South Recap | Round 10 Saturday

Image credit: Rachel Louise - Rachel Louise Photography @rachellouisephotographyau

Keely Froling dominated in NBL1 South win for Launceston Tornadoes as did Maddy Rocci/Issie Bourne for Keilor Thunder and Dallas Loughridge for Dandenong Rangers while Melbourne United pair Tom Wilson and Dash Daniels starred for Melbourne Tigers and Sandringham Sabres.

SOUTH RECAP | ROUND 10 MONDAY

WOMEN

Casey Cavaliers (84) lost to Launceston Tornadoes (97)

Keely Froling delivered a dominant performance with 29 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Launceston Tornadoes to a third win for the season beating the Casey Cavaliers 97-84.

The Tornadoes were starting their double-header on the road at Casey Stadium looking to escape the wooden spoon position while the Cavs needed to start a winning streak to maintain any hope whatsoever of playing finals in 2025.

Launceston also won its last game before the King's Birthday long weekend against the Hobart Chargers and kept that momentum going with the 28-18 first quarter against the Cavaliers.

Casey did work back into the contest in the second quarter outscoring Launceston 26 points to 23 which cut the half-time lead for the Tornadoes to 51-44.

The game was up for grabs coming into the second half but it didn’t stay that way for long with Launceston producing 22 points to 11 in the third term on the back of shooting 9/16 from the field to lead by as much as 18 points.

That lead got out to 20 in the fourth frame too before the Tornadoes scored the 13-point win to make it three wins on the season and to be the chance to end the round out of bottom place depending on other results.

Keely Froling ultimately was the difference between the two teams finishing with 29 points, 14 rebounds and two assists on11/19 shooting from the field, 2/6 from downtown and 5/6 at the foul line.

Megan Mullings added 20 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals, Sarah O'Neill 15 points, four assists, three boards and two steals, Taya Webb 14 points and three steals on 4/6 long range shooting, and Shelby Rayner 13 points, six assists and three rebounds.

The Cavaliers have now lost six games in-a-row to slip to a 4-9 record with their finals hopes quickly fading with Esra McGoldrick delivering 21 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and two assists.

Lauryn Hippolite added 21 points on 3/4 three-point shooting while Jaden Owens added 11 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals, Sharne Robati 10 points and 10 boards, and Sabrina Haines 10 points and three steals.

CASEY CAVALIERS 84 (McGoldrick 21, Hippolite 21, Owens 11)

LAUNCESTON TORNADOES 97 (Froling 29, Mullings 20, O'Neill 15)

Keilor Thunder (93) defeated Ballarat Miners (70)

Maddy Rocci and Issie Bourne combined for another 41 points, 12 rebounds and 18 assists as Keilor Thunder kept on winning beating the Ballarat Miners 93-70.

The Thunder were back on their home deck at Keilor Stadium looking to further consolidate second place as they played host to a Miners team looking to build on their last up win against the Bendigo Braves.

It was a flying start from Keilor with 31 points to 23 in the first quarter on the back of shooting 13/20 from the field.

The Thunder turned that into a 12-0 scoring run in the second quarter to lead by as much as 20, and still being on top 57-37 by the half-time interval.

That lead gradually grew in the second half with Keilor out to a 23-point edge in the third frame, and 25 in the fourth on the way to the eventual 23-point victory.

The win improves the Thunder to a 12-2 record to remain in second position only behind the undefeated Geelong United.

The dynamic duo of Maddy Rocci and Issie Bourne was again outstanding for Keilor with Rocci finishing with 23 points, 13 assists, six rebounds and two steals, Bourne 18 points, six boards and five assists.

Nikki Metcalfe also had 17 points, four rebounds and three steals, Penina Davidson 11 points, 10 boards and two assists, and Jasmine Dickey nine points, two assists and two steals.

Ballarat are now 4-9 on the season ahead of a second away clash for the weekend against the Nunawading Spectres on Sunday.

Abbey Wehrung top-scored with 18 points on 3/4 three-point shooting with Kaleena Davis contributing 13 points, seven rebounds and two assists, Georgia Woolley 11 points and nine boards, and Ella Gordon six points, nine rebounds and four assists.

