The Forestville Eagles have ended their three game losing streak, after defeating the Eastern Mavericks 80-37 at Wayville on Saturday.

The verdict was inevitable after just a quarter, with the Eagles up 27-6 after 10 minutes.

Eastern scored more points in the second (20) than it did the rest of the game, also losing the third and fourth quarters by double-digits.

All Forestville players hit the scoresheet, including Megan Kermond, who made her season debut, following a stint playing College Basketball in America.

Alex Duncan top-scored with 20 points, also adding 7 rebounds and 3 assists.

Jamie-Lee Bow had a near-triple double with 9 points, 8 assists and 7 boards, while picking up 3 steals.

Jess Fergus, who played a season-low 28 minutes, had 13 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals.

As a team, Forestville shot 44%.

The ball movement was excellent, demonstrated by a total of 24 assists, while the Eagles turned the ball over just 10 times.

In contrast, the Mavericks made just 12 field goals (at 18%), turned the ball over 23 times, and produced just 3 assists.

Tracey Beatty was Eastern’s best with 18 boards, 9 points, and 3 blocks, but despite her size advantage, could connect on just 3 of 12 field goal attempts, and turned the ball over 6 times.

Madison Bycroft was the only Maverick in double-digit points, scoring 11.

From the moment Duncan knocked down a trey 18 seconds into the game, Eastern was in trouble.

Shooting had not been a strong point for Forestville all season, but the home side went 3-3 on its first three possessions.

The Mavs got the next three points, before Georgia Minear scored to ignite an 18-0 run.

Minear, Bow and Jasmine Trimboli all scored multiple baskets during the run, with Fergus connecting on 2-2 from the line, and Tara Robinson scoring on the buzzer.

Eastern played its best basketball of the game in the second period, outscoring the home side 9-2 over the first four minutes of the period, with Beatty making her presence felt, and Katherine Brown scoring a couple of baskets.

However, a 13-5 run pushed Forestville’s lead back out to 22, with key contributions from several players.

At half-time, the Eagles led 44-26.

Forestville re-established control in the third, with Duncan scoring 7 points and Fergus 6.

At the end of three, the Eagles led 64-35.

The Eagles’ bench combined for the fourth quarter’s first 8 points, with Amy Bell, Tayla Corrigan, Trimboli and Kermond all getting on the scoreboard.

The Mavs did not score a field goal for the entire period, with their only points coming via Bycroft from the foul-line, as Forestville extended its lead to 43 by the final buzzer.

Defining moment: The start of any game is always important, but there was extra pressure on the Eagles here, who needed a win to keep pace with the top five. Duncan’s three-pointer just 18 seconds into the game set the tone for the night, with Forestville quickly building a match-winning lead and putting their past month behind them.

Forestville verdict: The Eagles got this one wrapped up without much trouble. What was impressive about their performance, particularly in the first and fourth quarters, was their defence. Holding a team without a field goal is an outstanding effort against even a struggling team, and to do it when the game was well and truly won shows the focus they had throughout the night. Their next match is against former teammate Jess Mahony and the revitalised Central District Lions.

Eastern verdict: After an improved performance against North, the Mavs will be disappointed to be on the wrong side of another blowout. Unlike the Rockets game where they led early and hung tough until the final period, the Mavericks let this game slide away before it had barely begun. The second quarter proved that Eastern can compete in patches, but the other three quarters showed how far off the pace the team is at the moment. Next up is a home match with the Warriors, who are also yet to win a game.

By James Woite