THE SANDRINGHAM Sabres were far too good for the Hobart Chargers in their elimination final in the 2025 NBL1 South Men’s season, although the performance of 20-year-old talent Jordan Straatsma was a big positive for the defeated.

The two sides were matched up in a do-or-die clash at Southern Basketball Stadium on Saturday night, with the Sabres getting hosting rights having finished higher in the standings. It was a significant home court advantage as the Chargers had to cross the Bass Strait for their match, and Sandringham has proven a strong side at home throughout 2025.

The first half proved to be the decisive factor in the match, with the Sabres getting out to a red-hot start and proving too strong offensively, leading by 13 points at the main break. Although Hobart was able to put out a better performance in the second half, the damage was already done, with the Sabres advancing to the semi-finals while it was season over for the Chargers.

Although the result did not go as planned, the performance of Straatsma was a shining light for the Chargers, with the young gun rounding out his season strongly with an outing that he can be proud of.

Sandringham Sabres (111) def. Hobart Chargers (98)

Jordan Straatsma – 14 points, five rebounds, one steal

Although it was a tough night at the office for Hobart overall, Straatsma fought all game to try and spark something for his team, and can hold his head high with another strong outing to cap off a promising campaign.

He started the match by emerging as an influential presence on the glass, with the Sabres unable to keep him from getting first hands on the ball in the opening minutes. He then tied up the match at 10 points apiece by finishing a nice alley-oop play from a William Cranston-Lown pass. Straatsma tried his hand at three-point shooting, but his attempt did not fall, although he bounced back nicely with a floater on the next possession to be involved in the first quarter scoring.

The youngster did not feature in the second term with the Chargers opting to use some more experienced players and they ended up missing his offensive creativity. At the main change, Hobart trailed by double-digits and needed a serious spark on the offensive end.

The third quarter saw Straatsma injected back into the game, and he pulled down some crucial rebounds as he looked to slow down the opposition’s momentum. He had just one more make for the quarter, driving inside and nailing the floater to cut the margin back to 15 points after the Sabres looked to break away even further.

The final quarter was Straatsma’s most productive, finally getting his long-range shots to fall with a three-pointer early in the period. He backed it up a couple of minutes later with a nice driving layup as he became a more focal point on the offensive end for the Chargers. His second finish in the paint for the quarter cut the margin back to nine points with just over two minutes to play, and he was sent to the free throw line for an opportunity for an and-one, although he could not convert.

After the Sabres answered down the other end, Straatsma nailed his second triple of the game to cut the deficit to eight points and keep his team in it. However, the Chargers looked to go through other players on the offensive end, although Straatsma did get involved for one more basket with a nice tip in, which demonstrated his nous on the glass.

He finished the game with 14 points and five rebounds in 19 minutes of court time, shooting 6/8 from the field and 2/3 from behind the arc in a strong display that dragged his side back into the contest. It is a performance that showed that he can step up in big games and has a bright future ahead in the NBL1.