South Recap | First Nations Round Saturday

Image credit: Mitchell Barlow

It was a winning night for Sandringham Sabres with the women beating the Melbourne Tigers thanks to a Funda Nakkasoglu three ball while the men remain the hottest NBL1 South team after eighth straight win.

SOUTH RECAP | FIRST NATIONS ROUND FRIDAY

WOMEN

Sandringham Sabres (82) defeated Melbourne Tigers (79)

Funda Nakkasoglu drained the game winning three-pointer with 7.9 seconds to go to deliver the 82-79 win for the Melbourne Tigers to keep their finals hopes alive.

The Sabres came into the match up at Southern Basketball Stadium needing to keep winning to keep their finals hopes alive while the Tigers were on a four-game winning run, but also were minus Sara Blicavs and Izzy Borlase ahead of the FIBA Asia Cup with the Australian Opals.

It was a flying start from the Sabres with 28 points to 15 in the first quarter on the back of shooting 5/8 from three-point territory to 1/4 from the Tigers.

The Tigers turned the momentum around in the second period with 25 points to 13 while hitting 5/10 from downtown and Sandringham missing all three of their long range attempts.

The Sabres had led by as much as 17 points but by half-time the home team was just clinging to the 41-40 advantage.

Sandringham pushed back out to an 11-point lead in the third quarter going on a 13-0 scoring run but the trend continued of the Tigers firing back.

Melbourne kept on coming and eventually when Indiah Bowyer hit a three-pointer with just under 30 seconds to play, the scores were level and the Tigers did have all the momentum.

The Sabres then had the ball coming out of a timeout and Lucy Cochrane found Funda Nakkasoglu for the game winning three ball with 7.9 seconds to go when the Tigers couldn’t answer at the buzzer through Bowyer.

It's a crucial win for Sandringham as they improve to a 9-8 record to stay in the playoff hunt with Klara Wischer producing 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals.

Funda Nakkasoglu not only hit the game winner but also had 16 points and two assists with Isis Lopes contributing 12 points, six assists, three rebounds and two steals, and Lucy Cochrane nine points, eight boards, two assists and two blocked shots.

It was always going to be a tough stretch for the Tigers without Sara Blicavs and Izzy Borlase as they slip to an 11-7 record to be just clinging on to a spot in the top eight.

Eve Braslis finished with 23 points and four rebounds with 10/15 field goal shooting for Melbourne with Ella Tofaeono adding 14 points, 11 boards, four assists and two blocks, Indiah Bowyer 19 points, three rebounds and three assists, and Leila Davis 11 points and three boards.

SANDRINGHAM SABRES 82 (Wischer 17, Nakkasoglu 16, Lopes 12)

MELBOURNE TIGERS 79 (Braslis 23, Bowyer 19, Tofaeono 14)

Eltham Wildcats (65) lost to Waverley Falcons (75)

The defending champion Waverley Falcons are one contending team not impacted by Asia Cup selection and closed in on a top four spot with the 75-65 road win against the Eltham Wildcats.

With Keilor Thunder, Diamond Valley Eagles and Melbourne Tigers just ahead of them and hurt with the loss of star players to the FIBA Asia Cup in China, the Falcons just need to keep winning and they could end up in the top four.

They arrived at Montmorency Secondary College sitting seventh, the same position they won the championship last year from, and took on a Wildcats team out of the finals hunt and on a four-game losing slide.

It was a tight contest throughout the first half with the Falcons only leading by four points at both quarter and half times.

Waverley made their move in the third frame with 27 points to 17 to open up a 17-point lead and then to end up winning by 10 despite a horror final term with just six points on 1/14 shooting.

The win improves the Falcons to a 12-6 record to close in on a top four spot with Bec Cole producing another 21 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Carley Ernst added 18 points, nine rebounds and two steals with 4/9 three-point shooting while Sophia Locandro contributed 16 points, 11 boards, two assists and two blocks.

