South Finals | Wildcats survive Spectres to advance

Featured image: Travis Palmieri | traviphotography

Owen Lobsinger had a good look at the winner just before the buzzer but it wasn’t to be and the Eltham Wildcats held out the Nunawading Spectres for the 91-89 overtime victory to lock in an NBL1 South Grand Final spot.

It was always going to be an enthralling preliminary final match up at Montmorency Secondary College with the Wildcats having finished the regular season second at 17-5 and the Spectres third at 16-6.

Eltham then went on to beat the Dandenong Rangers in the qualifying final with Nunawading beating Keilor Thunder to set up the preliminary final with a spot against the Frankston Blues in the Grand Final on the line.

It was a packed house vocally behind Eltham on hand too and it was the Wildcats with the narrow 25-22 lead by the end of the first quarter.

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Eltham then took further control of the contest in the second quarter opening up a 15-point lead and they were still on top 49-41 by half-time on the back of 15 points from Zak Cunningham and 11 from TJ Weeks.

Owen Lobsinger had 16 up the other end to keep Nunawading in the contest and the Spectres were shooting 7/15 from the outside although Eltham were going 47 per cent from the field to 45, and had an extra five shot attempts and made the only six free throws of the half.

Then after Eltham went back up 12 early in the third quarter, Nunawading responded with a 10-0 run although the Wildcats pulled away again to be on top 72-63 by three quarter-time with Cunningham delivering another nine points to be up to 24.

The Wildcats were again leading by 13 when they scored the first four points of the fourth quarter thanks to Weeks but the Spectres were anything but done yet.

Jack Gandolfo and Ben Griscti knocked down three-pointers and then all of a sudden when Lobsinger did the same with 4:30 to go and it was a one-point ball game.

Griscti then knocked down a free-throw to level scores up with just over two minutes remaining and that would be the last score of regulation with neither team able to score in a dramatic last two minutes including Griscti having a good look at the three on the buzzer.

Then in overtime with a Grand Final spot at stake, Mitch McCarron was able to force the steal on Griscti and went on to convert the layup for a four-point lead with just over a minute to play.

Weeks then kept the lead at four with two free throws but the Spectres still had one last chance thanks to a Griscti put back and then a miss from McCarron at the sealer.

Coming out of a timeout, Lobsinger had a good look with the step back three in the corner having made three already on the night, but it didn’t quite fall and the Wildcats held on for the two-point win from there.

The result means the Wildcats have qualified for a second Grand Final in three years having won back in 2024 with Angus Glover and Owen Foxwell starring in the triumph.

Zak Cunningham came up huge for Eltham who did score the win despite being without the injured Leonardo Colimerio.

Cunningham finished with 28 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and two blocks with TJ Weeks adding 21 points on 9/16 field goal shooting.

Harrison Hornery added 14 points and six rebounds, Mitch McCarron 14 points, 10 boards, two assists and two steals, and Sam Short eight points, eight assists, six rebounds and three steals.

It's a tough way for Nunawading to end a standout season in their return to finals after missing out the past two years with a combined 23-21 record with back-to-back ninth place finishes.

Ben Griscti made a successful return this NBL1 South season from his scary neck injury at last year's NBL Blitz and had another 24 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks and two assists with 5/7 three-point shooting.

Owen Lobsinger also ended up with 21 points and 13 rebounds with Jack Gandolfo contributing 12 points, Dylan Penn eight points and 11 assists, Christian D'Angelo eight points, five rebounds and three assists, and Kingsley Box seven points and five boards after an encouraging showing for the South East Melbourne Phoenix against B League United back on Thursday.

NBL1 SOUTH 2026 SEASON | PRELIMINARY FINAL

ELTHAM WILDCATS 91 (Cunningham 28, Weeks 21, Hornery 14, McCarron 14)

NUNAWADING SPECTRES 89 (Griscti 24, Lobsinger 21, Gandolfo 12)