Vic Youth Champ Men
Ballarat vs Ringwood
Game 1 - Saturday 6th August 4:00pm at Selkirk Stadium
The Victorian Youth Championship Men finals have been so entertaining, and these two teams have done nothing but dominate the postseason. In what will be an incredible grand final series we see the 3rd placed from Terril conference Ballarat Miners take on the 3rd placed from Watson conference Ringwood Hawks. A match-up the league may not have expected, yet a match-up that will not disappoint.
After knocking off Sandringham in their first hit out, Ballarat managed to roll over both 2nd placed teams Kilsyth and Nunawading coming in with great momentum and high hopes. Playing at the peak of their ability and strength, there is little they can be doing wrong. Ballarat’s depth to go along with their NBL1 talent allows a very well-rounded group, able to play quickly in transition or slow down and find their mismatches. Jeremiah Mckenzie has put in work since returning from college continuing his shooting entourage and finishing with 4/6 from the land of plenty against Nunawading. Amos Brooks proved too big and strong as he finished with 12 points, pulling down 10 rebounds and incredible 4-steal performance.
Ringwood’s veteran experience was too much for the league as they knocked off both 1st placed teams on their road to the finals. Running over Casey in the first week of finals by 4 points then Knox by 8 over the weekend, it would be fair to say they’ve had the toughest road to the finals. With their starting group playing almost 30+ minutes each in all their games, Ringwood’s core has remained calm and taken it one possession at a time. Sebastien Lees, Lachlan Ahale and Angok Angok are no strangers to finals, having been trying time and time again to make it to the end. All contributing highly in every game, each of the 3 adds value in many ways. Harrison Sealey has also had a very impressive season, continuing this into the finals averaging 22 points across the 3 games. With 4 of the starting 5 finishing in double figures in the win against Knox, Ringwood has shown they’re able to trust one another and play systematically finding the best opportunity in every possession.
Statistical Leaders |
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Ballarat |
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Ringwood |
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Zac Dunmore |
16.27ppg |
Points Per Game |
Harrison Sealey |
17.88ppg |
Jackson Talbot |
6.92rpg |
Rebounds Per Game |
Bayley Rough |
9.39rpg |
William Hynes |
4.13apg |
Assists Per Game |
Sebastien Lees |
5.76apg |
Vic Youth Champ Women
Keilor vs Nunawading
Game 1 - Saturday 6th August 4:00pm at Keilor Basketball Stadium
The Victorian Youth Championship Woman finals continue to amaze everyone, coming down to the last 2, both from the same conference. On Saturday we will see 2nd place from Terril conference Keilor Thunder host 1st place from Terril conference Nunawading Spectres. Both outfits earning themselves a fight for the glory after facing one another twice already this year with Nunawading coming out on top in head to head by 9 points.
Keilor caused an upset early in the finals defeating 1st place in Watson Casey Cavaliers earning the Sunday off to then roll over Hume on the weekend installing themselves in the finals dance. Dominant guard, Jaz Salon continues to fill the stat sheet pouring in 26 points against Hume to go along with 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. Losing Grace Graham and Leah Mackenzie to college, Coach Trevor Burnette will look to Remi Langmaid and Bella Peterson again in the Nunawading series. Both finishing in double figures in the win over Hume, they complement Jaz very well, becoming a dominant 3. Keilor’s strong defence, holding teams to an average of 56.8 points per game this season looks to be their strong suit. Keeping Hume to 9 points in the first quarter, no doubt they will have the same defensive mindset coming into this series.
Nunawading has been dominant all year long. Even after losing the Wales sisters halfway through the season, the likes of Stephanie Georgantas, Taylah Schmidtke and Julia Gnocato have stepped up big and given their Spectres a chance for it all. Having the highest scoring rate in the league with 77.2, Nunawading will push Keilor with their intensity and variety of scoring threats. Georgantas has been big for coach Nick Jackson, averaging 11.44ppg in the regular season, shooting 34.25% from 3pt, her ability to stretch the floor gives Nunawading even more scoring opportunities. Coming off a win against the 1st placed Casey Cavaliers, the Spectres are edging closer to the championship, a position they’ve found themselves in 2019, falling every so close short of.