Eltham are now 3-15 having lost five straight with Kennedy Dickie producing 23 points, three steals and two assists on 10/15 field goal shooting.

Julia Drop added 16 points, six assists and four rebounds, Bec Pizzey 10 points, 10 boards and three steals, and Jayde Cadee eight points and four rebounds.

ELTHAM WILDCATS 65 (Dickie 23, Drop 16, Pizzey 10)

WAVERLEY FALCONS 75 (Cole 21, Ernst 18, Locandro 16)

Keilor Thunder (76) defeated Diamond Valley Eagles (63)

Keilor Thunder took charge in the third quarter and that set up their 76-63 win over the Diamond Valley Eagles to consolidate second spot with the 76-63 victory.

It was second against fifth in the NBL1 South at Keilor Stadium with both teams missing key players to the Australian Opals as well ahead of the FIBA Asia Cup in China.

Keilor was without Maddy Rocci and Issie Bourne while Diamond Valley also lost Steph Reid, so that left the chance for others to step up with plenty at stake in the context of the season for both teams.

Keilor opened up an eight-point lead in the first quarter before that was back to three at quarter-time, but then the Thunder got back out to an 11-point lead in the second term.

Once again Diamond Valley fired back and Keilor were only in front 37-34 at half-time, but it was in the third term when the Thunder pulled away with 21 points to eight with 7/16 shooting from the floor to 3/15, and the only six free-throw attempts for the quarter.

The Thunder from there ended up leading by as much as 18 points on the way to the 13-point victory which keeps them solid in second spot at 15-2 with eight straight wins despite the absence of Maddy Rocci and Issie Bourne.

Jasmine Dickey came up huge in the win for Keilor with 31 points, eight assists, four rebounds and four steals on 12/27 field goal shooting with Isobelle Wightman adding 19 points, three boards and two steals.

Penina Davidson also had 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Macey Boyle seven points, five boards and four assists.

Diamond Valley now slip to a 12-6 record to slip further from top four contention as they tried to overcome the absence of Steph Reid.

Tayha Watkins produced 25 points, six rebounds and two steals for the Eagles with Erin Riley adding 15 points and three boards, Sophie Byrnes 10 points and two assists, and Lara McSpadden six points and 10 rebounds.

KEILOR THUNDER 76 (Dickey 31, Wightman 19, Davidson 13)

DIAMOND VALLEY EAGLES 63 (Watkins 25, Riley 15, Byrnes 10)

Dandenong Rangers (75) lost to Casey Cavaliers (80)

The Casey Cavaliers produced a monster last quarter to come from behind to beat the Dandenong Rangers 80-75 and keep their finals hopes in the NBL1 South alive.

The Rangers came into the game at Dandenong Basketball Stadium in fourth position and on a six-game winning streak as they played host to a Casey team also having lost their past two to be clinging to hope of reaching the playoffs.

Dandenong were aggressive taking the ball to the rack in the first quarter and were leading 23-16 by quarter-time before that lead got out to 10 minutes in the second term, but the lead for the Rangers was back to just 45-40.

The Rangers then managed to open up a 14-point lead early in the last quarter, but the Cavaliers then fired up and produced a massive finish including scoring 16 points in-a-row-.

The Cavs ended up hitting 5/11 from downtown and 11/11 at the foul line to come from 14 points down to score the five-point victory and to improve to an 8-10 record with three consecutive wins.

Sharne Robati top-scored for the Cavaliers with 19 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two blocks with Esra McGoldrick adding 17 points, 12 boards and three blocks, and Sabrina Haines 14 points and four rebounds.

Then there was Jaden Owens who delivered a triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in her 34 minutes of court time.

It's a tough loss to take for Dandenong given the winning position they were in and it could be costly to their top four prospects with the Rangers now 13-5 with their six-game winning run ending.

Dallas Loughridge delivered 32 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals while Georgia Booth added 14 points, nine boards and three assists.

