Cougars Youth Teams Impress in Round 2

The McKinnon Cougars Youth Women and Youth Men continued their Big V 2026 campaigns across Round 2, with the Youth Women splitting a double-header on the road while the Youth Men produced an impressive second-half comeback to defeat the Bulleen Boomers.

Both teams showed plenty of firepower and resilience across the weekend, with McKinnon collecting 2 wins from 3 youth games and continuing to build momentum in the opening rounds of the season.

YOUTH WOMEN (Sat 21/03) - McKinnon Cougars (88) defeated Geelong United (71)

The McKinnon Cougars Youth Women produced a strong road performance on Saturday night to defeat Geelong United by 17 points.

McKinnon were sharp from the outset and built their lead through a big second quarter, outscoring Geelong 31-17 to take control of the contest. While Geelong stayed within striking distance in the second half, the Cougars maintained their composure and closed out an impressive away win.

Arden Bailey starred for McKinnon with 31 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks in a dominant offensive display. Zoe Johnson continued her outstanding start to the season with 20 points, 15 rebounds and 8 assists, while Natalie Keane added 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.

Evie Haywood provided a valuable spark off the bench with 11 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists as the Cougars placed 4 players in double figures.

YOUTH MEN (Sat 21/03) - McKinnon Cougars (97) defeated Bulleen Boomers (86)

The McKinnon Cougars Youth Men made it 2 wins from 2 starts with a strong road victory over the Bulleen Boomers on Saturday night.

McKinnon trailed at half-time after Bulleen held a narrow 56-51 lead, but the Cougars responded impressively after the break. The third quarter saw McKinnon stay within touch before the visitors took full control in the final term, outscoring the Boomers 29-13 to storm home for an 11-point win.

Oliver Mann led the way with 20 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals in another all-round performance, while Thomas D'Amelio finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Calvin Rama added 11 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, while Josh Blaikie and Will Warren each scored 12 points off the bench to provide a crucial boost in the second half.

YOUTH WOMEN (Sun 22/03) - McKinnon Cougars (82) lost to Knox Raiders (83)

The McKinnon Cougars Youth Women were left heartbroken on Sunday afternoon, falling by a single point to the Knox Raiders in a game that went down to the final possessions.

In another strong offensive showing, the Cougars remained in the contest throughout and gave themselves every chance late, but Knox managed to hold on in a thrilling finish to claim the narrow 83-82 result.

Natalie Keane led McKinnon with 21 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists, while Arden Bailey added 17 points and 7 rebounds.

Zoe Johnson again filled the stat sheet with 7 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks, while Holly Miller provided 11 points off the bench and Maddi Carr contributed 10 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

Despite the narrow loss, the Youth Women showed plenty across their double-header weekend to suggest they will continue to be a strong force early in the season.

This coming weekend, all four McKinnon Big V teams will be back in action. At home (GESAC) on Sunday, the Youth Women host the Dandenong Rangers at 12:00pm before the Championship Women open their 2026 season against Sherbrooke at 2:00pm. On Saturday evening, both the Youth Men and Championship Men will be on the road to take on Melbourne Uni.