Statistical Leaders |
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Keilor |
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Nunawading |
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Jaz Salon |
11.5ppg |
Points Per Game |
Stephanie Georgantas |
11.44ppg |
Meg Lucas |
8.67rpg |
Rebounds Per Game |
Neave Hancock-Wolfe |
6.52rpg |
Jaz Salon |
4.38apg |
Assists Per Game |
Taylah Schmidtke |
3.28apg |
Youth League One Men
Frankston Blues vs Camberwell Dragons
Game 1 - Saturday 6th July 6.30pm at Frankston Basketball Stadium
In what is guaranteed to be a fierce Grand Final battle, we see the Frankston Blues host the undefeated Camberwell Dragons in Game 1 of this 3-game series. These two teams have faced off twice throughout the season with Camberwell registering the win both times, by 9 in round 2 and 25 in round 8.
The first time these sides met it was the Jackson Dean show, with him collecting 24 points to go with 22 rebounds, he was well supported by Sam Veitch (16 points, 6 assists) and Ben Crowe (20 points). For Frankston it was sharpshooter Josh Cleary who hit 6 3-point shots on his way to 20 points, and whilst Frankston had a solid second half, it wasn’t enough to overcome the margin created by the Dragons in the first. In their second clash, it was Dean (22 points) and Veitch (17 points) who once again did most of the damage, whilst Monaghan (19 points) and Perry (17 points) tried to keep their sides offence ticking over. At the end of the day, the Dragons additional 20 points in the pain proved to be the difference between the two sides.
These teams are coming off very different weekends, with Frankston having an incredibly hard-fought win over a strong Altona Gators, whilst the Dragons were able to share the opportunity around as they cruised to a 40 win over the Sherbrooke Suns. For Frankston Ben Perry was the standout with 30 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, he was playing like a man possessed whilst Monaghan (20 points, 3 steals) and Peirce (15 rebounds) also played their role to perfection. However, it was Kynan Philippe who was the surprise packet off the bench with a handy 16 points on 4 of 7 shooting from deep.
For the Dragons it was Tim Angus who had a dominant first quarter as the Suns gave him too much space, he finished the game with 28 points in just 26 minutes whilst shooting 7 of 9 from deep. Athletic defender Jay Mackenzie also put his stamp on this game with 8 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals and 5 blocks. With so many tools at his disposal, coach Ross Wignell will be hoping they are all firing again this weekend as they face Frankston.
In our key match-up of the game, we have Camberwell’s Jackson Dean against Frankston’s Vincent Monaghan. Both players display superior athleticism that has helped them be standouts in the league this season. Can Monaghan keep Dean off the boards and keep him below his 23 points per game average against the Blues? This is sure to be a great game, make sure you don’t miss out!
Statistical Leaders |
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Frankston |
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Camberwell |
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Ben Perry |
17.46ppg |
Points Per Game |
Jackson Dean |
21.43ppg |
Henry Peirce |
8.3rpg |
Rebounds Per Game |
Jackson Dean |
10.61rpg |
Ben Perry |
4.83apg |
Assists Per Game |
Sam Veitch |
4.77apg |
Youth League One Women
Wyndham Basketball vs Frankston Blues
Game 1 - Sunday 7th July 1.00pm at Eagle Stadium
You’ll want to get down to Eagle Stadium this Sunday as we see Wyndham Basketball host the top-of-the-table Frankston Blues in Game 1 of this 3-game series. Over the course of the season, these teams have gone to battle twice, with the team splitting the season in two very close matchups.
During their first encounter this season it was Wyndham who came away with it by 5 points. It was Eliza Moodie for Wyndham who started the season hot with 20 points and 9 rebounds in an impressive performance, she was ably supported by star teammate Holly Dolny with 13 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. For Frankston, it was regular contributors Tori Jackson and Bonnie Deas who shone with 23 points and 13 points respectively. The second time these teams faced off it was a similar story with another close game. This time it was Frankston that came out the victor by 2 points. Whilst Akot was a welcome addition to this encounter with 12 points and 13 rebounds, it was guard Mackenzie Mitchell with 15 points and 6 rebounds who steered the Blues to the win despite a 15-point rebound difference.
