South Spotlight | Shorthanded Knox overrun Geelong

Featured image: Ian Knight Photography

The Knox Raiders had to dig deep missing a string of key players and trailing almost the entire first half on the road but with Alicia Froling and Shaneice Swain showing the way, the defending NBL1 South champions took over to beat Geelong United 82-64.

Geelong were back home at The Arena having won their first two games of the season taking on a Knox team who might be defending champions, but arrived minus Haliegh Reinoehl, Keira Glover and Kristy Wallace.

The Raiders had just eight players suiting up and Geelong did well in the first half to lead 39-36 by half-time on the back of a combined 21 points from Jordan Vasquez and Lilly Rotunno.

But Knox took over from there including 30 points to 11 in a dominant third quarter on the way to the eventual 18-point victory to improve to 7-4 on the season with Geelong now 2-8.

>> SOUTH SPOTLIGHT | FORCE BEAT EAGLES IN FRIDAY THRILLER

>> SOUTH WRAP | WOMEN'S ROUND 6

By the end of the night, Knox ended up shooting 46 per cent from the field to 37 from Geelong while ending up pulling down 20 offensive rebounds to 15 to end up taking two extra shot attempts and four more foul shots.

It was a big win for Knox to come from behind and dominate the second half with just the eight players suiting up with Alicia Froling producing another 21 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and three blocks with 10 of her boards coming at the offensive end.

Shaneice Swain added 18 points, five rebounds and four assists for the Raiders, Agnes Emma-Nnopu 16 points, 14 boards, three steals, two assists and two blocks, Paige Burrows nine points and two rebounds, and Paige Bradley eight points and five assists.

It wasn’t quite to be for Geelong in the hunt for a third straight win despite Lilly Rotunno finishing with 22 points and seven rebounds with 8/15 shooting from the floor with 2/3 from downtown.

Jordan Vasquez added 16 points, eight rebounds and two steals with Dakota Crichton contributing nine points and four boards, Mackenzie Drew seven points, two rebounds and two assists, and Indi Bowyer six points, seven boards and four assists.

Geelong were looking for a third straight victory and started strongly against the shorthanded defending champions and on their home floor were leading 18-14 even with Alicia Froling scoring the first 10 points for Knox.

Jordan Vasquez had eight points up the other end for Geelong before things remained tight through the second term and Lilly Rotunno was up to 11 points at the half for United to help her team to the 39-36 advantage.

Froling was doing her best to keep Knox in the contest with 15 points and nine rebounds already but the Raiders were just shooting 39 per cent while having seven turnovers.

That lead for Geelong didn’t last long into the second half with Knox taking over the contest with Shaneice Swain catching fire to lead the charge on her former home floor.

The Raiders ended up putting 30 points on the board in the third stanza on 11/15 shooting and 5/6 from downtown while also holding Geelong to just the 11 point on 4/13 shooting.

That saw Knox take control of the contest to open up a 19-point advantage and then to complete the deal on the 18-point victory to make it back-to-back wins and deny Geelong three in-a-row.

Geelong now don't play again until hosting the Northern Force next Saturday while Knox also have to wait until next Saturday night when they are on the road to the Dandenong Rangers.

NBL1 SOUTH 2026 SEASON | ROUND 7

GEELONG UNITED 64 (Rotunno 22, Vasquez 16, Crichton 9)

KNOX RAIDERS 82 (Froling 21, Swain 18, Emma-Nnopu 16)