ALTHOUGH they tried to complete the final quarter comeback, the Nunawading Spectres fell three points short in their clash against the Keilor Thunder in Round 3 of the VJBL U18 Girls VC Championship at Nunawading Basketball Centre on Friday night.

Since the re-grading and move into the VC Championship division, the Spectres had not secured a victory over the first two weeks, and were coming off a thrilling draw against the Bulleen Boomers. The Thunder were also yet to get on the winners’ list in the first fortnight, having been convincingly beaten by the championship favourites in the Sandringham Sabres in Round 2.

Although the Spectres stormed out of the gates with an emphatic opening quarter, the game turned into a grind for the remainder of the contest, suiting the Thunder and allowing the visitors to sneak home to victory.

Nunawading Spectres (49) def. by Keilor Thunder (52)

It was the perfect opening frame for the home side, who found plenty of success driving inside, drawing contact and converting at the charity stripe. The Spectres were simply getting to dangerous spots inside the paint, forcing the defence to either give up an easy shot or commit the foul, and as a result, Nunawading held a nine-point buffer at the first change.

It was a clear defensive switch from the Thunder in the second quarter, showing the ability to lock down the Spectres without fouling. Nunawading was restricted to just nine points as Keilor’s deficit was cut to just three at the main change in what was a crucial period within the context of the match.

The third quarter was more of the same, with the visitors maintaining their intensity on the defensive end as the baskets continued to dry up for the Spectres. Nunawading simply could not find any rhythm on the offensive end, and allowed the Thunder to take the lead as a result. With a quarter to play, Keilor had managed to remarkably chalk out a six-point buffer and was certainly in the box seat.

It was certainly an improved effort from the Spectres in the final term, overcoming a double-digit deficit early in the fourth quarter to draw within two points in the dying stages of the match. A late flurry of baskets saw Nunawading snatch momentum, but time ended up defeating the home side, with the Thunder holding on for a win.

Jordana Samartiz was the star of the show for the Thunder, posting 14 points in a low-scoring clash and playing a vital role in Keilor turning the game around in the second and third quarters. Also impressing was Lucy George, who had 10 points of her own in an eye-catching display.

For the Spectres, Isabelle Godfrey was excellent despite the result, working hard to finish with 12 points for the match, pairing well with Cleo Barbakas, who also impressed with 11 points, while Emilia Drmic had some exciting moments as well.

ACROSS THE COURTS

The Kilsyth Cobras hit the road for Round 3 and got the job done, defeating the McKinnon Cougars by six points at Bentleigh Secondary College on Friday night, building on an impressive showing in the opening quarter.

It was as dominant of a performance as Geelong United could have hoped for in their win over the Bulleen Boomers at Beyond Bank Stadium, getting the job done by a whopping 47 points in an emphatic display.

The Eltham Wildcats were just as impressive when they hit the court in Round 3 of the 2025 season, producing a thumping win over the Dandenong Rangers at Montmorency Secondary College on Friday night.

The Sandringham Sabres maintained their standing as the team to beat for 2025, producing another masterful performance to defeat the Melbourne Tigers and remain unbeaten throughout the calendar year to date.