NBL1 South Round 12 Friday Men’s Recap

Catch up on all the action from an exciting slate of games in the NBL1 South Men's competition.

Geelong Supercats 90 def by Mt Gambier Pioneers 96
In a thrilling contest, the Mt Gambier Pioneers have beaten the Supercats in Geelong on the back of a mammoth scoring effort from Tam Daly.
Seemingly on fire from the opening tip, Daly was a nightmare for the Supercats to deal with, scoring 20 points in each half to lead Mt Gambier.
Helping the Pioneers to a 26-18 advantage after one quarter, Daly looked like he may be matched in the scoring department by Gabe Hadley, who did his damage from behind the arc.
Hadley connected on seven of 14 three-pointers in the contest, pushing the home side to briefly take the lead in the second term.
Despite Hadley’s brilliant shooting, which was complemented by a strong debut from Shea Ili (21 points) and a big double double from George Blagojevic (19 points, 17 rebounds), Mt Gambier remained in control, retaking the lead to close the first half and holding on to it for the remainder of the game.
Up eight with under three minutes remaining, the Pioneers’ were not done fending off Geelong, as the Supercats strung together a 7-2 run to close the gap to just three points.
Unfortunately for the home fans, the comeback would not materialise, as Mt Gambier closed the contest with good defence and clutch shooting from the foul line.
Both Geelong and Mt Gambier now sit with eight wins and four losses. 

Albury-Wodonga Bandits 83 def by Diamond Valley Eagles 96
The Diamond Valley Eagles have collected an impressive win on the road, holding off the Albury-Wodonga Bandits.
Diamond Valley led for 38 of the 40 minutes thanks in part to crisp ball movement and strong defence.
The Eagles forced Albury-Wodonga into tough shots, many of which came from beyond the arc, where the Bandits connected on just six of its 24 long range attempts.
Conversely, Diamond Valley continuously found good, open shots and converted on its opportunities.
Four Eagles players scored in double figures, with Darcy Harding (16 points) leading the way.
Harding helped stretch the floor for his teammates, connecting on four of his five attempts from behind the arc.
After leading by as many as 10 points in the first half, Diamond Valley were able to hold the Bandits at bay after the main break, never letting the lead dip below five points.
Sharif Watson did his best to keep Albury-Wodonga in the game, scoring 20 points in the losing effort.
The win ends a string of three straight losses for Diamond Valley.

Nunawading Spectres 74 def by Hobart Chargers 96
The Hobart Chargers have won its third game in a row, this time coming on the road against the Nunawading Spectres.
After a stalemate of a first term, it looked like Nunawading would take control of the game early in the second quarter, starting the quarter with a quick 5-0 run to take a 30-25 lead.
That would however be the one of the last times the home side would hold the lead, as Hobart hit back quickly, taking the lead shortly after and running away with the game.
The Chargers built up a 21-point advantage across the second and third quarters, before cruising to victory in the final term.
Boasting three 20 point scorers in Jack Purchase (24 points) Tad Dufelmeier (22 points) and Keon Sapwell (20 points), Hobart’s firepower was simply too much for the reigning champs to overcome.
The victory is Hobart’s ninth of the season, while Nunawading now sit at 6-6 over its 12 games. 

Eltham Wildcats 70 def by Dandenong Rangers 81
After starting the season with six straight losses, the Dandenong Rangers have secured another win, its third in four games, this time one the road against the slumping Eltham Wildcats.
Motivated to end it’s current four game losing streak, Eltham closed the first term on fire, extending its lead to nine points before pulling ahead by 12 mid-way through the second quarter.
Justin Aver (21 points, five assists) played exceptionally for the home side, helping Eltham remain in front for most of the first 20 minutes.
Unfortunately, the Wildcats’ scoring groove began to fade towards the tail end of the first half, as Dandenong worked its way back into the game, reducing the deficit to just one point at the main break.
Led by the interior duo of Venky Jois (21 points, 15 rebounds, four steals) and Oliver Hayes-Brown (19 points, 16 rebounds, two blocks), the Rangers took the lead quickly after halftime, playing from in front for the remainder of the contest.
Tight defense was a common theme for both teams, especially behind the three-point line, with neither team topping 16 per cent on the evening.
Ultimately, Dandenong was able to fend off all of Eltham’s attempts to retake the lead late in the game, securing the 11-point win.
The Wildcats have now lost eight of its past nine games and join Melbourne and Sandringham as the only teams with 10 losses so far this season.

Picture: Rachel Louise Photography