IN THE Victorian Junior Basketball League (VJBL) Under-18 Girls VC Ashe, the Sandringham Sabres have again proven themselves to be the team to beat after continuing their red hot start to the season with another win in Round 3.

The Sabres entered the 2025 fixture looking to bounce back from a preliminary final loss to the Melbourne Tigers, who eventually ended up winning the VC Championship division in 2024. Sandringham also made an appearance at the Under-18 Club Championships, securing a bronze medal after an impressive campaign and set out to go one step further in the VJBL in 2025.

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The Sabres could not have started the season any better, currently sitting 3-0 after the first three weeks and looking far better than their opponents on a weekly basis.

Sandringham started the season with a 30-point win over Eltham, before taking things to the next level with a whopping 55-point win over the Frankston Blues in Round 2, fully establishing itself as the dominant side at the early stages of the season.

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Heading into Round 3, the Sabres had the opportunity for revenge, coming up against the Melbourne Tigers in a rematch of the preliminary final. The Tigers were fresh off a one-point loss at the hands of Casey, and looked likely to start the match with plenty of energy.

However, the Sabres were far too good, jumping out to a quick eight-point lead in the first quarter before putting the game to bed in the fourth quarter despite a late push from the Tigers, with Sandringham emerging 13-point winners.

They got on top early courtesy of some elite defensive pressure, forcing the Tigers into many uncharacteristic errors with ball in hand, which immediately put Melbourne on the back foot and allowed the Sabres to get the upper hand.

The Sandringham players were intent on picking up the opposition full court, looking to put the Tigers under the pump as much as possible and even forcing an eight-second violation, as Melbourne simply could not advance the ball.

Their excellent defensive work translated to the scoreboard as well, with the Sabres generating plenty of scores in transition thanks to some excellent running in fast breaks. In half court sets, Sandringham was reasonably unpredictable, generating scores from a variety of methods and making life difficult for the Tigers when they were defending.

Although they did not achieve the offensive heights of the first two weeks, it was another clinical display from the Sabres, who passed a tough test against the Tigers and remain in a very strong spot for the remainder of the season. They take on Westgate in Round 4 and should be favourites based on recent form.