Posted on 1 May, 2018

Spectacular games from Isaac Turner and Sam Daly and red-hot shooting from Felix von Hofe has led the Cobras to an impressive 89-75 home win over Dandenong on Junior Domestic Night.

Racing out to a double-digit halftime lead, the Cobras found themselves in a dogfight early in the final period as Dandenong closed to within 66-68 with eight minutes remaining. But Turner, Daly and von Hofe caught fire to close the game, combining to score the Cobras final 21 points as they pulled away late. Daly put the finishing touches on the Cobras win in spectacular fashion, soaring high above the rim to hammer home a two-handed alley-oop slam off a perfect feed from Turner.

Turner and Daly were unstoppable throughout, displaying remarkable backcourt chemistry as each routinely found the other for easy finishes inside and from beyond the arc, playing a large part in the Cobras blistering 56 percent shooting performance from the field.

Turner led the Cobras with a game-high 22 points, von Hofe added 21 on 7-9 shooting, and Daly produced another outstanding all-around performance, finishing with 17 points, six rebounds and seven assists. With Owen Odigie (3×3 FIBA Asia Cup) and Dane Pineau (injury) out of the lineup, Ben Ursich moved into a starting role and was a terror on the defensive end, finishing with a trio of spectacular blocked shots at the rim and hounding Rangers star Anthony Drmic – who entered the contest averaging 30 points per game – into a 4-13 shooting night and just 11 total points.

“Ben Ursich was key at the defensive end – he did a great job on Drmic and is really proving he can play at the next level,” Cobras head coach Justin Schueller said.

“With two starters out, it was great to see people step up and for us to continue to build on who we want to be as a team.”

Schueller was also impressed with the play of Daly, with the point guard routinely finding his way into the paint to set up easy baskets for the likes of Turner and von Hofe.

“Sam Daly had his best game for us I feel, and was impactful in all areas of the game,” Schueller added.

“And when Felix and Isaac are shooting that well we are tough to beat.”

“Again the contribution from all our guys and the efficiency in how we are playing is really pleasing right now.”

The win is Kilsyth’s third straight, pushing their record to 4-1 overall. The Cobras 56 percent shooting night was their best of the season, as was their 13-24 performance from beyond the arc. Over their past two games, the Cobras are averaging 90.0 points per contest, a pace they will need to continue as they get set to face-off against the reigning-champion Mt Gambier Pioneers at home on Sunday.

The Cobras will take on the Pioneers at 2pm on home court, following the Lady Cobras showdown with the Sydney Uni Sparks, which tips-off at 12pm.