THE DANDENONG Rangers have locked in third spot after defeating the Keilor Thunder in the ninth and final round of the 2025 VJBL U18 Girls VC Championship season when the two sides went head to head over the weekend.

The Rangers were coming to the end of a strong home and away fixture, having proven one of the biggest contenders both before and after the midseason regrading. They were looking to lock in a top three spot in the standings, but had to face a Thunder team also vying for a spot in the postseason, and needed a win to confirm their placing in the finals.

An emphatic first half set the tone for the Rangers, who managed to build a double-digit lead prior to half time and despite a spirited fightback from the Thunder after the main break, Dandenong held on at Dandenong Stadium on Friday night.

Dandenong Rangers (58) def. Keilor Thunder (50)

It was a high scoring start to the contest, with the two teams trading blows and delivering some potent offence in an entertaining first few minutes. However, the final few minutes of the frame saw Dandenong gain scoreboard ascendancy, with a late triple to Marianela Fakalata helping the Rangers out to a four-point buffer at quarter time.

The Rangers continued that momentum into the second frame, pushing their lead out to as many as nine points in the first few minutes of the term. Dandenong’s offence was looking as dynamic as ever, with plenty of players stepping up to be productive on the scoring front. A late flurry of triples to the home side saw the Rangers hold a 13-point lead at the main break and all the momentum with a half to play.

It was a scrappy third quarter coming out of half time, with neither side able to maintain their offensive cohesion from the first half. It worked in Keilor’s favour as it allowed the visitors to stay within striking distance heading into the final period, although the Thunder would need to bring their best.

Although the Thunder tried to rally in the dying stages of the contest, time ended up being the winner as Keilor ran out of time. A late 5-0 run to the visitors in the final minute of the contest made the margin more respectable, but it was still the Rangers who emerged winners.

It was a balanced performance from the Rangers on the eve of finals, with the trio of Tiedore Puoch (13 points), Fakalata (12 points) and Emma Anderson (12 points) all pouring in double-digits in a terrific team showing from the title contenders.

For the Thunder, Elle Price fought hard to ignite something on the offensive end for her side, finishing with a game-high 16 points, while Maya Barnes was the other Keilor player to finish in double-digits with 10 points of her own.

Across the courts

The Melbourne Tigers booked a finals spot with an 18-point win over the McKinnon Cougars when the two sides clashed at Bentleigh Secondary College on Friday night, finishing the season in seventh spot as a result.

The Sandringham Sabres claimed an impressive win on the road on the same night, defeating Geelong United by 13 points at Beyond Bank Stadium to finish the home and away portion of the season on a high.

The Eltham Wildcats were far too good for the Bulleen Boomers on their home court at Eltham High School in the final round of the season, producing a dominant 26-point win to close out the fixture in style.

Finally, the Nunawading Spectres won a thriller in their clash against the Kilsyth Cobras at Nunawading Basketball Centre on Friday night, delivering down the stretch to emerge five-point winners in a nailbiting match.