South Recap | Anzac Round Friday

Image credit: Rachel Louise - Rachel Louise Photography

Lil Dart scored the winner for Eltham Wildcats while Lachlan Wood did the same for Nunawading Spectres on NBL1 South Anzac Day with Maddy Rocci having a triple-double and Tyler Robertson starring for Casey Cavaliers against a Sydney Kings teammate.

SOUTH RECAP | ROUND 3 THURSDAY

WOMEN

Nunawading Spectres (76) lost to Eltham Wildcats (77)

Lil Dart hit the last shot of regulation to get the Eltham Wildcats to overtime with the Nunawading Spectres and then she secured her team the 77-76 win with the only bucket in the extra period.

The Spectres were home at Nunawading Basketball Centre for Anzac Day action looking to hit back from a loss the previous night to the Melbourne Tigers while Eltham were out to make it consecutive wins.

Eltham were the fresher of the two teams playing their first game since beating Mount Gambier a fortnight ago and they came out firing with 25 points to 13 in the opening quarter.

The Spectres did score seven straight points early in the second quarter to begin to eat into that deficit, but the Wildcats pulled away once more and went into the half-time break on top 47-32.

It was in the third quarter when Nunawading made their move and it all started at the defensive end holding Eltham to just six points for the entire 10 minutes.

That helped the Spectres go on a 12-0 scoring run and to turn an eight-point deficit into a four-point lead, and by three quarter-time it was the home team leading 55-53.

The Spectres were then still leading by two with just under 30 seconds to play, but the last score of regulation was a finish from Lil Dart after Bec Pizzey was able to force the turnover on Laina Snyder.

That tied scores up at the end of regulation with Jayde Cadee's three-point attempt at the buzzer for Eltham blocked by Kennedy Dickie.

Then remarkably there was only one field goal made in the entire five minutes of overtime.

The game winning shot proved to come from Dart who finished on the break after another Nunawading turnover with 3:45 to play.

The only other score in the game was one free-throw made by Kate Tanner with the Wildcats scoring the one-point win to improve to 2-2 on the season.

On top of those big buckets to force overtime and then win the game, Dart finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists for Eltham.

Taylah Short put up 23 points and three steals on 6/10 three-point shooting with Bec Pizzey contributing 13 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocks, and Kennedy Dickie 13 points, seven boards, three steals and two blocks.

Rachel Antoniadou top-scored for Nunawading with 17 points to go with four rebounds, four assists and two steals while shooting 4/10 from downtown.

Rachel Brewster added 15 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and two assists, Faith Dut 14 points and two boards, Laina Snyder 11 points, 15 rebounds and five assists, and Jordan Pyle nine points, five boards, four assists and two steals.

NUNAWADING SPECTRES 76 (Antoniadou 17, Brewster 15, Dut 14)

ELTHAM WILDCATS 77 (Short 23, Dart 20, Pizzey 13, Dickie 13)

Diamond Valley Eagles (93) defeated Ringwood Hawks (61)

The Diamond Valley Eagles made it three consecutive wins with Abbey Ellis starring in the 93-61 home victory on Anzac Day against the Ringwood Hawks.

The Eagles built momentum going into the Easter break with wins against the Melbourne Tigers and Frankston Blues ahead of hosting the Hawks on Anzac Day at Diamond Valley Sports and Fitness Centre.

Diamond Valley finished the first quarter strongly to be leading 25-19 by quarter-time and then continued to build on that advantage with another 22 points to 16 in the second frame to be leading 47-35 at half-time.

It was more of the same in the second half and the Eagles went on a 14-0 scoring run to see the lead grow to 29 points in the third quarter, and then 35 in the fourth before the final 32-point winning margin.

Diamond Valley improves to 3-3 on the season with the third consecutive victory with Abbey Ellis the star of the win with 26 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals.

She had plenty of help too with Lara McSpadden delivering 15 points, three rebounds and two steals, Tayha Watkins 13 points, five boards and two steals, Erin Riley 13 points, six assists and five rebounds, and Orla O'Reilly 11 points, eight boards, five assists and three steals.

