Youth League Ballarat Rush Dominate Waverley

Youth League action on Sunday afternoon at the MARS® MINERDOME was headlined by the Ballarat Rush taking on the Waverley Falcons.

Both sides began scoring frantically in the opening minutes, however it was the Rush who gained the early ascendency.

From the opening tip it was all Ballarat, as Kasey Burton nailed a jumper not five seconds after the game got underway.

Burton continued her prolific scoring throughout the first period, and star forward Molly Mathews also put up early numbers.

The home squad were clicking on all cylinders, as they opened up a double-digit lead which wouldn’t be relinquished for the remainder of the contest.

Bronte Clark impressed with spectacular playmaking off the bench. Clark got deep penetration and either finished strong at the rim or dished perfect passes to open teammates for good looks.

Despite committing a few back-court fouls while in the penalty late in the second, the Rush capped of an almost perfect first half. Kasey Burton led the way with an outstanding all-round performance with 11 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists in the opening two periods.

The theme continued throughout the third quarter, with Ballarat playing suffocating defense, forcing turnovers and getting out in transition.

Lydia Brooks added to her stellar 2014 season by dominating on the glass as usual, and scoring consistently inside.

The Rush blew the game completely open and carried an insurmountable 32 point lead into the fourth quarter.

With the result all but official. Ballarat coach Darren Govan had a chance to give good minutes to the younger girls off the bench. Jess Tempany provided excellent hustle and rebounding, while fellow young gun Isabel Fraiser showed excellent signs of sublime ball-handling and playmaking.

The final buzzer mercifully sounded with Ballarat running away 87-53 victors.

Lydia Brooks recorded yet another double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds, while Molly Mathews tallied 17 points.

Melanie Ionnidis was the standout for Waverley with 15 points.