Round 9 saw some of the middle table teams continue their surge, games tight for majority of the four quarters and teams continuing to get the job done. Wyndham and Bellarine continue their winning streak, Hume City trying to get another win on the board and Camberwell still yet to win a game. We are now officially halfway through the season and yet, the competition remains competitive and tight. Things are heating up more each week.
Let's talk about the round that was.
Bellarine (102) def. Hume City (54)
It was all Bellarine from the first quarter as they set themselves up victory off a 36-9. From a 22-3 run in the first, the Storm continued their momentum in the second, taking a 30-point lead at half time. Whilst both teams went on a 9-9 run throughout the third, the Storm continued their momentum to secure the victory. The Storm shot the ball well from two-point range at 56%, 34 points in the paint and 12 points from turnovers. Virt's game was one to mention - 20 points and five rebounds. Bellarine's Strait with 19 points, 4 steals, 2 assists and 1 rebound. Rettstatt, 12 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals.
Sunbury (80) def. McKinnon (69)
The Jets continued their winning streak, securing their fifth win of the season, defeating the Cougars by 11 points. The Jets had a strong first and second quarter, going on a 13-9 run in both quarters. Whilst both teams shot the ball well from two-point range, shooting at 46% and 48% respectively, the Jets shot at 37.5% from three, 5 of which came from Anissa Pounds drilling 3 in a row late in the second. Mirkovic top scored for the Jets with 32 points, 19 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 assist. Sunbury Hildebrand, 21 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. Pounds, 17 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. It isn't all bad news for Mckinnon, with Maltezos and Davis top scoring for the Cougars, both finishing with 18 and 10 points respectively.
Warrnambool (77) def. Camberwell (69)
In a close encounter for three quarters of the game, the Mermaids pulled away in the last quarter by 8 points. The Dragons had a great start to the match, 24-13 up at quarter time, yet the Mermaids then retaliated holding Camberwell to just 8 points in the second. The Mermaids took the lead early in the 3rd quarter off a quick turnover in the backcourt due to some extended pressure before extending the lead to 14 in the 4th to ultimately come out on top. Nielacna had an excellent game with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 1 assist. Mermaid’s Crichton, 12 points, 6 rebounds. Valos, the top scorer for the Dragons, with 35 points, 12 rebounds, 5 steals, 2 assists and 1 block.
Wyndham (89) def. Sherbrooke (69)
It was all Wyndham from the first quarter as they set themselves up the victory off a 32-15 first quarter. Making an 8-point run in the first, Wyndham continued their momentum in the second taking a 21-point lead at half time. Paschal continued to impress us with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Wyndham has now not lost a game since Round 2 which was by just a slim one point to Warrnambool, who they are set to face again in Round 11. Ultimately, Wyndham’s defence pressure was tough for Sherbrooke to keep up with, despite Sherbrooke’s Carline having 17 rebounds (10 defensive) for the game. Sherbrooke have won two of their last five and are set to face Camberwell next week.
Bulleen (73) def. Pakenham (65)
In a thrilling encounter, the Bulleen Boomers defeated the Warriors by 8 points. With the Warriors up by seven at the main break, 9-point scoring run in the first quarter and tied 4-point run each in the second, the Boomers went on a 12-point run in the third. The Boomers won the last quarter 19-13. Boomer’s Vincent-Lord was just about everywhere with 19 points, 11 rebounds (8 defensive) for the match. It was not until the last quarter where Bulleen were able to hold a substantial front and win the game, scoring 19 whereas Pakenham only could get 13 through the ring. It does not go without saying that Pakenham tried their best efforts to get over the line, however, Bulleen were just too strong both and offensively and defensively.
Wyndham (95) def. McKinnon (50)
Wyndham continue their winning streak through to the end of the weekend and unfortunately for Mckinnon, they could not get either game over the line to secure a win. Wyndham led score for the afternoon in an incredible hit out against Mckinnon. Wyndham continued their strong offense and defence with star players Paschal and Jones coming in strong to win the game by 45 points. Not only are Wyndham on a winning streak, but also leading PF and PFA in the division. The question is, who will be able to break their winning streak? Mckinnon's defence is good news, Davis getting 7 rebounds and the team getting 40. Their defence proves to be strong, but couldn't hold up against Wyndham.
Bellarine (88) def. Warrnambool (62)
Two strong contenders for playing in August, this was set to be an exciting game. A strong start from Warrnambool led them to be the game leader at the end of the first quarter, but the firing hot Bellarine came in after a break with an 11-point run to put them in front and despite leading by only a slim 5, they were able to turn over the ball in the second half and steal the ball from Warranambool to score. Their pressure and scoring accuracy continued into the remainder of the game, notably their 71 3P%, which led them to a 26-point win. Rettstatt had a huge 21-point game for the Storm and Nielacna with 16 for Warranambool.
Sunbury (86) def. Hume City (67)
Sunbury, winning 4 of their last 5 took home yet another win against Hume on Sunday afternoon. It was a tight first quarter for the teams, but Sunbury were able to come in and dominate, scoring over 40% for the entire game. Only up by two points in the second quarter, it was ultimately Bronco’s scoring % that allowed the Jets to take the rebound and turnover to score. Jets Hildebrand had 25 points for the match, followed by Bronco’s Overby with 18. The last five games have been tough losses for Hume City, eyes turn to their next game, facing Warrnambool where they should hopefully be able to secure a win.