Nyadiew Puoch also had 10 points, seven rebounds, four steals and three assists, and Amber Smith eight points and 13 boards.

DANDENONG RANGERS 75 (Loughridge 32, Booth 14, N Puoch 10)

CASEY CAVALIERS 80 (Robati 19, McGoldrick 17, Haines 14)

Nunawading Spectres (40) lost to Knox Raiders (86)

The Knox Raiders delivered a dominant performance holding the Nunawading Spectres to just a point a minute for the eventual 86-40 victory.

The Spectres were back home at Nunawading Basketball Centre clinging to a hope of playing finals after a last up win over the Hobart Charters while the Raiders arrived in third place on a seven-match winning run.

It was a domination from the start from Knox as they scored 21 points in the first quarter on 8/15 shooting while holding Nunawading just four points on 2/19 shooting.

The Raiders added another 19 points to 13 in the second term to be leading 40-17 by half-time and then it was another 26 points to nine in the third period from Knox with the Spectres continuing to have a horror shooting night with another 4/20 in the stanza.

From there, Knox completed the job on the 46-point victory finishing up shooting 54 per cent from the floor to the 20 per cent from Nunawading.

The Raiders improve to a 16-3 record with the win to have won eight in-a-row with Alicia Froling delivering 20 points and six rebounds while Kristy Wallace added 14 points on 6/8 shooting, Paige Bradley 13 points, nine assists and four rebounds, and Katelyn Young 13 points, four boards and two steals.

Nunawading have now slipped to an 8-10 record ahead of hosting the defending champion Waverley Falcons on Sunday with Shaneice Swain finishing with 14 points and five rebounds, and Rachel Brewster 12 points and five boards.

NUNAWADING SPECTRES 40 (Swain 14, Brewster 12, Antoniadou 4, Feller 4)

KNOX RAIDERS 86 (Froling 20, Wallace 14, Young 13, Bradley 13)

Launceston Tornadoes (72) defeated Mount Gambier Pioneers (60)

The Launceston Tornadoes scored a second home win of the season with Keely Froling delivering 26 points and 17 rebounds in the 72-60 victory against the Mount Gambier Pioneers.

The Pioneers arrived at Elphin Sport Stadium having lost to the Hobart Chargers to start their road double on Friday night while the Tornadoes were attempting to avoid a fifth consecutive defeat.

The Tornadoes started well on their home floor with 22 points to 16 before then pushing out to a 14-point lead in the second term, but the Pioneers were hanging in there and kept Launceston's lead to 40-31 by half-time.

Mount Gambier had cut that back to seven at three quarter-time, but Launceston put their foot down completing a 13-0 run into the fourth term on the way to the 12-point victory.

The win improves the Tornadoes to a 4-15 record on the season snapping a four-game losing run with Keely Froling finishing with 26 points, 17 rebounds and three assists.

Megan Mullings added 20 points, nine rebounds, four blocks, three steals and two assists for the Tornadoes, Jade McCoy seven points and two rebounds, Shelby Rayner six points, nine boards, four assists and two steals, and Sarah O'Neill six points and two rebounds.

The Pioneers return home winless after the Tamanian double-header weekend to have now lost five in-a-row to sit at a 6-13 record.

Isa Brancatisano top-scored for Mount Gambier with 15 points, 13 rebounds, five assists four steals with Chloe Hildebrand adding 10 points, five boards and two steals with Zoe Hurley contributing nine points and three rebounds.

LAUNCESTON TORNADOES 72 (Froling 26, Mullings 20, McCoy 7)

MOUNT GAMBIER PIONEERS 60 (Brancatisano 15, Hildebrand 10, Hurley 9)

Ballarat Miners (79) defeated Kilsyth Cobras (77)

Kaleena Lewis got the Ballarat Miners to overtime and then Julia Gladkova hit the last shot of overtime as the Ballarat Miners held out the Kilsyth Cobras for the 79-77 victory.

