By Tyler Lewis
A complete performance from Casey Cavaliers has handed the Women’s side its 10th win of the NBL1 season.
Hosting Kilsyth, the Cavs got off to a brilliant start, opening the game with a 7-0 run and proceeding to carry that early buffer into the first change.
The Cobras fought back in the second quarter, trimming the gap to just five.
But the Cavs maturely handled the visitors in the third period to take control of the match in the eventual 105 to 93 win.
Each of the Cavs’ five starters recorded 14 or more points, while Rachel Bell led the way with 26.
The Cavs were electric in the paint, but also reliable at the charity stripe – draining 15 of their 16 free throws.
The Cavaliers will host local rivals Dandenong Rangers on Saturday night at Casey Stadium in the penultimate round of the regular season.
While it’s unlikely either team will qualify for the playoffs, the contest is set to excite the local crowd.
Despite going down 70 to 80 to Kilsyth, the Men’s Cavs will be able to draw away a plethora of positives from its clash with the Cobras on Saturday night.
There was very little expectation the Cavs would be able to topple the current third-seed, but a 23 to 16 opening period demonstrated the Casey outfit can match it with the best at times.
A disappointing second and final period ultimately enhanced the extent of the Cavs defeat, going down across those two specific quarters 47 to 33.
Jordan Bell didn’t have his most efficient night in terms of his shooting percentage (30.77 per cent from the floor), but he managed to impact the game by pulling down a game-high 14 rebounds.
The 16th placed Cavaliers will be on the hunt for their seventh with this week when they host the 18th seed Dandenong Rangers.
