AN ENORMOUS triple-double and the game-winner from Maddison Rocci was the catalyst for the Keilor Thunder recording a one-point victory over the Knox Raiders in Round 1 of the 2026 NBL1 South Women’s season over the weekend.

Rocci and the Thunder opened their account for the 2026 season by hosting the Raiders at Keilor Stadium on Saturday night. It was admittedly going to be a tall order for the home side in their first match, hosting the South and National champions, but did have hosting rights in what was a big advantage.

Keilor took control of the match with a 27-15 first quarter effort, storming out to a commanding lead and carrying that through into the third quarter. However, the champs showed why they were too good last year, storming back into the match and taking the lead in the fourth term. Rocci stepped up in the closing seconds, dropping the match-winner to start her team’s campaign with a gutsy win over a tough opponent.

The point guard was absolutely dominant for the Thunder on Saturday night, showing what she is capable of at NBL1 level and indicating she may be one of the premier players of the South Women’s competition in the coming months.

Keilor Thunder (79) def. Knox Raiders (78)

Maddison Rocci – 37 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists

In one of her best performances at NBL1 level, Rocci was immense for the Thunder in an impressive victory, showing why she is considered one of the most dangerous players in the competition and that she can drag Keilor to victory.

In fitting fashion, she opened the scoring for the match with a strong drive to the basket to get the Thunder going. Less than a minute later, she stole the ball from Haliegh Reinoehl and drew the foul in transition, splitting the free throws to continue her strong start. Rocci’s ability to force the defence into fouling and converting at the charity stripe ended up being a recurring theme throughout the match.

Her balanced output was perfectly demonstrated when Rocci pulled down the defensive board and dished out a nice assist to Isobelle Wightman, who scored on the fast break. By the time the buzzer sounded to mark quarter time, the point guard already had 10 points and five assists to her name in a red-hot start to proceedings.

Rocci continued that level into the second frame, continuing to find her teammates in scoring positions while also showing her range by knocking down with a pair of three-pointers as well as some successful drives inside. On the back of her efforts, the Thunder led by 16 points at the main change, and she was undoubtedly the biggest factor of the match.

The point guard put more of an emphasis on scoring in the third quarter, looking to push the pace and keep Keilor’s scoring ticking over at home. The defence simply could not contain her, whether it was bursting into the lane and finishing at the cup or pulling up from midrange, Rocci was unstoppable and helped her team’s lead stay at 12 points despite a solid push from the opposition.

Rocci continued to try and generate scores inside in the fourth quarter, although it was against the flow as the Raiders began to erase the deficit. Her shots began to rattle out of the rim, but she stepped up for the most important make of the game. With Knox taking the lead late, Keilor was in danger of letting the game slip, before the Raiders star stepped up, driving into the lane and nailing another layup to give her side the lead with three seconds on the clock and eventually the win.

Ending the contest with an astounding statline of 37 points (11/27 FG), 10 rebounds and 10 assists to go with the matchwinning basket, it was the perfect start to the season for Rocci, who will undoubtedly be contending for the MVP award in 2026.