THE Knox Raiders continued their winning streak, making it four in a row while the Altona Gators joined them with another dominant performance in the Melbourne United Victorian Junior Basketball League (MUVJBL).
Ashe Pool:
The Kilsyth Cobras held a narrow one-point margin at half-time before the Bulleen Boomers put their foot down with a dominant fourth term, slotting 20 points to the Cobras 11. The Cobras were led in attack by Tia Wotherspoon who showcased her hot hand nailing 16 points, while Nikita Young made her presence felt on the court with her 12 points. It was not enough to stop the scoring dominance of the Boomers who looked to Casey Valenti-Paea to do the damage on the scoreboard. Her drive down the court and ability to convert proved hard to be limit finishing the game with a game high 23 points. She was aided in attack by teammate Antoinette Emma-Nnopu who worked her magic off the boards with 15 points helping to push her side over the line.
The Nunawading Spectres proved to be too much to handle for the Dandenong Rangers 2 running out 28 point victors. The Spectres but out a dominant performance and really came out all guns blazing in the second half shooting 46 points to a mere 17. Nunawading was led by Louisa Fakalata who dominated the court with her 19 points, she was aided by teammate Saje Phillips-Snowden who registered 14 points for the game. Lucy Oakford and Tayha Watkins also chipped in on the scoreboard for Nunawading. The attacking pressure of the Spectres proved to be too much for the Rangers who struggle to combat their intensity. For Dandenong, the likes of Ilma Hajdarovic worked hard for her 10 points and combined well with Caitlyn Bradley (7) and Perina Leime (6).
In a top-of-the-table clash it was the Knox Raiders that claimed a four-point victory over the Diamond Valley Eagles who fought back to stay in the contest. A sluggish first quarter put the Eagles behind the eight ball and they will be rueing their opportunity to make the most of the close encounter. The Raiders had a lot of even contributors across the court with Meg Robinson, Arielle Mackey-Williams and Charlise Dunn all registering eight points while Louise Karajic Powell top scored with 11. For the Eagles Jade Dunn made her presence felt on the court with 16 points for the game. Eliza Bannan and Jessica Fitzgerald also chipped in to try and get the Eagles over the line.
Watson Pool:
The Altona Gators once again proved their dominance with a convincing win against the Hawthorn Magic. After an impressive third quarter the Gators seemed to have the game wrapped up slotting 15 points to the Magic’s six. Ryleh Killian and Hawthorn teammate Alycia Kennedy dropped 14 points each showcasing their attacking prowess. For the Gators Trinity Steele impressed with her attack on the scoreboard with a game high 18 points. She was closely followed by Kayla Salmons who shot 13 points for the game.
In what was a convincing affair the Bendigo Braves flexed their muscles with a 24-point win over the Keilor Thunder. The Braves virtually had the game won at half-time with a 40-17 lead credit to their offensive and defensive pressure across the court. Piper Dunlop led the way in attack for Bendigo amassing 20 touches and proving her ability to find the net even under pressure. Teammates, Tess Barnes (13), Meg McCarthy (9) and Maddison Nash (8) also helped out on the scoreboard. Keilor will be impressed with Imogen Wardley who stepped up slotting 12 points for the game while the next bests were Georgia Hanna and Amelia Velardo who both registered eight points.
In another blowout game the Broadmeadows Broncos proved a point with 19-point win against the Warrandyte Venom. The Broncos really pushed in the third term shooting a whopping 24 points. They had plenty of contributors across the scoreboard with Chrissy Triantafyllopolous forging ahead with 20 points. She was ably assisted by Emma Povh (17), Tamsyn Kirk (15) and Oriana Siamoa (11) who all made their presence felt on the scoreboard. For the Warrandyte Venom Ella Whiting Le-Cras top scored with 14 points and Hannah Wildner helped out in attack with her 11 points for the game.