KEILOR THUNDER 93 (Rocci 23, Bourne 18, Metcalfe 17)

BALLARAT MINERS 70 (Wehrung 18, Lewis 13, Woolley 11)

Frankston Blues (69) lost to Waverley Falcons (78)

The Waverley Falcons were back to the winner's list to stay in touch of the top four as defending NBL1 South champions with the 78-69 road win over the Frankston Blues.

The Blues were back home at Dreamstreet Lending Arena with the home team needing to win to keep hold of their top eight spot while the Falcons were looking to bounce back from Monday's defeat the hands of the Diamond Valley Eagles.

Waverley came into the match up a little shorthanded including being without Renae Mokrzycki who hurt a hamstring back on King's Birthday, but it was a second game in the line-up for new import Jenna Batsch.

Waverley got off to the fast start with 29 points to 17 in the first quarter on the back of shooting 9/14 from the floor to the 6/16 from Frankston.

The Blues did start to work back into the game in the second quarter with 21 points to 17, and in the third with 13 to 11, but the Falcons would end up having all the answers on the way to the eventual nine-point victory.

Waverley improves to 10-5 on the season as a result of the win with Bec Cole top-scoring with 23 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists with partner-in-crime Carley Ernst providing 22 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and blocks with 6/12 three-point shooting.

Sophia Locandro added eight points and four rebounds, Jenna Batsch eight points, four boards and two assists, and Amelia Todhunter four points, eight assists, three rebounds and three steals.

Frankston are now 8-6 following the defeat with Lauren Scherf returning from suspension and producing 22 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, two steals and two blocked shots.

Marta Hermida added 17 points, seven assists, five boards and three steals, Jacqui Trotto 11 points, five assists and three rebounds, and Kassie Boorer eight points and six boards.

FRANKSTON BLUES 69 (Scherf 22, Hermida 17, Trotto 11)

WAVERLEY FALCONS 78 (Cole 23, Ernst 22, Locandro 8, Batsch 8)

Ringwood Hawks (72) lost to Geelong United (93)

Geelong United kept their undefeated roll going this season with the 93-72 road win over the Ringwood Hawks to start their double-header in Round 10.

Ringwood were back home at The Rings trying to enhance their playoff prospects as they hosted a Geelong team arriving having won all 12 of their matches so far in 2025.

Neither team really got going in the first quarter with just the 25 combined points but it was Geelong already leading 16-9 by quarter-time.

There was a complete transformation in the game in the second period with a combined 59 points with United putting up 31 of them on 13/21 shooting with 5/10 from downtown while Ringwood adding 28 on 11/18 shooting.

Geelong were leading 47-37 by half-time before then outscoring the Hawks 25 points to 17 in the third period, and 21 to 18 in the fourth on the way to the eventual 21-point victory.

The win improves Geelong to a perfect 13-0 record on the season ahead of hosting the Launceston Tornadoes on Sunday with Gemma Potter providing 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Hannah Hank also had 19 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, Jaz Shelley 16 points, 10 assists, seven boards and three steals, Annika Stewart 12 points, three rebounds and two assists, and Lilly Rotunno 13 points, five boards, five assists and three steals.

Ringwood are now 7-7 on the season as a result of the defeat with Annabel Deerbon top-scoring with 22 points and five assists on 6/9 three-point shooting.

Camille Hobby added 13 points, four rebounds and four blocks, Nyaduoth Lok nine points, nine boards, three assists and three steals, and Alex Wittinger eight points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots.

RINGWOOD HAWKS 72 (Deerbon 22, Hobby 13, Lok 9)

GEELONG UNITED 93 (Hank 19, Potter 19, Shelley 16)

Diamond Valley Eagles (101) defeated Sandringham Sabres (68)

The Diamond Valley Eagles kept their winning form going with Steph Reid leading the way with 21 points and 10 assists on the 101-68 home victory against the Sandringham Sabres.

The Eagles were fresh off a thrilling King's Birthday Monday win over the Waverley Falcons to strengthen their push for a top four spot ahead of hosting the Sabres at Diamond Valley Sports and Fitness Centre.

Sandringham came into the match up trying to stay in touch of the top eight as well so there was plenty on the line for both teams.

Diamond Valley wasted no time taking control of the contest with a 10-0 run in the first quarter and then to end up leading by as much as 22 points, and leading 35-15 by quarter-time thanks to shooting 14/22 from the field and 5/9 from downtown.

