A DOMINANT second half performance was the catalyst for the Sandringham Sabres’ 18-point win over Geelong United in the Big V Youth Championship Men’s clash at The Geelong Arena on Sunday afternoon.

The Sabres are currently looking to make an appearance in the postseason, and currently sit in a finals spot on the ladder as it stands, coming into this clash with a record of 13 wins and seven losses. On the other hand, Geelong United are in danger of dropping out of postseason calculations with a negative record of 8-11 coming in, although home court advantage would help.

Despite being on the road and receiving a hefty challenge from the hosts in the first half, the Sabres broke away after the main change en route to their 14th win of the season to ensure they sat in fifth place at the end of the round.

Geelong United (88) def. by Sandringham Sabres (106)

It was clear from the get-go that this was going to be a high-scoring clash, with both sides firing from the field in the first 10 minutes of play in some seriously entertaining offensive action. The Sabres were able to just keep their noses in front for the majority of the opening frame, and held a slim three-point lead at the first change.

Much of the offence from both sides came from inside the paint in the second quarter, whether it was finishing at the cup, nailing tip-in shots or converting at the charity stripe. Although the Sabres were holding onto the lead, United were not going anywhere, and cut the margin down to just one point at the main break.

Sandringham’s class and offensive potency began to shine through after half time, with the visitors steadily building their lead in the third quarter. It was not a ridiculous run that did the job, but consistently making baskets throughout the quarter as Geelong’s efficiency dropped off and the hosts trailed by 12 at the final change.

That trend continued into the fourth quarter with the Sabres continuing to dominate on the offensive end with plenty of players chipping in to keep their score ticking over. United were simply no match for the scoring production of the opposition, and Sandringham was able to extend its lead and cruise home to a 16-point victory on the road.

Leading the way for the Sabres was captain Joe Lubarsky, who top scored with 23 points on 10/19 shooting from the field to go with his nine rebounds. Not far behind was Elliott Brown, who has been making strong appearances with Sandringham’s NBL1 side and showed his class with 20 points against Geelong, while Sammy Cartwright (nine points, 14 rebounds) and Harry Neilson (10 points, 16 rebounds) controlled the skies.

Jackson Talbot was the star of the show for United in a gutsy performance, particularly in the first half when they looked to match Sandringham’s output. He did a bit of everything to finish with 23 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a valiant showing.

ACROSS THE COURTS

Geelong United (118) def. Dandenong (83)
Melbourne (68) def. by Casey (93)
Waverley (68) def. by Keilor (95)
Keysborough (58) def. by Eltham (71)
Kilsyth (112) def. Wyndham (71)
Hume City (70) def. by Nunawading (81)
Dandenong (70) def. by Knox (81)
Diamond Valley (79) def. by Kilsyth (84)
Eltham (102) def. Hume City (73)
Casey (99) def. by Waverley (102)
Frankston (90) def. Nunawading (62)
Keilor (73) def. Melbourne (62)