By ADEM SARICAOGLU
THE Keilor Thunder is now second in Men’s Division Two Big V basketball after just holding on a for thrilling road win over the Pakenham Warriors on Saturday night.
Two of the division’s title contenders took to the court in a crucial battle for second spot and provided for a dogged four quarters of basketball.
But by the final buzzer it was the visitors who emerged victorious, clinging onto a three-point lead for their 10th win of the year from 14 outings.
The Thunder came out firing in the opening term to establish a 20-11 buffer by quarter time but by halftime saw their lead get whittled down to six.
By three-quarter time Keilor led by just four but managed to keep that one step ahead for the remainder of the game, finishing up 65-62 winners.
The Thunder could do little all night as Pakenham’s James Magrath and James Topp both led the Warriors’ scoring with 18 points each, but at the other end it was Keilor’s larger spread of double-figure scorers that did the trick.
Matthew Jukes led the way with 18 points and seven rebounds for the night and was closely followed by Peter Leppik, who scored 14 points with 10 rebounds.
Andrew Freeman (14 points, eight rebounds) and Brent Radoslovic (10 points, nine rebounds) were also more than handy in the Thunder’s win.
On Sunday it was the Keilor women’s turn to deliver, and deliver they did on home court against the Melbourne University Black Angels.
However, unlike their male counterparts the previous night, Keilor enjoyed a rather comfortable Sunday afternoon after setting the tone for the game in the first quarter.
The Thunder charged out to a nine-point lead by quarter time and managed to hold it through an even second term.
But after the main break the floodgates opened once more, and by three-quarter time Keilor’s buffer had blown out to 15, which remained the final margin.
Usual suspect Jodi Impey was the star of the day with 24 points and eight rebounds, while Jessica Francke’s figures of 17 points and seven rebounds were also noteworthy. Both teams will again hit the road for their round 15 clashes this weekend.
