ROUND 5 of the Victorian Junior Basketball League (VJBL) took place over the weekend, returning after a few weeks off due to the National Basketball Championships. There were no signs of rust across the courts in the Under 18 Boys competition, with a number of entertaining clashes across the VC Ashe and VC Watson divisions. It has been an excellent start to the season for the competition, with plenty of high-quality action in the first five weeks, with a number of sides firing in the first month and a bit of play.

The fifth round of the 2022 season saw a number of games go right down to the wire, with the season’s resumption seeing plenty of times looking to improve how they started the year. One of the most entertaining games of the round saw the Bulleen Boomers play host to the Kilsyth Cobras at Mullum Mullum Stadium on Friday night. The Boomers came into the game undefeated, and looking to keep in touch with Nunawading, who were also unbeaten. On the other hand, Kilsyth had won just the one game, and was looking to turn its season around. Despite entering the game as underdogs, the Cobras produced a blistering first half and held on in the second to claim a nail-biting win to the tune of just one point.

Bulleen Boomers (68) def. by Kilsyth Cobras (69)

It was a tense start to the game, with neither side able to really get ahead on the scoreboard. It was a one-point game at the first break, with the visitors holding the advantage at quarter time. The Cobras further extended the margin in the second, storming out of the gates with one of their best offensive quarters of the year. They outscored their opponents 27-18, outworking and outperforming the Boomers and taking a 10-point lead into the main break, looking to keep it rolling into the second half.

The final two quarters of play saw the Boomers rally and look to claw their way back into the contest, and they did exactly that. It was a barnstorming second half from the home side, largely led by the efforts of Joel Foxwell, who was outstanding with ball in hand. They set themselves up to steal a pretty unlikely win given where they were in the first half, but they fell over at the final hurdle, unable to conjure a winner and eventually falling by just a single point, as the Cobras claimed an impressive road win.

The Cobras were led by a trio of players, all of whom were able to hit the scoreboard in crucial times. At the top of the scorers column for the team was Wyatt Stewart with 22 points, closely followed by Brody Hull with 16 points. Rounding out the double-digit scorers for the victors was Isaac Ghosn, who had a handy 12 points of his own. Foxwell was the man for the Boomers, and despite the result, he was the most dominant player on the court. He ended the game with a whopping 38 points, showing just how dangerous he can be on the offensive end.

Across the Courts

There was a lot more basketball for fans to enjoy around Victoria, as the competition appears to be back to its best after a short break.

VC Ashe

Dandenong (68) def. by Southern Peninsula (58)
Nunawading (88) def. Sandringham (68)
Gippsland United (61) def. by Casey (63)

VC Watson

Bendigo (67) def. Keilor (66)
Camberwell (51) def. Knox (79)
Diamond Valley (46) def. by Melbourne (79)
Geelong United def. Eltham (Forfeit)