Written by Maddy Ryan, Andrew West
MEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISON:
Camberwell (100) def Western Port (89)
A crucial almost must win game for both Camberwell and Western Port did not disappoint on Saturday night. Camberwell going into the weekend having lost their last 3 with the Steelers dropping their last 2, it was shaping up to be a big clash. A close first quarter as they exchanged baskets for the entire 10 minutes until the Dragons took flight in the second pouring in 34 points to lead at the half time break. After some time off, sharpshooter Ben Crowe stepped up when it mattered draining 5/7 from deep with the big man Jack Thornton reliving the glory days finishing with 18 points in his 18 minutes. Russell Permenter has been the key for the Steelers all season continuing to put up consistent numbers just unable to get his group over the line this year. Barkeley, although struggled from deep, played an instrumental role in the win finishing with 15 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists with Veith coming off the bench dishing out a massive 12 assists of his own.
McKinnon (128) def Bellarine (92)
Arguably one of the biggest scores in Championship Men in a regular time game with McKinnon running over Bellarine in a dominant offensive display. Although not leading for much of the game, McKinnon kept the heat on KG and the Storm until they planted their foot down in the second half holding the Storm to 33 while scoring 69 of their own. An impressive starting 5 lead by Steve Wooten saw a very dynamic brand of basketball spacing the floor, cutting off post catches and getting out in transition whilst forcing contest shots constantly. Dominating the rebound count, the Cougars gave themselves 18 extra possessions tiring out the Bellarine defence. McKinnon’s ability to generate offence off Bellarine turnovers was a big decider on Saturday night. Kavione Green has been strong for the Storm all season putting up big numbers every night, finishing with 31 points to go with 9 rebounds and 4 steals.
Shepparton (97) def Melbourne University (91)
A vital win for the Gators to keep them in the race for finals as they take down Melbourne University at home by a slim 6-point margin in overtime. Waighty’s starters were all too much for the Black Angels as they combined for 82 of their 97 points. An unfortunate early ankle injury saw Sam Beks leave the game forcing the Gators to play with a man down. Jayden Coke walked away with one of his better games for the year even with his shooting struggles from deep. Fast forward to the last possession of regular time with Melbourne University’s Joel Rimes taking it strong to the rim just missing followed up by another near miss by Soklevski, the Gators got lucky finding themselves in an overtime battle. Exchanging baskets in the early minutes of overtime until a massive 3 from Kooiman right in front of the Melbourne University bench swung the momentum towards the Gators, never to look back. Kooiman scoring Shepperton’s 8 of their last 9 points helped seal the win.
Wyndham (125) def Blackburn (112)
After 3 games on the trot, the Vikings faced the top of the table Wyndham to break their streak in a high scoring affair. The two league leading scorers of Martin and James continued to show off their bag combining for 69 points, over half of their team score. Wyndham again throwing out different starting line ups with Manassa, Jones and Thomas all coming off the bench immediately making an impact. Deng elevated in transition early in the first off, the Wyndham steal starting in his first Champ Men game for the year. Myles Thomas had to join the party throwing down 2 of his own in the 4th. Wyndham in recent times is truly showing how strong they are taking out wins with starters coming off the bench playing short minutes and sharing the load. Still unable to slow down both Blackburn’s stars, Martin went 7 from 11 from the land of plenty while dishing out 7 assists in his 40 minutes of action.
Pakenham (86) def Sunbury (73)
Pakenham, looking to redeem themselves and secure a finals spot after a previous loss took home the win on Saturday night. It was essentially Pakenham who led from the start, despite a few close calls from Sunbury. Sunbury came out on a scoring run of 14 in the second quarter but it was still Pakenham who maintained the lead each quarter. This does not go without mentioning their notable performances in the 1st (21-18) and 4th (23-17) quarters. Pakenham's consistent scoring, efficient shooting, and strong rebounding (47 rebounds) were the primary factors in their victory. Warrior’s Morton had 19 points and 11 rebounds to finish with a double-double and Fredrickson with 19 points both led the team with their presence on the boards. Jets, while competitive, struggled with shooting efficiency, particularly from the field at 33.7%. Despite solid individual performances from Coffey (17 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists), Sunbury's lower shooting percentages and fewer rebounds contributed to their defeat. Pakenham's ability to maintain the lead in each quarter and capitalise on their scoring opportunities made the difference in this matchup. Sunbury have now lost their last 7 games.
Hume City (99) def Western Port (74)
Hume City continue to hold on tight to their play offs contention with another win on the board on Sunday afternoon. A strong first half from both teams and only a 2-point deficit to the Steelers at half time meant that the game was due to go either way. Foster (Hume City Coach) must have said something in the changerooms at that time because their victory was driven by their strong third quarter, where they outscored Western Port 28-12, creating a substantial lead that Western Port couldn't overcome. Hume City's efficient shooting, particularly from players like McKinney (23 points, 7 rebounds) and Clayton (10 points, 14 rebounds), was a key factor. Additionally, their dominance in rebounding, 56 total rebounds compared to Steeler’s slim 33 allowed them to control the pace of the game and capitalise on second-chance opportunities. Western Port ultimately struggled with shooting efficiency and rebounding. Their 16 turnovers also hampered their efforts to mount a comeback, highlighting the areas where Western Port fell short against a well-rounded Hume City team.
Shepparton (99) def Keysborough (78)
Something tells us that the Gators might be extremely hungry for a playoffs spot as they dominated second placed Cougars. Shepparton remain the sixth place again this week so their next game against Wyndham will be the real test. Keysborough started strong, leading by 14 points after the first quarter, but their shooting efficiency dropped as the game progressed. The notable Cougar’s stars Williams (19 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists) and Newby with his double-double (24 points, 16 rebounds) gave them a strong start but their scoring accuracy and higher turnovers compared to Shepparton hindered their efforts to sustain the lead for the entire 40 minutes. Shepparton’s victory was driven by their strong second half, particularly their dominance in the fourth quarter where they outscored Keysborough in a huge 35-14. Shepparton was all over the ball and able to apply pressure everywhere they looked. Shepparton’s efficient shooting, led by Thomas and Coke, was a key factor in their comeback. Additionally, their strong rebounding (45 total rebounds) allowed them to control the game and limit Keysborough the chance to make a comeback.
You can view our First Teams of the week here.
You can view our Second Teams of the week here.
Photo credits: @torchchavez
