Games Of The Week Previews - Round 16

Round 16 is shaping up to be an exciting weekend of Big V basketball! Check out our Games of the Week previews below:

 

Championship Men

Hume v Sunbury

An important game for both teams as the race for 1^st place is on the line in these final 3 rounds. It’s been a long time since these teams have gone head-to-head this season, with Hume getting that win way back in Round 2. There has been significant changes for both squads since then, with Sunbury welcoming Gerald Blackshear into the line-up and playing some of his best basketball since joining the league in 2022 recently. His additional size will certainly have an impact on the rebound count and altering shots at the rim. The battle of Troyce Manassa and Ish Sanders going against each other is set to be worth the ticket price alone, they would be two of the leading MVP candidates at this point of the season and will heavily dictate the result of this one!

Championship Women

Hume v Sunbury

Sunbury have hit some form at the right stage of the season as they continue to hunt for 4^th position. Hume will have the same plans of getting 4^th position which McKinnon is currently occupying and Emma Povh and Kayonna Lee are going to make life as difficult as possible for the Jets. The Jets on the other hand have been rolling nicely, with the Hildebrand sisters hitting their straps and providing great support next to Ida Andersson and Dimitra Gzikani. Hume have the head-to-head across the season, getting wins over Sunbury in Round 2 and Round 10 in fairly comfortable match-ups but we anticipate this one is going to be completely different with 4^th place on the table.

Division One Men

Gippsland United v Pakenham

This rivalry continues to grow and the Big V community is here for it! These two teams have been incredibly impressive in their first years in the Division One competition, with both teams sitting in the top 5 and heading for a finals birth. The last time these teams played in Round 7, it was Gippsland United who got over the line with a 2-point win courtesy of huge performances from Stephen O’Brien and Billy Hughes who had 26 points and 22 points respectively. For Pakenham, as we would expect, it was the Joe Davis and Josh Dow show as they contributed a combined 54 points, whilst Michael Johns provided great value off the bench. Both of these teams have faced some injury battles across the season but they will put that to the side this Saturday night as they jostle for the higher seeding come finals time!

Division One Women

Mildura v Altona

Mildura play host to the rampaging Altona Gators who have their sights set on a finals birth in their first season back in Division One. These teams haven’t played each other since Round 1 where it was Mildura coming away with the win by 6 points thanks to Vanessa Power exploding for 27 points to go with 4 steals. On the night, Altona had great difficulty scoring the ball efficiently and found themselves turnover prone, they will be hoping to take better care of the ball as they have found recent confidence competing with the best teams in this competition. Mildura will look for as much support around stars Tyra Johnson and Vanessa Power as they can to ensure they can continue a high-powered offence.

Division Two Men

Wallan v Whittlesea

Sunday afternoon at RB Robson Stadium is the place to be to get a preview of Division Two Men finals action as we see Wallan play host to a formidable Whittlesea Pacers team. Whittlesea bounced back well from their first loss of the season a couple of weeks ago and came out of the blocks firing last weekend against Mildura, scoring the ball with ease. Patty Green and Gabe Evans have been brilliant all season for the Pacers but know that Lincoln Stewart and Tyler Best will be doing their best to disrupt their rhythm. The big duo in Tom O’Connor and Arcaim Lallemand could prove to be the difference if they can get themselves going inside and dominate the glass. Get to RB Robson stadium to make sure you don’t miss this one!

Division Two Women

Gippsland United v Blackburn

This surging Blackburn team might just be the hottest team in the league right now and that is even compared to the undefeated Gippsland United! Gippsland United have proven to be a strong team all season long, however, teams are starting to challenge them and seem to be closing the gap bit by bit. The team that has closed the game the most seems to be the Blackburn Vikings, with Rebecca Cunningham, Isabella Nolen and Samantha Zennaro all having consistent seasons, leading their crew. For Gippsland, it’s the MaKenzie Miller show each and every night, but it very much changes as to who their second and third cog is on any given night. Emily Scholtes has been one of those high-level contributors across the season who is hard to stop, as is Lauren Tuplin and the Arnason sisters. This could very well be a Grand Final preview this weekend as these teams go head-to-head.