That lead for the Eagles was still 55-36 by half-time and then in the fourth quarter they put their foot down further with another 22 points to nine on the way to the eventual 33-point victory.

Diamond Valley scored the win on the back of shooting 55 per cent from the field while forcing the Sabres into 26 turnovers even with Sandringham attempting 20 free throws to just the eight from the Eagles.

The Eagles have now won their past four matches to improve to a 10-4 record on the season with Steph Reid the star of the evening with 21 points, 10 assists, four steals and three rebounds with 5/7 three-point shooting.

Tayha Watkins added 20 points, seven rebounds and five steals, Lara McSpadden 18 points, 10 boards, four assists and two steals, and Abbey Ellis 15 points, six steals, three assists and two rebounds.

Sandringham slip further out of the top eight race with a third straight defeat to slip to a 6-7 record with Madison Ryan finishing with 12 points and six rebounds, Klara Wischer 12 points and six boards, and Isis Lopes 12 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.

DIAMOND VALLEY EAGLES 101 (Reid 21, Watkins 20, McSpadden 18)

SANDRINGHAM SABRES 68 (Ryan 12, Wischer 12, Lopes 12)

Eltham Wildcats (82) defeated Bendigo Braves (81)

The Bendigo Braves scored the last 13 points of the game to almost pull off a miraculous fightback but it fell just short with the Eltham Wildcats holding on for the 82-81 victory.

The Wildcats were back on their home floor at Montmorency Secondary College hunting a third win of the season as they hosted a Braves team coming off a heartbreaker last Friday night against the Kilsyth Cobras.

Even though Eltham opened up an early seven-point lead, scores were all tied at 20-20 by the end of the first quarter and then by half-time it was Bendigo clinging to the narrow 39-38 advantage.

The Wildcats then did work on top in the third quarter with 26 points to 21 before then taking further control in the fourth frame to end up leading 82-68 with six minutes to play when Bec Pizzey.

Remarkably, Eltham would not score again the rest of the game and Bendigo kept on coming and were back within a single point when Jessica Smith hit a couple of late three-pointers to complete a 13-0 run.

However, Bendigo just ran out of time to get off a shot at the game winner with Eltham holding on for the one-point win that snaps a nine-game losing streak to improve them to a 3-10 record on the season.

Bec Pizzey ultimately hit the shot that sealed the win for Bendigo by giving them a 14-point lead ahead of the eventual one-point win along with having 19 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks, three assists and three steals.

Lil Dart added 16 points, four assists, three steals and two rebounds, Kennedy Dickie 14 points and nine boards, and Emily Maltezos nine points, five assists and two steals.

Bendigo have now lost four consecutive matches at 3-13 on the season in what was yet another near miss.

The Braves also had just the seven players available on the night with all of them playing at least 14 minutes with Jessica Smith top-scoring with 26 points, seven rebounds and two steals on 6/9 shooting from behind the three-point line.

Cassidy McLean added 17 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and three steals, Elsie Noonan 11 points, eight boards, four assists and two steals, and Taisheka Porchia 13 points, five rebounds and two assists.

ELTHAM WILDCATS 82 (Pizzey 19, Dart 16 Dickie 14)

BENDIGO BRAVES 81 (Smith 26, McLean 17, Porchia 13)

Knox Raiders (68) defeated Melbourne Tigers (64)

The Knox Raiders produced a blistering first quarter and despite just scoring 37 points over the next 30 minutes, it was enough to claim the 68-64 win against the Melbourne Tigers.

The Raiders played host to the Tigers at the State Basketball Centre with Knox looking to stay in touch with the top two and Melbourne trying to consolidate a playoff spot, and stay in contention for the top four.

It was a scorching opening quarter from Knox with 31 points to 18 on the back of shooting 13/17 from the field and 5/6 from downtown.

That saw them end up leading by 14 points early in the second term, but Melbourne hit back with 21 points to nine to cut Knox's half-time lead to 40-39.

The Tigers had scored the last 13 points of the first half and then that turned into a 15-0 run to start the second, and they would manage to lead by as much as four points in the fourth quarter when Genna Ogier scored with 7:45 to play.

Knox responded the rest of the way outscoring Melbourne 16 points to eight the rest of the game to secure the four-point win that improves them to a 11-3 record to stay in the top four and stay in touch of the top two.

Paige Bradley finished with 14 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals with Rachel Bell top-scoring with 16 points and five boards.

