The fixture shaped up as a mismatch on paper, winless Kyabram playing away to a Bears side that was undefeated last year and only lost once across their first five games in 2026.
But Emma Quinn’s Bombers started the match well by going toe-to-toe with Shepparton, the score at one stage 11-10 with three minutes to play in the opening quarter, before the Bears made a four-goal run to take a five-goal lead into the first break.
The second period was much more one-sided as Shepparton tightened the screws on Ky, its run from the end of the first quarter extending to 12 straight goals, and the Bears would add a total of 23 baskets in the period to only four from the Bombers, who trailed 38-14 at half-time.
Kyabram offered more resistance to open the second half, netting four of the first 12 goals in the third quarter, but it was powerless to resist the Bears onslaught, as the hosts went on an 11-goal run midway through the period to suddenly balloon the margin up to 43 ahead of the fourth.
The Bombers played for pride in the final period as they were resigned to another defeat, though Shepparton was intent on boosting its percentage, opening the quarter by scoring 12 of the first 13 goals and going on to post a convincing 86-26 win.
In the positives from the loss, the 26 goals scored was Kyabram’s highest total in a game so far this season, while the club named Grace Kilpatrick as best-on via its Facebook page.
The Bombers and Benalla remain the only two winless sides in the league, with both likely eyeing their round 10 fixture as the primary opportunity to break their ducks, though Kyabram does have the opportunity to be more competitive at home to ninth-placed Mansfield this Saturday.
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