These two teams had similar results last weekend as they comfortably qualified for the Grand Final Series. After being challenged by Bulleen early, Wyndham switched into a zone for the second quarter that saw them pull away to a 16-point halftime lead. The triple threat of Akot, Oakford and Dolny was impressive as they all scored 13 points or more and steered the powerful Wyndham ship to victory. Meanwhile, in Frankston, a 24-8 first quarter set them up for a comfortable win against Pakenham. With 5 scorers in double digits, it was a fantastic team effort all around. Eliana Bravington was a standout with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
In our key match-up of the game, we have Frankston’s Bonnie Deas going head-to-head with Wyndham’s Holly Dolny. With both guards averaging just over 15 points a game, we expect these two to have a strong influence on the result of Game 1. Deas is coming off a big game where she contributed 18 points and 9 rebounds, while Dolny had 13 points while 50% from the 3-point line to go with her 5 assists. Which one is going to lift for a big Grand Final Series?
Statistical Leaders |
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Wyndham |
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Frankston |
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Holly Dolny |
15.8ppg |
Points Per Game |
Eliana Bravington |
17.62ppg |
Ayuen Akot |
11.88rpg |
Rebounds Per Game |
Eliana Bravington |
14.69rpg |
Holly Dolny |
2.27apg |
Assists Per Game |
Lauren Tuplin |
3.31apg |
Youth League Two Men
Albury Wodonga vs Southern Peninsula
Saturday 6th August 5:00pm at Lauren Jackson Stadium
First of the two elimination finals we see the 3rd placed from the Terril conference Albury Wodonga Bandits hit it out against the 4th placed from Watson conference Southern Peninsula Sharks. Way back in round 6 the Bandits proved too strong for the Sharks winning by a dominant 36 points.
The Bandits split their last 4 games to end the regular season, now looking to find form early in a knockout game against a proven Southern Peninsula side. Running over the Sharks early in the year was truly a team effort with 5 players scoring over 10 points, 4 of which came off the bench. Samuel Hawkins averaging 14.93 points per game having an off night didn’t seem to worry coach Matthew Kowalczyk as the team as a whole shot 44% for the game. Ben Ferguson and Brodie Paul have also put in work this year averaging over 10 points per game, causing chaos for the rest of the league.
Though it wasn’t meant to be in their first hit out for the Sharks, this unit is not one to step down from a fight. Finn Jones, averaging 17 points per game in the regular season will look to get to work quickly in this match-up, using his speed and agility when being matched up against bigger bodies. With several players shooting a high clip from the land of plenty, the Sharks might look to stretch the floor and draw out this Bandits outfit to create opportunities for the likes of Amahri Ryer and Patrick Ramsey.
Can the 4th-placed Sharks cause an upset early in this finals battle or will the Bandits be too strong yet again?
Statistical Leaders |
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Albury Wodonga |
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Southern Peninsula |
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Samuel Hawkins |
14.93ppg |
Points Per Game |
Finn Jones |
17ppg |
Jordan Teunon |
7.41rpg |
Rebounds Per Game |
Finn Jones |
7.42rpg |
Tyler Barker |
3apg |
Assists Per Game |
Daniel Munns |
2.5apg |
Bellarine vs Melton
Saturday 6th August 5:00pm at Bellarine Sports Centre
Second of the two eliminations finals we see the 3rd placed from Watson conference Bellarine Storm come up against the 4th placed from Terril Melton Thoroughbreds in what looks to be very exciting. The Thoroughbreds hosted the Storm early in the season falling short by 10 points.
Bellarine’s core unit seemed too strong for Melton early in the year as they were able to just hold on after a late 35-point charge by Melton in the 4th quarter. It was their 31 to 15-point 2nd quarter which blew out this battle. Much of this work comes from the duo of Jarvis Gleeson and Ryan Robinson with 26 points from Gleeson and 21 from Robinson, both of whom averaged over 10 points per game in the regular season. Their high shooting percentage for the year of 51.1% has been beneficial for this Bellarine unit having the 5th highest points per game total in the division. With a tough loss at the end of the season, can Bellarine bounce back quickly and hold their final hopes alive this week?