The Miners were back home at The Minerdome Stadium looking for a sixth win of the season and to snap a three-game losing run while the Cobras arrived also hunting a sixth victory and having lost their past two matches.

Both teams might have been out of finals contention but were looking for a morale boosting victory and no more than eight points separated the two teams the entire evening.

It was just a three-point lead by quarter-time for the Miners and then Ballarat went into the half-time break on top 44-39.

It was still a five-point lead a three quarter-time for Ballarat but Kilsyth fired back in the fourth term and they eventually hit the front with 1:30 to play thanks to Nikita Young at the foul line.

The last shot of regulation then came from Kaleena Lewis for Ballarat and ultimately the game made it to overtime.

Then in extra time, Julia Gladkova scored for Ballarat with 1:45 to play to make it a three-point lead and then they were able to consolidate that for the eventual two-point victory after 45 minutes.

The win improves the Miners to a 6-12 record with Kaleena Lewis delivering 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists with 4/11 three-point shooting.

Georgia Woolley top-scored with 25 points, six rebounds and two assists while Julia Gladkova contributed 12 points, 13 boards and two steals, and Micah Simpson 11 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds.

Kilsyth are now 5-14 following the loss with the three consecutive defeats with Abby O'Connor producing 22 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three blocks, and Nikita Young 22 points and seven boards.

Ally Bates also had nine points and 10 rebounds, Shannon Dufficy nine points and two boards, and Anamaria Virjoghe eight points and 13 rebounds.

BALLARAT MINERS 79 (Woolley 25, Lewis 22, Gladkova 12)

KILSYTH COBRAS 77 (O'Connor 22, Young 22, Bates 9, Dufficy 9)

Geelong United (80) defeated Frankston Blues (62)

Geelong United remain undefeated this NBL1 South season with just four games remaining after the 80-62 home win against the Frankston Blues.

United put their perfect record on the line at The Geelong Arena up against a Frankston team just clinging to eighth position and looking to bounce back from a loss to the Dandenong Rangers.

It was a tight contest through the first half with Geelong leading by as much as seven points in the second quarter but by half-time their advantage was only 37-35 with them getting up 22 three-point attempts to 13, but Frankston having 10 extra shot attempts.

Geelong took over the contest in the third quarter with 26 points to 11 on the back of shooting 11/19 from the floor to open up a 17-point lead.

That became a 23-point advantage in the last term as well for United before they went on to score the 18-point victory to improve to a perfect 18-0 record.

Taylor Mole top-scored for Geelong with 23 points on 5/8 three-point shooting while Gemma Potter contributed 19 points, 11 boards, four assists and four steals, and Hannah Hank 11 points and eight rebounds.

Jaz Shelley added 10 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals, and Lilly Rotunno 10 points, four boards and four assists.

Frankston slips to a 10-8 record with the loss to leave them fighting for their playoff lives with Lou Brown delivering 23 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks with Marta Hermida adding 20 points, six boards, four assists and four steals, and Lauren Scherf eight points, 15 rebounds, six assists and two blocks.

GEELONG UNITED 80 (Mole 23, Potter 19, Hank 11)

FRANKSTON BLUES 62 (Brown 23, Hermida 20, Scherf 8)

MEN

Sandringham Sabres (92) defeated Melbourne Tigers (71)

The Sandringham Sabres remain the hottest team in the NBL1 South with Ben Ayre scoring 27 points in the dominant 92-71 home win against the Melbourne Tigers.

The Sabres were back home at Southern Basketball Stadium having won their past seven matches to break into the top eight ahead of hosting a Tigers team sitting third and having won three straight, but once again without Harry Froling.

Sandringham opened up an eight-point already in the first quarter and were still leading 22-17 by quarter-time before the Sabres produced another 27 points to 16 in the second frame to go into the half-time break on top 49-33.

