FRIDAY night’s action in the Victorian Junior Basketball League (VJBL) Under-18 Boys saw the Sandringham Sabres claim an 11-point win over the Sunbury Jets at Boardman Sports Stadium.

Coming into the clash, the matchup loomed as one of the games of the season, with both sides right in contention after seven rounds of play. With stars on both sides and plenty of good form coming in, it was shaping as a finals preview for the VC Ashe division.

It was a perfect start for the Jets, who scored the first five points of the game with Sonny Maxwell involved early on in the piece. However, the Sabres warmed up as expected, and were sharing a lot of the scoring load, which was a huge advantage given Sunbury was relying quite heavily on Maxwell offensively. However, he still managed to drag his team to within one point after the first quarter in a strong start to the match from an individual standpoint.

There was some tight back and forth action in the second quarter, as the lead changed hands on several occasions. Just when it looked as if the Sabres were going to break away to a significant lead, the Jets had the ability to go on a run of their own down the other end. However, a late basket to emerging star Max Pavey gave the Sabres a four-point buffer at the main change, which was crucial given the close nature of the game.

The third quarter saw Pavey really begin to stamp his authority as the best player on the floor, conjuring plenty of offence for the Sabres as Sandringham pushed its lead out towards double-digits on the back of his offensive production. When Pavey is in full flight and given the green light to run the offence, there are few able to slow him down, and as a result of his efforts, the visitors led by 10 points at the final change.

Starting the fourth quarter with a run was crucial for the Jets, but it was a task they could not quite complete, as the Sabres pushed their lead out to 14 points in the first few minutes to maintain their momentum. Although Sunbury tried to get something going, it was to no avail as Sandringham claimed a gutsy 11-point win that could hold it in good stead later in the season.

Pavey was excellent for the Sabres, particularly so in the second half, taking over when the game was up for grabs and playing a crucial role in leading the offence. He posted an equal team-high 20 points and looked a class above with ball in hand.

Also impressing for the Sabres was Kaleb Johnson, who had 20 points of his own and quietly went about his business across all four quarters, while Michael Fitton played a vital role too, finishing the contest with 18 points to his name.

Angus Palmer was excellent for the Jets, posting a game-high 23 points and really trying to give the home side a healthy injection of offence in the second half. Maxwell finished with 17 points of his own and was vital in getting the Jets into a strong position early.

Across the courts

The Keilor Thunder claimed an impressive road win over the McKinnon Cougars at Glen Eira Sports and Aquatic Centre on Friday night, proving too good for the home side and cruising home to a 22-point victory.

Speaking of wins in enemy territory, the Knox Raiders headed to Frankston to take on the Blues and left with the chocolates, claiming a 14-point win at Dreamstreet Lending Arena on the back of a dominant second term, which propelled them to victory.

The Bendigo Braves were able to buck the trend and get the job done at home on Friday night, proving 16 points too good for the Casey Cavaliers 2 at Red Energy Arena, bouncing back after the visitors stormed out to an early lead to recover the match and snag the win.

Finally, the Casey Cavaliers 1 claimed a thrilling two-point win over the Eltham Wildcats at Montmorency Secondary College, holding off a fast finishing opponent to claim an impressive win and show their ability to hold on in the clutch.