Victorian Youth Championship Men

Sandringham vs Melbourne

It is a top-of-the-table clash with the Sabres hosting the Tigers in their first battle of the year. Both units have been hovering around in the top 4 for all season long now finding themselves at the top at the right time. Melbourne have continued to perform with and without their NBL1 talent including the great Andrew Gaze at the helm. Sandringham, in the same boat, have found themselves on top tied with Eltham and Dandenong continuing to find ways to get over the line in an extremely tight Terril pool. Joel Foxwell has been dominant throughout the season looking like a possible MVP candidate, as has Wilson Amos. Keep an eye on these names as one of bound to have a big game.      

Victorian Youth Championship Women

Keilor vs Altona

A possible grand final preview in round 16 with Keilor host Altona for the first time this season. Altona are coming off a recent loss after going on a 4-game winning streak in just 2 weekends whilst Keilor have struggled to string multiple wins together winning 3 of their last 5. Bella Peterson has made an immediate impact since coming back from college with Hayley Courts taking the reigns in her early absence leading the Thunder in ppg with 13.7. Alicia Sciberras has shown the league that she can take over a game and dominate, looking like a genuine MVP candidate. Is this an early Grand Final showcase?       

Youth League One Men

Keysborough vs Sherbrooke

A massive game for both Keysborough and Sherbrooke in the lead-up to finals as Keysborough look to scrape into the top 6 sitting just 1 game behind whilst Sherbrooke aim for a top 2 seed, also just 1 game behind Hume. Way back in Round 5, it was Sherbrooke who took charge and dominated the Cougars 87 to 60 with 4 of their 5 starters finishing with +10 points. The Suns held the Cougars to just 7 points in the third quarter scoring 31 points of their own. Jacob Oryem and Darcy Watson were the best performers for Keysborough with 10 points each. Keysborough will be coming off a Saturday night game in Bendigo, will they have the legs to take down the Suns? 

Youth League One Women

Camberwell vs Bulleen

With Eltham locking 1^st position, it’s now a race for 2^nd with Camberwell hosting Bulleen with the Boomers currently 2 games ahead. Playing on Sunday, Bulleen will face Wyndham on Saturday night, another team looking to find themselves sitting second by season's end. Looking back in Round 8 we saw one of Youth Women’s closest games with the Dragons taking it out but just 1 point 60 to 59. Rachael Smith filled the stat sheet going for 18 points paired with 13 rebounds alongside Ryleh Killian with 16 points and 15 rebounds. Kiera Lindemans was Bulleen’s top player with 18 points to go with 9 rebounds and 4 blocks. Expect this weekend’s battle to be another close battle with a lot on the line come finals time.

Youth League Two Men

Mornington vs Melbourne University

A 1^st vs 2^nd clash in the Watson conference with Mornington hosting Melbourne University for the first time this season. It was back in Round 8 when Melbourne University hosted the Breakers and Josh McNally had a day out walking away with 37 points shooting 9 from 16 from the land of plenty. A genuine MVP candidate for Youth League Two McNally will be number 1 on the Breakers scout right next to Ben Fewster, a lengthy player who can turn it on when at any point. Matthew Wolfe and Kye Taylor were kept quiet in their last encounter but don’t expect this to happen again. Protecting their home court and moving closer to that first seed will be more than enough motivation for this Breakers unit. Will they be able to get one back?

Youth League Two Women

Blackburn vs Mornington

Every game matters this weekend for all teams, no more than Blackburn and Mornington as each have something to fight for. Blackburn are on the edge of finals requiring a win to keep their season alive whilst, to gain a first Round of finals home-court advantage, the Breakers need to find themselves on top at the weekend end. Not only do they have to win, but they also need pieces to fall their way in other games this weekend. Back in Round 9, it was Mornington who came out on top by just 6 points with every player stepping onto the court to score the ball. Sophia Ziebell was Blackburn’s top performer with 16 points shooting over 66% from the field. It has come down to the last round of the season, who will make it in and who will miss out?