Knox Raider CJ Massingale scored 41 points against the Kilsyth Cobras on the weekend. THE Knox Ford Raiders were full of celebration on Saturday night after securing the Cystic Fibrosis Cup with a commanding performance against archrivals Kilsyth.
With the Ashes Trophy already in safe keeping following dual wins at Kilsyth earlier in the season, the Raiders swept the series on Saturday with another pair of victories at Knox Converse Stadium.
Both games held significance in the run to the finals with Knox’s women almost certainly assured of top spot after their win, while Kilsyth’s men will miss the finals altogether following a disappointing loss.
In front of nearly 1300 raucous fans, the night started perfectly for the Raiders with the women lifting a level in the second-half of their match to clinch a 13-point win, 88-75.
Down by six points at the long break, the Raiders went on a 26-15 run during the third period to wrestle the advantage away from their feisty neighbours. From that point the result was never in doubt as the Raiders cruised to victory.
Australian Opal Katrina Hibbert led the way with 20 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, Chelsea Laing netted 19 points, while Hollie Grima added 16 points.
Best for the Cobras included Jess Bibby with 22 points and Desiree Glaubitz with 15 points.
The men’s game was a typical grudge match as both teams went hard from the outset, however superior shooting quickly became the catalyst for a Raiders win as they jumped to an early lead.
CJ Massingale dominated the contest with a haul of 26 points in the opening half, helping the Raiders establish a match-winning lead, 68-44.
As expected in a big local derby, the Cobras fought the good fight and came back strongly at times during the second-half, but the Raiders always responded quickly and never looked threatened.
Coach Damian Cotter was satisfied with the 112-93 win, but was hesitant to dwell on the performance given his team face three double-headers to round out the regular season.
“It was good to win at home again, and it’s always a positive to win a derby against Kilsyth, but we have some big games coming up that we must focus on,” said Cotter.
“I thought Massingale was in great touch tonight and the team really worked hard around him. There’s no doubt the size of the crowd wasn’t lost on the players, they really respond well when this stadium is full like tonight.
“But now we have to do the job on the road again this week with crucial games up north against Canberra and the AIS. We’re all looking forward to the challenge.”
The scoring sheet was topped by CJ Massingale with 41 points, while Glenn Siegle (19 points), Cameron Koford (13 points) and Gerard Leonard (13 points) all played well. Adam Jackson (28 points) was the leading Cobra.
SEABL Men
Results: Geelong 102 d Mt Gambier 89, Canberra 99 d Albury Wodonga 73, Hobart 115 d NW Tasmania 101, Knox 112 d Kilsyth 93, Frankston 145 d Mildura 106, Ballarat 123 d Bendigo 110, Nunawading 106 d Kilsyth 85.
South Ladder: Ballarat (77), Bendigo (77), Knox (70), Hobart (48), Kilsyth (35), NW Tasmania (29), Mt Gambier (28).
East Ladder: Canberra (64), Geelong (64), AIS (64), Frankston (57), Nunawading (41), Albury Wodonga (32), Mildura (18).
This week: (Friday) AIS v Hobart, Albury Wodonga v Mildura, (Saturday) Canberra v Hobart, Geelong v Nunawading, AIS v Knox, (Sunday) Canberra v Knox, Frankston v NW Tasmania.
SEABL Women
Results: Knox 88 d Kilsyth 75, Bendigo 65 d Ballarat 62, NW Tasmania 74 d Launceston 55, Nunawading 118 d Kilsyth 97.
Ladder: Knox (86), Bendigo (80), Nunawading (63), Kilsyth (60), Ballarat (53), Frankston (40), NW Tasmania (40), Launceston (15), Albury Wodonga (11).
This week: (Friday) NW Tasmania v Ballarat, (Saturday) Nunawading v Bendigo, Kilsyth v Albury Wodonga, Launceston v Ballarat, (Sunday) Frankston v Nunawading, Knox v Albury Wodonga.
