AN Emmie Gardiner masterclass has guided Wallan to a 43-point victory over Coburg in the opening week of Big V finals at RB Robson Stadium.
Gardiner put up a ridiculous 31 points, 30 rebounds and five blocks to help guide the Panthers to an 89-46 victory.
Gardiner kickstarted the Panthers with their opening seven points as both they and Coburg got off to a rather tentative start, while Ranika Guyton also got on the board with five points as the Panthers eventually opened up an 18-11 lead at the first change.
It took almost two minutes of the second period for a score, but it was Gardiner who provided it. Coburg then made a bit of a run to cut the margin to five points, but soon, Wallan would start hitting constant shots.
After scoring just six points in the first half of the second term, the Panthers scored 18 to finish the half on a high, and took a commanding 43-27 lead at the main break.
The third quarter was all the Panthers. Gardiner would score 14 of her 31 in this period, while Carly Cranston was also starting to get busy. As a result, it was a dominant 31-9 quarter which well and truly put the game to bed and left the Jungle rocking, with the Panthers leading 74-36 at the final change.
The game went into a low-scoring lull in the final term, with the Panthers still winning the term 15-10 to ensure they won every quarter on the way to victory.
Guyton scored 17 points to assist Gardiner’s huge effort, while Cranston and Kendra Reukers also scored 10 points apiece throughout the game to help guide the Panthers to the next stage of finals.