Agnes Emma-Nnopu added 11 points and nine rebounds on 3/4 three-point shooting with Paige Burrows contributing 10 points and three assists, and Alicia Froling eight points, eight rebounds and three assists.

It's three straight losses now for Melbourne who slip to 7-6 on the season with Sara Blicavs finishing with 21 points, seven rebounds and three steals on 3/5 shooting from downtown.

Izzy Borlase had a tough night with five points and five assists on 2/8 shooting while Sienna Harvey provided 15 points, six rebounds and three assists, and Ella Tofaeono nine points, five boards, three assists and two blocked shots.

KNOX RAIDERS 68 (Bell 16, Bradley 14, Emma-Nnopu 11)

MELBOURNE TIGERS 64 (Blicavs 21, Harvey 15, Tofaeono 9)

 

Dandenong Rangers (96) defeated Hobart Chargers (72)

Fresh off signing on at the Adelaide Lightning in the WNBL, Dallas Loughridge knocked down seven threes for 31 points and 10 assists to lead the Dandenong Rangers to the 96-72 home win over the Hobart Chargers.

The Rangers were back home at Dandenong Basketball Stadium needing to try and break back into the top four as they hosted a Chargers team trying to start their road double with a third straight defeat.

Hobart then started strongly to be leading 21-14 by the end of the first quarter before then marginally building on that lead with 25 points to 23 in the second term to go into half-time leading 46-37.

Dandenong needed to respond coming out of half-time and did just that with the Rangers piling on 30 points to 10 in the third quarter on the back of shooting 13/22 from the field and holding the Chargers to 4/13.

It was then another 29 points to 16 in the fourth term from Dandenong with 7/10 three-point shooting as the home team secured the 24-point victory having trailed by as much as 12 in the first half.

The win improves the Rangers to a 10-4 record on the season with Dallas Loughridge the star with 31 points and 10 assists on 7/8 three-point shooting.

Manuela Puoch also had 24 points, six rebounds and four assists with 5/8 shooting from downtown while Nyadiew Puoch contributed 15 points, seven boards and two steals, and Georgia Booth 11 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals.

The Chargers have now lost three straight to slip to 4-10 ahead of a clash with the Melbourne Tigers on Sunday with Tayla Roberts finishing with 23 points and seven rebounds on 10/14 shooting.

Chelsea D'Angelo added 17 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals with Sharna Thompson providing 15 points, two boards and two assists, and Ellie Collins 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

DANDENONG RANGERS 96 (Loughridge 31, M Puoch 24, N Puoch 15)

HOBART CHARGERS 72 (Roberts 23, D'Angelo 17, Thompson 15)

Kilsyth Cobras (63) lost to Mount Gambier Pioneers (78)

The Mount Gambier Pioneers kept their playoff hopes alive by starting their road double with the 78-63 victory against the Kilsyth Cobras.

The Cobras were back on their home floor at Kilsyth Sports Centre trying to back up their last up win against the Bendigo Braves while hosting a Pioneers team needing to go on a winning run to stay in the top eight race.

After Mount Gambier got out to a nine-point lead in the first quarter, Kilsyth was able to fire back and cut the Pioneers' lead to 22-19 by the end of one.

The two teams then only combined for 24 points in the second period on 9/33 shooting but Mount Gambier marginally built on their lead to go into half-time on top 35-30.

It was in the third quarter where Mount Gambier blew the game apart going on an 11-0 scoring run to lead by 15, and that set up the eventual 15-point victory.

Mount Gambier improves to a 6-8 record on the season as a result of the win ahead of backing up on Sunday against the Knox Raiders.

Haliegh Reinoehl put in a dominant showing in the win for the Pioneers with 30 points, 18 rebounds and two assists on 13/19 field goal shooting.

Isa Brancatisano added 21 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, Chloe Hildebrand seven points, and Jayda Jansen six points, five rebounds and five assists.

Kilsyth are now 4-11 on the season to fall further from playoff contention with Abby O'Connor finishing with 24 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Nikita Young also had 16 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals, and Ally Bates nine points, five rebounds and two assists.

KILSYTH COBRAS 63 (O'Connor 24, Young 16, Bates 9)

MOUNT GAMBIER PIONEERS 78 (Reinoehl 30, Brancatisano 21, Hildebrand 7)

MEN

Casey Cavaliers (102) defeated North West Tasmania Thunder (82)

The Casey Cavaliers maintained a top four position with the 102-82 home victory against the North West Tasmania Thunder.

