WITH the Victorian Junior Basketball League (VJBL) Under-18 Girls season returning after the school holidays, it is time to take a look at how things have panned out and what is in store for the remainder of the fixture.

With six rounds left on the cards for 2022, there is a lot to play for in the remaining games, with the opportunity to make the postseason on the line for each and every side across both divisions.

With the competition now split across the VC Championship and VC Reserve divisions (with the best sides from the first half of the year placed into the former), the landscape is proving much more even, with some extreme levels of competitiveness over the last few weeks.

Now three rounds into the new format, the contenders are beginning to emerge, particularly in the VC Championship division, where the stakes are as high as ever. There have been a few teams that have found success in this competition, while others are struggling to live up to their performances in the first half of the season.

The standout side to date in this new format are the Casey Cavaliers, who have managed to continue their strong form from earlier in the year and now look well-placed for a crack at the title.

With a fast-paced, high-scoring style of play, the Cavaliers have managed to dismantle many a side throughout 2022, and that trend looks set to resume once the current break is over for the VJBL.

With the likes of Dakota Crichton and Lucy Dexter able to pour in 15-plus points per game, scoring is no issue for this Casey side. They can surpass 70 points on any given week, which has proven too much for even their biggest competitors.

They are one of two teams with three wins from their opening three outings in the new competition format, and look the most likely to win it all at this point in the season. However, there are still six games to go before finals, so this must be maintained if they are to stay at the top.

Also set for a big charge in finals are Melbourne (who are also unbeaten in the Championship division, but sit in fourth due to a slower start to the first half of the year) and Kilsyth, so expect these clubs to also be around the mark come season’s end.

With half a dozen matches to be played, there will be plenty more action to enjoy on a weekly basis for Basketball fans around Victoria.