TV Jets lead Big Three away from also-rans

DARWIN women’s basketball’s Big Three won by a minimum of 19 points each this week as the gap between them and the alsorans ballooned to three games.

A clear distinction between the best and worst is already evident barely halfway through the season, with unbeaten ladder-leader TV Jets in a separate category to the rest.

The Jets’ eighth victory of the season was a 69-40 result at the disappointing Eagles’ expense, coming in star guard Trish Graham’s 600th game.

Graham and her daughter Michelle Friel led the Eagles with 11 points, but had no answer for the Jets’ depth – with Tikesa Docherty-Cole (23 points) and Kylie Duggan (14) the cream on top.

The margin was 11 by quartertime and Tania Dhu’s team finished strong in a 14-4 final quarter.

Ex-Uni Rebels Tulaha Jeffrey (20) and Jaylene (15) and Edith Boundry (12) were Palmerston’s top scorers in their 70-51 defeat of fourth-placed Ansett.

The trio have provided great punch to the Power offence since the Rebels withdrew from the League Women competition after playing just one match.

Teenage Territory representatives Tamiyah Perkins (17) and Erin Boyd (12) paced Ansett, who stopped in the fourth period for the second straight week.

Andy Furness’ women closed within three points at three-quarter time, but lost the last term 26-10 to suffer the blowout loss.

The fourth-quarter scoreline was 28-14 against them a round earlier in a 75-58 defeat to Lightning.

Lightning improved their record to five wins from seven games, taking down Razzle 67-45 behind American Hayley Hendricksen’s 20-point effort.

They won every quarter and Dominique Carbone (14) and Ashlee Walsh (10) – back from a month out recovering from concussion – and Yasmin Decurtins (10) were also prominent.

Lailani Triffitt’s excellent campaign continued for Razzle with a team-high 16 points.