On the other side of the table, Melton has had to work season long to reach the finals and coming off a bye week they’ll be coming into this game with some fresh legs ready to charge. Scoring 35 points in the 4th quarter against Bellarine early in the year, there is no doubt this outfit can cause some troubles in the postseason. Zak Martinez averaging 19 points per game and Lual Deng not far behind with 18.75 will look to go to work against the storm playing both inside and out. A duo worth keeping an eye out for in this great battle.
Statistical Leaders |
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Bellarine |
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Melton |
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Ryan Robinson |
15ppg |
Points Per Game |
Zac Martinez |
19ppg |
Ethan McDonald |
8.05rpg |
Rebounds Per Game |
Ringo Koj |
7.8rpg |
Jarvis Gleeson |
4.12apg |
Assists Per Game |
Ringo Koj |
3.4apg |
Pakenham vs Whittlesea
Saturday 6th August 6:00pm at Cardinia Life
First, of our two qualifying finals we have the powerhouse Pakenham Warriors sitting on top of the Terril conference face up against the 2nd placed from Watson conference Whittlesea Pacers. Whittlesea hosted the Warriors during the season and came away with the win 98 to 89.
Pakenham has had a very good year dropping only 2 games in the year, one of those to Whittlesea. Michael Johns finished with a team-high 16 points to go along with 8 rebounds, scoring just under his season average of 19 points per game. His fellow teammates did what they could, yet it seemed like the 20 turnovers were the stat that hurt them the most from their end. Winning their last 9 games in a row at the end of the regular season, the warriors come into the matchup with a lot of momentum, looking to continue this into the next round. Are they able to get one back on this Whittlesea unit and progress through to the next week of finals?
The Pacers shooting barrage seemed too much for the Warriors in their last battle, shooting a crazy 16 from 32 (50%!) from the arch. Taj Pilapil’s 5 from 11, Chayse Pinono’s 3 from 4 and Zac Donoghue going 7 from 8 was too much to handle for the Warriors. Scoring over 22 points in each quarter, the Pacers will look to stretch the floor yet again and continue this shooting onslaught. With Chase Page at the helm averaging 22.77 points per game, his brothers in arms will come to his side on Saturday night and battle like there’s no tomorrow.
Will Whittlesea be able to shoot the lights out again or will Pakenham’s long winning streak build from 9 in a row to 10?
Statistical Leaders |
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Pakenham |
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Whittlesea |
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Michael Johns |
19ppg |
Points Per Game |
Chase Page |
22.77ppg |
Michael Johns |
8.44rpg |
Rebounds Per Game |
Dev Pretty |
9.07rpg |
Dylan Jenkinson |
5.41apg |
Assists Per Game |
Chayse Pinono |
4.42apg |
Keysborough vs Sunbury
Saturday 6th August 8:00pm at Rowville Secondary College
In the second qualifying game for the weekend, we see the strong 1st placed from Watson conference Keysborough Cougars face up against the 2nd placed from Terril Sunbury Jets. The last time they hit it out it was the Cougars who came out on top crushing the Jets in a 90 to 66-point win.
The Cougars proved too strong against the Jets back in round 11 as their depth and experience hit the jets early managing to score only 26 points in the first half. With 11 out of the 12 players scoring, the Jets struggled to find ways to generate multiple stops against this strong Cougars unit. Forcing 23 turnovers and allowing only 62 field goal attempts, the Cougars proved too tough. Dylan Moore has done it all for this Cougars outfit averaging 20.56 points per game to go along with 7.06 rebounds and shooting 44.66% from the land of plenty. Dropping their second last game for the regular season and only second for the year, this Cougars group does not seem rattled at all and will look to progress through swiftly making way to the grand final series.
Sunbury has had a very respectful season dropping only 4 games, one to Keysborough mid-way through the year. Yet another group with a deep roster, rotating efficiently, didn’t seem enough as they struggled to value possession against the Cougars. Averaging 16.9 turnovers for the regular season, the 23 in their last hit out against Keysborough will be an area they look to limit severely. Sitting very high in the rebound count for the year falling 2 rebounds short to the Cougars, this Jets outfit could be the team to cause an upset.
