Senior League Finals Previews

Championship Men

Hume Broncos vs Sunbury Jets

Game 1 - Saturday 6th August 7.00pm at Broadmeadows Basketball Stadium

The finals are here and fans are treated with the 4th placed Hume Broncos hosting the 1st placed Sunbury Jets in what can be guaranteed to be a hard-fought and physical encounter. These teams have gone at it 3 times this season with Hume having the opportunity to host twice and Sunbury recording 3 wins.

Whilst Sunbury comes into this clash as the red-hot favourites after winning their previous 3 encounters, their most recent matchup in round 18 was the closest battle yet with Sunbury only getting over the line by 1 point. In that game it was the addition of young star Anthony Dell’Orso that gave Sunbury a look they hadn’t seen yet, he finished with 20 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists. Coach John White will certainly be putting plenty of time into adjusting his scout for Dell’Orso this week whilst also focussing on limiting regulars Chris Elder and Makuei Puondak’s influence.

Sunbury has been the dominant team all season and it is mainly due to their dominant starting 5 of Ish Sanders, Maxwell Barkeley, Trevon Clayton, Gerald Blackshear and Nathan Marshall. In the three times, these teams have played it has been the Sanders show averaging 29.3ppg against the Broncos, including a huge 36 points effort in round 11. Clayton has also been a force to be reckoned with when these two go at it, averaging a cool 16 points to go with 15 rebounds across the three matchups, is Hume going to address his dominance on the boards this week?

This is a mouth-watering matchup that any basketball lovers need to go and watch. The backcourt scoring of Sanders and Barkeley going head-to-head with Elder and Dell’Orso is normally enough to get the crowd going, but then add the frontcourt of Clayton and Blackshear going to battle with Puondak and Fiddes and we haven’t just got a great game on our hands, but an incredibly exciting series!

Statistical Leaders
Hume			Sunbury
Chris Elder	20.81ppg	Points Per Game	Ishmael Sanders	26.76ppg
Makuei Puondak	8.52rpg	Rebounds Per Game	Trevon Clayton	11.63rpg
Chris Elder	4.43apg	Assists Per Game	Nathan Marshall	4.57apg

 

McKinnon Cougars vs Wyndham Basketball

 Game 1 - Saturday 6th July 7.00pm at GESAC

In our other 3-game series of Championship Men basketball, we have the 3rd placed McKinnon hosting the 2nd place Wyndham in game 1 of their series. The matchup between these two teams can guarantee one thing, a high-scoring affair! Whilst Wyndham’s fast-paced, high-scoring style has seen them get three wins from three matchups against the Cougars, the Cougars will take confidence in the fact that the margin has been shortening every time these two have played with the most recent game having only 5 points separating them in round 15.

For McKinnon, they are aware of what they are going to get from star import Sharif Black as he is averaging 28.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 5 assists per game against Wyndham this season, thriving in the fast-paced game. In two of the games this season they have also had Mitch Barry perform well above his season averages contributing well-rounded performances including a 22-point performance and a 17-point performance. Will he continue his impressive form against Wyndham? The X-factor for the Cougars could be imported Nathan Davis, he has only faced this Wyndham team once and his sharp shooting is something that Coach Lucas Allen will be aware of.

Wyndham operates like a finely tuned machine, having multiple contributors every single week. Import Kavione Green has been enormous every time he has gone against McKinnon this season, with averages of 26 points and 12 rebounds per game. McKinnon simply doesn’t seem to have a perfect match-up for him, will Nic Laycock take it upon himself to slow Green down? Wyndham also has other weapons, Maurice Howard, Manel Ayol and Keenan Gorski who can put up big numbers and do it quickly.

Game 1 of this series could see both teams come out and drop 100 points each quite easily. Will it come down to who has the stronger defensive aspect to their game or will both teams bank on scoring more than the other? Coach Walsh and Coach Allen will have their fingerprints all over this series as they try to outsmart the other coach, brace yourselves for what is going to be an exciting series!

Statistical Leaders
McKinnon			Wyndham
Sharif Black	27.37ppg	Points Per Game	Maurice Howard	24.43ppg
Sharif Black	10.37rpg	Rebounds Per Game	Kavione Green	10.19rpg
Sharif Black	4.58apg	Assists Per Game	Maurice Howard	3.62apg

 

Championship Women 

McKinnon Cougars vs Wyndham Basketball

Game 1 - Saturday 6th July 5.00pm at GESAC

The 4th placed McKinnon Cougars will welcome the 1st placed Wyndham basketball to GESAC on Saturday evening. Despite their position on the ladder, the battle between these teams has been extremely close all season with the total margin being 6 points. Unfortunately for McKinnon, they haven’t won any of the three games, going down in Round 8 by one point, in Round 10 by one point and then again in Round 15 by 4 points.

