NBL1 South Recap | Saturday Women's Round 15

Cassidy McLean, Jade Melbourne, Marta Hermida, Anneli Maley, Georgia Pineau, Britt Smart, Keely Froling and Alicia Froling were among those to deliver standout performances in Saturday night's Round 15 NBL1 South action.

It was a night of huge performances in the NBL1 South with 29 points for McLean, 25 points and 11 rebounds for Melbourne, 31 points for Hermida, 26 points and 24 boards for Maley, 36 points for Pineau, 33 points for Smart, 39 points and 17 rebounds for Keely Froling, and 27 points and 18 boards for Alicia Froling.

There were Saturday night wins for the Bendigo Braves, Casey Cavaliers, Kilsyth Cobras, Ballarat Miners, Ringwood Hawks, Geelong Supercats, Sandringham Sabres and Knox Raiders.

Round 15 in the NBL1 South got underway on Friday night with the Nunawading Spectres winning on the road 67-49 against the Geelong Supercats and the Sandringham Sabres defeating the Hobart Chargers 83-74.

Then on Saturday night, the Bendigo Braves moved clear on top of the NBL1 South standings with a round remaining in the regular season beating the Melbourne Tigers 100-52.

Cassidy McLean finished with 29 points for Bendigo on the back of seven three-pointers with Megan McKay adding 13 points and 13 rebounds. Lily Carmody ended up with 22 points and eight rebounds for the Tigers.

Two teams out of the playoff race then locked horns with the Casey Cavaliers defeating the Dandenong Rangers 85-60.

Sarah Boothe was superb for the Cavs with 22 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks with Rachel Bell adding 18 points and Steph Blicavs 17. Gemma Potter scored 15 points to go with eight rebounds for the Rangers.

The Kilsyth Cobras scored the upset win at home on Saturday night defeating the finals bound Nunawading Spectres 72-69.

Nikita Young top-scored for Kilsyth with 16 points in 16 minutes of court time with Lauren Scherf returning from Birmingham with 11 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Cassidy Mihalko had 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Spectres.

Whatever playoff hopes the Ballarat Miners still have they kept alive on Saturday night with the 89-68 victory at home against the Diamond Valley Eagles.

Jade Melbourne made a welcome return from the Australian Opals US tour with 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for the Miners. Hope Terdich top-scored for the Eagles with 21 points and six rebounds.

The Ringwood Hawks maintained their hold on second position in the NBL1 South by beating the Eltham Wildcats 87-68 on Saturday night.

Marta Hermida top-scored for Ringwood with 31 points to go with eight assists with Merena Whittle back from the Commonwealth Games with 20 points. Anneli Maley did all she could to lift Eltham with 26 points, 24 rebounds and six assists.

The Geelong Supercats bounced back from the Friday night loss to beat the Keilor Thunder away from home 72-65 on Saturday.

Sara Blicavs produced 24 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals in the win for Geelong with Maddie Garrick delivering 22 points and eight rebounds for Keilor.

The Sandringham Sabres denied the Launceston Tornadoes the chance to confirm their place in the finals for 2022 by winning on the road 87-76.

Georgia Pineau had another huge performance for Sandringham with 36 points and eight rebounds with Britt Smart putting up 33 points and 11 boards. Keely Froling was massive in the loss for Launceston with 39 points and 17 rebounds.

The Knox Raiders then all but locked away their playoff position by beating the Mount Gambier Pioneers 75-68 on the road on Saturday night.

Alicia Froling put up 27 points and 18 rebounds in the win for the Raiders while Hannah Young finished with 21 points and 11 boards for the Pioneers.

There are three more matches on Sunday afternoon to close Round 15 in the NBL1 South Women's competition with the Frankston Blues hosting the Kilsyth Cobras, the Melbourne Tigers taking on the Ballarat Miners, and the Waverley Falcons facing the Ringwood Hawks.

