Paige Burrows.

VC Watson

Kicking off things in the Watson divison of the competition, Hawthorn were well-and-truly bested in their clash against Nunawading at Boroondara Sports Complex on Friday night. Despite a close contest heading into the final term, the visitors stormed home in the fourth quarter to outscore their opponents 18-3 and claim their first win of the season to the tune of 20 points.

Diamond Valley emerged victorious in a thrilling contest against the Melbourne Tigers on Friday night, claiming a one-point win at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre. There were some clutch plays from both sides, but in the end, Melbourne just could not drag themselves over the line and fell agonizingly short of stealing a win at the death.

Kilsyth have annoucned themselves as a team to watch this season, convincingly beating Wyndham to the tune of 16 points at Kilsyth Basketball Stadium on Friday. Georgia McBean proved to be the spark with a 20-point outing, which is considered more impressive given the fact that Wyndham could only manage 29 points as a team for the entirety of the match.

A powerful third term set up Dandenong’s 17-point win over Ballarat at Dandenong Stadium on Friday night, with the home side jumping out to a commanding lead in this time. Each side had their strong patches of the contest, but in the end, Dandenong had the last laugh as they cruised home in the final term to maintain the advantage they built in the third.

The final match of the round saw Casey deliver a classy performance that proved too much for Eltham when the two sides went head-to-head at Casey Stadium on Friday night. The home side were dominant in the second period, getting a step up on their opponents and cruising home to a 12-point triumph.