Big V Youth League Women Round 2 2017: Werribee 54, Chelsea 78

Big V 2017 Youth League Women Round 2
Werribee 54 v Chelsea Gulls 78
Werribee       13        16        21        4          54
Chelsea         13        19        18        28        78

Maeghan Ridder 20 points, 7 rebounds

Natasha Currao 10 points, 6 rebounds

Eliza Herne 8 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists

Rachel Miller 7 points, 2 rebounds

In Round 2, the Werribee Devils Youth League Women played their first home game for the season against the Chelsea Gulls. The two sides had met at the Big V preseasontournament in Dandenong, with the Devils taking out a close one, 31-29. Both sides were coming off a loss in Round 1, with the Gulls going down by a point to McKinnon, 52-53, while the Devils lost 38-63 against Camberwell.

First Quarter (Werribee 13, Chelsea 13)
Maeghan Ridder 7 points, 4 rebounds
Shae Beckworth 3 points, 2 assists
Natasha Currao & Rachel Miller 2 rebounds

The Gulls started better, racing to an 8-0 lead inside the first four minutes. Shae Beckworth finally got the Devils on the board with a couple of free throws, but that was all the Devils could manage for the first six minutes of the quarter. With 3.42 remaining the Devils called a timeout and then came the story of the night. Among the substitutions was first year player Maeghan Ridder, and no one could have predicted the impact she would have on the game.

After an early offensive rebound and missed jump shot, she knocked down a three pointer after receiving a sneaky pass from Rachel Miller. It seemed to spark the Devils, as the energy levels lifted, and when Miller hit a free throw and Hayley Jones knocked down a two-pointer, the Devils were back in the game. Ridder grabbed a couple more rebounds and then finished off a nice drive from a Beckworth assist. On the next possession the Gulls turned the ball over with a travel, Ridder passed the ball in in the backcourt, got it back and went all the way with a layup!

A Chelsea foul in the last five seconds sent Beckworth to the line and she made one, which levelled the scores at quarter time. Ridder finished with seven points and three rebounds in just under four minutes and the Devils were back in business after a slow start.

Second Quarter (Werribee 16, Chelsea 19) HT 29-32
Maeghan Ridder 5 points, 2 rebounds
Rachel Miller 4 points
Eliza Herne 4 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
Tori Kalos 2 rebounds

Both teams found it hard to score early in the second quarter. Tamara Booth scored from close range and it was another two minutes before…guess who?...Ridder scored again after Steph Pyke grabbed a rebound and landed a nice pass over the top, allowing Ridder to finish the layup. Beckworth again found Ridder at the top of the key for a long-range jumpshot, and all of a sudden the Devils were in front. Natasha Currao finished off a drive soon after, extending the Devils lead, before the Gulls started a comeback. Free throws to Tara Bruno and four points to Booth put the Gulls back in front. Miller kept the Devils in the contest with four points of her own, and neither team could get any sort of scoring momentum. Eliza Herne finished the quarter off well with four late points as Chelsea maintained a single digit lead right up to half time, where the visitors went in with a three-point advantage.  

Third Quarter (Werribee 21 Chelsea 18) 3QT 50-50
Natasha Currao 8 points
Maeghan Ridder 8 points
Eliza Herne 5 rebounds, 3 assists

Christiana Lees got the Gulls off to a great start in the second half, before Currao and Herne levelled the scores. The Gulls got the lead back, then great vision from Herne found Ridder unattended under the basket for the layup. A well-timed block from Lauren Tipper caused a turnover and Ridder found herself with the ball on the wing. She did a nice little spin move and the finger roll bounced a couple of times on the rim and fell through the net. That would be the last Devils basket for over three minutes, as Booth and Kelsey Tranter put in six unanswered points for the Gulls. Fast transition and nice long passes were the key for the next Devils basket which was finished off by Ridder, and soon after Taylah Lea knocked down a three-pointer, tying the scores. A Tranter basket was answered with a Currao three-pointer and the Devils hit the front with two minutes left in the quarter. Tranter scored again for the Gulls but Ridder and Currao hit back before Chloe Breznjak scored as she was fouled and converted the bonus, leaving the scores tied at 50 at the last break.

Fourth Quarter (Werribee 4 Chelsea 28) FT 54-78
Rachel Miller 2 points
Eliza Herne 2 points
Natasha Currao 2 rebounds

The stage was set for a big finish as both teams looked for their first win of the season, but unfortunately it wasn’t to be for the Devils. In a repeat of the first quarter, the Gulls started with eight unanswered points before Miller and Herne fought back for the Devils. In the last six minutes the Gulls piled on 20 points in a row thanks to Tranter, Booth and Bruno, to take a 54-78 win.

In Round 3 the Devils travel to take on the Corio Bay Stingrays on Saturday night.

Werribee v Chelsea LiveStats and Play-by-Play

Werribee v Chelsea Box Score and Stats