THE Melbourne United Victorian Junior Basketball League (MUVJBL) Under-16 Boys Championship Division moves into the semi-finals this week with the Keilor Thunder and Dandenong Rangers facing off at Mullum Mullum Stadium, while the Waverley Falcons attempt to rebound at Eagle Stadium against the Geelong Supercats.
Keilor Thunder (3rd, 12-5-1) vs Dandenong Rangers (6th, 10-7-1)
The first Semi-Final pits the Keilor Thunder against the Dandenong Rangers. Last week, the Thunder copped a 50-point loss in their match against Bulleen – conceding three terms with more than 20 points, and only two of their own more than 10. The Rangers proved better than the Raiders last week (61-54) to advance from the bottom. Late in August, they squared off with Keilor at home to record a 43-43 draw – previously recording a loss in March on the road (47-38). Cooper Colson was the only Keilor player to record double-digits (10) last week and remains one of the biggest threats for this game – ranking eleventh across the league for points per game (PPG) with 13.5. Brodie McWhinney also poses a genuine threat with 11 PPG. Similarly, Beau Tranter was the only Dandenong player to record double-digits last week but managed a massive 21 points. Jerome Pierre remains Dandenong’s most consistent scorer with 15.3 PPG, while Tranter follows with 14.2.
Waverley Falcons (4th, 12-6) vs Geelong Supercats (5th, 10-7-1)
The Waverley Falcons and Geelong Supercats will kick off the second semi-final at Eagle Stadium. Last fortnight, the Falcons got the better of the Supercats (66-58) but performed below par in April (62-77). In last week’s clash, the Falcons fell victim to Eltham’s seventh consecutive win (79-69) at Mullum Mullum Stadium. In Melton, the Supercats outdid the Braves by 20 points (74-54) after a dominate showing in the first-half. Waverley will look for David Amum to back up his 18 points last week, with Matt Jefferson‘s (15) efforts also catching a few eyes. Currently, Amum ranks fifth in the league for PPG (15.9), followed by Tesloch Thong in thirteenth and Jefferson in fifteenth. Jet Kneebone led for the Supercats last week, dropping 19 points alongside Olivier Northam (16) and Billy Dawson (14). Northam ranks third in the league for PPG (19.9) and second for total points (199), while Kneebone boasts 12th spot for PPG.
