South Finals | Tigers knock out reigning champs

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It might have been two weeks earlier than when they battled last year in the NBL1 South Grand Final but the Melbourne Tigers knocked out the defending champion Sandringham Sabres even with Kyle Adnam having a chance late to tie the game.

The Tigers and Sabres were playing for a preliminary final spot when they renewed hostilities at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre after playing off in a memorable Grand Final almost 12 months ago.

They had met twice this season already with a win apiece but the last meeting was less than a month ago and that was a sign of what was to come with the Sabres winning a four-point thriller.

The Tigers had finished the regular season in top spot to have last weekend off while the Sabres kept their season alive beating the Casey Cavaliers in the elimination final.

Melbourne did shoot out of the blocks with 27 points to 16 in the first quarter on the back of getting up an extra six shot attempts with the five offensive rebounds and forcing the Sabres into seven turnovers.

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Sandringham hit back in the second period with 19 points themselves on identical 7/17 shooting as the first quarter but holding Melbourne to 11 points on 5/21 shooting.

That saw the Tigers only clinging to the 38-35 lead by half-time before things stayed close in the third quarter and Melbourne's advantage was just 61-55 by three quarter-time.

The Tigers did manage to get out to an 11-point lead again in the final quarter but Sandringham came charging back with a pair of three-point bombs from Kyle Adnam fresh off his 70-point record setting outburst to close the regular season.

That made it a three-point ball game heading into the final two minutes and after the Sabres forced the Tigers into back-to-back shot clock violations, Adnam had a great look in the corner had a three in the dying seconds that would have tied the ball game.

It didn’t quite fall, though, and in the end last year's MVP Tom Wilson hit a free-throw to make it a four-point game and the Tigers prevailed to host a preliminary final and end the season of last season's champions.

Melbourne will now host that preliminary final next Saturday night against the Frankston Blues with Wilson ending up with 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Another former MVP, Jack Purchase, also had 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists with Wilson Amos contributing 12 points and two rebounds, Josh Sykes 11 points, 12 boards and four blocks, and George Blagojevic eight points and seven rebounds.

The championship defence of Sandringham is now over with Adnam finishing with another 17 points, four rebounds and two assists with 4/12 shooting from the outside.

Harry Neilson then had 13 points and eight rebounds, Malith Machar 13 points and two boards, Elliott Brown 12 points, three rebounds and three assists, and Kyle Bowen six points, 16 boards, three assists and two blocks.

NBL1 SOUTH 2026 SEASON | QUALIFYING FINAL

MELBOURNE TIGERS 72 (Wilson 18, Purchase 16, Amos 12)

SANDRINGHAM SABRES 68 (Adnam 17, Machar 13, Neilson 13)