THE Kilsyth Cobras will be looking to keep a step clear of the competition, when they take on the Casey Cavaliers in Round 8 of the Victorian Junior Basketball League (VJBL) Under 18 Girls on the weekend. It it a blockbuster matchup as these are the two top sides in the VC Watson division of the competition.

The Cobras have been the benchmark to start season 2022, but the Cavaliers have been pretty handy themselves. With Kilsyth a fair way ahead of the pack in the standings, it will be in the best interests of much of the competition that Casey pull off an upset and hand them their first loss here, in order to keep a level playing field. However, the Cobras have proven too much for each of their opponents in 2022, so it will take something special from Casey when the two sides lock horns at Kilsyth Basketball Stadium on Friday night.

Kilsyth Cobras vs Casey Cavaliers
Friday, May 19 @8:20pm
Kilsyth Basketball Stadium

The Cobras have been the best team in the VC Watson division throughout the first seven rounds of play. With a record of seven wins and zero losses, they have not put a foot wrong, charging to championship favouritism in no time at all. They will face their toughest challenge yet in the form of a strong Cavaliers side, but we all know that when Kilsyth is firing, they are just about unstoppable. A win here would see them finish the round three wins ahead of second place, which would go a long way in helping secure top spot come season’s end. Georgia McBean was terrific in last week’s nine-point win over Nunawading, leading the match with 18 points, so she should be busy again on Friday night.

While they will enter the game as underdogs, the Cavaliers have been quite strong themselves. In the first seven rounds, they have lost just two games, which is good enough to see them sit in second place. No task is tougher than what they are faced with in Round 8, coming up against a strong two-way side in the Cobras. However, Casey has shown on a number of occasions that when its offence is firing, it is hard to slow down. The Cavaliers will need to bring a dynamic presence on the scoring end of the court if they are to pull off the upset here. They claimed a whopping 67-point triumph over Ballarat in Round 7, headlined by 25 points from Dakota Crichton, so if a similar offensive output is produced, it will go a long way.

Across the courts

The action doesn’t stop there, with nine other games on the cards across the competition’s two divisions, all set for Friday night.

VC Ashe

Keilor vs Broadmeadows, 8:20pm, Keilor Stadium
Frankston vs Gippsland United, 9:40pm, Frankston Basketball Stadium
Sandringham vs Altona, 9:40pm, Sandringham Family Leisure Centre
Bulleen 2 vs Bulleen 1, 9:40pm, Mullum Mullum Stadium
Knox vs Waverley, 9:40pm, Knox Basketball Stadium

VC Watson

Melbourne vs Eltham, 8:20pm, Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre
Hawthorn vs Ballarat, 9:20pm, Boroondara Sports Complex
Dandenong vs Wyndham, 9:40pm, Dandenong Stadium
Nunawading vs Diamond Valley, 9:40pm, Nunawading Basketball Centre