Posted on 11 May, 2021
A blistering shooting display from Lauren Scherf, Nikita Young, led the NBL1 Cobra Women to an impressive 100-78 road win over the Albury-Wodonga Bandits on Saturday night.
Simply unstoppable on the offensive end, the trio led a red-hot shooting night from deep, combining to go 12-23 from downtown as Cobras drilled a season-best 16 triples en-route to their second straight win. With Scherf going toe-to-toe with Emma Mahady and Brodie-Paige Theodore in the early going – the pair combined for 37 of the Bandits first 39 points while Scherf exploded for 16 first quarter points – the Cobras took control in the second period and never looked back. Tied at 41 apiece, Turner and Young combined for 15 points in a 17-5 run to finish the half, giving Kilsyth a 12 point lead heading into the main break that they would not relinquish.
The Cobras would slow Mahady and Theodore over the final 20 minutes, leading by as many as 24 late as they cruised to their biggest win of the young season, reaching the 100 point mark for the first time in the process.
While Cobras head coach Hannah Lowe was pleased with the Cobras ability to overcome a pair of scoring explosions – Mahady finished with 41 points while Theodore added 28 – she remained cautious of the challenges her young team has faced over the opening four rounds of the season.
“It was great to come away with the win, but Albury certainly tested us with an impressive scoring display,” Lowe said.
“As a group I think we are still finding our identity and every team in the league presents its own challenges as opponents.”
Still searching for more defensive consistency, the Cobras identity may be quietly forming on the offensive end, as Scherf, Young, Turner and Tia Hay each scored in double figures – the third time in four outings the Cobras have boasted such a diverse scoring spread and something that Lowe believes will serve the Cobras well as the season progresses.
We have had a couple of weeks with a nice spread of scorers, and that kind of broad contribution and depth will no doubt pay off in the long run,” Lowe added.
Scherf led the Cobras with a season-high 30 points to go along with 11 rebounds, Young scored a career-best 18 points and added three assists and three steals, Turner recorded 17 points and eight rebounds – six on the offensive end – and Hay chipped-in with 12 points in the victory.
The win moves Lowe’s team to 3-1 to start the season, setting the stage for a 2019 Preliminary Final rematch against the Nunawading Spectres at home on Saturday night. All the action starts from 6pm, with tickets on sale now.
