THE KILSYTH Cobras have secured the second spot in the VJBL U18 Boys VC Championship standings for season 2025 by defeating the Keilor Thunder by nine points when the two sides clashed in the final round of the fixture on Friday night.

Both teams were set to feature in the upcoming finals series, but the Cobras were looking to consolidate a home qualifying final with a win at Kilsyth Basketball Stadium, given the Sunbury Jets held a similar record and were looking to do the same. On the other hand, the Thunder were eager to pull off the upset, which would boost them up to fifth and result in a more favourable matchup.

Although the visitors performed admirably and did well to keep within striking distance for most of the contest, the Cobras were simply a class above, and never truly looked in danger en route to a crucial nine-point win.

Kilsyth Cobras (75) def. Keilor Thunder (66)

The Thunder had a strong start to proceedings in the first quarte, jumping out to an early 9-5 lead on the back of some impressive work on the offensive end. However, Kilsyth clawed its way back into the contest and the lead changed hands on several occasions from there. A late make to Tyler White saw the Cobras take a two-point buffer into the first change.

The second quarter saw the Thunder take charge of proceedings, although the Thunder managed to stop the home side from breaking away too much as the teams traded long range blows in some exciting action. Although the Cobras were well-placed in the final minutes of the term, some late trips to the free throw line saw the Thunder keep the margin within five points at the main break.

A third quarter takeover from Zane Miller saw Kilsyth’s margin push out to double-digits as the home side really began to flex their muscles coming out of half time. Again it was Keilor’s ability to draw contact and convert at the charity stripe that kept the Thunder in the match, and at the final change, the margin stood at eight points, which was just enough to give the visitors a bit of hope with 10 minutes to play.

The fourth quarter saw the Cobras slam the door shut on any sort of a comeback, jumping out to lead by as much as 14 points early in the frame and show why they are one of the biggest threats to the championship in 2025. Although the Thunder did well to pull the deficit back in the closing minutes, it ended up being a comfortable victory to the hosts.

Oscar Hipfel starred for the Cobras in their final win of the home and away season, posting a game-high 29 points and proving a consistent avenue of scoring. His late burst in the third frame was vital in giving his team a bit of breathing space and his overall performance was a massive factor in the match.

Miller was also impressive for the victors, finishing the contest with 17 points, while Liam Keogh was the other Cobra to finish in double-digits on the scoring front, delivering 10 points of his own in a solid outing.

For the Thunder, Devaughn King tried hard to keep his side in the contest offensively, dropping 17 points, which was the most of any Keilor player in a gutsy display. Also impressing were Ashael Fernandes (12 points) and Thomas Maye (10 points) despite the loss.

ACROSS THE COURTS

The Knox Raiders completed their 2025 home and away fixture unbeaten when they defeated the Nunawading Spectres by 18 points in enemy territory to finish the VC Championship portion of the season with nine wins from nine games.

The Eltham Wildcats were emphatic in their win over the Casey Cavaliers on Friday night, defending home court strongly en route to a whopping 32-point win at Montmorency Secondary College to finish the season in style.

The Sandringham Sabres prevented Geelong United from claiming its first win in the VC Championship division on Friday night when they defeated the visitors by 32 points at Sandringham Family Leisure Centre.

Finally, the Sunbury Jets were able to pull off the road trip and defeat the Dandenong Rangers by 14 points when the two sides went head to head at Dandenong Stadium in the last game before the postseason begins.