Ringwood now sits at 2-3 following the defeat with Sarah Elsworthy top-scoring with 14 points, four rebounds and two assists with Camille Hobby contributing 13 points and five boards, and Nyaduoth Lok nine points and five rebounds.

DIAMOND VALLEY EAGLES 93 (Ellis 26, McSpadden 15, Watkins 13, Riley 13)

RINGWOOD HAWKS 61 (Elsworthy 14, Hobby 13, Lok 9)

Knox Raiders (82) defeated Casey Cavaliers (71)

It took until the second half for the Knox Raiders to take charge at home to the Casey Cavaliers for the eventual 82-71 victory on Anzac Day.

The Raiders started the season winning their first three games before a slip up on Easter Thursday against the Sandringham Sabres ahead of hosting the Cavs on Anzac Day at the State Basketball Centre.

Casey arrived on a three-game winning streak as well setting up a fascinating match up and it was the Cavaliers clinging to the narrow 21-19 lead by the end of one.

It remained a close contest in the second quarter with Casey managing to get out by as much as six points but by half-time the lead was just 34-32.

Coming out of half-time and that's when Knox made their move by going on a 13-0 scoring run and grabbing the lead, and never looking back even though the Cavaliers did continue to fight.

The Raiders would end up leading by as much as 14 points on the way to the 11-point win to improve to 4-1 on the season as they look to make up for last year's straight sets finals exit.

Alicia Froling showed what a difference maker she is once more for Knox delivering 23 points, 11 rebounds and four assists on 7/13 shooting from the field and 9/12 at the free-throw line.

Paige Bradley contributed 16 points, five assists, three steals and two rebounds, and Paige Burrows 15 points, four assists, three boards and two steals.

The Cavs are now 3-2 following the defeat with Sabrina Haines top-scoring with 21 points and seven rebounds on 5/7 three-point shooting.

Ahlise Hurst also had 12 points, four assists and two rebounds, Sharne Robati 10 points and five boards, and Esra McGoldrick six points, 12 rebounds and three assists.

KNOX RAIDERS 82 (Froling 23, Bradley 16, Burrows 15)

CASEY CAVALIERS 71 (Haines 21, Hurst 12, Robati 10)

Launceston Tornadoes (60) lost to Geelong United (85)

Gemma Potter, Jaz Shelley and Dakota Crichton combined for 70 points as Geelong United remained undefeated this season with the 85-60 victory against the winless Launceston Tornadoes.

It was top against bottom in the NBL1 South for the Anzac Day match up at Elphin Sports Stadium with the winless Tornadoes hosting the undefeated Geelong.

Launceston did start promisingly to lead 6-2 early but United was able to soon work their way on top and already by quarter-time were leading 24-17.

Geelong produced another 23 points to 16 in the second quarter to end up leading by as much as 14 points and to go into the half-time break on top 47-33.

It was another run of 13 straight points in the third quarter that saw Geelong's lead balloon out to 31 points and then it got to 34 in the fourth stanza before they settled on the 25-point win to start their weekend in Tasmania in style.

Geelong now remains the last undefeated team in the South with a 5-0 record and their big three all combined to deliver dominant performances.

Gemma Potter top-scored with 26 points to go with 14 rebounds, four steals and two assists with Dakota Crichton adding 21 points and four steals on 8/13 shooting from the field and 3/4 from downtown.

Jaz Shelley also had 23 points, five assists, five steals and three rebounds with Hannah Hank contributing eight points, eight boards, four assists and two steals.

The Tornadoes are the last team still yet to win this season at 0-6 with Keely Froling battling hard for 15 points, 12 rebounds and three assists.

Ava McDonald also had 10 points and two rebounds, and Megan Mullings eight points, four boards and three steals.

LAUNCESTON TORNADOES 60 (Froling 15, McDonald 10, Mullings 8)

GEELONG UNITED 85 (Potter 26, Shelley 23, Crichton 21)

Hobart Chargers (50) lost to Keilor Thunder (76)

Keilor Thunder welcomed back Maddy Rocci and she delivered a triple-double as Keilor Thunder started their Tasmanian double-header with the 76-50 win against the Hobart Chargers.

