A DOMINANT performance in the third quarter has helped the Sunbury Jets to a 24-point win over the Eltham Wildcats in Round 7 of the VJBL Under-18 Boys VC Championship over the weekend as the 2025 edges closer to conclusion.

Round 7 marked the third-last week of the home and away fixture for the year, and with finals approaching, the race for a spot in the postseason is truly heating up, adding to the stakes of each matchup. Both the Jets and the Wildcats are in the hunt for a top-four spot come season’s end, so Friday night’s clash was going to be huge for shaping the ladder.

Although it was a close contest for most of the game, the Jets absolutely dominated the third term to break away and put the game to bed by three-quarter time, eventually solidifying fourth spot with a convincing win at home.

Sunbury Jets (77) def. Eltham Wildcats (53)

It was an extremely close contest to start the match, with both sides trading blows and the lead not going any further than three points. There were baskets falling from just about everywhere as both the Jets and the Wildcats got into their offensive rhythm early in some extremely entertaining back and forth action, and at the first change, it tied at 19 points apiece.

The Jets began to steadily build a lead throughout the second term, continuing to find the bottom of the net while having more success getting defensive stops down the other end. A 9-0 run midway through the term saw Sunbury snatch momentum, and at the main break, it was the home side who held a five-point buffer on the scoreboard.

The third period proved to be the most defining patch of the game, with the Jets putting the foot down in an emphatic showing that ended up being the difference. Sunbury was absolutely relentless on both ends of the floor, outscoring the opposition 25-6 in an absolutely lopsided 10-minute period, and the Wildcats saw the match slip out of their grasp in no time at all as they struggled to find the bottom of the net. At the final change, the Jets held a 24-point lead and had put the game to bed.

It was a better performance in the final frame from the Wildcats, who took advantage of the fact that the Jets had taken the foot off the gas after a terrific third-quarter performance. Eltham managed to match the output of the home side, and kept the margin from ballooning out any further, but still ended up falling by 24 points.

It was a balanced performance from the Jets, who had four players score in double-digits to show just how even their scoring spread can be. Leading the way was Angus Palmer, who had 15 points in a strong showing, while Cooper O’Neill (14 points), Sonny Maxwell (13 points) and Finn McGinty (11 points) all played crucial roles.

Luca Spadafora was Eltham’s best, fighting across all four quarters to finish with a game-high 16 points, while Josh McCann was the other Wildcat to post double-digits in the points column with 12 of his own.

Across the courts

The Knox Raiders were far too good for Geelong United when the two sides locked horns in a Round 7 clash, defending home court strongly as they have done all season long to finish with a 23-point win at State Basketball Centre.

Although they received quite a scare from a gutsy opposition, the Keilor Thunder managed to deliver when it mattered most to hold off the Sandringham Sabres and claim a five-point win when the two sides went head to head at Keilor Stadium.

The Kilsyth Thunder kept the trend rolling of home sides recording a win in Round 7 of the 2025 season, claiming a win over the Nunawading Spectres to the tune of 24 points at Kilsyth Basketball Stadium on Friday night.

The Dandenong Rangers were able to buck the trend in the final game of the round when they claimed an impressive road win at Casey Stadium, knocking off the Cavaliers by 13 points in a strong showing in enemy territory.