DESPITE suffering a loss in the first week of finals, the Kilsyth Cobras have advanced to the prelims of the Big V Youth Championship Men’s season after defeating the Eltham Wildcats by 10 points in their clash over the weekend.

The Cobras were bested by the Casey Cavaliers in last weekend’s qualifying matchup, but having finished the in top four, booked themselves a double-chance, where they would face off against the Wildcats, who won their elimination clash against the Dandenong Rangers.

Although they were given a fair challenge by Dandenong, the Cobras were able to break away with an emphatic offensive showing in the last quarter to sneak home to book a spot in the preliminary finals.

Kilsyth Cobras (96) def. Eltham Wildcats (86)

It was a hot start to the contest for both sides, with neither team leading by more than three points for most of the first quarter. Shots were nearly always answered down the other end and it was the finals intensity that was expected from such a big clash. 11 first-quarter points from Zac Anderson saw the Wildcats take a four-point lead into quarter time to get the visitors off to a strong start.

The Cobras bounced back to start the second frame on a 5-0 run and take the lead after a disappointing end to the opening quarter. Kilsyth put much more of an emphasis on driving inside and attacking the basket, and it was too much for Eltham’s interior defence to handle. What resulted of that method was a 29-12 second term from the Wildcats, who took a 13-point buffer into the main break after a dominant patch of play.

Although it looked as if the game was slipping away from them, the Wildcats could not have responded better in the third frame, putting the clamps on defensively and storming back into the match to keep their season alive. Kilsyth was restricted to just eight points for the term in a remarkable defensive effort from the visitors, and at the final change, it was a tied game after a stunning turnaround from Eltham.

With the game on the line in the final frame, it was the Cobras who stood up down the stretch to break away on a match-winning run. Overtime looked a genuine possibility with scores tied at 83 points apiece, before the home side caught fire in the final four minutes of the match, going on a 13-3 run to close out the contest and keep their title hopes going into next week.

Lachie Vander Vorm was the main contributor for the Cobras on the offensive end, finishing with 25 points, six rebounds and four assists in a balanced showing that proved crucial in the context of their season. Tom Ghosn was also immense with a vital cameo off the bench, dropping 16 points in less than 16 minutes in a game-breaking display.

For the Wildcats, Zahn Agosta could not have done much more to keep his team’s season alive, putting Eltham on his back on the offensive end and almost dragging it to a remarkable road victory. He finished with a game-high 39 points on 12/26 shooting to be the main driving force in their second half comeback.

Across the courts

The only other match to take place was the other semifinal, which saw the Frankston Blues prove far too good for the Sandringham Sabres, cruising home to a 37-point win at Jubilee Park Stadium to lock in a matchup against the Casey Cavaliers, while the Cobras will now face the Knox Raiders.