For the second time in three nights, Zoe Richards was too much to handle.
The Ajax forward had 28 points, including six triples, to help avenge her team’s opening night loss to Varsity.
Ajax claimed a 59-49 win over the previously unbeaten students, in a women’s club basketball catch-up round on Thursday night.
The result leaves the two teams tied atop the table at 3-1.
Varsity had fought its way back into the game, after falling behind early, and had the scores tied at 25-25 just before halftime.
However, a devastating period from Richards on either side of the break tore the game open.
The Tall Fern forward had hit back-to-back three-pointers not long before, amidst a period of dominance from Varsity’s Leila Anesi (15 points).
They proved to be the precursor.
She splashed four more in quick succession, accounting for 12 of the 16 points she scored in Ajax’s 20-0 mid-game run.
It was a performance Varsity, which was without star backcourt duo Tyler Mitchell and Caitlin O’Connell, had no answer for — and to be fair, not many club teams would.
The lead grew to 45-25 and, while the students were able to stem the flow, they were unable to get back within touching distance.
Sophie Adams stepped out and hit one from deep, before putting a post move on to reduce the deficit to 15.
Both Legacy Harrison and Abby Harris found their scoring touch, helping pull Varsity back to 49-40.
But Ajax went on another run, this time led by Kiana Brown, who scored the majority of her 11 points in quelling any hopes of a genuine comeback.
Ajax jumped to a 57-40 lead and, while Varsity got to the line to close the gap late, the margin never got closer than nine.
In the early game, the Andy Bay Falcons moved to 2-2 with a 75-59 win over the South Pac Magic, which remains searching for its first win.
Brittany Richards had 22 points, including four three-pointers, while young big Elise Carline continues to impress with 16 points, coming up with key baskets late in the game.
The Magic had jumped to a 47-41 lead midway through the third quarter, when Millie Simpson hit a triple to score the last of her game-high 24 points.
From there the Magic went scoreless for over six minutes, while the Falcons surged into the lead and pulled away in a dominant final quarter.
