Hume City Broncos and Whittlesea Pacers kept their slight finals chances alive with wins in the Big V state championship division on Saturday.
Both entered the second round two games behind sixth-placed McKinnon and on the back of consecutive losses.
The Broncos took on bottom side Melbourne Tigers, who started the better and led 21-18 at quarter time.
Then the Broncos stepped up and led by nine at three-quarter time by restricting the Tigers to nine points in the third quarter. They went on to win 75-66, Jermaine Maybank and Jamal Brown each scoring 20 for the Broncos.
The Pacers found it a little more difficult against Diamond Valley, which is also pushing for a finals position.
The Pacers were slow out of the blocks and trailed by three points at quarter time and six at the midway point.
Both teams stepped up their shooting in the third quarter, hitting the mark at more than 50 per cent from the field.
The difference, though, was the number of shots, with the Pacers putting up more attempts and hitting three three-pointers.
They led by four points at the last break and cruised home 85-76.
Michael Petridis top-scored with 18 points and Jason Dirkx had 16.
In the women’s state championship, the Lady Broncos beat both Diamond Valley and Sherbrooke Suns.
The Broncos led at every change against Diamond Valley to win 81-59, Colleen Planeta top-scoring with 24 .
They also lead from start to finish against the Suns, winning 69-50.
In division 1 men’s, bottom side Craigieburn lost 79-68 against Southern Peninsula Sharks.
In division 1 women, Craigieburn’s finals hopes took a hit with a one-point loss to Sunbury Jets in stalwart Kellie Bailey-Lynn’s 300th game.
The bottom-of-the-ladder Jets overran the Eagles to win 62-61.
But the Eagles bounced back with a 66-62 win against Southern Peninsula Sharks on Sunday.