In their round 15 clash, it was statistically an incredibly even game with nothing separating the teams. McKinnon had a well-spread offence with Katie Bluzer, Morgan Ili and Rosie Fadljevic having 14, 14 and 15 points respectively. Whilst for Wyndham it was Amanda Paschal who did some serious damage with 22 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists and Lauren Jones played the support role with 13 points including 4 3-point shots made.

This week, if McKinnon can dominate the paint and get Jacinta Vandenberg more involved in the offence, it could very well be the difference between the two sides. Lyndsey Hoogenhout will have her work cut out trying to impact the boards for Wyndham, but the X-factor in this game could be Dyani Ananiev, last time she was held to just 5 points and 2 rebounds which is well below her season averages, expect her to come out and put her stamp on this one. Head down to GESAC to see which way this clash will go.

Statistical Leaders
McKinnon			Wyndham
Emily Suckling	13.53ppg	Points Per Game	Dyani Ananiev	20.47ppg
Jacinta Vandenberg	8.95rpg	Rebounds Per Game	Lyndsey Hoogenhout	8.89rpg
Claire Ioannidis	4.15apg	Assists Per Game	Amanda Paschal	5.24apg

 

Sunbury Jets vs Bulleen Boomers

Game 1 – Sunday 7th August 2.00pm at Boardman Stadium

You can guarantee the Jets will be ready to take flight as they begin their finals campaign at home on Sunday afternoon. A strong and experienced Bulleen outfit will certainly have other plans, coming in with confidence from the last time these teams met in round 16.

Taking a closer look at the season series for this matchup is a strange one, in Round 6 - Bulleen won by 45 points, no Maria Steen Jespersen or Ellen Barkeley, for Bulleen, no Louella Tomlinson. They then faced off with full squads in round 12 with Sunbury taking the win by 6, before facing off again in Round 16 with full squads again with Bulleen winning by a commanding 25 points.  

In the round 16 matchup, Bulleen jumped out of the blocks early taking a strong 28 to 13 lead at quarter time. Whilst Jespersen (28 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals) was doing everything she could to try and keep Sunbury in the game, she, unfortunately, did not receive adequate support from her teammates with the next main contributor being Emily Conn with 8 points. She is going to be relying on experienced campaigners Ida Andersson, Ellen Barkeley and Nicole Cameron playing a larger role in this series if they are to get the win.

In a stroke of genius, it was coach Michael Brookens who explored the use of a zone and utilised Louella Tomlinson patrolling the paint that caused the point of difference in this round 16 matchup. Olivia Bontempelli went about her business, racking up 19 points but it was Tomlinson who controlled this game on both ends with 13 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 blocks.

As the teams go to battle for game 1 of this series, it’ll be interesting to see if Coach Brookens goes back to the zone and whether Sunbury has adjusted. One thing is for sure, both teams require a well-balanced and spread offence to cause trouble for opposing defences, relying on one player will not get it done. Head out to Sunbury for your Sunday afternoon to check this blockbuster out!

Statistical Leaders
Sunbury			Bulleen
Maria Steen Jespersen	27.64ppg	Points Per Game	Olivia Bontempelli	16.63ppg
Maria Steen Jespersen	11.43rpg	Rebounds Per Game	Louella Tomlinson	9.44rpg
Ida Andersson	4.72apg	Assists Per Game	Louella Tomlinson	4.22apg

 

Division One Men

Shepparton Gators vs RMIT Redbacks Basketball

Saturday 6th August 7.00pm at Shepparton Sports Stadium

In the first elimination final for the weekend, we see the 3rd placed Shepparton Gators host the 6th placed RMIT Redbacks in what promises to be an absolute blockbuster. These teams have faced off twice throughout the season with Shepparton victors in both encounters.

In their Round 6 game, it was Shepparton who dominated the contest and won by 24 points. Some key players for the Gators were Sam Beks with 22 points and 11 rebounds whilst Garrett Jefferson was active in his 19 minutes, with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals. For RMIT it was Maximus Tatter who was the only standout performer with 25 points and 10 rebounds, they were however missing a handy duo by the names of Stephen Coffey and Daniel Steen. These two returned for the Round 16 clash that saw Shepparton coming away by a much smaller margin of 3 points. Coffey was influential with 23 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists, while other starters Steen, Agon, Smith and Bizima all contributed double-figure points as well. For Shepparton, it was Jefferson who took this game by the horns with 31 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals, whilst Nick Dodd was also a strong contributor with 13 points and 6 rebounds.