The Sabres continued to build on that lead throughout the second half to be out to a 25-point advantage in the third term, and then 30 in the fourth before securing the 21-point victory.

Sandringham ended up shooting 46 per cent to the 40 from Melbourne while going 11/28 from three-point territory to 4/20 while also delivering 17/21 at the foul line to 9/13 on top of pulling down 56 rebounds to 26 including 18 at the offensive end to seven.

The win improves the Sabres to a 10-7 record on the season to be the hottest team in the NBL1 South with eight consecutive wins to now be suddenly banging on the door of the top four.

Tasmania JackJumpers guard Ben Ayre produced 27 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in the win for Sandringham with Malith Machar contributing 21 points and six boards.

Tom Koppens added 12 points, nine rebounds and seven rebounds, Fabijan Krslovic 16 points, seven boards, three assists and two blocks, Tom Koppens 12 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, and Dane Pineau seven points, 10 boards, two steals and two blocked shots.

The Tigers' hold on a top four spot is now shaky with the loss to slip to an 11-7 record with Tom Wilson delivering 21 points, three assists and two rebounds.

Jack Purchase added 12 points and two assists, Mason Gaze 10 points, two rebounds and two steals, and Kai Garnaut 10 points and three boards.

SANDRINGHAM SABRES 92 (Ayre 27, Machar 21, Krslovic 16)

MELBOURNE TIGERS 71 (Wilson 21, Purchase 12, Gaze 10, Garnaut 10)

Eltham Wildcats (97) defeated Waverley Falcons (92)

Xavier Bledson delivered 31 points to help the Eltham Wildcats to the 97-92 home win over the Waverley Falcons as they make it three straight wins to try and break into the top eight.

The Wildcats were back home at Montmorency Secondary College on a two-game winning streak but still sitting in ninth position as they played host to a Waverley team only percentage behind them on the same record and having won four straight.

There's a chance the winner will end Round 13 sitting in a playoff position as well so there was plenty on the line in the match up and the two teams combined for 57 points in the first quarter with Waverley leading 29-28 by quarter-time.

The Wildcats then outscored the Falcons narrowly 27 to 24 in the second term which saw the home team head into half-time just in front 55-53 having shot 9/16 from three opposed to the 6/16 from the Falcons.

Eltham did lead by as much as 10 points in the second half but Waverley kept firing back and even hit the front early in the fourth quarter when Bennie Lewis knocked down a three-pointer.

It was still just a three-point ball game in favour of Eltham when Malik Meunier scored with 30 seconds to go for Waverley, but from there the Wildcats got a bucket from Mitch McCarron, and then two free throws from Xavier Bledson took him past 30 and his team won by five.

The win improves Eltham to a 10-8 record with three straight wins and it was Xavier Bledson delivering 31 points and two assists with 15/17 free-throw shooting.

Gabe Hadley added 15 points and two assists, Mitch McCarron 14 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and four steals on perfect 6/6 shooting, Josh Sykes 11 points and four boards, and Sam Short eight points, nine assists and six rebounds.

Waverley remain outside a playoff position with the loss at 9-9 and facing a must-win road clash with the Nunawading Spectres now on Sunday.

Khalil Shabazz produced 17 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals for Waverley with Michael Harper adding 17 points and six boards, Malik Meunier 17 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals, and Matthew McCarthy 14 points and four boards.

ELTHAM WILDCATS 97 (Bledson 31, Hadley 15, McCarron 14)

WAVERLEY FALCONS 92 (Meunier 17, Harper 17, Shabazz 17)

Dandenong Rangers (99) defeated Casey Cavaliers (86)

The Dandenong Rangers made it back-to-back wins for the first time this season with Ruot Monyyong, Ryan Rapp and Sam Davidson combining for 73 points in the 99-86 win over the Casey Cavaliers.

The Cavs arrived at Dandenong Basketball Stadium sitting in fourth position despite a last up loss to the Eltham Wildcats as they took on the last ranked Rangers who were coming off a win against the Frankston Blues in a one-point thriller.

