THE weekend has nearly arrived, and so has another round of the Victorian Junior Basketball League (VJBL), with the Under-18 Boys competition back for another round. After a month off for the National Championships, the league returned last weekend, with a number of close games taking place around Victoria. There are still a few sides that are yet to drop a game, while others are still looking for their first win of the 2022 season.

The fixture for Round 6 has a few eye-catching matchups for Friday night, including the battle between the Frankston Blues and Gippsland United. Both sides have started the season in less-than-ideal fashion, with just one win between them. Friday night offers the opportunity to get back on track, but it will be a scrappy contest, and it will likely come down to who can outlast their opponents. With the season getting around the one-third mark of the fixture, there is no time to waste in getting going on the ladder, with plenty at stake here.

Frankston Blues vs Gippsland United
Friday, May 6 @9:40pm
Frankston Basketball Stadium

The Blues have had a slow start to season 2022, with just one win next to their name. That came last night against McKinnon, in what was a bit of an upset. Finally, Frankston looked like it could match it with the best, but now comes the challenge of maintaining the form. It was a dominant win (25 points) and their frantic, high-energy style of play came to the forefront. They come up against an opponent that has also failed to fire in the opening weeks, so the home side will be favoured here. Ryan Lane had his best game of the season in Wednesday night’s win with 18 points, so expect him to be involved again.

United have not been able to secure a win to start the year, and will be eager to get themselves on the board against the Blues. There have been some promising signs to start the season, but a lack of consistency on both ends has seen them fall short in all games. They will be facing a side that they will view as beatable, but will need to deliver a better outing than what we have seen in their first five games. Ben Waller was terrific in last round’s two-point loss to Casey with 21 points, and will be a crucial cog in the team’s offence once again.

ACROSS THE COURTS

Along with the game discussed above, there will be plenty more action to enjoy across the VC Ashe and VC Watson divsions on Friday night.

VC Ashe

Bulleen vs McKinnon, 9:40pm, Mullum Mullum Stadium
Sandringham vs Kilsyth, 9:40pm, Sandringham Family Leisure Centre
Dandenong vs Nunawading, 9:40pm, Dandenong Stadium
Southern Peninsula vs Casey, 9:40pm, Dromana College

VC Watson

Ballarat vs Geelong United, 8:00pm, Selkirk Stadium
Diamond Valley vs Wangaratta, 8:20pm, Diamond Valley Sports and Fitness Centre
Keilor vs Melbourne, 8:20pm, Keilor Stadium
Camberwell vs Bendigo, 9:20pm, Balwyn High School
Knox vs Eltham, 9:40pm, Knox Basketball Stadium