NBL1 SOUTH – 2022 WOMEN'S SEASON
ROUND 15 – SATURDAY NIGHT

BENDIGO BRAVES 100 defeated MELBOURNE TIGERS 52

The Bendigo Braves put one hand on the regular season championship by beating the Melbourne Tigers by 48 points at home on Saturday night.

With one round of the regular season remaining, the Braves consolidated top spot in the NBL1 South with their dominant showing on Saturday at Red Energy Arena.

Bendigo didn’t take long to take over the contest by going on a 14-0 run in the first quarter and ending up delivering 32 points to six to be up 26 points to the good already by quarter-time.

Melbourne managed to stem the tide in the second quarter but then the Braves pulled away further in the third quarter with another 29 points to 13 to end up leading by as much as 45.

The lead got out to 52 points in the fourth term as well before they went on to win 100-52.

The result means that Bendigo improves to 18-2 in top spot after the penultimate round while the Tigers are 3-16 with a game at home to Ballarat to come on Sunday.

The Braves finished the night shooting 48.7 per cent from the floor while hitting 15/39 at 38.5 per cent from downtown with the Tigers going at 32.3 per cent overall and 3/16 at 18.8 per cent from long-range.

Cassidy McLean ended up with 29 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks for Bendigo with Megan McKay a dominant presence in just 22 minutes with 13 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Abbey Wehrung added 13 points, Kelly Wilson 11 points, nine assists, six rebounds and five steals, Madeline Sexton 10 points, and Caitlin Richardson nine points and five assists.

Lily Carmody top-scored for Melbourne with 22 points, eight rebounds and three assists with Jess Tomkins adding 16 points, 11 boards, three assists and two blocks.

 

CASEY CAVALIERS 85 defeated DANDENONG RANGERS 60

The playoffs might still be all but out of reach for the Casey Cavaliers but they are ending the season on a positive note after a commanding 25-point home win against the Dandenong Rangers.

The Cavs played host to the Rangers at Casey Stadium in Round 15 of the NBL1 South on Saturday night with both teams looking to finish their seasons with some momentum.

While Dandenong scored seven straight points in the first quarter, Casey responded with their own 8-0 run to end up leading by 11 and to still be on top 30-25 by quarter-time.

The Cavaliers then took over the contest in the second quarter by piling on 24 points to 10 to end up leading by as much as 19 points and to be up 54-35 by half-time.

Casey consolidated their advantage throughout the second half to end up winning 85-60 and improve to an 11-9 record on the season while Dandenong is now 5-15.

The Cavs ended up shooting 47.1 per cent from the field opposed the Rangers going 32.9 while the home team also pulled down 59 rebounds to 35 while taking 18 free-throws to five.

Sarah Boothe delivered 22 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks and two assists in a dominant display for Casey with Rachel Bell adding 18 points, seven boards and seven assists.

Steph Blicavs also had 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists, Kyra Webb nine points and nine rebounds, and Dakota Crichton 10 points and six boards.

Gemma Potter top-scored for Dandenong with 15 points and eight rebounds with Luisa Fakalata contributing 13 points and four boards, and Clare Camac eight points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.

 

KILSYTH COBRAS 72 defeated NUNAWADING SPECTRES 69

The Kilsyth Cobras pulled off a big upset win in a thriller on their home court by three points against the Nunawading Spectres on Saturday night.

The Cobras were playing host to the top four bound Spectres at Kilsyth Sports Centre in Round 15 of the NBL1 South and it presented a chance to take a big scalp before the end of the season.

Both teams had their turns in the lead in the first quarter before the Spectres were up 20-19 at quarter-time and then the Cobras took over in the second term to end up leading by seven, and still 42-37 at the half.

Kilsyth pushed out further to a 13-point edge during the third quarter but Nunawading still threw everything at a fightback, but could never quite take back the lead with the Cobras holding on for perhaps their best win of the season, 72-69.