After playing in last year's Grand Final, Keilor started the 2025 season on fire with the duo of Rocci and lssie Bourne proving unstoppable but things got a bit tougher since including a 43-point loss without them to the Dandenong Rangers.

While Bourne is still not there, Rocci was back for the Anzac Day match up with the Chargers at South East Stadium with Hobart looking to also make it consecutive victories.

Even though Keilor did open up a 10-point lead in the first quarter, by quarter-time that lead was back to just four although they took control further in the second stanza.

Keilor outscored Hobart 21 points to seven in that second quarter to go into half-time leading 41-23 and then they rammed home their advantage further with another 20 points to eight in the final term.

The Thunder ended up winning by 26 points to improve to a 5-1 record on the season with Maddy Rocci outstanding with a triple-double consisting of 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists even while shooting 7/24 from the field.

Isobelle Wightman top-scored with 21 points and six rebounds on 5/9 three-point shooting with Madeline Puli contributing 10 points and nine boards, Nikki Metcalfe 13 points and five boards, and Kasey Burton five points, 16 rebounds and two assists.

The Chargers are now 2-4 following the home defeat with Chloe Broomhall top-scoring with 13 points and seven rebounds on 3/4 three-point shooting.

Ellie Collins added 12 points and 13 rebounds, and Sharna Thompson 10 points, four assists, three boards and two steals while shooting 4/24 from the field.

HOBART CHARGERS 50 (Broomhall 13, Collins 12, Thompson 10)

KEILOR THUNDER 76 (Wightman 21, Rocci 18, Metcalfe 13)

Mount Gambier Pioneers (47) lost to Waverley Falcons (73)

Championship heroes Bec Cole and Carley Ernst were back for the Waverley Falcons and led their team to the 73-47 road victory on Anzac Day over the Mount Gambier Pioneers.

Both teams came into the match up on Friday at Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre needing the win with Mount Gambier having lost four of their first five matches and Waverley also coming off a pair of defeats.

While the Pioneers were on their home floor, the defending champions had Cole and Ernst playing together for the first time since securing an NBL1 South and National Finals championship in 2024.

After Mount Gambier got out to an early five-point lead, Waverley took control going on a 13-0 scoring run to be leading 23-13 by the end of the first quarter.

The Falcons remained in control leading into half-time with the 40-26 advantage and then it was more dominance from Waverley in the third stanza with 23 points to 10.

The lead for the Falcons got out to as much as 31 points in the second half and they went on to secure the 26-point victory to improve to 3-2 in their championship defence.

Bec Cole played her first game of the season and delivered 23 points, nine rebounds and two blocks including shooting 3/5 from downtown.

Emma Povh added nine points and three rebounds, Renae Mokrzycki eight points and seven boards, Sophia Locandro eight points and nine rebounds, Amelia Todhunter seven points, two boards and two assists, and Carley Ernst six points, two rebounds and two steals.

The Pioneers are now 1-5 on the back of reaching the preliminary final in 2024 with Haliegh Reinoehl top-scoring with 18 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks.

Jayda Jansen added 14 points and four rebounds, and Cat MacGregor 11 points, four boards and three steals but they only shot 21 per cent as a team for the game and went 4/34 from three-point territory.

MOUNT GAMBIER PIONEERS 47 (Reinoehl 18, Jansen 14, MacGregor 11)

WAVERLEY FALCONS 73 (Cole 23, Povh 9, Locandro 8, Mokrzycki 8)

MEN

Nunawading Spectres (95) defeated Eltham Wildcats (91)

The Nunawading Spectres came back from a 12-point second half deficit with Lachlan Wood shooting them to overtime where they completed the job to beat the Eltham Wildcats 95-91.

The Spectres were looking to back up their thrilling Anzac Day eve the previous evening away to the Melbourne Tigers and were home at Nunawading Basketball Centre taking on a Wildcats team playing a first game in almost two full weeks.

On the back of the momentum from the previous night the Spectres started well opening up an eight-point lead in the first quarter before still leading 22-18 by the end of the opening term.

Eltham managed to score eight straight points in the second quarter to work on top and the defending champions were then able to turn that into the 37-35 half-time advantage.

