TRAILING by as much as 13 points late in the second term, Waverley Falcons mounted a crucial comeback to defeat Nunawading Spectres by a point in a thrilling Big V Youth Championship Women’s clash and remain undefeated in the process.

The Round 4 match pitted the 4-0 Falcons up against the 2-3 Spectres at Nunawading Basketball Stadium yesterday afternoon, with the home crowd up and about early. They could feel an upset brewing when the Spectres defence shut down Waverley’s scoring ability and limited the Falcons to just nine points in the opening quarter.

That six-point quarter time lead more than doubled throughout the second, as the Spectres had the game firmly on their terms. The official margin at half-time was eight, though a little run at the end of the quarter had the Falcons feeling more confident.

Waverley had every right to be, starting to get its game going through the third as Anika Stehbens and Chrisoula Triantafyllopoulos were consistently adding to the scoreboard pressure. The defensive work of Emilia Drmic off the boards had been a threat to Waverley’s offence, but the Falcons were getting on top.

Though far from easy, the ladder leaders cut the deficit to a point just three minutes into the final quarter. Just when it looked like the Falcons might run over the top of the home side and score an easy win, Nunwading added five points for a buffer.

The teams traded blows in the last few minutes, with Waverley actually scoring seven consecutive points to go 62-56 ahead with less than a minute on the clock. Yet the Spectres kept fighting and despite a four-point deficit in the final seconds, found Mia Tamburrini open from long-range. They trailed by a point, but the buzzer would beat them and the final score end at 65-64 in the Falcons’ favour.

Stehbens finished the night with a game-high 20 points as well as seven rebounds, though Triantafyllopoulos pulled in a ridiculous 13 defensive rebounds – among a total of 19 – as well as 14 points and unheard of 10 steals. Her defensive performance was remarkable for the Falcons.

In defeat, Nunawading share the load around with Tamburrini (15 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals) impressing, while Drmic (11 points, 11 rebounds) and skipper Teagan Potter (11 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals) also stepping up to the plate.

AROUND THE COURTS

Melbourne Tigers also remained undefeated in the Big V Youth Championship Women’s grade with a 14-point win over the also previously undefeated Keilor Thunder. The two sides make up the top three with the Falcons, while Kilsyth Cobras suffered their first loss as well in fourth, going down to Ringwood Hawks who moved to a healthy 4-2 for the season.

Dandenong Rangers picked up a strong win over the struggling Bendigo Braves who were also belted by the Thunder, while bottom four sides Bulleen Boomers, Pakenham Warriors and Frankston Blues all went down across Round 4. It was better news however for Sandringham Sabres who overcame Altona Gators in a mid-table clash.

ROUND 4: