EIGHT ON THE TROT FOR RAIDERS WOMEN
Monday, July 09, 2012
Knox ‘Under Armour’ Raiders Women easily accounted for Nunawading and Launceston over the weekend to notch up their eighth consecutive win, putting a stranglehold on top position of the South Conference.
Opening the season on a ten-game winning streak, the Raiders have consolidated after their only defeat to Geelong, with wins over the Spectres and Tornadoes pushing their current win streak to eight.
Saturday’s game against Nunawading started very even, before the Raiders generated a handy lead in the second term with three-pointers from Sam Donald, Odette Andrew and Jess May helping extend Knox’s lead to 10 points at the main break.
Straight out of half-time Amy Denson and Andrew continued to put points on the board, extending the lead to 17 points midway through the third quarter, but former Raider Danni Bone and Bulleen WNBL player Alice Kunek led the Nunawading comeback cutting the margin down to seven points with little time left in the third. Quick points by Andrew, Denson and guard Kelly Wilson stemmed the flow though, Knox going into the last quarter 13 points ahead.
When Wilson scored with three minutes remaining in the match it took Knox out to an 18-point lead leaving the game in no doubt, the Raiders comfortably winning 80-67 on Nunawading’s home court.
Andrew top-scored for the Raiders with 22 points, while Denson was dominant with 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Sunday saw the Raiders back at home at the State Basketball Centre, with another sluggish start against Launceston.
It took halfway through the second quarter for Knox to put a gap between themselves and the Tornadoes, with a 24-10 second term putting the Raiders ahead by 15 at the half.
Andrew and Wilson kept piling on the points for the Raiders in the third term, with Knox ahead by 27 points at three-quarter-time.
Threatening to become a complete blowout for the Tornadoes as the fell down 80-39 with five minutes remaining in the match, they scored 14 late points, the eventual score-line still an unflattering 87-53 in Knox’s favour.
Andrew backed up her efforts from Saturday equal top-scoring for the Raiders with Wilson for 19 points, with Shanae Greaves and Denson the others in double figures with 14 and 12 points respectively.
The Raiders Women will have a well-deserved rest next weekend with an unbelievable 18-1 record.