By Lance Jenkinson
Werribee Devils sent a warning to the rest of the Big V basketball women’s state championship with a resounding 92-70 win over Keilor Thunder at the Keilor Basketball Stadium on Sunday.
The top-of-the-ladder Devils were scorching hot at times in their dismantlement in the chase for the minor premiership.
“It was a good result for us,” Devils coach Reece Potter said.
“It showed that when we’re firing, we can compete with the best teams in the competition.
“Other than the third quarter, which we lost 24-14, it was a strong performance all round.”
Werribee ran riot in a scintillating second quarter. The Devils piled on 36 points to 12 to break the game wide open.
“We turned it on in the second and that’s where the game was won,” Potter said.
“We just made a really big, comprehensive run.
“It was a bit of a whitewash there.
“Early on in the year, they basically did the same to us when we played them in round two without our imports.
“It was almost a reverse of that.”
The Devils had a major scare when import Alisia Jenkins went down clutching her knee.
It was friendly fire from teammate Georgia Tauschke who fell across Jenkins’ knee, leaving her hobbling away.
Jenkins returned to the game and finished with a busy 24 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in just 29 minutes.
“She wasn’t in a great space for a bit there, but she came back and performed really well,” Potter said.
Sarah Elsworthy played a starring role for Werribee. In a landmark week in her career when she earned a full contract with WNBL club Adelaide Lightning, Elsworthy got back to work to produce 24 points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals.
Elsworthy will see out the season with Werribee.
Others to impress for Werribee were Maxine Allan with 14 points, Alexyz Vaioletama with nine points and nine rebounds and Jessica Slade with nine points and 10 rebounds.
Werribee remains a game clear on top of the ladder ahead of a blockbuster bout with defending champions Sunbury Jets at Eagle Stadium on Saturday at 6.30pm.
In the men’s state championship, Werribee Devils earned a split on a double header weekend.
The Devils went down 109-78 to Hawthorn Magic on Saturday night, but bounced back on Sunday with a 114-97 victory over Casey Cavaliers.
Imports Konor Kulas shot 47 points and seven rebounds, and David Shepard, shot 35 points and 17 rebounds.
MORE BIG V NEWS
www.starweekly.com.au/sports/winning-weekend-keeps-melton-thoroughbreds-in-the-race/
www.starweekly.com.au/sports/sunbury-jets-soar-to-new-heights-in-big-v/
www.starweekly.com.au/sports/fourth-quarter-the-difference-for-keilor-thunder/
