A TERRIFIC second half showing has seen the Kilsyth Cobras defeat the Sandringham Sabres when the two sides clashed at Southern Basketball Stadium on Sunday afternoon in the Big V Youth Women’s Championship.

Sandringham Sabres (76) def. by Kilsyth Cobras (86)

It was the Cobras’ second match of the round, having bested the Waverley Falcons earlier in the weekend, continuing their strong run of form. Although the Sabres would prove a tough challenge, Kilsyth had certainly proven difficult to stop in recent weeks with several wins in convincing fashion.

The Cobras got off to a solid start in the first term, edging ahead after the two sides traded blows in the opening minutes in some exciting back and forth action. Cobras star Lily Exton got herself involved in the later stages of the quarter and helped the visitors take a four-point buffer into quarter time and take slight control of the contest.

It took seemingly no time at all for the Sabres to erase that deficit, tying the game a couple of minutes into the second quarter. It was a battle of inside and outside scoring, with the Cobras looking to push the ball into the paint and finish at the cup, while the Sabres were backing their jumpshots and it proved to be a winning strategy. Sandringham won the quarter 33-24 to take a five-point lead into half time.

It could not have been a better response from Kilsyth, with the visitors taking just three minutes to erase the halftime deficit and get themselves back into the contest. Sandringham’s shooting dried up and it allowed the Cobras’ inside dominance to prove vital as they stormed away to a seven-point advantage at three-quarter time after Hannah Day knocked down a late triple.

Although the Sabres tried to cut the deficit down and make a game of it, several trips to the charity stripe saw the Cobras extend the buffer out to as much as 14 points, slamming the door shut on any sort of a comeback to secure the 10-point win and complete the second-half takeover.

There is no denying the most influential figure on the court was Exton, with the star forward stuffing the stat sheet for one of the biggest performances of the year. She posted game-high figures in points (25) and rebounds (21) while shooting an efficient 12/19 from the field to post an enormous double-double and showcase her ability to take over a match.

Captain Day was also impressive with 21 points on 6/14 shooting from the field and 3/7 shooting from behind the arc, while Georgia McBean and Krystal Arnason posted 15 points each to also play a key role in the match.

Sierra Woolhouse was Sandringham’s best with 17 points, shooting 7/12 from the field in an excellent scoring performance, while Ella Ongarato (13 points, six steals) and Isabella Stewart (13 points, 5/12 FG) can also hold their heads high.

ACROSS THE COURTS

McKinnon (76) def. Melbourne (70)
Nunawading (62) def. by Sandringham (72)
Pakenham (61) def. by Frankston (62)
Ringwood (57) def. by Diamond Valley (60)
Waverley (44) def. by Kilsyth (65)
Altona (86) def. Bendigo (48)
Keilor (98) def. Bulleen (46)
Bendigo (65) def. Diamond Valley (64)
Dandenong (102) def. Pakenham (64)
Altona (92) def. Frankston (39)
Ringwood (59) def. by Casey (63)
Keilor (109) def. Nunawading (74)