THE KNOX Raiders have kicked off their time in the Victorian Junior Basketball League (VJBL)’s VC Championship division with a triumph over the Nunawading Spectres. Friday night saw the two sides go head to head at Knox Basketball Stadium, in what was an anticipated matchup. These teams were the best from their respective divisions at the start of the year, and will be around the mark come season’s end again.

With the new structure of the competition in full swing, there was a lot of intrigue for this clash, as a true contender would emerge in the matchup. That side ended up being the Raiders, as they managed to scrape past a brave Spectres side to claim a seven-point victory. Due to percentage, the victors did not climb all the way to the top in the standings, but they are in a strong position moving forward. On the other hand, the Spectres will be looking to bounce back next week amongst a playing field that is as competitive as ever.

Knox Raiders (71) def. Nunawading Spectres (64)

The Raiders got off to the best possible start, producing an absolutely dominant first quarter to jump out to a whopping lead. Thanks to some tidy shooting across the court, the home side grabbed a 14-point advantage on the scoreboard in the opening term, with the Spectres stunned and left with a fair bit to do in the rest of the game.

Nunawading bounced back in the second quarter, clamping up on the defensive end and only allowing Knox to register eight points in the term. Meanwhile, the deficit was brought back to just five points at the main change, and given the explosive scoring capability shown by both sides, the contest was looking like going either way.

The second half was as even as the contest got all day, with momentum swinging back and forth in the final two quarters of play. Nunawading was looking like taking over the contest, but as all good sides do, the Raiders overcame the challenge provided and managed to keep the opposition at arms’ length.

Time ended up defeating the Spectres, as they could not conjure a late charge that was strong enough to overcome the defensive pressure of the Raiders. The margin finished at seven points, but it is evident both sides will be around the top of the standings by the time the home and away season concludes.

For the victors, Fraser Roxburgh led the way on the offensive end, registering a game-high 22 points and always producing a bucket whenever the Raiders were in need. Luke Fennell was also crucial with 13 points, while Jacob Bell chimed in with 12 of his own. Lucas Koch was the standout for the Spectres, delivering 19 points, which was the most of anyone on his side.

Across the courts

Both the VC Championship and the VC Reserve divisions kicked off on the weekend, with a break scheduled for the upcoming Friday.

VC Championship

Bulleen (77) def. Geelong United (75)
Keilor (61) def. by Melbourne (70)
Frankston (54) def. by Casey (72)

VC Reserve

Camberwell (45) def. by Kilsyth (66)
Dandenong (85) def. Wangaratta (55)
McKinnon (58) def. by Eltham (60)
Southern Peninsula (67) def. by Bendigo (56)