THE weekend has wrapped, along with another round of the Big V Women’s Basketball competition. Round 7 took place across Victoria over the course of Saturday and Sunday, and plenty of sides were firing in their respective matchups. There were some big scores from a team standpoint, with most wins coming at quite a significant margin. The contenders for the 2021/22 season are well and truly firing with the year well under way, and it was on display in the seventh round of play, with all favourites getting up over the weekend.

The closest game of the round took place at Hillview Stadium, when the Southern Peninsula Sharks played host to the Chelsea Gulls on Saturday night. Heading in, the visitors were expected to get the job done, given the contrasting form of the two sides in the first six weeks of play. Peninsula had struggled to start the year, but got close to causing an upset on a number of occasions, and it was the case again on Saturday. The Sharks gave themselves a red hot chance of claiming their second win of the season, but fell five points short. Despite the result, Peninsula had the strongest performer on the court, with Myra Wood dominating and keeping the Sharks in the game. She finished with a game-high 28 points and five assists.

Southern Peninsula Sharks (65) def. by Chelsea Gulls (70)

First Quarter

It was a quiet start on the offensive end for both teams, with the first bucket of the game not registered until three and a half minutes in. Wood started the game creating for her teammates, with a nice assist resulting in an and-one for Abbey McNamara, which came from Wood’s steal too. After finding a wide-open teammate again, she got in on the scoring with a shot from behind the arc, closing out a solid first term.

Second Quarter

Wood entered the game a few minutes into the second, and hit the scoreboard shortly after with a floater. She drained another three the very next possession, single-handedly mounting the comeback for the Sharks and announcing herself as the most dangerous player on the court. Wood produced the highlight of the game with a four-point play, absorbing the contact and able to drain the three after the whistle. Despite these efforts, her side trailed by nine at the main break.

Third Quarter

The third term belonged to Southern Peninsula, with the margin reduced significantly. Wood kicked things off with a couple of nice dimes, before taking things upon herself later and getting in on the scoring. She poured in seven points in the final three minutes of play, with a nice mix of inside and outside scoring. Suddenly, it was just a four-point game heading into the last term, and the Sharks were in with a shot.

Fourth Quarter

The home side continued their charge to start the last, and it was behind the efforts of Wood. She nailed a three to draw within one point, before giving her side the lead with a pull up jump shot shortly after. The Sharks looked to extend their unlikely lead, with Wood continuing to attack and nail some big shots. However, the Gulls managed to rally in the last few minutes, overcoming the deficit and taking home the win in tense fashion, despite Wood’s fantastic showing.