The Cavaliers were back home at Casey Stadium needing to bounce back from a loss last Friday night to the Sandringham Sabres ahead of hosting a North West team trying to avoid a seventh consecutive defeat.

The Cavs started in exciting fashion with a 26-16 opening quarter on the back of shooting 11/19 from the floor opposed to the 7/19 from the Thunder.

That lead for Casey got out to 14 points in the second period and they were still leading 53-40 by half-time before that advantage blew out to 24 in the third term.

The Cavaliers went on to secure the 20-point win from there to improve to a 9-5 record on the season to maintain a top four position in their only appearance of the weekend.

Nate Roberts delivered 21 points, 15 rebounds and five assists on 9/12 field goal shooting in the win for the Cavs with Trendon Hankerson adding 20 points, four boards, four assists and two blocks with 4/8 three-point shooting.

Preston Bungei also had 19 points, seven rebounds and three assists, Hunter marks 17 points, five boards and two blocked shots, and Sydney Kings NBL guard Tyler Robertson 13 points, four assists, three rebounds and two stelas with 3/5 shooting from downtown.

It was the first game of a road double for North West Tasmania who are now 3-10 on a seven-game losing slide ahead of taking on Geelong United on Sunday.

Brisbane Bullets NBL guard Kye Savage produced 22 points and five steals for the Thunder with Tre Armstrong providing 15 points and four rebounds, Lachlan Barker 13 points and four boards, Archie Woodhill 12 points and four rebounds, and Tyler Harris 10 points and two boards.

CASEY CAVALIERS 102 (Roberts 21, Hankerson 20, Bungei 19)

NORTH WEST TASMANIA THUNDER 82 (Savage 22, Armstrong 15, Barker 13)

Keilor Thunder (77) defeated Ballarat Miners (66)

Keilor Thunder produced a strong second half led by South East Melbourne Phoenix development player Daniel Foster for the 77-66 win over the Ballarat Miners.

The Thunder were back home at Keilor Stadium looking to snap a three-game losing slide while the Miners arrived to start their road double this weekend out to consolidate their playoff position further.

It was Keilor narrowly leading 22-21 by the end of the first quarter before Ballarat had the better of the second term with 16 points to 10 to go into half-time leading 37-32.

Ballarat again led by seven once more early in the third quarter, but Keilor was able to work on top from there with 23 points to 14 in the third stanza, and then 22 to 15 in the fourth to outscore the Miners 45-29 in the second half to end up scoring the 11-point victory.

The win improves Keilor to a 5-9 record as they snap a three-game losing slide with Daniel Foster top-scoring with 21 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Ryan Philippe added 15 points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists, Daniel Poelsma 11 points and four boards, Patrick Ryan 11 points and four rebounds, and Dante Thompson nine points, four boards and three assists.

Ballarat are now 7-6 this season on the back of playing in last year's grand final ahead of backing up on Sunday to take on the Nunawading Spectres.

Nick Stoddart finished with 16 points and two assists with Mackuei Puondak contributing 14 points and four rebounds, Majok Majok 14 points, eight boards and two blocks, and Luke Rosendale eight points, five rebounds and three assists.

KEILOR THUNDER 77 (Foster 21, Philippe 15, Poelsma 11, Ryan 11)

BALLARAT MINERS 66 (Stoddart 16, Puondak 14, Majok 14)

Frankston Blues (101) lost to Waverley Falcons (113)

The Waverley Falcons kept themselves right in the playoff hunt with the 113-101 road win over the Frankston Blues with Mason Forbes delivering 29 points and 12 rebounds.

The Blues were back home at Dreamstreet Lending Arena looking for a third straight win to stay solid in the top four as they hosted a Falcons team fresh off beating the Diamond Valley Eagles on King's Birthday to keep themselves in the playoff race.

Frankston started impressively with 33 points to 23 in the first quarter while knocking down seven of their 10 three-point attempts.

The Blues then completed a 10-0 scoring run into the second frame to open up a 13-point advantage but Waverley worked back into the contest and by half-time had cut the Frankston lead all the way back to one-point.

It was Waverley's turn to catch fire in the third term by putting up 34 points thanks to shooting 6/7 from behind the three-point arc and opening up an eight-point lead.

