Posted on 1 May, 2019

The NBL1 Cobra Women and Men play host to the Ballarat Rush/Miners on Saturday Night in the NBL1 Game of the Week to headline Junior Domestic Night.

🎫TICKETS |  📺Watch Women |  📺Watch Men

On the Men’s side, it’s a battle of the league’s two best teams, setting the stage for the the most anticipated NBL1 game to date. The Cobras enter with a 6-1 record, having dropped their first game of 2019 last weekend in an upset defeat to the Southern Sabres. The Cobras terrific start to the new NBL1 season can be attributed to their remarkable depth, with Peter Hooley, Tohi Smith-Milner, Chris Patton, Owen Odigie and Isaac Turner all boasting double-digit scoring numbers in 2019. Hooley (19.2ppg/5.8apg) and Smith-Milner (17.2ppg/9.5rpg) have starred in the early going, while the second unit has been just as impressive, with Ben Ursich, Sean MacDonald and Felix von Hofe combining for 25 points per game.

The Miners start Round 6 as the NBL1’s only undefeated team, pushing their record to a perfect 5-0 record behind a dominant 63 point road win over Albury-Wodonga last Saturday. Big man Deng Acuoth starred in their Round 5 win, recording a ridiculous 21-point, 15-rebound, 11-block triple-double for the Miners, cementing himself as the NBL1’s premier shot blocker in the process (4.2bpg). Depth has played a significant role for the Miners, too, with Jerry Evans Jr., Kuany Kuany, Marqueze Coleman and Sam Short each averaging over 15 points per contest to start 2019.

The Cobras receive a significant boost with the return of Turner, with the all-league guard set to play for the first time since the opening round when he suffered a fracture in his right hand. With Turner back in the fold, the Cobras enter the weekend at full health, setting the stage for a classic battle at home between the league’s two hottest teams.

The Cobra Women enter with a 3-4 record, having played some spectacular basketball of late, including back-to-back 30 point wins over Melbourne and the Southern Sabres. The Cobras turnaround has been fuelled by a renewed focus on the defensive end and some lights-out shooting from deep, led by guard Kara Tessari (14 3PM in last three games). Lauren Nicholson (21.4ppg/4.4rpg/4.8apg) continues to lead the way for Kilsyth, while forward Klara Wischer (15.0ppg/7.2rpg/2.2spg) has played some outstanding basketball over the past two weeks to help the Cobras get their season back on track.

The Rush currently sit at the bottom of the Women’s standings, but have played some solid basketball over the past two weeks, dropping a pair of close games to Knox and Albury-Wodonga. The Rush are led by import Olivia Hackmann (17.0ppg/4.8rpg) and 18-year-old rising star Georgia Amoore(15.5ppg/4.5rpg/4.2apg), while Hsi-Le Bao and Chanise Jenkins each average over 11 points and six boards per contest.

While the Rush enter the weekend winless, they boast a strong starting group capable of catching fire, but the likes of Nicholson, Wischer and Tessari could prove too much to handle as the Cobras look to win their third straight at home.

All Kilsyth Junior Domestic players who wear their club gear will receive FREE ENTRY to both games on Saturday night, so rock your domestic colours and enjoy what promises to be a MONSTER night of elite hoops action!

All the action tips-off with the Women at 5.30pm, with the Men to follow at 7.30pm. Book your tickets ahead of time and avoid the Saturday night rush via Trybooking.

🎫TICKETS |  📺Watch Women |  📺Watch Men