By Jonty Ralphsmith
Pakenham’s Big V Championship women’s team is still looking for its first win of the season after two tight losses on the weekend.
In a game of momentum swings, Pakenham couldn’t stay with McKinnon late after going into the last stanza with a three-point lead.
Ebony Sans built on that lead with a three pointer to open the scoring in the final quarter.
It set the platform for a competitive first few minutes, with Pakenham stretching the lead to eight halfway through the last period before McKinnon got the running.
Pakenham’s only points thereafter came via a pair of free-throws, while they conceded 17 points in the five-and-a-half minute period to lose by seven points.
Haille Nickerson sunk 19 points to go with eight rebounds, six assists, and a pair of steals, but will be ruing a couple of late missed shots.
So too will Mel Prior and Sans, with the trio missing seven shots between them after the Warriors’ last score as they wasted their opportunities.
Against Hume the following day, it was a 30-16 third quarter that let the Warriors down.
After leading by nine at the main break, their hard work was erased as Hume got the lead and stayed on top for the last quarter-and-a-half.
The Warriors worked their way to within four points in the last minute and Nickerson had a chance to bring it within two points, but missed, with Hume able to hang on after that.
Nickerson was, however, the dominant scorer again scoring 21 points to go with seven rebounds.
The weekend’s results leave Pakenham seventh on the ladder as one of the two only win-less teams.
The men, meanwhile, fared much better, gritting away in the first half before pulling away after the main break to record a 100-74 win.
Each of the starting five all sunk at least 13 points, led by 20 and 17 rebounds to Joe Davis in an even team performance.
Ned Weideman, Michael Johns, Elias Kafrouni and Joshua Dow were the other starters with the Warriors using nine players.
Pakenham is undefeated after three matches and sit on top of the ladder and next week face Chelsea which is 1-1.
The Warriors were outdone in the youth league women twice on the weekend.
The clash with McKinnon was a low-scoring one, Pakenham going down 55-46 and always looking the inferior team.
Ben Gaze’s team could only put 17 points on the board up to halftime, but, positively, showed plenty of character by fighting it out in the second half.
After going tit-for-tat with McKinnon in the third quarter, they kept the intensity up in the last to trim the final margin, led by Chloe Zielinski (eight points, 12 rebounds, five steals).
The following day saw them go down 82-50 to Bulleen: after hanging tough and trailing by four at the first break, Bulleen got on top after that, putting the foot down in the second half.
Pakenham’s youth league men were made to pay for a poor final quarter and five missed shots in the last 63 seconds – and eight in the last two minutes.
Surf Coast’s Ryan Drinkwater’s three-pointer gave the visitors the lead late and his was the only score in the last two minutes as the Warriors had all the opportunities but couldn’t convert.
One of many who will be ruing a late miss is Hayden Melsen, but he led the way for Pakenham throughout the day with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
