By ADEM SARICAOGLU
TOP spot was already theirs but the Werribee Devils will not go into the Women’s Division Two Big V finals series with winning form.
Further to that, the Devils will also embark on their campaign in the knowledge their bogey team will most likely be waiting for them in the grand final series later next month.
The Devils hosted the Southern Peninsula Sharks on Sunday, but again failed to overcome their nemesis.
It was a costly second term in which the Sharks outscored Werribee 24-12 that led to the home team’s doom, after an even opening term that ended with Southern Peninsula just one point up.
The Devils fought back in the third quarter to get within eight points by the final change, but their deficit proved too insurmountable by game’s end, ultimately going down 53-67.
Sunday’s clash was a stark reminder of the teams’ first meeting back in May, where the Devils could only muster seven points in the first half before regaining the ascendency for much of the second.
That night Werribee had no answer for Shark Lee Wilkins, who top-scored with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
This time around Wilkins only contributed 17, but was well-supported by Jasmine Lovejoy and Jenna McCormick, whom scored 21 points and 11 between them.
In contrast, Morgan Owen and Georgia Tauschke were the only two Devils to hit double figures on Sunday, with 13 points and 12 respectively.
The good news for Werribee is it won’t be running into the Sharks in the finals’ series just yet.
Instead, the Devils will face the Keilor Thunder in a three-game series that will kick off on Saturday night at Keilor Basketball Stadium.
On both occasions, Werribee played Keilor earlier in the season the Devils got over the line by six points.
Meanwhile, Saturday marked the end of the road for Werribee’s men, who lost their final game of the year 88-109 to the Corio Bay Stingrays in the State Championship.
The Devils finished seventh on the table after suffering a horror seven-game run of losses through the middle of the year.