The two teams combined for 51 points in the first quarter with Casey narrowly leading 26-25 by quarter-time and then it was the Cavaliers still clinging to a slender 46-43 advantage by the half-time break.

The game was still right up for grabs at three quarter-time with scores all level but then it was a blistering final term from Dandenong on their home floor.

The Rangers scored 30 points on 9/18 shooting from the field and 10/13 at the foul line opposed to the 17 points from Casey on 8/24 from the floor and not getting to the free-throw line once.

That saw Dandenong secure the 13-point victory to improve to a 5-13 record and to have won consecutive matches for the first time in 2025 with Ruot Monyyong starring with 27 points, five rebounds and three assists on 9/13 shooting from the floor and 8/10 at the foul line.

Ryan Rapp added 24 points, six rebounds and six assists with 4/8 three-point shooting while Sam Davidson knocked down 5/10 from deep for 22 points.

Mason Peatling also produced 15 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks, two assists and two steals, and Justin Bieker nine points, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals.

Casey are now 10-8 on the season with back-to-back losses with the defeat a blow to their top four prospects and now leaving them just battling to stay in the top eight.

Hunter Marks top-scored with 21 points and five rebounds with 3/4 three-point shooting with Preston Bungei contributing 19 points, 10 boards and three assists, Trendon Hankerson 15 points and nine assists, and Nate Roberts 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals.

DANDENONG RANGERS 99 (Monyyong 27, Rapp 24, Davidson 22)

CASEY CAVALIERS 86 (Marks 21, Bungei 19, Hankerson 15)

Keilor Thunder (108) defeated Diamond Valley Eagles (99)

Two teams out of the finals hunt put on an entertaining spectacle with Keilor Thunder scoring the 108-99 win at home over the Diamond Valley Eagles.

Diamond Valley arrived at Keilor Stadium trying to make it consecutive wins after a last up win against the North West Tasmania Thunder while the Thunder were looking to bounce back from losing to the Ringwood Hawks.

It was a fast start from both teams as they combined for 55 points in the first quarter with Keilor leading 31-24 by quarter-time.

The Thunder then kept that scoring going in the second term but kept Diamond Valley to just 14 points to go into the half-time break in control leading 60-40.

That lead blew out to 22 points in the second half as well for Keilor before they went on to score the nine-point victory despite Diamond Valley piling on the 35 points in the fourth quarter.

The win improves Keilor to a 7-10 record on the season with Dante Thompson finishing with 23 points, nine rebounds and two assists.

Daniel Poelsma made all 10 of his free-throw attempts for 22 points and three rebounds with Daniel Foster contributing 21 points, eight assists, seven boards and two steals, Ryan Philippe 14 points, four rebounds and three assists, and Patrick Ryan 13 points and seven boards.

Diamond Valley are now 5-13 following the loss with Jock Perry continuing his fine season with another 22 points and 12 rebounds on 10/17 shooting.

Ngor Manyang added 19 points, three rebounds and two assists, Jesse Ghee 16 points and four assists, Adam Thoseby 15 points, three assists and three steals, and Ryley Haywood 14 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals.

KEILOR THUNDER 108 (Thompson 23, Poelsma 22, Foster 21)

DIAMOND VALLEY EAGLES 99 (Perry 22, Manyang 19, Ghee 16)

Nunawading Spectres (82) lost to Knox Raiders (83)

With both teams having plenty on the line and having lost their past two matches, they played out a tight battle all night with Keli Leaulepe forcing a late turnover was ultimately what saw the Knox Raiders prevail 83-82 against the Nunawading Spectres.

Coming into the match up at Nunawading Basketball Centre the Spectres were only just clinging to any playoff hopes having lost their past two matches while the Raiders had also lost two straight but remained clear in top spot.