The Wildcats build on that further in the third quarter to open up a game-high 12-point lead but Nunawading hit back with nine straight points and that set up a big finish with no more than four points separating the two sides throughout the fourth frame.

It was set up for a thrilling end and both teams took their chance to knock down huge shots in the dying seconds.

The first was a three-pointer to break the deadlock from Jack Gandolfo to give Nunawading the lead by that margin with just 1.4 seconds left with Eltham looking to execute straight out of the timeout.

In the end, Lachlan Wood was left wide open up the top of the three-point arc and the big man's shot never looked like missing as he forced the game into overtime.

And it was in the extra period where the Spectres took over with seven straight points beginning with another triple from Gandolfo before next four points were from Joe Mutimer with Nunawading going on to secure the four-point win.

The Spectres improve to 3-3 on the season with the back-to-back thrilling wins in the space of 24 hours with Gandolfo top-scoring with 25 points with 4/9 three-point shooting.

Cameron Cranston added 19 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks while making 5/8 from long-range with Brian Mack II contributing 17 points, 15 boards, three assists and two steals.

Christian D'Angelo also gave Nunawading 16 points, 11 rebounds and three assists with Joe Mutimer providing 13 points, seven assists and three boards.

Eltham is now 1-3 to start their championship defence albeit with a decidedly different looking roster with former Geelong star and Brisbane Bullets NBL guard Gabe Hadley brilliant with 38 points, five rebounds and five assists on 14/25 shooting from the field and 8/10 at the stripe.

Sam Short added 11 points, five rebounds and five assists, and Josh Sykes 10 points, 13 rebounds, four blocks and three assists including a string of trademark spectacular plays at the rim at either end.

NUNAWADING SPECTRES 95 (Gandolfo 25, Cranston 19, Mack II 17)

ELTHAM WILDCATS 91 (Hadley 38, Short 11, Sykes 10)

Diamond Valley Eagles (79) defeated Ringwood Hawks (75)

The Diamond Valley Eagles made a fast start but then had to come back from behind to beat the Ringwood Hawks and Angus Glover 79-75 at home on Anzac Day.

The Eagles were back home at Diamond Valley Sports and Fitness Centre on Friday to commemorate Anzac Day looking to end a three-game losing streak up against a Hawks team also having lost their past two matches.

Diamond Valley started well on their home floor to end up leading 20-16 by the end of the first quarter and then turning that into a 16-point advantage during the second frame.

The Eagles were still leading 46-33 by the half-time interval but then Ringwood pulled together and turned the tide by outscoring them 29-16.

The Hawks would end up scoring 17 consecutive points to turn that 13-point half-time deficit into a three-point lead of their own, and for scores to be all tied up at three quarter-time.

After the Hawks were leading by two with five minutes to play, Jock Perry and Ngor Manyang scored in the next minute to give Diamond Valley back the lead before Jesse Ghee pushed it out to a four-point edge.

Adam Thoseby and Ghee again then pushed that out to a six-point lead before Ringwood stayed in touch with a triple from Jonathan Lawton.

The Hawks wouldn't score again, though, with a free-throw from Thoseby confirming the four-point win for the Eagles who now improve to a 2-4 record as a result.

Thoseby ended up with 18 points on 3/3 three-point shooting with Perry a commanding presence with 17 points, 17 rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Ghee added 12 points, three steals and two assists, and Manyang eight points, eight rebounds and three assists.

Ringwood is now 2-3 on the season having lost the last three matches with Lawton ending up with 14 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals, Angus Glover 14 points and six boards, Josh Tomasi 14 points and eight rebounds, and Harry Sealey 11 points, three boards and three assists.

DIAMOND VALLEY EAGLES 79 (Thoseby 18, Perry 17, Ghee 12)

RINGWOOD HAWKS 75 (Tomasi 14, Glover 14, Lawton 14)

Knox Raiders (73) lost to Casey Cavaliers (85)

It was a match up featuring a battle of two Sydney Kings NBL teammates and it was Tyler Robertson who starred with 30 points to lead the Casey Cavaliers to the 85-73 win over Keli Leaulepe and the Knox Raiders.

It's quite an impressive group that the Raiders have put together after retooling following winning last year's National Finals on the Sunshine Coast for a second straight year.