The Falcons went on with the job from there to end up leading by as much as 14 points before securing the 12-point victory.

The win improves Waverley to a 7-8 record on the season to stay in the playoff hunt with Mason Forbes playing a starring role with 29 points, 12 rebounds and four assists on shooting 13/16 from the floor.

Malik Meunier added 23 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals, Khalil Shabazz 18 points, eight assists, four boards and three steals, Madut Akec 12 points, four rebounds and three assists, and Michael Harper 11 points and three boards.

Frankston are now 8-6 following the defeat ahead of hosting the Ringwood Hawks on Sunday to try and bounce back with Taane Samuel producing 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists on the back of representing Poitukohu Maori o Aotearoa against the Indigenous All Stars on Wednesday night.

Michael Harris also had 22 points, 10 assists and six rebounds with 5/10 three-point shooting while Kingsley Box added 18 points and eight rebounds on 4/6 shooting from deep, Lucas Barker 16 points and five assists, and Vincent Monaghan 11 points and three boards.

FRANKSTON BLUES 101 (Harris 22, Samuel 22, Box 18)

WAVERLEY FALCONS 113 (Forbes 29, Meunier 23, Shabazz 18)

Ringwood Hawks (110) defeated Geelong United (82)

Tanner Krebs and Angus Glover combined for 50 points to lead the Ringwood Hawks to a dominant 110-82 home win over Geelong United.

The Hawks returned home to The Rings needing a win to stay in touch of the top eight while Geelong arrived in the same boat with Ringwood coming into the game at 5-8 and United at 5-7.

It was a strong start from the Hawks with 29 points to 20 before they were also leading 51-44 by the half-time break.

It was in the second half when Ringwood took over the contest outscoring Geelong 29 points to 21 in the third frame, and 30 to 17 in the fourth on the way to securing the 28-point victory.

Ringwood finished up shooting 54 per cent from the floor to 47 from Geelong to go with going 19/23 at the foul line opposed 4/7 with the win improving the Hawks to 6-8 on the season.

Tanner Krebs led the charge for Ringwood finishing with 28 points, six rebounds and two assists with Angus Glover adding 22 points, six boards and six assists.

Jonathan Lawton also had 16 points, five steals, four rebounds and three assists, Max Richards 11 points, three boards and two blocked shots, and Harry Sealey 10 points, three assists and two rebounds.

Geelong are now 5-8 following the loss ahead of hosting the North West Tasmania Thunder on Sunday with Liam Herbert equal top-scoring with 23 points and four rebounds on 5/14 three-point shooting.

Tristan Forsyth added 23 points and eight rebounds, George Blagojevic 10 points, seven boards and three assists, and Marach Marach nine points and three rebounds.

RINGWOOD HAWKS 110 (Krebs 28, Glover 22, Lawton 16)

GEELONG UNITED 82 (Forsyth 23, Herbert 23, Blagojevic 10)

Diamond Valley Eagles (67) lost to Sandringham Sabres (102)

Melbourne United NBL Next Star Dash Daniels continues to shine at the Sandringham Sabres leading them to the 102-67 win against the Diamond Valley Eagles with 23 points with four three-pointers.

The Eagles returned to their home floor at Diamond Valley Sports and Fitness Centre looking to rebound from their King's Birthday loss to the Waverley Falcons as they hosted a Sandringham team looking to keep their flagging playoff hopes alive.

It was a dominant start in the first quarter from Sandringham with 24 points to 14 on the back of getting up 23 shot attempts to just 16 from Diamond Valley along with four free-throw attempts to zero.

From there, the Sabres were still leading 49-39 by the half-time break and then dominated the second half further with 27 points to 12 in the third term, and 26 to 16 in the fourth on the way to the eventual 35-point victory away from home.

The win sees Sandringham improve to a 6-7 record to stay in the playoff hunt on the back of consecutive victories with Dash Daniels playing a starring role with 23 points, four steals, three rebounds and three assists with 4/5 three-point shooting.

Malith Machar added 19 points and seven rebounds for the Sabres, CJ Asuncion-Byrd 15 points, four boards, two assists and two steals, Ben Ayre 12 points, seven assists, five rebounds and two steals, and playing-coach Dave Barlow 10 points, nine boards and two assists.