It would prove the be a close battle right throughout the evening with no more than seven points ever separating the teams with Knox up three by quarter-time before it was Nunawading going into half-time on top 49-47.

The Raiders then did outscore the Spectres 23 points to 14 in the third frame to open up that game high seven-point edge going into the fourth quarter.

It was always going to go down to the dying stages and that's what happened with Tristan Devers returning Nunawading to the lead when he scored going to the basket with just over a minute to play.

It took almost a full minute before there was another score and that was Tad Dufelmeier knocking down two free throws to put Knox back in front by a point.

But the Spectres had another chance with a possession to try to win the game, but Tristan Devers couldn’t get a shot off with Keli Leaulepe coming up with the steal, and from there the Raiders held on for the one-point win.

The victory keeps Knox clear in top spot with a 15-4 record with Brody Nunn producing 20 points, six assists and three rebounds on 4/7 shooting from behind the arc.

Tad Dufelmeier provided 13 points, 11 rebounds and four assists, Keli Leaulepe 12 points, seven boards and three assists, Brayon Blake 12 points and eight rebounds, Henry Sewell 11 points and four boards, and Sunday Dech 10 points, five assists, four rebounds and four steals.

It could be a fatal blow to the playoff hopes of Nunawading who are now 8-10 having lost three straight and now must win their remaining games starting Sunday when they host the Waverley Falcons.

Brian Mack II top scored for Nunawading with 18 points, 13 rebounds and three assists with Tristan Devers contributing 16 points, three boards and two steals, Joe Mutimer 11 points and four assists, Cameron Cranston 10 points and three assists, and Nicolas Tata 10 points and four rebounds.

NUNAWADING SPECTRES 82 (Mack II 18, Devers 16, Mutimer 11)

KNOX RAIDERS 83 (Nunn 20, Dufelmeier 13, Leaulepe 12, Blake 12)

North West Tasmania Thunder (74) lost to Mount Gambier Pioneers (107)

The Mount Gambier Pioneers return home with a pair of wins from Tasmania to retain second position with the 107-74 win against the North West Tasmania Thunder.

The Pioneers started their double-header weekend in the Apple Isle by beating the Hobart Chargers on Friday night ahead of arriving at Harcourts Stadium to take on a Thunder team trying to avoid a third consecutive defeat.

It was a scintillating start away from home from Mount Gambier with 36 points to 21 in the first quarter on the back of shooting 13/20 from the field opposed to the 6/14 from North West Tasmania.

It was another 24 points to 19 from the Pioneers which saw them go into half-time leading 60-40.

Mount Gambier kept that momentum going to complete a 13-0 run in the third quarter on the way to leading by as much as 37 points before turning that into the eventual 33-point victory.

The Pioneers finished up shooting 51 per cent from the floor to 41 from the Thunder while ending up collecting 15 offensive rebounds to 10, and forcing North West into 21 turnovers which helped Mount Gambier attempt the 16 extra field goals.

The victory improves the Pioneers to a 13-6 record having won their past three games to stay in second place with Akech Aliir delivering 26 points, four rebounds and three assists on 10/14 field goal shooting.

Joe Palmer also had 25 points, five rebounds and two steals, Austin Shelley 21 points, three boards and two steals, Alex Mudronja 13 points, four assists and three rebounds, and Titus Robinson 10 points and 14 boards.

The Thunder are now 5-13 on the season having lost three in-a-row with Kye Savage finishing with 18 points and six rebounds.

Archie Woodhill also provided 14 points and four rebounds, Lachlan Barker 13 points, four assists, three boards and two steals, and Anok Magot six points and four rebounds.

NORTH WEST TASMANIA THUNDER 74 (Savage 18, Woodhill 14, Barker 13)

MOUNT GAMBIER PIONEERS 107 (Aliir 26, Palmer 25, Shelley 21)

Ballarat Miners (82) lost to Kilsyth Cobras (85)

The Kilsyth Cobras built a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter and held out the fast finishing Ballarat Miners for the 85-82 victory.

