THERE was plenty of basketball action to enjoy over the weekend, including another round of the Big V Women’s Championship. The competition held its sixth round of the 2022 season, continuing an extremely entertaining start to the year. It was a week of big wins, with 20 points the lowest margin from any of the five outings. The contenders have well and truly announced themselves after one-third of the season.

There were a number of strong individual outings that have taken place, with plenty of players recording 20+ points, double-doubles or excellent defensive performances. One of the most eye-catching came from the contest between the Sunbury Jets and the Bulleen Boomers at Boardman Stadium on Sunday afternoon. It was a dominant showing from the visitors, who were terrific on both ends of the court. They had plenty of scoring contributors, including Kayla Vitale, who was impactful off the bench. She added another dimension to the team’s offence, never giving the Jets a break as she subbed in for the starters and kept the scoring going. In just 21 minutes of play, Vitale poured in 24 points, which was the most for anyone on her side. In the end, the Boomers cruised home to a whopping 45-point win to remain unbeaten after seven games.

Sunbury Jets (57) def. by Bulleen Boomers (102)

First Quarter

It was a quiet start to the game for Vitale, as she only entered the game with five minutes to play in the first term. However, she made an impact on the game in fast fashion, ripping the ball from the opposition’s clutches and drawing the foul in transition, with both foul shots finding the bottom of the net. A couple of rebounds followed, as the Boomers took a five-point lead at the first break.

Second Quarter

Vitale was once again forced to bide her time on the bench, with just three minutes of action for the period. However, she made every second count and displayed the offensive tools she carries. A couple of lay-ups came in the first minute of Vitale being on the court, before she showed her range with a three-pointer, all within the space of a minute. She was making it extremely hard for the coaches to sub her off, finishing the rest of the half on the court with Bulleen leading by 12.

Third Quarter

She entered the game just over halfway through the third quarter, and continued the form she showed to close out the second period. Vitale worked hard off the ball to get open for another three, as her jump shot began to warm up. She got going from mid range shortly after, and by the time her third shot from behind the arc found the bottom of the net, she was proving to be one of the most damaging players in the contest, and was a big reason for her side’s 26-point lead.

Fourth Quarter

Given her red hot form, the Boomers coaches opted to keep Vitale on to start the last quarter. There was a bit more defensive attention for her, but she managed to outwork her opponent and open her fourth period account with another shot from downtown. Her fifth three-pointer of the game capped off an impressive outing for the guard, who was firing on all cylinders with ball in hand.