SUCCESS continues to follow the Dandenong Rangers in the Melbourne United Victorian Junior Basketball League (MUVJBL) Under-16 Girls Championship Division, as they picked up a 27-67 win over a struggling, Knox Raiders. The result takes the Rangers to their ninth consecutive win overall and their tenth consecutive win on the road – undefeated at 10-0-0. In the match-up, the Rangers opened the half strong – leading 38-16 at the main break. They continued strong into the remaining quarters, keeping Knox under 10 points for each term. The Rangers were led well by Dallas Loughridge, who scored 19 points on her way to third spot in points per game (PPG) for the league, while Myah Healey supported well with 10 points. Jaida Reid came close to recording double-digits for the Raiders, recording nine points in the low-scoring outfit alongside Paige Burrows, who made five.

The Bulleen Boomers closed the gap between the top four with a vital 44-41 win over the second-placed, Diamond Valley Eagles. The Eagles lost touch with the Dandenong Rangers following the loss, as their top spot opponents moved three wins ahead. In the match-up, Bulleen opened poorly at 3-13 – forcing the home side to play catch-up most of the night. They went on to win the remaining three terms, running home with a big 18-10 closer to win them the game. Emily Maltezos was her usual best throughout the night, recording 12 points alongside Ella McIntyre, who had 10. McIntyre moves to sixteenth place for PPG in the league, with five games under her belt. For the Eagles, Hayley Sparks recorded a team-high nine points, followed next by Genevieve Broadbent on eight.

Despite a dominant away record, Nunawading Spectres fell short to a dominant Keilor Thunder outfit on the road (55-42). The result created a gap between the top four and those outside, as Keilor jumped two wins (11-4) ahead of positions fifth to seventh. They now contest for second spot – equalling wins with Diamond Valley and Bulleen in second and third respectively. In the match-up, Nunawading led 40-35 at the end of third, but gave it up massively as they conceded 20-2 in the final term. In her sixth outing for the year, Jaz Salon put up 25 points on her way to sixth spot for PPG. League-leader, Tess Heal, retains her spot with 15 points after another dominant performance. For the Spectres, Evelyn Curtis led on the board with 17 points, while Madison Sinclair followed next on 10.

Melbourne Tigers earned a rare 55-51 win on the road over the Hawthorn Magic. Despite starting slow at 8-13, the Tigers went onto lead for the majority of the game, before tying at 16-16 to close out the win. Melbourne hold in eighth following the result, while Hawthorn dip to 13th. The Tigers’ boasted a big scorer in Amy Kurkowski, who collected a game-high 21 points on her way to 11th for PPG. Hayley Hermus and Leila Davis followed next with 13 and 10 points respectively – Davis moving to seventh for PPG. For the Magic, Ally Marshall was the only player to crack into double-digits, recording 10 points to hold second spot across the league. Rianna Thiele also impressed for Hawthorn with nine.

The Ballarat Rush handed the Sandringham Sabres their first loss on the road with a 60-44 win at home. The result moves Ballarat to seventh, while Sandringham lost touch with Keilor – two wins ahead in fourth.

In the Reserve grade, the Waverley Falcons defeated Southern Peninsula Sharks (43-34) on the road, Ringwood Hawks lost 45-47 at home to the Frankston Blues, and Bendigo Braves earned a big 57-37 win over the Sunbury Jets. The round continued with the Kilsyth Cobras beat the Altona Gators (72-45), and the Eltham Wildcats lost at home to the Bellarine Storm.

In the Championship Division for Round 7, Hawthorn Magic face Bulleen Boomers at home, Sandringham Sabres travel to Dandenong to face the Rangers, and Knox Raiders come up against Keilor Thunder. The round continues with Melbourne Tigers hosting Ballarat Rush and Nunawading Spectres hosting Diamond Valley Eagles.