THE script could not have been written any better. The Victorian Junior Basketball League (VJBL) Under-18 Girls competition held its fourth round of action over the weekend, with plenty of exciting action taking place around Metropolitan Melbourne. With the contenders beginning to cement themselves at the top of the standings, there were a number of intriguing clashes on the cards for Friday. Headlining the action was a top-two clash between Bulleen 1 and Frankston, with the result certainly set to have an impact on the standings moving forward. The two teams have controlled the VC Ashe division to start season 2022, so there was no shortage of hype coming in. It ended up delivering in spades, with the two sides unable to be separated after four quarters of play, and the match ended in appropriate fashion as a draw.

Bulleen 1 (63) drew Frankston (63)

Sometimes, games are so good that neither side deserves to emerge winners. That was exactly the case for the clash between Bulleen 1 and Frankston at Mullum Mullum Stadium on Friday night, with the two sides playing out the most exhilarating match of the season. It was the most anticipated VC Ashe matchup of the season to date, with both sides entering the contest with three wins from three outings. The winner of the contest would jump a game clear on the ladder, which would be crucial moving forward, given there wasn’t much separating the two teams in the first three rounds. In a form of poetic justice, the match ended as a draw, firmly indicating that these are the sides to beat, even if they can’t beat each other.

Frankston got off to a ripping start, claiming a double-digit lead in no time at all and making the contest its own. They headed into quarter time with an 11-point advantage on the scoreboard, and Bulleen had some work to do. Scoring increased from both sides in the second term, as the home team was able to chip away at the lead a bit. However, Bulleen still trailed by eight at the main break, and the Blues were still in control of the game. The third quarter was more of the same, with Bulleen still unable to close the scoreboard gap created in the first term. Frankston’s high-pace style of play appeared to be working a charm, as they went into the final term with a seven-point lead. Quarter number four belonged to the home side however, as they held the Blues to just 10 points for the term, while scoring 17 themselves. With the contest tied in the dying stages, both teams had the chance to steal victory, but it wasn’t to be.

For the home side, it was Tabitha Betson again who had the biggest impact offensively, finishing with a game-high 19 points. She has started the season in blistering fashion, and has proven to be a deadly scorer on a weekly basis. Also damaging for Bulleen was Lily Carmody, who delivered 14 points of her own. For the Blues, it was a truly balanced scoring output, with Chantelle James (14 points) and Bonnie Deas (11 points) the only two players to register double-digits in the points column, which demonstrates how many contributors they had.

Adding to the excitement of the weekend, there were still heaps of other matches that took place around Metropolitan Melbourne on Friday night.

Across the courts

VC Ashe

Keilor (50) def. Bulleen 2 (32)
Altona (52) def. Waverley (44)
Broadmeadows (40) def. by Gippsland United (49)
Knox (55) def. by Sandringham (62)

VC Watson

Hawthorn (33) def. by Melbourne (68)
Nunawading (55) def. Casey (45)
Eltham def. Ballarat (Forefeit)
Kilsyth (65) def. Dandenong (48)
Diamond Valley (47) def. Wyndham (33)