Strong victory helps Infernos cement top four spot in Albany Basketball Association A-grade women’s comp

Infernos boosted their finals chances with a crushing 30-point win over Railways Tigers in round 11 of the Albany Basketball Association women’s A-grade competition on Tuesday. Basketball returned from the mid-season break and the Infernos showed no signs of court rust, cruising to their fifth win of the season with a 45-15 triumph. The victory was set up by a superb all-round display led by Summer Stirling who finished as was the game’s highest scorer with 13 points. Railways trailed by 17 points at half-time and Infernos didn’t falter from then on, piling on another 24 to keep the winless side at bay. Jorja Ward was outstanding early with six points in the opening stages, while Charlotte Edwards provided plenty of support in a raging first half. Stirling dominated after the break, scoring all 13 of her points by the 12-minute mark of the second half. Stirling’s performance included five field goals and three converted free throws, with the powerful forward causing problems for the Tigers under the rim all night. Infernos’ Dakota Bremmer (eight points) and Imojen Gill (six) provided scoring options towards the end of the contest as the Tigers slumped to a 10th straight loss. Edwards and Ward also contributed with six and eight points respectively, while Krystal Taylor (six) toiled hard in a losing affair for the Tigers. The result gives Infernos a five-point buffer over fifth-placed Sonics Blue on the standings. Meanwhile. Griffins were 22-point winners over the Raiders under-18 development squad as they jumped up to second on the standings with five rounds left to play. Danielle Carne dropped 18 points while Lauren Spinks added 11, including three triples, in the 41-19 triumph. Raiders’ Mabel Markay drained a long-range effort on her way to five points but the Raiders dropped their fourth game in a row. The undefeated Barking Owls knocked off third-placed Sonics with a commanding 18-point victory as Tatum Whalley buried two triples on her way to 15 points and Shanaya Weeden added seven of her own in the side’s ninth straight win. Aleesha Narkle (12) showed great determination on both ends of the floor, finishing with two three-pointers for Sonics and teammate Lily Parker-Halstead proved a handy outlet in transition, notching 10 points in a persistent offensive display.