South Finals | Spectres survive miracle Thunder fightback

Featured image: Rachel Louise - Rachel Louise Photography @rachellouisephotographyau

The Nunawading Spectres were in control of their NBL1 South qualifying final most of the night including being 20 points up in the fourth quarter but Keilor Thunder then got all the way back within a point in a frantic finish.

The Spectres played host to the Thunder at Nunawading Basketball Centre with a preliminary final spot up for grabs with Nunawading having finished the regular season in third position at 16-6 and the Thunder sixth at 15-7.

That saw both teams earn the week off to start the finals coming into the Saturday night match up and it was the Spectres who didn’t take long to push out to a 12-point lead and they were on top 27-15 by quarter-time.

Christian D'Angelo caught fire with 14 points in that opening period with the Spectres shooting 4/10 from the outside to just 1/3 from the Thunder.

>> SOUTH FINALS | TIGERS KNOCK OUT REIGNING CHAMPS

>> KEILOR HELPS KOPA REALISE NBL DREAM

>> SOUTH FINALS | FROLING SETS UP RANGERS FOR EF WIN

>> SOUTH FINALS | MACHAR, ADNAM LIFT SABRES OVER CAVS

That lead for Nunawading got out to as much as 20 points in the second quarter as well when they completed an 11-0 scoring run and still by half-time the home team were on top 45-32.

D'Angelo was up to 17 points for the Spectres and as a team they were shooting 15/30 from the field and 8/18 from the outside to the 12/36 and 2/8 from the Thunder.

Nunawading had another 27 points on 11/19 shooting in the third quarter including 11 more points to D'Angelo while Keilor continued to struggle to find their outside shot going 1/8 in the quarter and to be going 3/16 by three quarter-time.

The Spectres were still leading 72-55 going into the fourth quarter and then D'Angelo had a three-point play to start the final term and suddenly the lead was out to 20 again and the contest looked over.

Nobody told Keilor that, though, and they scored the next eight points and then had another 11-0 run including a three ball from Tana Kopa to suddenly be back within three points with 3:45 to play.

Landon Seaman then hit another shot from deep to make it a two-point margin and then Daniel Foster scored going to the basket and with just under two minutes on the clock, it was a one-point ball game.

It was Keilor with all the momentum but they couldn’t quite hit that next score to go in front and Nunawading steadied with a pair of free throws from Ben Griscti.

The Thunder then weren’t able to score again in the last two minutes and the Spectres ended up securing the four-point win to get out of jail to advance to a preliminary final where they are on the road to the Eltham Wildcats.

Nunawading ended up shooting 11/29 from the outside by the end of the night to 5/24 from Keilor in what was the only major difference at the buzzer with Christian D'Angelo finishing with 31 points and seven assists with 4/11 shooting from the outside.

Dyson King-Hawea added 17 points and six rebounds, Kingsley Box 10 points and nine boards, and Dylan Penn nine points and four assists.

Keilor will be kicking themselves that it took them so late to get going and then they couldn’t quite complete the miraculous fightback with Landon Seaman finishing with 22 points and nine rebounds.

Daniel Foster added 20 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and three assists, Tana Kopa 12 points and three assists, and Deng Dut 12 points and five assists.

NBL1 SOUTH 2026 SEASON | QUALIFYING FINAL

NUNAWADING SPECTRES 83 (D'Angelo 31, King-Hawea 17, Box 10)

KEILOR THUNDER 79 (Seaman 22, Foster 20, Kopa 12, Dut 12)