Diamond Valley have now lost three straight matches to slip to a 4-10 record with Jock Perry top-scoring with 16 points and 12 rebounds while Ryley Haywood added 12 points and six boards, and Jay Mackenzie nine points, five rebounds and two assists.

DIAMOND VALLEY EAGLES 67 (Perry 16, Haywood 12, Mackenzie 9)

SANDRINGHAM SABRES 102 (Daniels 23, Machar 19, Asuncion-Byrd 15)

Eltham Wildcats (86) lost to Bendigo Braves (92)

The Bendigo Braves got 83 points out of Justin Johnson, Lual Diing and Charles Matthews on the way to the eventual 92-86 road victory against the Eltham Wildcats.

Coming into the contest at Montmorency Secondary Collect and the Wildcats and Braves were locked in a battle for a spot in the bottom part of the top eight with Eltham 7-5 and Bendigo 7-7.

That raised the stakes of the Saturday night match up with 27 points to 21 in the first quarter from the defending champion Wildcats before that lead got out to seven early in the second frame.

Bendigo responded by ending up scoring 26 points in the second term with 10/12 free-throw shooting on the way to going into the half-time break leading 47-44.

The Braves built on that lead in the third quarter with another 22 points to 15 to lead by as much as 12 points, which grew to 13 in the fourth term and they held out the Wildcats from there for the six-point victory.

The win keeps Bendigo in the playoff mix with an 8-7 record with Justin Johnson delivering 31 points, six rebounds and two assists with 14/15 foul shooting.

Lual Diing added 28 points and 11 rebounds, Charles Matthews 24 points, seven boards and three steals, and the rest of the team only combined for nine points on 4/12 field goal shooting.

Eltham are now 7-6 following the loss that ends their three-game winning run ahead of a Sunday match up with the Sandringham Sabres.

Gabe Hadley top-scored for the Wildcats with 24 points on 6/8 three-point shooting with Xavier Bledson providing 20 points, six rebounds and two assists, and Mitch McCarron 15 points, three assists and two boards.

Josh Sykes also contributed 13 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots in another performance full of highlight reel plays.

ELTHAM WILDCATS 86 (Hadley 24, Bledson 20, McCarron 15)

BENDIGO BRAVES 92 (Johnson 31, Diing 28, Matthews 24)

Knox Raiders (78) lost to Melbourne Tigers (85)

It was Tom Wilson's turn to light it up for the Melbourne Tigers with 38 points in the 85-78 win against the league-leading Knox Raiders.

The Raiders were back home at the State Basketball Centre sitting three games clear in top spot in the NBL1 South as they hosted a Tigers team coming off a big win last Friday night against the Keilor Thunder.

Melbourne did need to keep winning to stay in the top eight and they started well with 22 points to 16 in the opening quarter.

The Tigers would then maintain a lead the rest of the evening with that advantage getting out to as much as 13 points in the fourth quarter on the way to the eventual seven-point victory.

Not much separated the two teams but Melbourne did attempt 25 free throws to the 15 from Knox with the win seeing the Tigers improve to an 8-5 record to remain solid inside the top eight.

After Jack Purchase and Harry Froling have produced huge performances for the Tigers in recent week, this time around it was Melbourne United NBL signing Tom Wilson.

He delivered 38 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals on the back of shooting 12/18 from the field, 5/9 from downtown and 9/9 at the foul line.

Froling also put up another 25 points and five rebounds with Purchase adding seven points, seven boards and two assists.

Knox remain in top spot despite suffering a second loss of the season to now hold a 12-2 record with Perth Wildcats NBL26 signing Sunday Dech producing 26 points, four rebounds, four steals and three assists on 5/15 three-point shooting.

Norvel Pelle added 18 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots, and Keli Leaulepe eight points and four boards.

KNOX RAIDERS 78 (Dech 26, Pelle 18, Leaulepe 8)

MELBOURNE TIGERS 85 (Wilson 38, Froling 25, Purchase 7)

Dandenong Rangers (93) lost to Hobart Chargers (97)

The Hobart Chargers had to keep withstanding fightbacks from the Dandenong Rangers to end up securing the 97-93 win with reigning NBL1 East MVP Will Cranston-Lown putting up 30 points.

The Rangers were back home at Dandenong Basketball Stadium attempting to get off the bottom of the standings in the NBL1 South while the Chargers were looking for a win to stay in touch of a top four position.