With a team featuring Tad Dufelmeier, Leaulepe, Brody Nunn and Sunday Dech who were in NBL25, and now having added former NBA player Norvel Pelle, it's quite the group that Matthew Nunn has to coach.

The Raiders came into the Anzac Day clash at the State Basketball Centre as the last remaining unbeaten team this season too with the Cavs arriving looking to change that having won three of their four games as well so far in 2025.

Sydney Kings guard Tyler Robertson came out on a mission for the Cavaliers and helped his team to a strong start to be leading 25-17 already by the end of the first quarter.

That lead got out to double-figures briefly in the second term for Casey but Knox did hit back leading into the break and at half-time the Cavs were clinging to the 45-42 lead.

The Raiders did briefly nab the lead in the third quarter, but that only lasted for 19 seconds before Casey worked back on top and were soon back on top by double-digits.

The Cavaliers then took control to open up a match winning 17-point lead in the fourth quarter on the way to the 12-point victory to hand Knox a first defeat of 2025.

Casey improves to a 4-1 record with the impressive victory with Robertson showing the way on his way to 30 points, seven rebounds and three assists while making 6/12 from the land of plenty.

Nate Roberts had a huge impact for the Cavaliers too on his way to 17 points, 15 rebound and seven assists on 8/12 shooting with Ben Waller contributing 12 points, four boards and two blocks, and Trendon Hankerson 12 points, five rebounds and two assists.

Knox is now 4-1 on the season too following the first defeat despite Sunday Dech producing 22 points and eight rebounds having just been confirmed to be returning to his hometown Perth Wildcats for NBL26.

Norvel Pelle added 11 points, five rebounds and two blocks but it was a tough shooting night for several of Knox's key players.

Keli Leaulepe shot just 3/12 from the field despite having 10 points and 12 rebounds while Brody Nunn went 2/12 for six points, five assists and four rebounds, and Ade Murkey 4/17 for nine points, seven boards, three steals and two assists.

KNOX RAIDERS 73 (Dech 22, Pelle 11, Leaulepe 10)

CASEY CAVALIERS 85 (Robertson 30, Roberts 17, Hankerson 12, Waller 12)

North West Tasmania Thunder (82) lost to Geelong United (86)

Tristan Forsyth delivered a monster performance to lead Geelong United to the come from behind 86-82 road win over the North West Tasmania Thunder on Anzac Day.

The Thunder were back home to play host to Geelong at Elphin Sports Stadium on Anzac Day with the home team hunting a second straight win while Geelong arrived looking to snap a two-game losing slide.

It was Geelong clinging to the one-point lead by the end of the first quarter before things remained close with no more than seven points separating the two sides throughout the opening three quarters.

Scores were all square at 39-39 by half-time before North West held a narrow 62-59 edge by three quarter-time.

After the Thunder led by as much as four points in the last term, Geelong fired up with an 8-0 scoring run on the way to opening up a game high 10-point lead before completing the four-point victory.

The win improves Geelong to a 2-3 record on the season with the winning start to their double-header in Tasmania with Tristan Forsyth providing a strong inside presence and delivering a match-winning performance.

Forsyth finished with 31 points and 13 rebounds on shooting 13/20 from the floor and 5/7 at the foul line.

DeMarcus Gatlin added 21 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and three steals, Marach Marach 13 points and three boards, and Liam Herbert six points, five rebounds and two assists.

The Thunder are now 2-3 following the defeat with Brisbane Bullets development player Kye Savage continuing his strong form from before Easter with another 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists on 4/8 three-point shooting.

Lachlan Barker added 19 points and three assists on 4/9 three-point shooting with Tre Armstrong providing 14 points, four boards and three assists, and Tyler Harris 10 points and seven rebounds.

NORTH WEST TASMANIA THUNDER 82 (Savage 19, Barker 19, Armstrong 14)

GEELONG UNITED 86 (Forsyth 31, Gatlin 21, Marach 13)

Hobart Chargers (95) defeated Keilor Thunder (88)

Anthony Drmic came in and had a significant impact but it was Jacob Richards that produced a match-winning performances as the Hobart Chargers beat Keilor Thunder 95-88 in a high-quality Anzac Day contest.

