Round 14 is locked and loaded! Check out our Games of the Week previews below:
Championship Men
Wyndham v Sunbury
A top-of-the-table clash makes this an easy selection for the game of the round this week. Sunbury are coming off a disappointing result against a strong Keysborough unit that is preparing themselves for finals whilst Wyndham had it a little easier against McKinnon without star import Sharif Black. Last week Sunbury lost one of the league’s strongest big men in Trevon Clayton to an injury in their loss, this may prove to be a crucial factor in this week’s match-up as Gerald Blackshear and Mark Berezdecky try to pick up the slack. As has been the case in every clash between these teams over the previous two seasons, the match-up between Maurice Howard and Ish Sanders is sure to be worth the door charge alone; they are two of the most exciting scorers in the league and will be very much be determining factors to the result. Get to Eagle Stadium to ensure that you don’t miss this one!
Championship Women
Sherbrooke v Wyndham
Could Sherbrooke be the ones to give Wyndham their first loss of the season? Sherbrooke have shown significant growth across the season as Alicia Carline, Porsche Poole and Tenaya Sooalo have steered the Suns ship to ultimately a successful first year back in the Championship Division. Wyndham have proven to be the best team in the competition so far and there haven’t been any real challengers along the way to this point. With Dyani Ananiev not playing recently, the opportunity is as good as it has been for Sherbrooke to try and take the win. With Wyndham being led by Amanda Paschal who dominates at point, it isn’t going to be an easy task for the Suns. Get to Bell Real Estate Stadium to see this first-against-third battle.
Division One Men
RMIT v Pakenham
An exciting game is in store for us all at RMIT on Saturday night as the second-placed RMIT host the third-placed Pakenham Warriors. These two teams previously met in Round 5 where it was RMIT who were able to get the job done by 12 points, led by star guard Steve Coffey who led all scorers with 26 points to go with his 4 assists and 4 steals. One thing for certain is that Coach Roberts will be looking for a way to slow Coffey down as well as his running partner and former Pakenham Warrior Daniel Steen who has been in outstanding form of late. A match-up that is likely to get fans excited is seeing Matt Spencer go head-to-head with the athletic, scoring Joshua Dow. Get to RMIT to ensure that you don’t miss this one!
Division One Women
Altona v Melbourne University
An absolute blockbuster takes place this Sunday afternoon as Altona host Melbourne University in what shapes to be an incredibly important game for these teams as they approach finals. Division One Women is one of the closest divisions in the whole of Big V this season with Melbourne University who despite sitting second last and still able to make a push for a finals birth. The last time these teams played it went down to the wire as Altona came home strong with an enormous 4th quarter. It was Kayla Salmons who stepped up big with 16 points to go alongside her 14 rebounds and lead her team to victory, whilst for Melbourne University it was usual suspect Amelia Smith keeping her team ticking over with 20 points to go with her 12 boards. We expect this to be a close fight as the race to finals certainly heats up!
Division Two Men
Wallan v Mildura
Will Wallan be able to make the final push to try and secure 3rd position as the anticipation for finals starts to heat up? With third position allowing a double chance opportunity it will all be on the line this week. The last time these two teams faced it was Mildura who was able to get over the line by 7 thanks to a big third quarter by the hosts. Cameron Gross was huge for the Heat with 28 points to go with his 8 rebounds, whilst Dallas Brown and Tarryn Shaddock also made an impact off the bench. For Wallan, it was Arcaim Lallemand and Tyler Best who were strong contributors with both scoring over 20 points for the game. The Panthers were missing Keenan Gorski who is putting together a formidable back end of the season since returning from injury, will he be the difference this Saturday night? Get to RB Robson Stadium on Saturday Night to find out.
Division Two Women
Wallan v Blackburn
The surging Blackburn Vikings have jumped Surf Coast Chargers on the ladder and find themselves in third position and facing off with the second-placed Wallan Panthers. These two teams haven’t played since Round 3 where Wallan came up victors by 9 points in a hotly contested battle. In that match-up, it was Rebecca Cunningham who caused some serious havoc pouring in 17 points to go with 10 rebounds, whilst for the visiting Panthers Kylah Collins and Sarah Scott were the main contributors with 23 points and 14 points respectively. Blackburn will need to find answers to limit Kylah Collins's impact if they want to be in this game, perhaps it’s Isabella Nolen stepping up to the task. Get to RB Robson Stadium to find out this Saturday Night.