Whilst Shepparton finished 3rd on the ladder with 3 more wins than RMIT, looking at recent form, Shepparton is on a 2-game slide whilst RMIT have won their last two games. Will leader Matt Barlett be back to turn around the end of season form slump? Will RMIT’s spread of scoring power help them during the finals series? We will all find out, this Saturday night in Shepparton. Make sure you don’t miss out!

Statistical Leaders
Shepparton			RMIT
Garrett Jefferson	18.52ppg	Points Per Game	Daniel Steen	17.83pp
Matt Andronicos	6.95rpg	Rebounds Per Game	Stephen Coffey	9.56rpg
Matthew Bartlett	4.47apg	Assists Per Game	Stephen Coffey	10.19apg

 

Bellarine Storm vs Corio Bay Stingrays

Saturday 6th July 7.00pm at Bellarine Sports Centre

The crosstown rivals Bellarine Strom and Corio Bay Stingrays face off in what is sure to be an absolute classic matchup between 4th and 5th position in Division One Men. This game is sure to be one of the best across the entire competition this weekend. Whilst the season series has been split 1 each, Bellarine has the bragging rights after a 13-point win on Corio Bay’s home floor last weekend.

In round 18, it was Bellarine who jumped out to an early lead with a 13-point margin at the quarter-time break. The Stingrays then responded in the second and third quarters with a dominant 49-31 difference. However, it seems that Corio Bay took the foot off the pedal and allowed Bellarine to score at will, winning the last quarter 27-9 and taking the win by 13 points. Key players for the Storm in this win were veteran guard Lewis Varley who had 23 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, he was well supported by sharpshooter Leigh Saffin off the bench who hit 5 3-point shots on his way to 17 points for the game. For Corio Bay, it was Cohen Blythe and Lachlan Headlam that inflicted most of the damage with 19 points and 15 points respectively.

In a game that could go either way, can Bellarine have Varley, Reardon, Kos and Saffin all heat up simultaneously or will Corio Bay force them to win another way? Will Corio’s even spread of scoring make it too hard for Bellarine to cover? It’s sure to be a heated game and one not to be missed.

Statistical Leaders
Bellarine			Corio Bay
Lewis Varley	14.95ppg	Points Per Game	Cohen Blythe	15.8ppg
Jason Reardon	8.78rpg	Rebounds Per Game	Cohen Blythe	6.55rpg
Jason Reardon	4.39apg	Assists Per Game	Cohen Blythe	4.25apg

 

Division One Women 

Mildura Heat vs Western Port Steelers

Saturday 6th July 6.00pm at Ausloans Mildura Hothouse

On Saturday night we see Western Port make the hardest trek in all Big V basketball as they head to Hothouse to face Mildura for an elimination final. The Hothouse is sure to be rocking as they get behind Vanessa Power and Fanni Szabo as they start yet another finals campaign for Mildura. During the season these teams have split the season series with Western Port winning by 4 points in round 5 before Mildura took the win by 34 points in round 13.

In their Round 5 clash, it was Samantha Keltos (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Rachael Wansbrough (13 points, 12 rebounds) who did the majority of the damage for the Steelers, with the rest of the team having solid contributions in a good team performance. Whilst for the Heat Allanah Morello led the way with 17 points whilst Bronte Pezzaniti contributed 16. However, there were two very noticeable absentees in this game by the names of Fanni Szabo and Vanessa Power who happen to be 1st and 3rd in the league in points per game. In Round 13 when these teams faced off again it was Fanni Szabo who dominated with 31 points and Vanessa Power also influential with an efficient 20 points in 25 minutes as Mildura cruised to a 34-point victory.

The big question will be asked of Western Port, can they slow down the Heat’s scoring duo? If Coach Giblin can lead on veterans Rachel Winters, Samantha Keltos and Rachael Wansbrough to control the game, then there is a chance that Western Port can cause the upset on Mildura’s home floor. However, if Szabo and Power are allowed to score the ball at will, then Western Port could find themselves in some trouble.

