AN exciting performance off the bench from young gun Patrick D’Arcy was one of many positives for the Sturt Sabers as they outlasted the Eastern Mavericks in Round 7 of the National Basketball League (NBL)1 Central Men’s competition.

Coming into Sunday afternoon’s clash at Springbank Secondary College, both sides were in ripping form in what was shaping as an exciting matchup. The Sabres had lost just one game, while the Mavericks were on a winning streak of their own, so it was looming as a close encounter.

The game lived up to the hype for much of the contest, with the two sides trading momentum throughout the contest. Almost every run was answered by the opposition, and it was just a four-point lead to Sturt at the final change. However, the Sabres were simply too good in the fourth quarter, outscoring Eastern 24-14 to snag a 14-point win.

In a strong team performance that had several key contributor, the showing of D’Arcy was crucial in the context of the match.

Sturt Sabres (104) def. Eastern Mavericks (90)

Patrick D’Arcy – 13 points, three rebounds, one assist

With plenty of hype surrounding his name already, D’Arcy has been delivering excitement on a weekly basis, and has been integral to Sturt’s strong start to the season.

Already looming as one of the strongest prospects in South Australian basketball, the smooth moving wing has been honing his craft at NBL1 level, and looks right at home alongside experienced campaigners each time the Sabres hit the court.

His work off the bench against the Mavericks was extremely valuable, and helped the home side eventually outlast the opposition with several consistent avenues to scoring.

In just 15 minutes of court time, D’Arcy delivered 13 points on 4/9 shooting from the field, and nailed some vital baskets in the context of the match.

Although he could stretch the floor (2/6 3PT), the youngster did his best work inside the arc, attacking the rim and either finishing at the basket or drawing contact. It was a winning method, as his scoring helped the the victors in the minutes when their starters needed a rest.

D’Arcy has already stormed onto the stage as one of the players to watch in the NBL1 Central competition, and delivered another exciting showing for the Sabres.