THE Victorian Junior Basketball League (VJBL) is back for another weekend of action, with the competition hosting its seventh round on Friday night. With the 2022 season starting strongly across a number of age groups, the brightest young basketball talents have been able to showcase their talents on a weekly basis, and Round 7 should prove no different.
The Under-18 Boys competition has seen some ripping games over the first six weeks of play, with a number of sides firing in their opening batch of games. There are a fair few eye-catching matchups set for the weekend, including one between the Sandringham Sabres and the Dandenong Rangers at Sandringham Family Leisure Centre on Friday night. The Sabres are expected to come in and get the job done, but the season has proven unpredictable at times, and the Rangers are no easybeats, so the game could go either way.
Sandringham Sabres vs. Dandenong Rangers
Friday, May 13, 9:40pm
Sandringham Family Leisure Centre
The Sandringham Sabres have started the season with a strong opening month and a half, winning four of their first six outings and staking their claim as one of the contenders for the VC Ashe league. They managed to get the job done over Kilsyth in Round 6 by seven points, after their opponents pushed with a strong offensive outing. The Sabres are currently sitting nicely in the top four with a record of 4-2, but the Rangers are determined to move up themselves, so the win will be far from guaranteed. Aiden McCarthy was excellent in the win over Kilsyth with 22 points, and should feature heavily again here.
The Rangers have been solid without being spectacular to start season 2021/22, winning three of their first five games, which sees them sit in fifth place in the standings. They will be coming up against the side slightly ahead of them on the ladder, so Friday night’s game provides the opportunity to sneak up a spot or two, but Dandenong will need to bring its best. However, the Rangers have been in reasonable form over the last few weeks, so there is every chance they can pull off a massive win for their campaign. Jett Garnham has been strong on the offensive end, and will be a key player against the Sabres.
Across the courts
There will be no shortage of entertainment for basketball fans, with the VC Ashe and VC Watson schedules jam-packed for Friday night.
VC Ashe
Kilsyth vs Frankston, 9:40pm, Kilsyth Basketball Stadium
Nunawading vs Bulleen, 9:40pm, Nunawading Basketball Centre
Casey vs McKinnon, 9:40pm, Casey Stadium
Southern Peninsula vs Gippsland United, 9:40pm, Dromana College
VC Watson
Bendigo vs Diamond Valley, 9:20pm, Bendigo Stadium
Melbourne vs Ballarat, 9:40pm, Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre
Eltham vs Wangaratta, 9:40pm, Eltham High School
Keilor vs Camberwell, 9:40pm, Keilor Stadium
Knox vs Geelong United, 9:40pm, Knox Basketball Stadium
Wildcats and Lynx looking for crucial wins
REIGNING MVP Bryce Cotton is set to return on Friday night as the Perth Wildcats tackle the SEM Phoenix at RAC Arena. Perth’s superstar has missed the last five games after suffering a fractured rib in the Round 5 loss to New Zealand. Cotton said that the injury changed the way he was living day-to-day, […]
Whitcomb continues winning start to WNBL season
THE FIRST two and a half rounds of the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) season has seen the Bendigo Spirit emerge as the form team of the competition, largely on the back of some MVP-level performances from Sami Whitcomb. Coming into Round 3, the Spirit held an unbeaten record of three wins from three matches, […]
Proctor has promising start to junior season
ONE OF Australia’s brightest prospects in 2024 is Tyrese Proctor, and the young guard has had a solid few games to start his junior season with the Duke Blue Devils. Playing with the most famous college team in the world comes with a lot of pressure, but Proctor has shown the ability to absorb the […]
Smith striving towards new team
YEAR FOUR of Reyne Smith’s college career will see him in a brand-new environment as the Australian senior has opted to move to Louisville to play out his 2024/25 season with the Cardinals. The Tasmanian product played his first three college seasons at the College of Charleston, where he impressed with his ability to shoot […]
NBL25 Next Star Watch – Round 8
ROUND 8 of the 2024/25 National Basketball League (NBL) season saw some Next Stars get some increased responsibility for their respective sides over the course of the weekend. With seven games taking place over the span of Thursday and Sunday, the teams were back in action with some cracking upsets produced over the weekend. The […]
WNBL Wrapped – Round 2
THE WOMEN’S National Basketball League (WNBL) returned for Round 2 of the 2024/25 season over the weekend, with six games taking place from Thursday to Sunday. Just two teams remain unbeaten while a pair of sides are looking for their first win, but all matches were hard fought at times and some of the stars […]
Split results for WA sides on Saturday
WESTERN Australia watched its two basketball sides split results on Saturday night, with the Perth Wildcats falling to Melbourne United and a vintage Chris Goulding performance on Saturday night, while the Perth Lynx took care of business in Adelaide, comfortably handling the Lightning 92-78. The Cats have won five games from 11 appearances this season, […]
A Chris classic as Goulding gears United
ROUND 8 of the National Basketball League (NBL) saw one of the best scoring performances in competition history, with Chris Goulding erupting to help Melbourne United pull off a comeback win over the Perth Wildcats. United hosted the Wildcats at John Cain Arena on Saturday night, fresh off a high-scoring win over the Brisbane Bullets. […]
NBL25 Wrapped – Round 8
IT WAS a great weekend to be a home side in the National Basketball League (NBL), with Round 8 seeing most hosting teams secure a win in front of their adoring fans. There were seven games that took place from Thursday to Sunday, as the action continued to be extremely unpredictable in nature. Whether it […]
