Posted on 6 June, 2017

Tipping-off the weekend on Saturday night against the Bendigo Braves, Brett Spicer’s Women appeared headed for crushing home loss, trailing by as many as 21 points in the second period before roaring back for an incredible 57-50 victory.

Trailing, 13-34 midway through the second quarter, the Cobras turned up the heat on both ends of the floor, outscoring the Braves 44-16 the rest of the way to record a key win over their conference rival. Bree Mackenzie fuelled the Cobras comeback, scoring 19 points during the run, while rookie Lauren Bird provided a huge spark off the bench with six points and three steals, and was a +19 whilst on the floor.

Mackenzie finished with a near triple-double, scoring a game-high 28 points to go along with seven rebounds and an incredible ten steals in the win. The Cobras record now stands at 6-10 just a half game behind the Braves for fifth in the Watson Conference standings.

Inspired by the Women’s comeback theatrics, the Cobra Men took a similar route at home on Saturday night, overcoming a 17 point second quarter deficit to defeat Altona, 90-73.

Trailing, 32-49 with under two minutes remaining in the second period, Ben Ursich closed the half with five quick points to give the Cobras a spark heading into the locker room, and they never looked back. Mark Landell’s Men exploded out of halftime with a 25-4 run to take over the game, looking as good as they have all season during the game-changing run. 

With Jamie Ahale away with the SEABL Men’s team, it was Ursich who filled the scoring void, recording a season-high 21 points to go along with 12 rebounds and four steals in the win. Jorden Adnam caught fire in the second half, finishing with a game-high 29 points while adding eight rebounds and five assists, Mitch Dielemans chipped-in with 14 points and six assists, while Will MacRae was big off the bench, sparking the Cobras run while recording a +20 point differential off the bench.

Following Saturday’s comeback win, the Cobras played from ahead on Sunday, cruising to a 91-70 win over Waverley on the road. The Cobras got off to an 11-3 lead early on a didn’t look back, cruising to their 10th win of the season.

Once again it was the trio of Dielemans, Ursich and Adnam leading the way for the Cobras, with Dielemans receiving from a poor shooting game the night prior to finish with 29 points and five assists in the win. Adam added 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists, Ursich battled foul trouble throughout but still finished with 13 points and six rebounds in limited minutes, while rookie reserve Brad Heywood scored a career-high 14 points off the bench.

The Cobras record now stands at 10-5, tied for second place in the Watson Conference and third in the league overall.