South Recap | Round 2 Friday

Image credit: xnp_photography

The Casey Cavaliers had a double winning night away to the Mount Gambier Pioneers to open NBL1 South Round 2 while Sara Blicavs led Melbourne Tigers to a win as did Dillon Stith on joining the Kilsyth Cobras.

WOMEN

Mount Gambier Pioneers (60) lost to Casey Cavaliers (76)

The tough start to the new season continued on their home floor for the Mount Gambier Pioneers with the Casey Cavaliers opening their account for 2025 with the 76-60 victory.

The Pioneers opened the season with a pair of road losses last weekend to Geelong United and Keilor Thunder while the Cavs also lost first up at home to the Dandenong Rangers.

That left the teams looking to open their account when they clashed at Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre on Friday night and it was the home team who started strongly with Mount Gambier on top 20-13 by quarter-time.

Casey locked in defensively in the second period and held the Pioneers to just four points the entire 10 minutes while putting up 17 themselves to go into half-time leading 30-24.

The scoring picked up from both teams in the third quarter as they combined for 51 points, but the Cavaliers extended their lead to 11 points by three quarter-time on the way to the eventual 16-point triumph.

Sharne Robati came up big in the win for the Cavs with 23 points and seven rebounds on 8/13 shooting from the floor with Ahlise Hurst adding 17 points and three boards.

Lauryn Hippolite also contributed nine points and two rebounds, Jaden Owens eight points, six boards, six assists and six steals, and Esra McGoldrick seven points, five rebounds and two assists.

Isabella Brancatisano put up 23 points, seven rebounds and two assists for the now 0-3 Mount Gambier with Haliegh Reinoehl contributing 15 points and 14 boards, and Chloe Hildebrand seven points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals.

MOUNT GAMBIER PIONEERS 60 (Brancatisano 23, Reinoehl 15, Hildebrand 7, MacGregor 7)

CASEY CAVALIERS 76 (Robati 23, Hurst 17, Hippolite 9)

Melbourne Tigers (90) defeated Kilsyth Cobras (76)

The inspirational return from potentially career-ending surgery of Sara Blicavs took another positive step on Friday night with her delivering a match-winning performance as the Melbourne Tigers beat Kilsyth Cobras 90-76.

Blicavs made her return from spinal fusion surgery last week but it was in a loss for the Tigers against the Sandringham Sabres ahead of them hosting the Cobras to open Round 2 at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.

Kilsyth was also coming off a first up defeat against the Knox Raiders with the Tigers starting well at home to lead 25-20 by the end of the opening period.

The Melbourne lead did get out to as much as 11 points but Kilsyth did well to stick with them and even cut the deficit all the way back to just two by the half-time interval.

The Tigers took back control in the third quarter with 29 points to 19 and then extended that advantage out to 17 in the fourth with them on the way to the season-opening 14-point victory.

Sara Blicavs delivered a starring performance for the Tigers in just her second game back from the career-threatening spinal injury. She finished with 24 points, five rebounds and two assists while Melbourne were +25 in her 34 minutes.

Izzy Borlase also had 23 points, three rebounds, three assists and two blocks for the Tigers, Ella Tofaeono 12 points and eight rebounds, and Indiana Bowyer nine points, five boards and three assists.

Abby O'Connor did all she could to give Kilsyth a chance with 28 points and nine rebounds with Shannon Dufficy producing 14 points, three boards and two assists, and Hannah Day 12 points.

MELBOURNE TIGERS 90 (Blicavs 24, Borlase 23, Tofaeono 12)

KILSYTH COBRAS 76 (O'Connor 28, Dufficy 14, Day 12)

MEN

Mount Gambier Pioneers (80) lost to Casey Cavaliers (81)

The Casey Cavaliers have continued their vastly improved start to the 2025 season by hitting the road and shocking the Mount Gambier Pioneers with the 81-80 win having led the entire second half.

Both teams were undefeated coming into the Friday night match up with the Pioneers winning twice on the road last weekend against Geelong and Keilor while Casey also started well beating Dandenong at home having won just three games in all of 2024.

On the back of those two wins last week, Mount Gambier started well to be leading by as much as eight in the first quarter and to be up 26-22 by the end of one.

Casey locked in further in the second term holding the Pioneers to just 13 points and scoring 20 themselves to head into the half-time break leading 42-39.

That lead was then out to double-figures in the third quarter for the Cavs and they held on in a thriller down the stretch for the one-point victory to improve to 2-0 on the season having lost 16 of their last 17 games last season.

There was a lot to like again from the Cavaliers with Preston Bungei delivering 28 points and nine rebounds on 12/18 shooting from the floor.

Tyler Robertson added 19 points and five rebounds despite going 0/7 from deep, Trendon Hankerson 12 points, five boards and three steals, and Nate Roberts 10 points and 15 rebounds.

It's a first loss of the season for the Pioneers in their home opener with Melbourne United forward Akech Aliir finishing with 21 points and six rebounds with Kaden Archie adding 15 points and six boards, Titus Robinson 11 points and five rebounds, and Alex Mudronja 11 points, four boards and four assists.

MOUNT GAMBIER PIONEERS 80 (Aliir 21, Archie 15, Robinson 11, Mudronja 11)

CASEY CAVALIERS 81 (Bungei 28, Robertson 19, Hankerson 12)

Melbourne Tigers (77) lost to Kilsyth Cobras (85)

Dillon Stith made a scintillating entrance into the 2025 NBL1 South season scoring 25 of his 26 points in the first half to put the Kilsyth Cobras on the path to the 85-77 road victory over the Melbourne Tigers.

The Tigers opened the new season on fire back on Sunday with Tom Wilson and Jack Purchase unstoppable in a big win against the Sandringham Sabres while the Cobras arrived at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre coming off a first up loss to the Knox Raiders.

However, Kilsyth added Dillon Stith into the line-up with him fresh off an NBL season with the Cairns Taipans and then more recently winning gold at the 3x3 Asia Cup with the Australian Gangurrus.

Despite his presence, the Tigers had the better of the start with a 24-19 lead by quarter-time but then with Stith on fire, the Cobras took charge in the second term with 27 points to 17.

That saw Kilsyth hold a 46-41 advantage by half-time with Stith already having 25 points to his name.

He might have only added one more point in the second half but the Cobras never surrendered the advantage ending up leading by as much as 15 points and securing the eventual eight-point win.

Stith finished the night with 26 points, three rebounds and three assists on 9/13 shooting from the field with 5/8 from three-point territory.

Adrian Tomada added 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals for the Cobras, Khadim Sy 16 points, nine boards, two steals and two blocks, and Ben Ursich nine points on 2/3 shooting from behind the arc.

Tom Wilson once again top-scored for the Tigers with 22 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals while Mason Gaze contributed 20 points and three assists, Jack Purchase 19 points, three boards, three assists and two blocks, and Michael Wearne eight points, two rebounds and two assists.

MELBOURNE TIGERS 77 (Wilson 22, Gaze 20, Purchase 19)

KILSYTH COBRAS 85 (Stith 26, Tomada 17, Sy 16)