By Jonty Ralphsmith
The Pakenham women have recorded their first win of the season, with a 100-63 victory over Sunbury on the road.
The Warriors set the tone with a rampant first quarter where they conceded just 10 points, having averaged 20 points conceded per quarter this season.
The win verified that Pakenham is on the right track with its basketball, having got close to McKinnon, Bulleen, Hume and Camberwell but not being able to put it together for four quarters.
Usual suspects Haille Nickerson, Ebony Sans and Melissa Prior all produced their usual output, but it was the rookies standing up that was most pleasing.
With the result sewn up effectively at halftime, the Warriors were able to ensure all 12 players got at least 10 minutes on the court.
Olivia Howman and Sarah Moresi were a couple of non-starters who showed flashes, but the story of the day was Stella O’Loughlin.
The point guard made her debut on Saturday, aged just 15-years-old, and played a role in the win.
“Having watched her at practice – she’s got a skillset that’s really good and it is exciting,” said coach Robertus Dielemans.
“She practiced with us all last week knowing she would be part of the group.
“Her basketball IQ is really high and that enthusiasm a 15-16 year old talented athlete can add to the group is actually really cool.
“She’s going to be a really exciting player for the club.
“She plays with a great change of pace and has a lovely shot on the outside and has a lot to offer.
“I told her to think about it like it was under 18s, with more physicality.
“Don’t get overawed, just go out and enjoy it, go and play.
“She came on in the second half to give someone a break and she did a great job so I was really impressed.”
Dielemans noted that the team came out after halftime and kept the foot on the throttle, playing with poise before accelerating away.
“I felt our defensive transition really worked for us,” the coach said.
“It’s been a key focus for us because we’ve been giving up too many points so that was a massive area of focus for us.”
“The excitement at the end of the game was massive.
“All the stars were on the bench at that time.
“It was a bit of pandemonium to some degree.
“The girls were thrilled and just to see smiles on faces and know the hard work has come to fruition has been really good.”
The men, meanwhile, extended their lead at every break, beating Warrnambool 90-66 in an away fixture.
They remain at the top of the table with six wins and one loss and play fifth-placed Gippsland this week.
The youth league men won 87-77 over Melbourne University thanks to a third-quarter rampage.
With scores level heading into the second half, it was an arm-wrestle to start before Pakenham got on top from the halfway point of the quarter.
While the Warriors hardly missed, Melbourne University surrendered their opportunities and from there, the Warriors were able to maintain the lead.
The youth league women had a bye.
