ELTHAM Wildcats and Sandringham Sabres have split the points in their Round 3 clash in the 2025 VJBL Under-18 Boys VC Championship division, finishing at 72 points apiece in an encounter that went down to the wire.

Both sides came into the clash looking to claim their first win in the VC Championship division, which pits the best sides in the age group against each other after a regrading following the first half of the season, with the two teams performing solidly over the first couple of months.

After four quarters of play, the two teams could not be split, and unfortunately are still winless in the new division after three rounds of play.

Eltham Wildcats (72) drew w/ Sandringham Sabres (72)

It was a fitting way for the Sabres to start the match, with star Max Pavey putting Sandringham on the board in enemy territory at Montmorency Secondary College. However, the Wildcats, went on an 11-1 run following that play to jump out to a hefty lead and take control of the match. Momentum changed hands again as the Sabres cut that deficit to two points by quarter time.

The second quarter echoed the same storyline as the opening frame, with Eltham looking to break away and jumping out to a five-point buffer a few minutes into the period. The Sabres then snatched momentum to take the lead heading towards half time, before the home side managed to maintain their two-point lead at the main break.

It was a close contest throughout the third quarter, with the lead not going above four points for much of the frame, before the Wildcats began to build a bit of momentum heading towards the final change. They were finding plenty of success on the offensive end and kept their noses in front with a quarter still to play.

After the Sabres tied up proceedings through Pavey, the Wildcats went on a 7-0 run and looked to put the game to bed. However, Sandringham did not roll over, and rallied in the dying minutes of the match to remarkably take the lead late in the piece. A late basket to Eltham’s Mitchell McIntosh tied up the match and ended up being the defining play, with time beating everyone and the game finishing as a tie.

For the Wildcats, it was an excellent team performance, especially considering they only had a six-man rotation and had to endure plenty of playing time. Leading the way was Ryder Cleary, who finished with a team-high 18 points, while Noah Singh (15 points), Chandler Siegle (15 points) and Bodhi Stratford (12 points) all played key roles.

Pavey was the star of the show for the Sabres, pouring in a whopping 23 points for the match, which was the most of any player in the game. Also impressing for Sandringham was Michael Fitton, who had 17 points of his own in a crucial display.

Across the courts

The Kilsyth Cobras managed to grind out a 10-point win over the Casey Cavaliers in the first game of the round at Kilsyth Basketball Stadium on Friday night, sealing the match with an impressive final quarter performance at home.

The Nunawading Spectres defended home court advantage successfully on Friday night when they claimed a six-point win over Geelong United at Nunawading Basketball Centre on Friday night, taking the lead in the final frame and never looking back.

The Knox Raiders claimed a gutsy road win over the Sunbury Jets at Boardman Sports Stadium on Friday night, getting the job done by 11 points on the back of a 23-point performance from Jarvis Neal in enemy territory.

Finally, it was a dominant performance from the Dandenong Rangers at Dandenong Stadium on Friday, proving far too good for the Keilor Thunder en route to a whopping 20-point triumph in an emphatic showing.