THE Sunbury Jets have escaped a serious scare from McKinnon in the Big V Men’s action on the weekend, with the ladder-leaders claiming a thrilling four-point triumph at GESAC in Sunday afternoon’s blockbuster clash.

Each side shared periods of dominance, as two of the best clubs the competition has to offer displayed why they each earned that tag. Heading into the fourth, there was just a single point splitting the two teams, setting up a blockbuster finish to the match. In the end, the Jets were able to do what was required, with Nathan Marshall nailing some crucial free throws to close out the game and seal Sunbury’s 15th win from 16 outings.

The triumph sees the Jets remain atop the standings by a couple of wins, with the task of chasing them down becoming increasingly difficult. On the other hand, McKinnon’s loss sees it in danger of dropping down to fourth in the coming weeks, as they now lead the Broncos by percentage only.

To no one’s surprise, Ishmael Sanders led the way for the Jets, pouring in a whopping 36 points and guiding the offence to a winning score. While he was not the most accurate on the court (11/28 FG), there is no doubt he had the biggest impact on the contest for Sunbury across all four quarters.

Despite McKinnon being unable to grab the upset win, it is hard to fault the effort of Sharif Black, who was a monster with ball in hand. He delivered a game-high 37 points, with buckets coming from all across the halfcourt. Whether it be from inside the arc (9/15 FG) or downtown (6/12 3PT), he was a man on a mission, and almost got his side over the line.

McKinnon (94) def. by Sunbury Jets (98)

The Jets showed their intent early, storming away to a fast lead thanks to some fluent offence. In the first five minutes, Sunbury had already jumped out to an eight-point advantage on the scoreboard, and looked to grab control of the contest. McKinnon tried to drag itself back into the game, but still trailed by 10 at the first break.

Quarter number two was a much more even affair, as the home side were able to finally match the offensive output of the Jets. Each team traded blows, with Sanders and Black among the heavy hitters to close out the half. At the main break, the lead was unaffected, but it was a much more promising showing from the underdogs.

In contrast to the opening term, the third period completely belonged to McKinnon, who was able to produce a powerful showing with ball in hand. At stages, it felt as if the hosts could not miss, and suddenly, Sunbury’s comfortable margin had vanished, and it was back to a one-point game with just 10 minutes to go.

The final period delivered another thrilling display, as McKinnon looked to steal an unlikely victory. The lead changed hands a number of times, with neither side able to grab true momentum. Sanders put the Jets back in front with 39 seconds on the clock, and the visitors nailed the clutch free throws to emerge winners.