It loomed as a crucial game for both teams coming into the clash at The Minerdome Stadium with Ballarat at home and sitting sixth at 10-7 while Kilsyth were eighth at 10-8 highlighting how little separated them as the race to the playoffs intensifies.

It was just a two-point lead in favour on the Miners by quarter-time before the home team pushed out to an 11-point edge during the second frame only to see that all the way back to two by half-time.

Kilsyth made their move in the third quarter with 28 points to 15 on the back of shooting 9/13 from the field and 7/9 at the foul line opposed to just 7/21 and 1/2 for Ballarat.

That saw the Cobras open up a 13-point advantage and while the Miners did throw everything at a fightback, they could never quite completely make up the gap with Kilsyth holding on for the crucial three-point victory.

The win improves the Cobras to an 11-8 record on the season to remain solid in a playoff spot with Dillon Stith finishing with 20 points, six rebounds, five assists and two blocks on return from the 3x3 FIBA World Cup with the Australian Gangurrus in Mongolia.

Khadim Sy added 20 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks, Adrian Tomada 13 points, four boards and four assists, and Corey Jeffs 10 points, eight rebounds and two steals.

The Miners are now just clinging to a finals spot at 10-8 with Tasmania JackJumpers guard Nick Stoddart producing 24 points, four rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocks.

Majok Majok also had 15 points and 14 rebounds, Mackuei Puondak 14 points and four boards, and Luke Rosendale 10 points, six rebounds and four assists.

BALLARAT MINERS 82 (Stoddart 24, Majok 15, Puondak 14)

KILSYTH COBRAS 85 (Sy 20, Stith 20, Tomada 13)

Geelong United (83) lost to Frankston Blues (86)

Igor Hadziomerovic hit the clutch free throws and Taane Samuel and Michael Harris combined for 49 points as the Frankston Blues won an 86-83 thriller on the road to Geelong United.

United were back home at The Geelong Arena and looking to back up their last up win against the Nunawading Spectres as they hosted a Frankston team also on the outside of a playoff position having lost their past four matches.

It was Frankston with a three-point lead at quarter-time before Geelong put up 28 points to 24 in the second term to head into half-time leading 46-45.

It remained a tight contest right throughout the second half but early in the last term and Geelong did push out to a six-point lead thanks to back-to-back three-pointers from Liam Herbert.

 With 4:30 to go and Frankston had drawn scores back level with a pair of three balls through Lucas Barker and Michael Harris before Taane Samuel put them in front.

Herbert knocked down a three ball in response to return Geelong to the lead before Samuel put the Frankston back in front, and then the Blues were up by three when Tom Garrett scored on a putback after an offensive rebound.

Kaelen Malone brought Geelong back within a point on the next possession in the final minute but Igor Hadziomerovic then knocked down a pair of foul shots that secured Frankston's win when Herbert's attempt at forcing overtime didn’t fall for United.

The victory improves Frankston to a 9-9 record on the season to keep their finals hops alive although they will need to keep winning if they hope to break into the top eight.

Taane Samuel produced 25 points and six rebounds on 11/17 field goal shooting for Frankston with Michael Harris adding 24 points, seven boards, seven assists and four steals.

Igor Hadziomerovic added 14 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two steals, and Kingsley Box 12 points and four boards.

Geelong are now 7-11 on the season following the loss with Liam Herbert draining 4/9 from downtown on the way to 20 points and four rebounds.

Tristan Forsyth had another 16 points and seven rebounds with DeMarcus Gatlin contributing 14 points, six assists, three boards and two steals, Kaelen Malone 14 points and five assists, and George Blagojevic seven points, 12 rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots.

GEELONG UNITED 83 (Herbert 20, Forsyth 16, Gatlin 14, Malone 14)

FRANKSTON BLUES 86 (Samuel 25, Harris 24, Hadziomerovic 14)