DANDENONG Rangers have continued their stellar start to the season in the Melbourne United Victorian Junior Basketball League (MUVJBL) Under 18 Girls championship division after another huge victory, this time against Frankston Blues by 50 points. Travelling to Frankston, Rangers duo, Elly Morgan and Emily Sewell piled on 20 points apiece to be dominant up the offensive end, while Leah McKenzie (nine), Leia Hanafin (seven) and Hannah Rapp (seven) were also productive. Frankston’s Manuao Hakaria-Graham finished the game with 11 points as the sole double-figure scorer, while Alexandra Mason posted six.

The Ashe Pool is starting to take shape already with just two sides on one win, one loss with four sides having remained undefeated, or gone winless two rounds into the season. After a victory over Frankston last week, Southern Peninsula Sharks felt the full brunt of Knox Raiders in Round 2 as the Raiders recorded a 24-point victory over the Sharks. They shared the ball aroud with Alannah Chatfield top scoring with 12 points, while Charlise Dunn and Arielle Mackey-Williams both sunk 10 in the victory. Charli Dobson was a lone hand for the Sharks, shooting 25 points as Lani Thornton (six) was the next highest for the losing side.

In other Ashe Pool results, Bulleen Boomers recorded their first victory with a 14-point win over Nunawading Spectres 2. Casey Valenti-Paea was a constant danger with 24 points, while Stephanie Wales scored 14 for the Spectres. Diamond Valley Eagles poured more pain on McKinnon Cougars with a 14-point victory as Keeley Evans sunk 22 points and Jade Dunne assisted with 14. McKinnon had its fair share of scorers, with Natasha Rivas Lee and Lily Tait both sinking 15 points. Pakenham Warriors came close to their first win but fell short to Kilsyth Cobras by seven points. Tia Wotherspoon was dominant for the Cobras with 23 points, while Nikita Young sunk 16. Caitlin Demczuk finished with 19 points for the Warriors, while Alahna Arnason (15) was also impressive.

In the Watson Pool, top-of-the-table Hawthorn Magic continued their hot start to the season with a 31-point win over Dandenong Rangers 2. The Magic shared the points around in the 75-44 victory, as Ryleh Killian (19 points) top scored, while Bridget Patel (17) and Georgia Gray (12) were busy in the forward half. For the Rangers, Caitlyn Bradley scored 12 points, while Eleni Stefanakis posted 10 in the loss. Meanwhile Altona Gators remained undefeated, but only just as the winless Melbourne Tigers pushed them all the way in a two-point thriller. Altona won 54-52, as Jordan Wilson (15 points) and Monique Marcetic-Vaotangi (10) busy for the Gators. De-Arne Baker (12 points), Emily Kurkowski (nine) and Tylah Hooper (nine) were the prominent shooters on the losing side.

In other results, Keilor Thunder knocked off Broadmeadows Broncos by 10 points to remain undefeated, with Amelia Velardo (13 points), Victoria Ikenasio (12) and Georgia Hanna (10) leading the way. Chrisy Triantafyllopoulous (14 points) and Emma Povh (12) stood up for the Broncos in the defeat. Geelong Supercats brought up their first win with a 22-point thrashing of Nunawading Spectres. Alisha Knights posted 20 points, while Grace Brown (14) and Alice Irving (11) were busy. For the Spectres, Louisa Fakalata finished with a team-high 16 points. Bendigo Braves had an equally impressive win over Warrandyte Venom by 22 points in a 65-43 victory. Madeline Marks (14 points) was one of four players to post double figures, while Casey Donner (12) was the Venom’s highest scorer.