Will Josh O’Connell continue his amazing season and lift the Jets over the line, or will the Cougars prove too strong?
Statistical Leaders |
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Keysborough |
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Sunbury |
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Dylan Moore |
20.56ppg |
Points Per Game |
Josh O’Connell |
18.24ppg |
Riley Simmons |
7.47rpg |
Rebounds Per Game |
Daniel Salvatore |
11.81rpg |
Brayden Victor |
3.87apg |
Assists Per Game |
Jordan Theodore |
3.27apg |
Youth League Two Women
Wallan vs Whittlesea
Saturday 6th August 6:00pm at RB Robson Stadium
First, of our two elimination finals, we see the 3rd placed Wallan Panthers host the 6th placed Whittlesea Pacers in a do-or-die knockout. The last two times these two have come across one another it’s been Wallan who’ve come out with the win. The first time by 15 points then doubled the outcome plus more running away by 32 points.
Wallan coming close to a top 2 finish, falling one game short in the end, looking to run over the Pacers yet again and creep closer to the final. Olivia Dalmau had the game of her life in their second hit out coming away with 33 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals shooting 11 from 13 from the line. Dalamu averaging 16.82 points per game, under Ruby Pantisano averaging 16.86 points per game, this dynamic duo will be a force to reckon with on Saturday, getting to work in all assets of the game. Keeping teams to the second lowest average score for the regular season with 53.1 points per game, the Panthers hope to move swiftly past the Pacers and into the final 4.
Not having the best of luck against the Panthers unit, the Pacers are without a doubt, still, a team to look out for. After squeezing into the finals, and winning only 1 of their last 4, coach Anthony Arcangel will have to motivate and install high energy into this Pacers unit to generate some momentum early in this fight. With 4 players averaging over 10 points per game in the regular season, all of which pull down rebounds and find teammates, the Pacers will have to look to play some great team basketball.
Can the Panthers get a third win over the Pacers this year or will the 6th placed Pacers cause an upset in week 1 of the finals?
Statistical Leaders |
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Wallan |
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Whittlesea |
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Ruby Pantisano |
16.86ppg |
Points Per Game |
Isabella Ryan |
14.76ppg |
Olivia Dalmau |
8.73rpg |
Rebounds Per Game |
Isabella Ryan |
7.9rpg |
Olivia Dalmau |
4.32apg |
Assists Per Game |
Rani Taylor |
2.71apg |
Mornington vs Albury Wodonga
Saturday 6th August 6:00pm at RB Robson Stadium
Second, of our two elimination finals, we see the 4th placed Mornington Breakers take on the 5th placed Albury Wodonga Bandits in a won or go home final. Mornington took home the win in both regular seasons hit outs by a combined 16 points.
The Breakers proved too strong on both occasions in the regular season as it was their two top scores putting in the work. Chloe Davenport finished with 14 points and 5 rebounds in the first game, then it was Charli Hayles who finished with 14 points and 5 rebounds in the second game. Some would say they’re meant to play together! Both averaging 11.3 points per game in the regular season, the Breakers will look to follow their lead as they come out firing in the RB Robson Stadium. Finishing on a high note with a win to end the season against the Bandits, coach Ryan Heggart will expect nothing less than immense energy coming into this huge knockout final.
The Bandits have all the tools they need to make a long run deep into the finals with the likes of Tahli Smith and Georgie Salinger. They’ve finished the season with the second-best 3pt percentage shooting at a high clip of 27.8%, showing the new modern style of basketball of stretching the floor and playing with pace. Salinger shooting a crazy 40.74% from the land of plenty, has delivered on all occasions and will look to do the same again. Averaging 10 more points per game in the regular season than the Breakers, it’ll be on the defensive end where if they can limit opportunities and continue to score the way they do, the Bandits might just see themselves moving into the next week of finals.
Statistical Leaders |
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Mornington |
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Albury Wodonga |
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Chloe Davenport |
11.31ppg |
Points Per Game |
Tahli Smith |
16.2ppg |
Caitlin Henshall |
6.28rpg |
Rebounds Per Game |
Tahli Smith |
11.3rpg |
Chloe Davenport |
2.25apg |
Assists Per Game |
Anthea Godden |
2apg |