Round 8 has plenty of fun matchups! Check out our Games of the Week previews below:
CM
Keysborough v Hume
The 4th placed Keysborough Cougars play host to the league-leading Hume Broncos 8pm this Saturday night. A big question hovers over Hume right now, when will star player Troyce Manassa be returning to the line-up? He, unfortunately, went down injured 5 minutes into their Round 6 loss to Melbourne University and Hume just didn’t look the same. Chris Elder and veteran Shaun Prendergast have been able to increase their contributions in Manassa’s absence, they’ll need to do it again this weekend! Keysborough, they are coming off the back of two unconvincing wins against lower-placed teams Bellarine and Camberwell. Gerard Newby and Leonard Harper-Baker will need to lift their output in this one if they want to take it up to the Broncos. Head down to Rowville this week, to check this one out.
CW
Wyndham vs Sherbrooke
Wyndham will host Sherbrooke Suns this week in what will potentially be their biggest challenge so far this season. The Sherbrooke Suns have been running hot, having not lost since they last played Wyndham in Round 3. The Suns have been boosted by the addition of Tenaya Sooalo to go along with star players Alicia Carline and Porche Poole. Coach Hillier will have his Wyndham team ready for this challenge and no doubt stars Amanda Paschal and Dyani Ananiev will come ready to play in his 1st-place and 3rd-place clash. The Sherbrooke Suns prefer to play a slower half-court style of game to ensure they maximise Carline's presence around the paint and it will be very interesting to see how this goes against the fast, free-flowing style of Wyndham. Get to Eagle Stadium this weekend to check this one out!
D1M
Collingwood v Southern Peninsula
This week we head down to the bottom end of the ladder with two teams that have struggled in the early part of the season, both failing to register a win after 7 rounds. Whilst both teams have been competitive in several games, they haven’t been able to get over the line. Southern Peninsula have some experienced leaders in their team in Corey Bond, Ben James and Dareon Jones but with the rest of the roster being incredibly young, it has shown that there isn’t enough support around them at the moment. For Collingwood, they have had their own struggles with a new roster and new coach, trying to find the right chemistry in order to get their first win. Jacob Daniels has been the shining light for the All Stars, with support from Jorden Adnam, however, they are seeking a few more regular contributors to get their season back on track. This is sure to go down to the wire as both teams hunt their elusive first victory. Don’t miss it!
D1W
Bellarine v Western Port
The battle of the best of Division One Women’s basketball this weekend as the Western Port Steelers travel to the other side of the bay to take on the Bellarine Storm. Whilst these teams have not faced off yet, they have each dropped one game each and both back in Round 4, with Western Port losing to Warrnambool whilst Bellarine were upset by Craigieburn. Western Port have all the experience and firepower needed to win Division One this season with the handy addition of Jenna Mastellone alongside Rachael Wansbrough and Rachel Winters. Bellarine will certainly have something to say about that, watching Olivia Virt become a Big V star has been exciting, whilst working with Georgia Varley and B’hrea Griffin to form their very own ‘Big 3’. With some mouth-watering matchups, this game is sure to be one of the best of the season thus far.
D2M
Mornington v Maccabi
With two wins from their last two games, the Mornington Breakers seem to have woken up and are ready to get their season back on track. Kieran McQueen and Brad Murfett have been willing their Breakers to victory, with both finding some consistent form. McQueen has averaged an incredible 27 points a game across his last 3 outings whilst Murfett has also poured in 21 points a game across the same stretch, Maccabi are going to need to find some answers for slowing these two down. Maccabi are also a team that will be trying to find some consistency as the season progresses, they had strong contribution in recent weeks from Noah Rosham who is averaging 19 points and 15 rebounds over his last two games; they’ll be wanting Klas and Shamis to join him in leading the Warriors to a win.
D2W
Gippsland United v Wallan
This is the game that we have all been waiting for as the undefeated Gippsland United take on Kylah Collins and her 2nd place Wallan Panthers this Saturday night. Gippsland United have been on a tear all season, comfortably taking care of any team they have come across. What stands out for Gippsland this season is their depth at every position and the ability to have any player step up on any given night, this is highlighted by having a whopping 9 players averaging double figures in points per game this season. For Wallan, they’ve been heavily dependent on star player Kylah Collins who has been having some crazy games. They’ll need the likes of Dalmau, Scott and Ross to have strong performances to match the depth of Gippsland United. This is just about as exciting as it gets, don’t miss this one!