Statistical Leaders
Mildura			Western Port
Fanni Szabo	28.4ppg	Points Per Game	Samantha Keltos	16.75ppg
Fanni Szabo	8.4rpg	Rebounds Per Game	Samantha Keltos	10.88rpg
Fanni Szabo	3.8apg	Assists Per Game	Rachel Winters	2.81apg

 

Camberwell Dragons vs Warrnambool Mermaids

Sunday 7th August 1.00pm Balwyn High School

You are going to want to be at Balwyn High School for this one on Sunday afternoon as the 2nd placed Camberwell Dragons host the 3rd placed Warrnambool Mermaids. In their two meetings this season it has been the Dragons who have come out on top, by 14 in their first matchup and then by only 3 points when they went to battle in round 13.

In their 14-point win back in Round 2, it was Camberwell’s scoring wings that got the job done, with Gemma Fyffe dropping 23 points and Marnie Houghton contributing 17 points to go with her 7 rebounds and 5 assists. For Warrnambool, they simply did not have enough support around Olivia Fuller (16 points, 18 rebounds) and Matilda Sewell (14 points). Something that was vital for the Dragons was keeping star Katie O’Keefe to just 4 points.

Their round 13 battle was a much closer affair throughout, and that was much to do with Katie O’Keefe having 21 points, 11 rebounds and 5 steals. Unfortunately for the Mermaids, it was enough to get over the Dragons who took out the game by 3 points. They were carried by the triple threat of Andrea Belmonte (21 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists), Gemma Fyffe (16 points, 6 rebounds) and Marnie Houghton (14 points).

This game is certainly going to be a close one, can the Dragons continue their in-season form by winning the final and getting a crack at Sherbrooke next week? Is Amy Wormald going to be the addition that breaks the Dragons? It will all be answered this Sunday at Balwyn High School.

Statistical Leaders
Camberwell			Warrnambool
Gemma Fyffe	15.67ppg	Points Per Game	Katie O’Keefe	15.14ppg
Andrea Belmonte	7.53rpg	Rebounds Per Game	Olivia Fuller	10.82rpg
Andrea Belmonte	4.07apg	Assists Per Game	Katie O’Keefe	3.5apg

 

Division Two Men

Sherbrooke vs Wallan

Saturday 6th August 6:00pm at Bell Real Estate Stadium

First, of our elimination games, we see the 3rd placed Sherbrooke Suns face off against 6th placed Wallan Panthers. Facing off twice in the regular season, Sherbrooke came away with the win both games by a combined margin of 11, we look to see a close battle between these two sides.

Finishing with a 16-6 record, the Suns variety of scoring power with Chris Kaba averaging 17.38ppg, Jonathan Cathey-Macklin averaging 16.05ppg and Austin Treweek averaging 15.29ppg have created nightmares each week with more than one being able to high the scoreboard hard. Cathey-Macklin’s length and durability have given the Suns the highest blocks average with 4.4 assisting the team to keep the entire league to an average of 69.8 points per game. In their last hit out, Sherbrooke game away with the win in double overtime with every statistic as close as it can be. Treweek came out with a game-high 22 points.

Wallan is coming into the finals having only won 1 of their last 4 games hoping to find form quickly. Finishing the season with a win, the Panthers will look to big man Arcaim Lallemand to bring them back into winning form, something they’ve struggled with this season. Having said that, Wallan did not roll over in any game this season, making sure the league knows they better be ready to battle all game long. Working well as a team to generate their offence, the Panthers have several players able to make an impact at any point.

Statistical Leaders
Sherbrooke			Wallan
Christopher Kaba	17.38ppg	Points Per Game	Arcaim Lallemand	19.32ppg
Jonathan Cathey-Macklin	8.9rpg	Rebounds Per Game	Arcaim Lallemand	10.18rpg
Austin Treweek	3.71apg	Assists Per Game	Abraham Solano	3.85apg

 

Altona vs Mornington 

Sunday 7th August 3:00pm at Altona Sports Centre 

In the second elimination final, we see 4th placed Altona Gators host 5th place Mornington Breakers in a Sunday hit out. Altona came out on top on both occasions by a combined 22 points.

It was Samson Rocker in both hit outs who got the better of the Breakers averaging 21 points the two battles scoring way above his season average of 14.1ppg. Altona’s stat sheet never shows one player highlighted as they have scorers coming from everywhere, 5 of which averaging over 10 points per game. This Gator outfit won the rebound game this season averaging 49.6, proving they aren’t afraid to get in the paint and do the little things. Winning 4 out of their last 5 games to end their season, the Gators come into this match-up with great momentum, playing with high energy with Jordan Lino both playing and coaching!