Hobart arrived fresh off winning their past three matches and then got the better of the start with 28 points to 21 in the first quarter thanks to shooting 12/19 from the floor opposed to the 8/15 from the Rangers.

Hobart were able to complete a 10-0 scoring run into the second term to build a lead as big as 14 points before still leading 50-44 by the half-time interval.

Even though the Chargers got back up to a 10-point lead in the third term, Dandenong fired back and even briefly tied scores up when Mason Peatling landed a three-point bomb just before three quarter-time.

Hobart answered with a three-point play to close out the quarter from Will Cranston-Lown and again led by as much as 12 points in the final term, and then still had to withstand a big finish from the Rangers for the four-point victory.

The Chargers have now won four straight matches to improve to an 8-5 record ahead of taking on the Melbourne Tigers on Sunday to wrap up their road double this weekend.

Hobart are now one of the form teams of the league with Will Cranston-Lown right back to the form that saw him win two NBL1 East MVP awards. He delivered 30 points, six rebounds and four assists on 12/16 field goal shooting.

Ole Angerstein had a powerful performance with 27 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks, Jacob Richards 21 points, five rebounds and five assists, and Vincent DeAngelo 13 points, four boards and three assists.

Dandenong remain in last spot in the NBL1 South with a 3-11 record with Bryton Hobbs producing 21 points, six rebounds and five assists with 3/5 three-point shooting.

Sam Davidson also put up 18 points, four rebounds and three assists, Ryan Rapp 15 points and three assists, Mason Peatling 12 points and six rebounds, and Ruot Monyyong 11 points, eight boards, four assists, two steals and two blocked shots.

DANDENONG RANGERS 93 (Hobbs 21, Davidson 18, Rapp 15)

HOBART CHARGERS 97 (Cranston-Lown 30, Angerstein 27, Richards 21)

Kilsyth Cobras (99) lost to Mount Gambier Pioneers (100)

Despite leading by 13 points early in the fourth quarter, the Mount Gambier Pioneers had to come from behind to seal their eventual 100-99 win over the Kilsyth Cobras at the foul line.

The Cobras were back home at Kilsyth Sports Centre needing another win to back up their victory last Friday over the Bendigo Braves to try and break into the top eight.

They were playing host to the second ranked Pioneers setting up a fascinating contest and it more than lived up to the billing.

Even after Kilsyth led by five points early on, Mount Gambier had opened up a 29-25 lead by quarter-time before then growing that to 50-42 by the half-time break.

Both teams then combined for 65 points in a spectacular third quarter with 33 points from the Pioneers on 12/18 shooting while the Cobras also put up 32 points on 11/19 shooting.

That had Mount Gambier still leading 83-74 by three quarter-time and then that lead was 13 before Kilsyth made their move in the final period.

The Cobras would go on to score 15 consecutive points to hit the front with that streak including three balls to Adrian Tomada, Ben Ursich and Dillon Stith.

That set up a dramatic last five minutes with five straight points having Mount Gambier back up three before Khadim Sy knocked down three triples for the Cobras in the space of a minute and-a-half to having his team leading by three with 1:15 to play.

Titus Robinson scored after an offensive rebound to put Mount Gambier back up one and in the end it was foul shots from Jack Haggett and Dylan Marshall that sealed the one-point win for Mount Gambier.

The victory improves the Pioneers to a 10-4 record ahead of taking on the league-leading Knox Raiders on Sunday with Austin Shelley putting up 23 points, two assists and two steals.

Akech Aliir added 17 points, six rebounds and three assists, Joe Palmer 13 points, seven boards, four assists and three steals, Titus Robinson 12 points, five rebounds and three assists, and Dylan Marshall 12 points, two boards and two steals.

Kilsyth are now 8-7 following the dramatic loss in what is their only appearance of the weekend with Dillon Stith terrific with 25 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and two steals with 4/7 three-point shooting.

Khadim Sy also knocked down 4/6 from long range for 25 points and four rebounds with Jamie Ahale contributing 22 points and four assists with 4/9 three-point shooting, and Adrian Tomada 13 points, six rebounds and three assists.

KILSYTH COBRAS 99 (Stith 25, Sy 25, Ahale 22)

MOUNT GAMBIER PIONEERS 100 (Shelley 23, Aliir 17, Palmer 13)