THE second half of Round 10 of the 2024 National Basketball League (NBL)1 South Men’s season took place over the long weekend, with some impressive defensive showings from a team perspective.

After the first batch of games were held the week prior, the split round continued on Thursday and Friday with a bumper two days of action seeing each side hit the court once again. Although the scores were not as high scoring as the past, it was a testament to the defence of the competition as a whole.

The theme of the round was all-around performances, with the best players impacting the game in more ways than one.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will be taking a look at the standout performances from both divisions, after some big numbers were posted over the weekend. This time, Bryton Hobbs and Steph Reid proved to be the most damaging players in their respective outings.

Bryton Hobbs (Diamond Valley Eagles) vs. Knox Raiders

26 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, one steal

Hobbs stuffed the stat sheet with a stirring performance to lead the Eagles past the Raiders to the tune of four points in a thriller as the two sides battled it out at Knox Basketball Stadium on Friday night.

It was a see-sawing affair for the first three quarters, with both sides trading scoring runs and the lead changing hands on several occasions. The Raiders held a slim lead heading into the fourth term, but it was the Eagles who turned it on in the last 10 minutes, storming home to take the lead late and hold on for a 93-89 win.

Hobbs played a vital role in the Eagles producing the barnstorming finish, doing a bit of everything with a near triple-double.

A 26-point scoring performance was boosted by some crucial baskets down the stretch when the game was on on the line. Hobbs took over late in the piece, producing scores from all three levels and knocking down the decisive free throw to extend his side’s lead to four and given the Eagles the breathing room they needed with just seconds on the clock.

He was also damaging as a playmaker, looking to kick out to his teammates on the perimeter and forcing the defence to collapse in and leaving one of Hobbs’ teammates wide open around the three-point line.

Hobbs showed his class in a tremendous showing that was extremely important in the context of the match, doing whatever was required to get his team over the line.

Steph Reid (Frankston Blues) vs. Dandenong Rangers

33 points, four rebounds, 10 assists, two steals

Reid’s class came to the fore as the star point guard led the Blues to a 10-point win over the Rangers when the two teams went head to head at Dandenong Basketball Stadium on Friday night.

The Blues found themselves in trouble early in the match, conceding 25 points to 15 in the second period to trail by six points at the main change. However, the visitors flicked the switch after half time, storming home in the final two quarters to silence the crowd and claim an 89-79 victory.

Reid was the catalyst in the second half turnaround for the victors, orchestrating the offence to perfection to ensure the Blues could produce scores at a consistent level.

As a scorer, no player matched her output, pouring in over a third of her side’s score and finishing the contest with 33 points. She found the most success driving inside and scoring in the paint, using her veteran smarts to evade the defender and get a good look at the basket.

She has been well-renowned for her playmaking for the entirety of her decorated career, and it was on display in the win over the Rangers. Reid simply made the right plays with ball in hand, finding her teammates in the right spots and helping create scores for others.

Reid justified her superstar status with a huge double-double in a tense win over Dandenong, driving her side to victory with some marvellous plays on the offensive end.