Written by Elly Kirlis, 2024 BV Rookie Reporter Program
Round 7 saw teams bouncing back on the winners list, grand final replay and some surprising, unexpected results from the underdogs.
Sherbrooke (80) def. Camberwell (68)
It was all Sherbrooke in the first as they set themselves up the victory off a 18-8 first quarter. Making a late 8-point run leading into the quarter time break, the Dragons already had a lot of work to do. Whilst the Dragons won the second half 42-36, the deficit proved too much work in such a short time. With the struggles of scoring off the bench by the Dragons, Sooalo was impactful for the Suns in her 20 minutes generating great opportunities for her team. Carline continued to be a force in the league, finishing with a staggering 24 points, 15 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 blocks and 2 assists, finding herself on the All First team. Fagan was impactful for the Dragons coming from NBL1 Central finishing with 21 points shooting 5 from 10 from deep.
Pakenham (75) def. Warrnambool (72)
In a thrilling encounter from start to finish, the Pakenham Warriors secured their fourth victory of the season, upsetting the Mermaids by three points on the road. Whilst the Mermaids won the first half, 22-15 first quarter and 23-19 second quarter, the Warriors were dominant in the third quarter, 22-4. Making a late charge, the Mermaids cut it to 3 with less than a minute off a 3pt from Crichton yet it was Nickerson who down the stretch stood tall and drilled 4 free throws to seal the win. Haille Nickerson finished as the top scorer for the Warriors, with 32 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. Bree Whatman with 16 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal. Mel Prior finished with 12 points, 7 rebounds and 1 assist. Dakota Crichton, the top scorer for the Mermaids, with 20 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists and 1 block.
McKinnon (82) def. Hume City (55)
It was all McKinnon on Saturday night as they dominated from start to finish against Hume City Broncos. A strong display on both ends of the floor saw McKinnon shoot 41 per cent from three, with 27 assists combined. A true example of team basketball as every player scored and collected a non-scoring statistic. Emily Maltezos led the way for the Cougars, with 21 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, finding herself on the All-Star team for the week. Lee Wilkins finished with 18 points and Cassie Hill finished with 13 points. For Hume City, it was back in Round 2 when they caught their last win. They need to find some motivation moving forward before they find themselves out of the race for finals.
Megan Ormiston too scored for the Broncos with 15 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist and 1 steal, while Tashia Overby finished with 14 points and 6 rebounds.
Bellarine (79) def. Sunbury (63)
The Storm secured their seventh win of the season, defeating the Jets by a comfortable 16 points. Bellarine was on fire from two-point range, shooting at 55% for the game, unable to find the bottom of the net from deep. With all 5 starts reaching double figures, it was a constant struggle for the Jets to guard with scores spread around the court on every possession. Stretching the lead to 24 points in the 3rd, it seemed too much for the Jets as their starters struggled to get on a run. Bridgette Rettstatt led all scorers with 21 points, paired with Courtney Strait finishing with 16 of her own. Hildebrand has been so important for this Jets unit again putting up good numbers, just needing a little more help.
Wyndham (89) def Bulleen (63)
In the grand final rematch from 2023, Wyndham got their revenge over the Boomers by 26 points. After a tight first half, with Wyndham taking a four-point lead at half time, Wyndham dominated the third quarter, 33-12 to set up the victory. Shooting at a 43% clip from the land of plenty and missing only 1 free throw for the game (16/17), Wyndham looked a step above the Boomers on Sunday. Even though Bulleen had 9 scores for the game, they shot under 30% for the 40 minutes allowing Wyndham to push the ball with pace and play their brand of ball. Paschal doing Paschal things yet again lead the way with 31 points to go with 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 6 steals.