Victorian Youth Championship Men
Knox vs Dandenong
With finals still in the picture, this game couldn’t mean more to either Knox or Dandenong as they find themselves in a little slump. Dandenong, 1 game ahead on a 4-game losing streak are hosted by the Raiders who have dropped their last 5 respectively. With 5 to 7 now on their tail pushing for finals, this is a must-win for both teams. They both held top positions at one point during the year, proving to the league what they’re capable of. Can Justin Asi put his boy on his back and pull off another dominant performance or will the likes of Tranter, Bell and Spicer step up big and get their season back in line?
Victorian Youth Championship Women
Kilsyth vs Diamond Valley
A 3rd vs 4th battle over in the Watson conference with Kilsyth hosting Diamond Valley for a last race towards finals. The Eagles have played 2 more games sitting 1 win behind the Cobras are coming off an inconsistent June month. They need to get back on track, hold their gap between 5th position, and push for the top 3. Kilsyth, also having dropped their last 2, they're most recent in a disappointing 1-point loss, must find a way to bounce back. Looking back to Round 9, it was the Cobras who held on by just one point in a thriller with Gemma Hancock snatching the game off the Eagles at the very end. Who will be the group to make the turn and get back on the winning side?
Youth League One Men
Wyndham vs Hume
Hard to go past a possible grand final matchup as 1 v 2 face off one another for the second time this year. Dating back to Round 5, it was Hume who stomped over Wyndham 107 to 83. Fiddes went for 29 points to go with 18 rebounds while 5 of his teammates finished above 10 points. Josh Norling finished with 22 points to his name with Prestia shooting 5 from 9 from the land of plenty off the bench. Looking ahead to the weekend, each group has improved and come into incredible form yet with the ins and outs of senior players, who knows what could happen on Sunday. Wyndham are 5 on the trot, possibly looking to take 1st place off Hume, whilst the Broncos could go 2-0 for the weekend and jump 1 game ahead. Watch this space as it is anyone’s game.
Youth League One Women
Wyndham vs Eltham
Could this be the round where one of Big V’s last undefeated teams joins the loss column? The Wildcats are 17-0 with no signs of slowing down. Yet, they come up against a 13-4 Wyndham unit who are currently on a 5-game winning streak with an 8-0 record at home. Back in round 5, it was the combination of Amor, Stagoll, Mountford and Weddle who outshined a short-listed Wyndham unit. Jasmine Goodman and Eliza Moodie, both in great form as of late, will be key pieces on Sunday as they hope to take down the daunting Wildcat unit. Wyndham’s perimeter shooting will need to continue to spread Eltham out while the Wildcats on their end could be looking to free up Delzoppo after her 6 3s back in Round 13.
Youth League Two Men
Melbourne University vs Sunbury
Keep a close eye on Melbourne University on Saturday night as they host the Jets in a one-off battle late in the Big V season. In what is a very tight Youth Two Division, neither team are sitting comfortably on their respective ladders with finals looming. Melbourne University sits 1st in Watson and Sunbury 3rd in Terril, there is a possibility we may see these two come across one another in the postseason. An exciting match-up approaches on Saturday night between McNally and Stephens, two capable guards able to find the bottom of the basket anywhere on the floor. Will we see the two guard one another? And if so, will we see one on the Starting Five come Monday?
Youth League Two Women
Whittlesea vs Mornington
A very in-form Whittlesea unit will be hosting the Breakers in a 2nd vs 3rd clash with a possible ladder change by the weekend’s end. The Pacers are currently on a 6-game winning streak going into Round 14 looking to make a big push in the run to finals. With Bodley and Ryan at the helm, the Pacers are the team to beat and who better than the Breakers to break the news. Katramados and Smith have had some big games recently taking out 3 of their last 4 games needing to both be on this weekend. In a top 5 final, these two could very well be facing one another in week 1, but with home-court advantage looming, there is a lot to play for this weekend.
