LIONS CBL Round 4 Wrap-up!

LIONS CBL WOMEN

Bacchus Marsh Lions (78) d Macedon Ranges Rockies (53)

Their second home game for the 2023 season, the Lions hosted the Rockies in a scrappy and physical contest. Bacchus Marsh started slow and trailed early in the game, before a 15-4 run to close the first quarter gave the Lions a 10 point lead heading to the first break.

Both teams exchanged buckets throughout a tight second quarter. Adrienne Cameron (21 points) lead the charge for the Rockies, while multiple buckets from Layla Igelsias and back-to-back corner 3s from Taylah Lea kept the scoreboard ticking over for Bacchus Marsh.

The Lions had their chances to extend the lead in the third, but missed layups and costly turnovers kept the Rockies within single digits at the last break. Ultimately the depth and firepower of the Lions prevailed, as consecutive stops and offensive rebounds pushed the lead to 25. Molly Young was the anchor to the Lion’s defence, a huge factor in the Rockies being held to just 18 for the second half.

Macedon Ranges had no answers for Layla Igelsias (30 points, 3 made 3PTS), who again lead all scorers. In typical fashion, the Lions boasted a wide spread of scoreboard impact, with Emily Lewis (11 points), Jelena Savic (11 points) and Maisy Hammond (10 points) all in double digits while Taylah Lea (7 points, 2 made 3PTS) added much needed perimeter scoring.

The Lions look capitalise on the momentum and extend the winning streak in the Round 5 double header, hosting the Mildura Heat on Saturday before making the trip to Bendigo to face the Braves on Sunday.

LIONS CBL MEN

The Bacchus Marsh Lions faced a challenging weekend with a doubleheader, against the Castlemaine Cannons and the Macedon Ranges in what became two thrilling basketball contests.

Game 1: Lions (78) vs. Cannons (83) at Castlemaine

In the first game, the Bacchus Marsh Lions clashed with the Castlemaine Cannons in an intense and closely-fought match.

The game began with both teams showcasing their offensive prowess. The Castlemaine Cannons managed to secure a slight lead, finishing the first quarter with a score of 24-23.

The second quarter saw the Castlemaine Cannons maintain their lead, outscoring the Lions 22-18. Josiah Pattinson, further fortified the Cannons’ advantage. The Lions fought valiantly but faced a halftime deficit, trailing 46-41.

The third quarter continued to be a closely-matched contest, with both teams accumulating 23 points. Zak Martinez and Deng Nuer were making notable contributions, scoring strongly for the Bacchus Marsh Lion, however, the Lions still trailed by 5 points, with a score of 69-64 at the 3 quarter great.

The final quarter was a real battle as the Lions managed to tie the game with a 14-14 quarter, resulting in a final score of 83-78. Agoi Chipuowuop added 11 points to the Lions’ total. From Castlemaine’s perspective Trent Leech was instrumental in their performance, contributing a significant 24 points.

In summary, three players fouled out for the Lions during this hard-fought game, including Nathan Dowdy, Max Beaumont, and Riley Dunn. Zak Martinez and Deng Nuer made notable contributions, scoring 21 and 14 points, respectively but again it was a close loss.

Game 2: Lions (73) vs. Macedon Ranges (86)

In the second game of the weekend, the Bacchus Marsh Lions faced the Macedon Ranges, aiming to bounce back from their previous loss.

The Lions started strong in the first quarter, leading 16-19, however, the Ranges managed to stay within reach.

The second quarter proved challenging for the Lions, as the Ranges outscored them 27-15, taking control of the game with sheer determination, which Lions could not match.

The Lions launched a real comeback in the third quarter, outscoring the Ranges 23-15 and cutting into the lead and heading into the final quarter with some confidence.

However despite these efforts, the Lions couldn’t maintain the pressure to secure a win, with the Ranges going on to outscore them 25-19 in the final quarter. The game concluded with a final score of 86-73 in favour of the Macedon Ranges.

In this game, Josh O’Connell and Matthew Merrett were standout performers for the Macedon Ranges, contributing 21 and 19 points, respectively. For the Lions, Zak Martinez and Nathan Dowdy each scored 18 points, while Riley Dunn added 17 points to the Lions total.

The weekend proved to be challenging for the Bacchus Marsh Lions, who at times showed great promise and had moments of leading in both games, but were unable to secure a win from either game. The team will regroup, analyse their performance, and work on their defensive strategies as they look ahead to ladder leaders Mildura @ home on Saturday followed by Bendigo at Bendigo on Sunday afternoon, these games which will no doubt decide the Lions fate for the 23 season.

We thank all Lions supporters for their loud voices and constant support and as such, we look forward to having you back on Saturday night against the best team in the Comp.