DESPITE a shocking loss in the first week of the postseason of the VJBL Under-18 Boys VC Championship, the Knox Raiders bounced back with a semi-final win over the Dandenong Rangers to keep their title hopes intact.

Although they went 9-0 after the midseason regrading, the Raiders were stunned by the Eltham Wildcats in their qualifying clash, and were on the brink of elimination ahead of a massive clash against Dandenong at Waverley Basketball Stadium. The Rangers were fresh off a win of their own against the Nunawading Spectres, entering the semi-final in some strong form.

Despite a solid fight from the underdogs, the Raiders managed to take control of proceedings in the second frame, and held on for a 13-point win to book a spot against the Kilsyth Cobras in a blockbuster preliminary final.

Knox Raiders (76) def. Dandenong Rangers (63)

Despite coming up against the minor champions, it was the Rangers who got off to the stronger start, jumping out to a seven-point lead in the first couple of minutes, before the Raiders inevitably steadied to erase that deficit. After Austin Kirikiri and Luke Atacador traded baskets late in the frame, it was Knox holding a two-point buffer at the first change.

The first five minutes of the second frame were just as contested as the first quarter, with proceedings tied at 20 points apiece midway through the period. However, a flurry of three-pointers from Knox resulted in a 10-0 run which broke the game open. At the main break, the Raiders held an impressive 14-point lead and looked completely in control of the match.

The third frame was the scrappiest patch of play of the match, with both sides putting a focus on defensive pressure and forcing the opposition into some tough misses. Just a combined 21 points were scored for the quarter, but the Raiders had still managed to push their buffer out to 17 points and were in the box seat.

The fourth quarter was the polar opposite of the penultimate period, with baskets coming thick and fast from both teams as the Rangers looked to make a run and get back into the game, with Kirikiri at the forefront. Although Dandenong dropped an astounding 28 points for the term, it never got closer than nine points as the Raiders held on to keep their season alive.

It was an excellent team performance from Knox, with four players scoring double-digits in the points column in what was a winning formula. Atacador and Jarvis Neal led the way with 14 points apiece, while Charlie Fawcett and Farren Langmaid both had 12 points as the Raiders found the right scoring mix.

Kirikiri did as much as he could to drag his team over the line and keep Dandenong’s title hopes alive, pouring in a game-high 16 points in an inspirational display. Boris Rosner (13 points), Micah Livingstone (12 points) and Noah Smith (11 points) were also strong in defeat.

The second semi-final to take place on Friday night saw the Sunbury Jets prove too good for the Keilor Thunder, claiming an 18-point win to also advance to the preliminary final as well. Alex Gray was the standout with 19 points in a big showing under bright lights. The Jets will now face the Eltham Wildcats in the penultimate matchup.