It's a nice boost before the end of the season for the Cobras who improve to a 9-12 record as a result while the Spectres remain fourth at 14-7.

Nikita Young top-scored for Kilsyth with 16 points and three rebounds on 6/8 shooting from the floor including 2/2 from downtown.

Georgia Booth added 14 points, Lauren Scherf 11 points, nine rebounds and six assists fresh off winning bronze in 3x3 at the Commonwealth Games, and Carly Turner 10 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Cassidy Mihalko produced 19 points and 12 rebounds for Nunawading with Megan Mullings contributing 13 points, nine boards and three blocks, Rachel Antoniadou 11 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and Alice Kunek 11 points and eight rebounds.

 

BALLARAT MINERS 89 defeated DIAMOND VALLEY EAGLES 68

The Ballarat Miners kept their NBL1 South playoff hopes alive with a 21-point win at home against the Diamond Valley Eagles on Saturday night.

The Miners need to keep winning if they are to be a chance of breaking into the top eight and take part of the finals in NBL1 South and that was the challenge against Diamond Valley on Saturday at Selkirk Stadium.

It was quite the remarkable start to the game with Ballarat dominating the opening in almost unbelievable fashion. The Miners ended up outscoring the Eagles 37 points to two in the first quarter with Diamond Valley's points only coming from two separate trips to the foul line.

Diamond Valley didn’t hit a field goal until a minute into the second quarter courtesy of Hope Terdich. 

From that point, the Eagles actually played well and outscored the Miners including 23 points to eight in the fourth quarter, but the damage was done and Ballarat cruised to the 89-68 win.

The victory improved the Miners to an 11-8 record on the season to be still in the playoff hunt before playing the Melbourne Tigers on Sunday while Diamond Valley is now 2-19.

Jade Melbourne was back from her Australian Opals commitments and delivered 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for Ballarat with Isabella Brancatisano adding 21 points, four steals, three rebounds and two assists.

Zitina Aokuso also put up 19 points and nine rebounds, Stephanie Gorman 12 points and three assists, and Charlotte Brancatisano five points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Hope Terdich top-scored for Diamond Valley with 21 points and six rebounds with Sophie Burrows adding 14 points and six boards, and Emma Mahady 11 points and six rebounds.

 

ELTHAM WILDCATS 68 lost to RINGWOOD HAWKS 87

The Ringwood Hawks guaranteed themselves at least a top two finish in the NBL1 South Women's competition by beating the Eltham Wildcats by 19 points on Saturday night.

Ringwood arrived at Montmorency Secondary College for the Saturday night Round 15 match up looking solid in second spot, and by the end of the night they guaranteed they can't finish any lower than second with one round remaining.

The Hawks weren’t in a mood to mess around against the Wildcats and went on a 17-0 scoring run in the first quarter to end up leading by as much as 22 points before being on top 35-16 already by quarter-time.

They basically maintained a similar advantage the rest of the way with the lead getting as big as 28 points in the fourth term before they ended up winning 87-68.

Ringwood improved to a 17-3 record as a result of the win ahead of taking on Waverley on Sunday while the Wildcats are now 7-13 with one round to go in their season. 

Marta Hermida ended the night with 31 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals for the Hawks on the back of shooting 11/19 from the field, 4/9 from three-point range and 5/5 at the foul line.

Marena Whittle was back from winning bronze in 3x3 in Birmingham to deliver 20 points, five rebounds, four steals and three assists with Jacqueline Trotto contributing 10 points, five rebounds, three assists and two blocks, and Toni Farnworth nine points, six boards and four assists.

Anneli Maley had a huge performance for Eltham with 26 points, 24 rebounds, six assists and two steals with Korinne Campbell adding 14 points and 12 boards, and Hailey Leidel 10 points, four rebounds and two assists.

 

KEILOR THUNDER 65 lost to GEELONG SUPERCATS 72

The Geelong Supercats bounced back from losing on Friday night to score a hard earned seven-point win against the Keilor Thunder on the road on Saturday.

