EIGHT of a possible 10 games in the Melbourne United Victorian Junior Basketball League (MUVJBL) Under 16 division were decided by less than 10 points, including a nail-biting draw. Casey Cavaliers and Kilsyth Cobras could not be split in their Round 1 clash, finishing the match at 49-all.

Casey’s Blake Shankland was the key scorer in the match posting up 18 points as he and teammate, Joshua Burchall (10) combined up the offensive end. Archer McMenamin also added six for the Cavaliers cause, while the Cobras spread their points around. Zachary Fitzpatrick top-scored for Kilsyth by sinking 14 points, wile Blake Chrisfield added 10. Seth McCubbin (seven points) and Rhys Crossley (five) were other contributors for the Cobras in the first draw of the season.

At the other end of the scale, Bulleen Boomers had the largest win of the grade, posting an 80-56 victory over Melbourne Tigers. Five Boomers had double-figure points by the end of the match in a dominant all-round performance. Will Rimmington (15 points) led the way, while Joel Foxwell (14), Daniel Johnston (13), Marcel Haj (13) and Cooper Ferdinando (10) all had productive nights out. For the Tigers, they had seven players with five or more points, but did not have a dominant scorer as Ihsaan Bongso recorded a team-high 10 points.

In other Watson Pool results, Geelong Supercats recorded a handy nine-point win over Sunbury Jets. Jamie Ryan and Olivier Northam both scored 14 points for the winners, while Ryder Rousch (15) and David Angove (14) were the most productive for the losing side. Pakenham Warriors had a tight five-point win over Waverley Falcons at Batesford Reserve, as Kayne Taylor (19 points) and Jak Morris-Burney (12) went to work for the Warriors. Despite his best efforts, David Amum‘s 21 points was not enough to get Waverley across the line. In the final game, Kristian Ferronato‘s dominant 18-point performance for Eltham Wildcats saw them topple the Hawthorn Magic, 57-52. Jarryd Remy posted 15 points for the losing side, but the Magic fell short of victory.

A Coby Burgiel inspired Latrobe Energy got the points over Whittlesea Pacers, 73-67 in the Ashe Pool. Burgiel posted a round-high 31 points for Latrobe in front of a home crowd, as he, Thomas Stephenson (18) and Jack Hrehoresen (16) went to work on the offensive boards. It was enough to secure the three points, while Matthew Ryan (23 points) was the clear standout shooter from the Pacers on the night. Luke Fakhri and Adrian D’Intinosante (both eight points) assisted the Whittlesea efforts.

The biggest winners of the pool were Bendigo Braves who claimed a 66-51 victory over Diamond Valley Eagles. Despite not having a dominant scorer, the Braves had three players with double figures and another five with at least five points or more on the night. Braves, Macey Eaton and Michael Kiraly scored 11 points, as William King sunk 10. For the Eagles, Jackson Harding (12 points), Jack Miles (11) and Luis Obamwonyi (10) were the double-figure scorers.

In other games, Knox Raiders got away with a four-point victory over Eltham Wildcats 2. Jordan Anderson was an inspiration on the offensive end, sinking 28 of his sides’ 45 points on the night, causing all sorts of headaches for the Wildcats. Ryan Sizeland (11) posted the most points for Eltham, followed by Thomas Neale (nine) and Jed Wallace (seven). Keilor Thunder also recorded a victory, defeating Dandenong Rangers by nine points, 47-38. Brodie McWhinney (16 points) and Nikolas Ellul (15) were the damaging duo for the Thunder, while Jerome Pierre (12) was the sole double-figure scorer for the Rangers. In the final game of the round, Southern Peninsula took down Nunawading Spectres in a four-point game. Darcy Jones (16 points) top-scored, while Corey Hastings (12) and Ben Fisher (11) were also busy for the Sharks. Nunawading’s Den Simos (15 points) was the standout scorer for the Spectres, while Lucas Koch was next best with nine.