Raiders under-18 make it two in a row after second-half charge keeps Railways winless in women’s A-grade

The Raiders under-18 development squad have won their second straight game in the Albany Basketball Association women’s A-grade competition, with Angelina De Giambattista playing a key role in their victory over Railways Tigers on Tuesday. After a difficult start to the season, failing to win any of theirfirst four games, Raiders have rallied with wins over Sonics Blue and the Tigers in the past fortnight. The young side were full of confidence in the second half against the Tigers, scoring 21 points to their opposition’s 12 as they surged clear late in the piece. De Giambattista had seven points at the break before dropping seven more in the second period to finish with a game-high 14. Baskets to Raiders’ Maddison Auburn and Milla Trichilo set them on their way in the second period before De Giambattista added two of her own. The Tigers remained determined to claw their way back into the game as Ella Kiddle bobbed up for a calmly converted three-pointer and Tayah Dallimore hit two field goals and a free throw to trim the margin back to five points at the 11-minute mark. But the Raiders went on a tear, scoring 11 points to the Tigers’ two to close the game in style, finishing 32-18 victors. De Giambattista was well supported by Trichilo (four points), Ausburn (four) and Mabel Markey (six) as they jumped above Sonics Blue on the ladder into fifth spot. Dallimore (five) and Te Paea Keremete (four) were the standouts for the winless Tigers as they slumped to a sixth straight loss. Meanwhile, Infernos edged out Sonics in a thriller despite an 18-point performance from Sonics’ Georgia Clark. Infernos were buoyed by the scoring prowess of Jorja Ward, who hit two three-pointers on her way to 11 points. Enya Marques also scored 11 points in the 32-31 triumph. The victory catapulted the Infernos to third on the A-grade standings. Barking Owls made another statement in the final game of the round, thumping Sonics Blue 67-34. The Owls have won all six of their games by double digits this season. Former WNBL player Rebecca Benson caught fire, hitting three triples on her way to a game-high 22 points, while Brodie Dixon (14) and Narelle Humphries (10) also chipped in.