The Chargers were back home at South East Stadium and having brought in Tasmania JackJumpers NBL star Drmic as a short-term injury replacement for Will Cranston-Lown as he rehabilitates an ankle injury.

Hobart came into the match up looking to respond to their first loss of the season while Keilor arrived looking to back up a last up victory over the Frankston Blues.

The stage was set for a terrific contest and it didn’t disappoint with Hobart opening up an early five-point lead before Keilor got on top and by quarter-time were leading 27-22.

The Thunder then lit things up in the second period and produced 33 points while holding the Chargers 22 to open up a 60-44 lead by half-time to be in control of the contest.

Hobart had work to do and only cut the deficit by two at three quarter-time, and Keilor was still leading 81-68 with nine minutes to play when Daniel Poelsma hit a jumper.

However, the Chargers then went on a stunning 16-0 scoring run over the next five minutes with Drmic hitting the go ahead layup after stealing the ball from Poelsma.

Ole Angerstein then threw down a reverse dunk with 1:45 to play to put the Chargers up four and it was Jacob Richards who sealed the deal with a huge three with 30 seconds to play and Hobart went on to win by seven having outscored Keilor 27-7 in the last nine minutes.

The Chargers improve to 4-1 on the season with the win with Richards brilliant with 36 points, seven rebounds and five assists while hitting 4/8 from downtown and 10/12 at the foul line.

Drmic added 17 points, seven assists, five rebounds and four steals while Ambros Eugster added 12 points and six assists, and Ole Angerstein 10 points, five rebounds and two assists.

It's a tough loss for Keilor to take to start their Tasmanian road trip this weekend having been in control for most of the evening with Daniel Poelsma finishing with 24 points with 4/7 three-point shooting.

Ryan Philippe added 19 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals, Abram Tong 12 points and four boards, Adetomi Ayilara 10 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals, and Jayce Beasley 10 points, three boards and three assists.

HOBART CHARGERS 95 (Richards 36, Drmic 17, Eugster 12)

KEILOR THUNDER 88 (Poelsma 24, Philippe 19, Tong 12)

Mount Gambier Pioneers (105) defeated Waverley Falcons (73)

Alex Mudronja sent a reminder of just how lethal can be leading the Mount Gambier Pioneers to the 105-73 home victory on Anzac Day against the Waverley Falcons.

The Pioneers went into the Easter break having won their last couple of games following a slip up against the Casey Cavaliers as they hosted the Falcons on Anzac Day at Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre.

Waverley arrived also having won three of their four games to start the season and it was a tight opening on Friday night with Mount Gambier clinging to the 17-16 lead by quarter-time.

Things changed dramatically in the second frame with Mount Gambier taking over the contest with 30 points to 16 to open up a 15-point lead, and to be on top 47-32 by the half-time intermission.

That lead only continued to grow in the second half for the Pioneers with the advantage getting out to as much as 19 points in the third quarter, and then 38 in the fourth before they went on to score the 32-point victory.

The win is a third in-a-row for Mount Gambier to see them improve to 5-1 on the season after shooting 54 per cent from the field as a team with Alex Mudronja leading the charge with 23 points and 11 rebounds on 10/14 shooting.

Six other Mount Gambier players scored in double-digits with Austin Shelley finishing with 14 points, four rebounds and four assists, Akech Aliir 14 points, 10 boards and three blocks, Titus Robinson 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Kaden Archie 15 points and three assists.

Joe Palmer also had 11 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals with Amarco Doyle also putting up 10 points on 4/6 shooting.

Waverley is now 3-2 following the defeat with DeJuan Clayton top-scoring with 16 points along with five rebounds.

Robbie Heath added 12 points and two rebounds, Isaac Abergut 12 points and three boards, Malik Meunier 12 points and five rebounds, and Mason Forbes eight points, eight boards and two assists.

MOUNT GAMBIER PIONEERS 105 (Mudronja 23, Archie 15, Robinson 14, Aliir 14, Shelley 14)

WAVERLEY FALCONS 73 (Clayton 16, Heath 12, Abergut 12, Meunier 12)