SANDRINGHAM Sabres have pulled off a thrilling win over the Casey Cavaliers in the Big V Youth Men’s Championship on the weekend, getting the job done by two points in a nail-biting finish to the contest, with Joe Lubarsky‘s game-winning jumper proving the difference.

Coming into the clash at Southern Basketball Stadium on Sunday afternoon, the Sabres were fresh off a disappointing loss at the hands of the Kilsyth Cobras the night before. On the other hand, the Cavaliers had secured a 38-point thumping over the Nunawading Spectres on Saturday night, so the visitors were in far better form, and would have been full of confidence.

Sandringham Sabres (85) def. Casey Cavaliers (83)

It was a scrappy start to the match, with neither side able to find the bottom of the net in the opening minutes of the contest. Casey’s Joel Robinson was able to break the deadlock with a nice midrange jumper to get the Cavaliers’ game underway. It was immediately answered down the other end when Aiden McFarlane nailed a triple, and that was reflective of how the remainder of the term would pan out. Both sides traded blows and neither team was able to truly grab control of the game, with proceedings tied at the first change.

The second quarter looked to be more of the same, before the Cavaliers owned the second half of the frame to take plenty of momentum into halftime. A 21-7 run in the final minutes of the first half saw the Cavaliers storm out to a double-digit lead and hold a 13-point buffer at the main change in what was a huge patch of play in a tight game.

With their backs against the wall, the Sabres dominated the third term to make it game on coming out of half time. Just as the Cavaliers did the term before, Sandringham closed the third frame in style, scoring from all three levels to slash the deficit in seemingly no time at all, and putting the pressure back onto the Cavaliers, making it a one-point game with a quarter to play.

It was a fantastic finish to the contest, with both sides taking the lead at stages down the stretch in some of the best crunch time basketball seen throughout the 2025 season. First, it was Jusitin Ochaya who nailed back to back baskets to tie up the match with just over 30 seconds to play. Then, Sandringham’s Lubarsky capped off a dominant performance with the game-winning basket in the form of a turnaround jumper, putting the Sabres up by two with just 12 seconds on the clock, and the opposition could not answer in time.

Lubarsky was immense for the Sabres, dropping 26 points on an extremely efficient 10/14 shooting from the field, making him the leading scorer for the match. He also pulled down nine rebounds to flirt with a double-double in an inspirational showing from the Sandringham captain.

Also impressing for the victors was Elliott Brown, who posted 23 points, six rebounds and five assists off the bench in an excellent showing, playing a crucial part in getting the Sabres back into the contest.

For Casey, Ochaya was the star of the show, posting 23 points on 10/20 shooting from the field, while Blake Shankland posted a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds in a strong performance despite the result.

Across the courts

Melbourne (73) def. by Diamond Valley (78)
Geelong (82) def. by Eltham (88)
Casey (106) def. Nunawading (68)
Kilsyth (84) def. Sandringham (55)
Knox (97) def. Dandenong (86)
Hume City (79) def. by Waverley (104)
Wyndham (63) def. by Frankston (99)
Diamond Valley (69) def. by Knox (102)
Keysborough (42) def. by Geelong (54)
Waverley (123) def. Wyndham (79)
Keilor (97) def. by Frankston (103)
Hume City (73) def. Melbourne (64)