Posted on 1 May, 2018

The VYC Cobra Men and Women struggled in Round 6 action over the weekend, combining to lose a trio of close games.

Claire Knight’s Women fell short against Ringwood at home on Saturday in a battle of the Watson Conference’s top two teams, losing, 53-65. Trailing by just three points at the half, the Cobras went cold in the third period, managing just six points in the quarter as Ringwood built a 13-point lead.

And though they caught fire in the final quarter, it was too little, too late for the Cobras as they fell to 5-4 on the season. Taylah Black led the Cobras with 16 points, Grace Moxey and Lauren Bird each finished with 11 points and six rebounds, and Chloe Goring and Britt Miller combined to pull down 21 rebounds.

The Cobra Men also struggled on Saturday night, unable to overcome the absence of Jorden Adnam as they lost on the road to Blackburn, 71-81. Holding a three-point lead entering the final period, the Cobras collapsed on both ends of the floor as they conceded a crushing 11-2 run in the final minutes to suffer a shock loss.

The Cobras were haunted by a nightmare shooting night, with their 6-25 performance from beyond the arc underpinning a 32 percent effort from the field overall. Point guard Mitch Dielemans was stellar in defeat, scoring a game-high 33 points, while Will MacRae added 15 points and nine rebounds and Matt Dwyer chipped-in with 10 points and eight rebounds.

Facing Bulleen on the second day of a back-to-back, the Cobras were plagued by a nightmare start at home, with a furious finish falling just short as they lost the Boomers, 78-80.

Trailing by as many as 17 points, the Cobras came roaring back late behind a monster four quarter by Adnam, with his three-pointer capping a 13-point period – and 19-5 Kilsyth run – to give Kilsyth the lead with two minutes remaining. The Boomers would reclaim the lead late, though, and back-to-back turnovers by Kilsyth in the final 22 seconds sealed their fate as the Cobras saw a golden opportunity slip right through their fingers.

Adnam’s big fourth quarter saw him finish with an incredible 31 points, 19 rebounds, and six assists; Dielemans added 17 points and four assists; and Tony Marchese provided a spark off the bench, recording  with 11 points in 15 minutes.

Both the Cobra Men and Women will look to bounce back on Saturday night when they host Bendigo (Women) and Diamond Valley (Men) in a home doubleheader. The Women open the night at 6pm, with the Men to follow at 8pm.