NBL1 South Round 11 Sunday Men’s Recap

Catch up on all the exciting action from the NBL1 South men's competition on Sunday afternoon.

Eltham Wildcats 80 def by Knox Raiders 94
Knox have handed Eltham its ninth loss of the season as the Raiders continues its slow climb up the NBL1 South ladder.
After trailing early in the first term, Knox kicked into gear, moving the ball well and creating open shots all over the court.
Bol Kuol (18 points); one of six Raiders to score in double figures, led the visitors in scoring.
Despite Eltham’s best efforts, the home side simply couldn’t create any separation between itself and Knox, relinquishing the lead quickly each time it pulled ahead.
Ultimately, the Raiders took control in the third quarter and never looked back, outscoring the Wildcats 49-37 in the second half to secure the 14-point win.

Diamond Valley 69 def by Ballarat Miners 88
The Ballarat Miners have pushed itself into the top eight after three consecutive wins, this time coming on the road against Diamond Valley.
After scoring the first basket of the game, the Eagles were forced to play from behind, as Ballarat shot the lights out and played solid defence.
Sam Short (24 points, six steals) had his best game of the season, leading the Miners all over the court, while Jock Perry (23 points) continued his hot run of form to help Ballarat lead by as many as 17 points in the first half before fighting off a comeback attempt from the home side.
For Diamond Valley, the scoring consistency simply wasn’t there, especially from beyond the arc (1-14 three-point attempts).
Looking to put the game away, Ballarat went on a 19-1 run to close the third term and start the fourth quarter before taking its foot off the gas and cruising to the 19-point win.
After winning four of its first five games, the Eagles have been in a free fall, losing five of its last six outings.

Waverley Falcons 98 def Frankston Blues 71
The Waverley Falcons have collected an impressive scalp, ending the Frankston Blues’ seven-game winning streak at home.
The Falcons started the game hot, opening up a 16-3 advantage across the first five minutes.
Forced to play from behind, the Blues looked towards its primary weapon, the three-pointer, to close the gap, but continuously found no luck from outside the arc.
After connecting on 10 of 11 deep-range attempts last night, Lachlan Barker had a more modest outing on Sunday, scoring only 11 points and connecting on one three, while backcourt mate Lucas Barker put up a goose egg, missing all nine of his shots, including eight from beyond the arc.
Capitalising on the poor shooting game, Waverley continued to build on its early lead, pushing further ahead at each major break before finalising the 18-point win.
Missing star scoring guard Dexter Kernich-Drew, Jake Heath (20 points) and Daniel Dillon (19 points, seven rebounds) led the way for the Falcons.
The win has Waverley positioned just one win outside of the top four.

Nunawading Spectres 106 def Mt Gambier Pioneers 97
The Nunawading Spectres have continued its quest for back-to-back NBL1 South titles alive, beating a strong Mt Gambier team at The Graveyard on Sunday afternoon.
The Spectres got the best of a competitive opening term, taking a 36-31 lead into quarter time and never looking back.
Led by Dain Swetalla (26 points, 10 rebounds), Nunawading played a measured game, moving the ball well to find open shooters and creating opportunities at the rim.
Swetala was one of six Spectres who scored in double figures, as Mt Gambier struggled to slow the home side.
Thomas Daly (27 points, seven assists) did his best to keep the Pioneers within reach of Nunawading, however it was simply a case of one side playing well, while the other played great.
Mt Gambier and Nunawading now sit in sixth and seventh respectively on the NBL1 ladder after 11 games.

Sandringham Sabres 83 def by Melbourne Tigers 97
Melbourne has come out on top in the battle of the competition's bottom two sides, beating Sandringham on the road to end its nine-game losing streak.
Things were looking positive for the Sabres early on, as Preston Bungei (33 points, eight rebounds) and Kuany Kuany (21 points, 15 rebounds) helped Sandringham to an 11-point lead in the first quarter.
Things began to shift in the second term, as Tigers’ sharpshooter Felix von Hofe (37 points) started to heat up, connecting on four triples in the quarter to push Melbourne in front by two points to close the half.
It remained neck-in-neck for much of the second half, as Melbourne worked hard to keep the Sabres at bay.
Following a James McKinnon tip-in with three minutes remaining, Sandringham trailed by just two points, however thanks to some strong free-throw shooting, the Tigers were able to pull away, outscoring the Sabres 14-2 to close the game.
The win is Melbourne’s second of the season, while for Sandringham, the loss marks its ninth defeat in a row after starting the season with a victory.

Picture: Rachel Louise Photography