The Supercats struggled in a loss to the Nunawading Spectres at home on Friday night in what was a cruel blow to their top four prospects, but they needed to bounce back on Saturday against the Thunder at Keilor Stadium.

Geelong started strongly with 22 points to 11 in the opening quarter including scoring 10 consecutive points.

However, Keilor fired back in the second quarter with their own 10-0 run with 24 points to 15 so the game was up for grabs at half-time with the Supercats leading 37-35.

The Supercats were able to pull away in the third quarter with 21 points to 12 and that set up their eventual 72-65 victory.

As a result of the win, Geelong stays fifth at 14-7 while Keilor is 9-11 with one round of the regular season remaining.

Sara Blicavs put in a starring performance for the Supercats finishing with 24 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals while Sarah Elsworthy contributed 19 points, seven boards and three assists.

Alex Duck contributed 14 points and six rebounds, and Eva Braslis six points and eight boards.

Maddie Garrick top-scored for Keilor with 22 points and eight rebounds with Monique Andriuolo adding 14 points and three boards, Aneta Bandilovska nine points and six rebounds, and Christa Reed eight points, six boards and four assists.

 

LAUNCESTON TORNADOES 76 lost to SANDRINGHAM SABRES 87

The Sandringham Sabres completed their perfect weekend in Tasmania with an 11-point win against the Launceston Tornadoes on Saturday night.

Sandringham opened their weekend on Friday beating the Hobart Chargers 83-74 and backed up against the Tornadoes on Saturday at Elphin Sports Stadium.

It was the home team who got off to a flying start, though, with the Tornadoes going on a 10-0 run and leading by 13 points at the end of the first quarter.

The Sabres began to turn the tide in the second period with 22 points to 14 to cut the Launceston lead to 39-34 at half-time.

Still it was the Tornadoes in control in the third quarter as they pushed back out to a 10-point lead.

That threw the gauntlet down to the Sabres and they responded with 14 straight points in the fourth term to go from three points down to 11 points up and they ended up winning 87-76.

The victory improves the Sabres to a 10-11 record on the season while the Tornadoes are 13-8 in eighth spot still.

Georgia Pineau backed up her dominant showing on Friday against Hobart with another huge performance on Saturday for Sandringham made up of 36 points, eight rebounds and two assists.

Britt Smart was also tremendous for the Sabres with 33 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two steals on 3/6 shooting from long-range and 10/10 at the foul line.

Keely Froling did all she could to lift Launceston with 39 points and 17 rebounds with Mariah Payne adding 17 points and five boards, and Charli Kay 10 points, four assists and three rebounds.

 

MOUNT GAMBIER PIONEERS 68 lost to KNOX RAIDERS 75

The Knox Raiders produced an impressive performance away from home on the eve of the finals to beat the Mount Gambier Pioneers by seven points.

The Pioneers had the chance to guarantee themselves a top four position a week out from the regular season when hosting the Raiders at The Ice House on Saturday night.

However, Knox arrived on a mission and were leading 28-20 already by quarter-time.

Mount Gambier turned things back around in the second term with 21 points to 14 to make it a tight battle at half-time with Knox leading 42-41.

Gradually the Raiders were able to pull away throughout the second half to lead by as much as 13 points in the fourth quarter to end up winning 75-68.

Following the result, Knox improves to 13-7 on the season in sixth position with one week of the season to go while Mount Gambier is 15-5 in third spot.

Alicia Froling was a dominant force in the win for the Raiders with 27 points and 18 rebounds with Klara Wischer adding 13 points, 12 rebounds and five assists.

Sara Hamson added 12 points and Kara Tessari 12 points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists.

Hannah Young finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds for Mount Gambier, Jasmin Howe 15 points and four boards, Shakera Reilly 12 points and nine assists, Cassandra Brown 10 points and eight rebounds, and Haileigh Reinoehl 10 points, three rebounds and three assists.