Valkyries score upset win against powerhouse Storm

Valkyries will take plenty of confidence into next week’s Albany Basketball Association A-grade women’s finals after knocking off minor premiers Kinjarling Storm by six points in a shock round 16 result on Tuesday night. Kinjarling Storm, in their inaugural season, won 13 straight games before last year’s grand finalists Panthers knocked them off in round 14, and now Valkyries dished out the Storm’s second defeat. Valkyries had only won four matches before their upset win in the last round of the regular season, and they led Kinjarling by two points at half-time. With 13 minutes to play in the second half, scores were level before Valkyries scored four straight points to hit the front. Kinjarling fought back to get the margin to a single basket before Brodie Dixon hit eight straight points for her side late in the piece as her Valkyries coasted to a six-point win. Dixon top-scored with 16 points for Valkyries and teammates Indi Weeden and Casey Griffiths both chipped in with 14 each as their side scored a major result, 51-45. Storm were best served by Nardia Humphries (18 points) and Abbi Gibson (15) who tried desperately to get their team over the line. Valerie Corbett and Georgia Clark dominated for Crystal Blues as they warmed up for their first finals campaign with a resounding 33-point win over Raiders in the other women's fixture. Corbett and Clark combined for 45 of their teams 67 points. Corbett dropped 25 while Clark added 20 as a strong first half helped set up the win as they scored the first 11 points of the game. Raiders found their feet and some scoring avenues to knock down 11 first-half points but trailed by 17 points at the main break and never recovered. Griffiths did everything she could for Raiders with 18 point but lacked support at the offensive end.