Mornington had split their last 4 games coming into the postseason struggling to find form late. With Kieran McQueen holding the group together averaging 17.64 points in the regular season alongside Brad Murfett averaging a double-double with 15.52 points and 12.19 rebounds, the Breakers hope to quiet down the Gators and move into the next stage. Valuing the ball in every game, they were the only team to stay under an average of 13 turnovers, ensuring their shot quality is the highest percentage every trip. Daniel Nash will look to embrace the shooting of the late Steve Nash, continuing his 42% shooting from the land of plenty.

Statistical Leaders
Altona			Mornington
Tyson Burton	14.81ppg	Points Per Game	Kieran McQueen	17.64ppg
Zachary Polglaze	10.47rpg	Rebounds Per Game	Brad Murfett	12.19rpg
Zachary Polglaze	3.21apg	Assists Per Game	Kieran McQueen	3.05apg

 

Division Two Women

Wallan vs Gippsland United 

Saturday 6th August 8:00pm at RB Robson Stadium 

Our big elimination final for Division 2 Women sees the 4th placed Wallan Panthers take on 5th placed Gippsland United. A very close series between these two teams with Gippsland coming out on top in the head-to-head by only 2 points.

The Panthers split their last 4 games coming into the postseason struggling to find form late. Having a very up and down season, getting on a 3-game run before dropping a game, Coach Carey Papanicolaou will look to use the win in round 18 to their advantage moving into the postseason. Kaitlyn Wakartschuk had a very consistent season for the Panthers, doing a little of everything averaging 13.35 points, 4.88 rebounds and 4.06 assists. Kaitlyn finished with 21 points shooting 5/10 from 3pt land in their last hit out against Gippsland United, half of her team's 3s made for the night. Holding teams to 63.7 points, the Panthers will have to hone in on their defensive principles to progress through.

Gippsland United have done an amazing job finding themselves in the finals after their first year in the league. Finishing with the best 3pt and field goal percentages for the league with 26.6% and 36.3%, United’s efficient scoring ability will hopefully be enough to move past this weekend. Chloe Hogg has been their go-to this year averaging a huge 18.88 point and 12.18 rebound double-double. Scoring 25 and 18 points in United's last doubleheader for the season in round 18, Hogg will be coming into this match-up in good form.

Can Gippsland United progress through to the next round of finals in their first season in the league or will Wallan upset their chances?  

Statistical Leaders
Wallan			Gippsland United
Kaitlyn Wakartschuk	14.35ppg	Points Per Game	Chloe Hogg	18.88ppg
Amber Ross	7.56rpg	Rebounds Per Game	Chloe Hogg	12.18rpg
Sarah Scott	4.39apg	Assists Per Game	Siena Lane	4apg

 

Altona vs RMIT

Sunday 7th August 1:00pm at Altona Sports Centre 

In the second game for the Division 2 Women finals, we see the 2nd placed Altona Gators take on the 3rd placed RMIT Redbacks in a double chance hit out. Altona was able to come out on top on both occasions against the Redbacks coming out with a combined margin of 22 points.

Sharna Appleby and Jessica Rarity have been standouts for the Gators outfit all season long, both putting up solid numbers on both occasions against the Redbacks. Appleby has been the biggest scoring threat for the Gators averaging 18.88ppg in 33 minutes. Her ability to stretch the floor as well as get on the line creates problems for every opponent. Rarity on the other hand has averaged a double-double in the regular season with 14.11 points and 10.33 rebounds, a key role in the Gators system. It seemed Altona’s 4 more 3’s were the separator in their last game against the Redbacks as almost every other stat line was as close as ever. Are they able to connect from the land of plenty again this weekend to hold off the Redbacks bite?

The Redbacks have won 3 of their last 4 to end their season, dropping their only loss in 4 weeks to Altona. Coming into this match-up with 3 on the trot, their momentum should put them in a great position. With the likes of Samantha Labros at the helm averaging 24.93ppg in a system that does not generate isolated situations, the redbacks are in hot chance. With a large variety of scoring power, the Redbacks offensive system puts everyone in great positions to score, stretching the defence and making it hard for all to stop. With the 5th highest points per game total, the Redbacks will continue to play their team first basketball in hopes to tire out this ferocious Gators outfit.

Statistical Leaders
Altona			RMIT
Sharna Appleby	18.88ppg	Points Per Game	Samantha Labros	24.93ppg
Jessica Rarity	10.33rpg	Rebounds Per Game	Lauren McInnes	10.06rpg
Jaylen-rose Hawea	3.64apg	Assists Per Game	Alana Ellis	2.93apg