By Lance Jenkinson
The Keilor Thunder is back in business in Big V men’s state championship basketball.
The Thunder players have won their past two games, consigning their worrying three-game losing streak to the scrap heap.
The best part for the Thunder is that its return to form has come on the road.
It snapped out of its funk with a win over Corio Bay Stingrays on May 18 and backed it up on Sunday with a hard-fought 89-83 victory over Chelsea Gulls at Patterson River Stadium.
There was little to separate Keilor and Chelsea for most of the game, but Mike Anderson and BJ Symons came up big for the Thunder at crucial moments.
Anderson compiled 26 points, 11 rebounds and five assists to show why he is one of the premier imports in the league.
Symons scored 26 points, with all coming from the field at 80 per cent efficiency.
Thunder coach Liam Glascott rotated heavily, with Carlo Camp one of the main beneficiaries with nine points off the bench.
Fourth-placed Keilor (8-5) will take on third-placed Hume City Broncos (9-4) in what shapes as a mouth-watering contest at Broadmeadows Basketball Stadium on Sunday.
In women’s state championship, Keilor Thunder overcame a slow start to mercilessly dispose of Southern Peninsula Sharks 96-61 at Hillview Stadium on Saturday night.
The Thunder trailed after the first period by four points, but upped the ante thereafter to out-score the Sharks 78-39.
Aneta Bandilovski was on fire from the three-point arc for Keilor.
The sharpshooter scored 23 points, including four threes, to go with five steals and three rebounds.
Erin Bollman was influential with 21 points and six rebounds, while A’Lexus Harrison double-doubled with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Keilor is 8-2 and flying high in third spot on the ladder.
The Tom Bandilovski-coached Thunder will take on the second-placed Sunbury Jets in a battle of the big guns at Boardman Stadium on Saturday evening.
