Posted on 9 April, 2018

The Cobra VYC Men and Women were busy during Round 3 of the Big-V season, each going 1-1 during their doubleheader weekend.

Women Continue to Surprise Early in 2018:

After they couldn’t buy a bucket on Saturday night against Sandringham – a game they would lose, 55-82 – the Cobra Women bounced-back in a big way on Sunday, recording a gritty 74-56 overtime win over Bulleen at home. After seeing their five-point lead disappear in the final minute of regulation, the Cobras responded in spectacular fashion during overtime, with Lauren Bird and Maddie Taranto fuelling an incredible 19-1 run in the extra period to – eventually – cruise to victory.

Bird came off the bench to score eight of her 11 points in overtime, while Taranto led the Cobras with a 17-point, 12-rebound double-double. Miranda Gartner, Taylah Black and Sarah Haberfield also scored in double-figures for the Cobras, who pushed their record to 4-2 on the season.

After missing the postseason in 2017, first year head coach Claire Knight now has the Cobra Women sitting atop the Watson Conference standings after three rounds of play.

Men Maintain League’s Best Record:

The Men won their fourth consecutive game to start the season on Saturday night, defeating Sandringham, 94-91 in a thriller on the road. Jorden Adnam, Mitch Dielemans and Will MacRae shouldered the load offensively for the Cobras, as they combined to score 73 of the team’s 94 points and came up huge in crunch time to lead Kilsyth to a come-from-behind victory.

Trailing, 89-91 with 90 seconds remaining, Dielemans found MacRae for the game-tying layup, and then on the Cobras next possession, MacRae returned the favour to Dielemans, finding the point guard for the go-ahead three-pointer with 58 seconds remaining. The Cobras stymied a pair of potential game-tying baskets from the Sabres in the final seconds as they held on to win one of the league’s most exciting games of 2018.

Dielemans led the Cobras with a game-high 29 points; Adnam recorded a near triple-double, finishing with 25 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists; and MacRae added 19 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the win.

Saturday’s theatrics could not be repeated on Sunday, though, as the Cobras ran out of gas late against a talented Eltham team, falling, 75-91 at home. Finding themselves in an eight-point hole midway through the third period, the Cobras reeled off a 16-3 run to take a five point lead late in the quarter and appeared ready to break open the game. But an incredible three-point barrage from Eltham sparked a game-changing 19-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters, a run that ultimately delivered the Cobras their first loss of the new season.

Dielemans led Kilsyth in scoring once again, finishing with 22 points and five assists; MacRae buried six three-pointers en-route to a 20 point performance; and Adnam added a 15-point, 11-rebound, five-assist double-double in defeat.

Both the VYC Men and Women hit the road for the next two weekends, with their next home games scheduled for April 28 (Women vs Ringwood) and April 29 (Men vs Bulleen).