VYCM
Eltham vs Knox
Terril vs Terril, Eltham vs Knox, 3rd vs 1st. Eltham will be fresh and ready after a bye in Round 7 looking to build on another winning streak, losing to Dandenong the week before. With multiple players moving in and out of this Wildcats unit, they’ve continued to remain a competitive strong team making a serious push for the postseason. Knox are 3 on the trot moving into Round 8 after taking down the Sabres in Round 7 young star Che Brogan going off for 21 points along with veteran Riley Spicer’s 18 points. It was Knox who took out game 1 by just 2 points back in Round 3 with Beau Tranter having a massive game with 29 points shooting 7 from 12 from the land of plenty. Harry Stones had an opportunity at the end of the game to steal the win yet couldn’t connect. Expect this to be yet another extremely close game!
VYCW
Bendigo vs Melbourne
It will be Melbourne who jump on the road and head to Bendigo on Sunday with both teams coming to play on the Saturday night on their home courts. Melbourne is cruising along very nicely on a 5 game winning streak, Bendigo is very close behind on a 4 game-winning streak. Sitting 1st and 2nd in the Terril conference, this will be their first of 2 hit outs finding each other again in Round 15 at MSAC. As important as any game is, point differences in these internal games are crucial so expect this game to go all the way through to the final siren. Bendigo is yet to lose at their home and will be looking to keep it that way whilst Melbourne have won more than they have lost on the road making this even more of an exciting game.
YL1M
Coburg vs Craigieburn
Coburg have continued to struggle this year with just the 1 win defeating Collingwood last weekend by a close 3 points on the road. Falling short in their 2 home games this season, the Giants begin their streak of home games this weekend with Craigieburn heading over on Saturday night. Another team battling this year yet notching their 2 wins on the road. After a fresh start with an almost completely new team, Marc Theodore and Christian Saviane have stepped up big for the Giants taking on a big role. The combination of Steven Hooper and Carson Taylor-Jones too have been working hard to get their group on a run and build on their season. Both teams are sitting at the lower end of the ladder, eager to take this win to bump themselves up into what is a very competitive division.
YL1W
Bulleen vs Camberwell
Bulleen faces a very tough weekend hosting the 2 top teams with Camberwell first on the Saturday night then Eltham on the Sunday. Camberwell are 8-0 to start the year whilst Bulleen have dropped just the one game to Eltham back in Round 3. The Boomers have rallied since, going on a 5 game-winning streak leading into Round 8. Star Tahlia Leeson has been dominant thus far averaging over 20 ppg to go with her 5 rebounds and almost 5 steals. Kiera Lindemans adding great value averaging a double-double with the ability to stretch the floor. Camberwell’s length and size across the board has caused trouble for the division, a promising game plan for the Dragons. Duo Jacinta Li and Ryleh Killian both averaging 18ppg in their 25 minutes continue to lead from the front as one of the best pairs in the division. Can Bulleen upset the league and go 2-0 for the weekend?
YL2M
North East vs Albury Wodonga
It’s as local as you can get for North East Bushrangers and Albury Wodonga as the Bandits take a short trip down to North East on Sunday. With no other real local teams in the area, this always gauges attraction and interest in the northern area. Having some quite different season thus far, Albury are sitting comfortably 2nd in the Terril conference whilst North East are battling week in and week out unable to notch their first win for the season. This will be their first of two battles with Albury hosting later in Round 16. These games matter a lot as head-to-head comes into play late in the season with finals around the corner. Expect Brock Thompson to have a big game currently averaging 17ppg to go with his 7 rebounds. Jesse King has been impressive for the Bushrangers with 15ppg, looking for a little more help as the year goes on.
YL2W
Blackburn vs Albury
A massive game for Blackburn last weekend as they took out their first win for the season over Sherbrooke. Looking to make it two in a row, the Vikings will have to put everything into this game as they face the second-seed Bandits. Emily Mansfield came up big in the win with 23 points with Hannah Alderton off the bench with 18 points going 5 from 5 from the stripe. Defence will have to be emphasised, with Albury averaging the 70ppg, second highest in the league. Bridie White has been massive for the Bandits this year averaging 22ppg looking to make quick work away from home to make the trip home a cheery one. Will travel be a factor in this game for Albury giving Blackburn the slight advantage or will Albury begin to build on another winning streak?
