Written by Maddy Ryan, Andrew West
MEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISON:
Blackburn (112) def. Camberwell (107)
A quick turnaround between Blackburn and Camberwell with game 2 just 1 week after their first clash with the Vikings taking out the W again in a closer battle, this time hosted by the Dragons. A hot start by the Dragons as they got out to a 21 to 9 lead early in the first before the Vikings chipped away bringing it to 3 by quarter time break. A massive emphasis for the Dragons was containing the combination of Legan and Martin as they went for 80 last week, improving this by holding Martin to just 20 for the game. Legan on the other hand took the game by storm again, finishing with another 40-piece draining 7 from 13 from the land of plenty. An insane 4pt play by Legan with just over a minute left in the game gave the Vikings the lead with the Dragons a chance to tie it up the very next possession just unable to connect made it all too difficult to get the lead back. Dean was very impressive for the Dragons finishing with 35pts to go with 11 rebounds as well as Barkeley’s 26pt 13ast and Liesegang’s 22pt 14reb. Kimble was significant in the Vikings win finishing with 17 points shooting 77.8% for the game.
Keysborough (122) def. Bellarine (104)
Keysborough find themselves in the W column again after a tough loss to McKinnon last week taking down the Storm who have continued to struggle in recent times dropping their last 6 games. New recruit Liam McInerney has missed the last 4 weekends possibly having an effect on the Storm as his on-court presence and leadership was so important early in the year. Anthony Williams went off in his 36 minutes going for 43 points shooting at 63% while dishing out 8 assists. With no significant run made by either team, this high scoring battle across the 4 quarters really came down to who would continue to find the bottom of the net each possession. The Cougars shot at a staggering 41% from 3pt and an efficient 84% from the charity stripe, their offensive power proved too much for the Storm. The Storm struggled defensively as Carlson took flight off a long kick ahead down the line from Williams after a missed free throw getting the home crowd off their seats. Green has had an impressive individual season finishing with 34 points to go with 12 rebounds and 4 assists just unable to help his group get over the line.
Shepparton (78) def. Sunbury (68)
It was the Gators who took down a short staffed Jets group on Saturday night in one of the lower scoring games for the weekend. The combination of Coke and Thomas continued to put on a show up in Shepparton with Coach Waight sharing the load across the players with 4 of his bench guys playing over 15 minutes. Kego was effective in his 21 minute of game time finishing with 11 points and pulling down 8 rebounds, 3 of which offensive while Bartlett struggled to fill the stat sheet unable to find the bottom of the net. It was the 3rd quarter for the Gators which pushed their lead out to 20 points holding the Jets to just 10 for the quarter. Koby Skenderis lead all scorers with 25 shooting 7 from 15 from deep while Nathan Baker walked away with an 18-point 13-rebound double double. Though Sunbury had the 2 highest scorers for the game, they struggled to guard the Gators as a unit with 8 different scorers for the game. Shepparton still find themselves in the mix for finals while Sunbury now fall to an 7-11 record looking like they may miss the post season.
Hume City (111) def. Wyndham (95)
A somewhat irregular beginning to the game for Wyndham as they took on Hume City away from home with their scoring leaders Thomas and Ayilara coming off the bench for the first time this season. Beau Koscak made the most of his opportunity early getting the first points of the game followed closely by Hynes, the two who typically would play their role off the bench. Unfortunately, this shift didn’t make a difference as Wyndham fell to a 2-game losing streak by the hands of the Broncos. Coach Fosters starters took care of business all finishing in double figures, 2 of which with double doubles. Scott Stone couldn’t find a look he didn’t like putting up 19 3s making 7 while McKinney walked away with a very efficient 24 points shooting at an 80% clip. An important win for the Broncos as they now sit in a comfortable 4th place, 3 wins above Pakenham now on the home stretch.
Melbourne University (100) def Pakenham (87)
Melbourne Uni came in yet again to take home their third win in a row on Saturday night. A strong start from both teams made it a tight contest for the night. With only a five-point margin at half time meant that one of them had to come out on fire in the third which Melbourne sure did, efficiently converting 3 steals to give them a 14-point lead. Pakenham fought hard and to the final second in the last quarter putting up 26 points, but it was too late for a comeback – Melbourne taking home the win. Their 26 assists compared to Pakenham's 11 demonstrate superior ball movement and teamwork. Pakenham had an edge in total rebounds (48 to 37), particularly on the offensive glass, but it was not enough to overcome their shooting inefficiency and turnover issues, 18 in total to contribute to their loss. The question ponders whether Pakenham’s last few games are of concern yet as we inch closer to finals, and will Melbourne find a way to slide in? Leaders for the match were Melbourne’s Rimes with 28 points, Pomasan with 4 steals Warriors’ Morton with 13 rebounds and 22 points to finish the game with a double-double.
Blackburn (101) def Western Port (90)
There is something in the air at Blackburn lately, seemingly after they triumphed over Western Port to take home their third win in a row at home on Sunday afternoon! Blackburn started strong with a balanced scoring effort across the four quarters and managed to lead the entire game. Western Port, despite a valiant effort, fell short. Blackburn’s ability to limit turnovers to just 5 compared to Western Port’s 14 was a critical factor, Blackburn capitalising on these opportunities. Steelers’ higher turnover rate and struggles from the three-point line and free-throw line were key factors in their loss. Despite strong individual performances from players like Brotherson (27pts, 7reb, 2ast) and Ingram (10pts, 12reb, 4ast, 1stl), Western Port couldn’t overcome Blackburn’s balanced and efficient team play. Legan was the standout player for the Vikings’, contributing 37 points and his ability to score both inside and from the ark (8 three-pointers) were imperative in the win.
McKinnon (117) def Hume City (99)
The first loss for Hume City in a month had to sting a little after McKinnon came in to wipe them out at their own home on Sunday afternoon. Hume City started strong and was able to control the ball well in the first quarter, but McKinnon took control in the subsequent quarters, outscoring Hume 32-22 in the second, 30-22 in the third, and 28-20 in the fourth. McKinnon dominated the boards with 45 rebounds, compared to Hume’s 30, giving them more second-chance opportunities to give them an extra 10 points and control the game. Both Cougar’s Wooten (32pts, 10reb) and Maharaj (27pts, 11reb) had a double-double for the game. Despite falling short, Hume’s Mckinney finished with 35 and Stone with 27 points.
You can view our First Teams of the week here.
You can view our Second Teams of the week here.
Photo credits: @torchchavez
