Round 2 Match Report:
Women –
Travelling to Sydney is never easy, but it was particularly challenging for our Women’s team, considering five of their core players were unavailable for the game. Not to mention, this USYD team won the championship last year.
Despite the disadvantage the team faced, they fought hard the entire game, led by the likes of Eliza Bannan (13pts, 4reb, 3ast, 5stl) and Lara Essex (16pts). Bannan was the glue of the team, playing multiple different roles and using her own high-level experience to stay poised against the skilled USYD players.
Caitlyn Martin (19pts, 8ast) was causing problems early, her full-court defensive pressure too proving too strong for the Winged Victory’s point guards. The team finished the game with 32 turnovers. Without being able to look after the ball, the girls struggled to find a good rhythm, however, to their credit, they did not back down, and it was great to watch other girls step up. Viktoria Crump did well as back-up point guard, and Aimee Fogarty-Bennett offered a great spark, recording ten points, six rebounds, and three blocks in her UBL debut.
USYD scored most of its points in transition off turnovers, and Martin did some damage from beyond the arc, nailing three from four. However, the Winged Victory moved to a zone defence, forcing USYD to shoot threes, and the team shot a poor 21%.
Essex gained some momentum towards the end of the game, hitting a couple of threes and her trademark left-hand floaters. This cut the lead that was once at 25 points to 18 in what was a valiant effort from the Winged Victory.
Ultimately, USYD’s team chemistry and experienced players proved too strong.
Men –
The rivalry between our men’s team and USYD’s men’s team is a heated one, having had some fierce battles over the years, and it was no different this time. The last time these teams played against each other, was in the Semi-Final last year, where USYD ended the men's team's season.
It was clear that the Winged Victory were out for revenge, and they started in hot form, earning an early lead of 11 points and forcing USYD to call a timeout. To be expected, they retaliated, and we had what looked to be another close game. Mitchell Ignatius (21pts, 9reb) and Matthew Wacher (20pts, 5reb, 6ast) for USYD showed no signs of giving up, they went head-to-head with the Winged Victory in what was a great spectacle of skill and athleticism.
Missing two starters in Kai Garnaut and Wilson Amos, Dihan Wiggett (19pts, 13reb, 6ast) took control and led from the start. Not only did he use his skills on the offensive end, but he was tasked with guarding USYD’s best players. While Wiggett put up solid numbers, he was well supported by the likes of Matt Power(16pts, 13reb) and James Avgerinos (12pts, 8reb, 5stl).
Wiggett and Power were efficient in the pick and roll, Power showing great touch under the basket. Harvey Moore stepped up this game, finding his feet and proving his ability to get to the rack and drain it from deep. Ending the game with 16 points, Moore gave his team some crucial buckets, including a big three in the dying minutes.
After a small comeback from the USYD Lions, the Winged Victory were relieved to take the win by a mere three points in what was another tough battle.